Leah Cameron, 22, moved to Sight Scotland’s Forward Vision residential services from a Dundee care home just over a year ago. She's loving being part of a community at Forward Vision and getting the chance to do lots of things she enjoys.
Leah loves baking and has been a driving force behind the reintroduction of the charity’s Community Café, which provides a ‘warm hub’ every second Wednesday for parents, pupils, and residents to come together and chat about common issues and challenges over a cup of tea or coffee and fresh baking. Leah’s baking is now famous amongst the Café’s visitors, with requests for her salted caramel brownies coming thick and fast from everyone.
“I really like living at Forward Vision, it's fantastic to have the chance to take part in lots of activities I love and constantly meet new people. My favourite thing to do is baking and helping at the Community Café, I just love it!"
Leah explains: “I really like living at Forward Vision, it's fantastic to have the chance to take part in lots of activities I love and constantly meet new people. My favourite thing to do is baking and helping at the Community Café, I just love it. My Gran was a good baker and I used to help her when I was younger, so I think this is where I get my passion for baking from. I bake every Tuesday and am always trying out new things to see if we could sell them in the café. I try and get all the other residents to help out as well; I am really proud of what we do for the Café.
“I have been involved in the Community Café from the start, and even went along to Ikea to help buy the furniture. As well as the baking, it also gives me the chance to socialise and chat to people, all the different families who come along. I take orders and show people to their tables, it’s amazing to talk to people I don’t normally get to see. I also get involved in lots of bake sales to try and raise money for the charity, everyone I speak to seems to love my salted caramel brownies.”
Leah adds: "I have a passion for music, particularly musicals. Recently, I've attended shows like Six, Shrek, and Wicked, and I'm eagerly anticipating the upcoming Wizard of Oz musical. Another hobby of mine is crafting with clay; I create animals as birthday presents for people. I love trying out new activities."
Leah has a great relationship with everyone at Sight Scotland but has really hit it off with Samantha Hood, a Senior Administrator at Forward Vision, who she has lots of things in common with.
Sam comments: “Leah is great and is so helpful with the Community Café, we really couldn’t run the café without her. It is amazing to see how much she has come out her shell and blossomed since getting involved with the café, you can really see how much she is enjoying it and becoming so much more independent as a result. Leah is like the head baker at Forward Vision and keeps all the other houses, and staff, in check, to make sure we have everything ready for the café. I am so proud of her.
“When we started the Community Café one of our key goals was to provide a safe space where individuals and families could come for support and advice, where they could talk about common issues, including isolation and loneliness. We wanted to give people the chance to feel part of a community, to build friendships and encourage collaboration, and Leah has been at the heart of this. We have just celebrated our first anniversary and we are all very proud of it.”
Sam adds: “Leah and I have lots of things in common, including musicals, tattoos and of course baking. We have been working hard on building up her confidence and independence, she really has come such a long way since she joined us just over a year ago.”
Bungy Jump
Leah, and staff members from Forward Vision, are currently gearing themselves up for a charity bungy jump to raise money for Sight Scotland. The bungy jump was Leah’s idea, and all going well they will take the leap off Killiecrankie Bridge in the months ahead.
Sam explains: “The bungy jump was all Leah’s idea, and she has talked quite a few staff members into taking part. We are working hard on Leah’s mobility, as there is a ladder she needs to climb before the jump. Leah has a sky dive planned next; she is such a thrill seeker!”
You may also be interested in
More Than Meets The Eye: Angus, a drummer, takes the stage in Edinbrugh
Drummer takes the stage in Edinburgh. Feeling the beat in his bones, Angus absolutely adores playing drums.
Meet Gareth: Our Rehabilitation and Mobility Officer
Gareth King, a Rehabilitation and Mobility Officer with Sight Scotland, is set to become one of the first graduates of the Graduate Low Vision Rehabilitation Course at Glasgow Caledonian University.
More Than Meets The Eye: Meet Callum our new Engagement Manager
Introducing Callum Lancashire, our newly appointed Engagement Manager, tasked with spearheading the establishment of Sight Loss Councils throughout Scotland, commencing with the Central Belt in March 2024.