Meet the volunteer who has been making Manchester’s galleries and museums accessible to blind people for over 20 years

Mary Gifford has known deep loss and hard-fought victories.

In the 1970s, she carved out a pioneering career as a female economist. Decades later, after losing her husband and her job, she found herself at rock bottom.

But through volunteering, Mary discovered a new purpose. One that has since brought art, music, and connection to dozens of visually impaired people across Greater Manchester.

Now aged 77, Mary is one of Henshaws’ longest-serving and most beloved volunteers.

As part of Volunteers Week, the sight loss charity is shining a light on Mary’s extraordinary journey and the powerful difference she continues to make, and help others make too.

And it’s not all about great art and music. It’s also about the incredible connections and friends she has made on her journey.

Mary Gifford

Mary, 77, from Withington, broke barriers as a female economist in the 1970s. A self-described feminist she dedicated her life to her career and bought her own house in 1975 – a rare feat for a woman at the time.

“In those days you did not get married and did not have children otherwise, your career was over,” she said.

Then aged 45, Mary met ‘the love of her life’ John while on holiday in Egypt. On their return to England, the couple continued to see each other and five years later, John moved from Birmingham to live with Mary.

Not long afterwards John was diagnosed with kidney cancer and Mary began caring for him full time. The couple got married in 1998 and 14 weeks later John tragically passed away.

Following John’s death, Mary returned to work part time before being made redundant aged 53.

“I lost my 30-year career, my love of my life and husband and couldn’t have been more at rock bottom,” she said.

Mary Gifford at the Commonwealth Games Manchester

In 2002 Mary decided to give volunteering a try and began working at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester where she helped wheelchair users access the venue.

“After my husband died, I knew I wanted to volunteer but I thought I can’t help people with cancer because it’s too near the bone, but I wanted to work with people with disabilities,” she said.

It was while volunteering at the Commonwealth Games that Mary saw a leaflet for Henshaws and applied to become a volunteer at the charity.

Mary, who used to be a potter and had her work featured in exhibitions including Gallery Oldham, was contacted by the team at Henshaws and asked whether she would like to help take visually impaired people to museums and galleries.

“I thought I can do that! I love classical music, I go to the theatre, love art, go to the Hallé and used to make pots. To me art is a spiritual experience and it means a lot to me. I want to help people tap into that,” she said.

After John’s death, Mary attended a concert at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. She said the experience was a turning point for her.

“It was the first moment that I felt a spark and that I could live again,” she said.

In 2003 Mary became a volunteer at Henshaws and began organising trips to galleries and museums across Greater Manchester with the help of volunteer drivers and guides. Now more than 20 years later she has never looked back and in a recent full circle moment took her Art Galleries and Museums Group to Gallery Oldham.

Mary said: “I know what it’s like to be rock bottom and I know a lot of these people who have been diagnosed with sight loss are going through a similar experience. I empathise.

“Volunteering gave me a purpose in life, and it replaced my career. The people I help are my friends and family. I get so much pleasure from seeing what they get out of it.”

Working with Manchester Museum

The Art Galleries and Museums Group’s latest event was a Soundscapes Session at Manchester Museum that focused on biodiversity and wildness. The session included a full audio description and saw the group handle items, including a taxidermied badger and models of an ammonite, ladybird and woodlouse.

One of the attendees at the session was Fred Hernandez, who has no sight and is now retired.

Fred said it means a lot to him to be able to meet other people with similar experiences at the group and that he would feel isolated without it.

“When I retired, I thought ‘What am I going to do with myself?’ You become isolated and lose the art of conversation.”

Paralympic champion Lora Fachie

Also at the session was Azam Dossajee. Azam has been part of the group since 2022 after hearing about Henshaws through his neighbours, the cyclists and Paralympic champions Lora Fachie, and her husband Neil.

The Fachies, who both have visual impairments, recommended Henshaws to Azam.

Azam said: “I got to know Mary and have been involved in this group ever since. For me I had sight for all my life so now living without it is a huge adjustment. My family has been amazing but it’s hard for them to understand and coming here and meeting people with similar experiences and that understanding means a lot.

“I always get inspired and learn, it motivates me to take to the next step in my journey. Henshaws’ support has been huge.”

Also at the session was Pat Martin, from Stockport, who is medically retired and has been attending the group for eight years. Pat said she comes to the group to experience things she wouldn’t normally.

“For me it’s about seeing something I wouldn’t normally see. In a gallery I can’t see the pictures that well and have tripped over the wires because I’ve got too close to be able to see. At the group I can see things that sighted people see.

“People say to me you ‘used to do this’ and ‘you used to be so good at this’, and I say ‘yes, it’s because I had sight then. It’s not that I can’t do it now it just takes me longer now’.

Pat has been supported by Henshaws since 2013 when she was first diagnosed with sight loss.

“When I was diagnosed, I was devastated that my sight was going and it was frightening. Henshaws literally held my hand,” she said.

Mary is always looking for volunteers, including drivers, to make the Art Galleries and Museums Group’s trips possible and welcomes more venues offering their staff Visual Impairment (VI) Awareness Training through Henshaws.

Henshaws Visual Impairment Awareness Training

The charity’s Visual Impairment Awareness Training helps businesses adapt their spaces so that more venues across Greater Manchester become truly VI friendly.

Henshaws has also created the VI Friendly Guide, a free and growing online resource funded by Fight for Sight, to help visually impaired people find accessible businesses, services, and community groups across Greater Manchester.

VI-friendly places can be found through the online VI Friendly Guide on the Henshaws website. You can check that out here.

Activities include touch tours with the Hallé Orchestra at The Bridgewater Hall and inclusive cycling sessions with business and activities constantly being added.

To add your VI-friendly business or activity to the VI Friendly Guide contact the Henshaws team on their website.

Volunteering at Henshaws

Henshaws regularly advertises volunteer roles. To become a volunteer like Mary Gifford, check the Henshaws website by clicking here to see what current opportunities are available.