85-year-old Ruby started to lose her sight seven years ago due to Macular Degeneration.
Ruby is the Chair of our Langley and Slough social club which she set up 25 years back when she had her sight.
Born in Middlesex and a twin, growing up diving was her sport – anything Tom Daley’s done Ruby has done -10 metre dives and somersaults! Even before she could swim she could dive, at age 10 she lined up with other children on the edge of the 10 feet deep end of the pool and was taught to dive and glide to the shallow end.
Ruby spent every day at the pool growing up and still swims twice a week. Ruby was selected to train with the Olympic team but age 20 had a serious lung operation and her Olympic dreams were dashed.
In the 1960’s Ruby moved to Langley and once settled became a Guide Commissioner and secured funding to build her local guide hall. Berkshire Vision approached her to ask if they could hold a monthly club at the hall, bringing people in the area affected by sight loss together. Ruby kindly offered to run the meetings. She started off with just 12 Members and 25 years later she has 62 Members who she says are ‘like extended family.
Seven years ago, Ruby started to have difficulty reading number plates when driving and went for an eye test and as a result was diagnosed with Macular Degeneration. She now has no sight in her right eye and no centre vision in her left eye.
This doesn’t stop Ruby, she recently placed first in the kart when she went go-karting with the Slough Berkshire Vision group, she had a go at archery, football and tandem cycling at the Berkshire Vision Activity Day but gave the arts and crafts a miss!
She really does live life to the full, the only time her sight loss affected her was when she had treatment on her left eye and was left totally blind for a few weeks. She recalls her daughter and son-in-law coming to visit and she had no words for them and sat silent in her living room before going to her bedroom to be on her own. Shortly after she returned, saying ‘I’m sorry for not speaking, I’m trying to work out how to cope’. Her sadness only latest four or five days before she made herself get out and about despite being totally blind at the time.
Ruby relishes Chairing our Langley and Slough monthly group and has wonderful volunteers who provide a supportive and inspiring place for local people affected by sight loss, they are their own support group sharing information, tips and trips out to the seaside and river – living life to the full safely and independently.