Five years ago a Kingston man shook off the collapse of his business in the recession and turned his hand to charity work – and has not looked back.

David Broughton, 60, ran a lighting business that went under in 2009.

With the support of wife Marion, he offered his services to Kingston Association for the Blind (KAB).

He is now an “eye buddy” and visits people, often elderly, in their homes for a chat and a cup of tea, and even the odd computing lesson.

He said: “I got my shoulder back in after they ripped my arm off.

“Doing volunteering stuff is great fun.

“The population is getting older. It’s things like computers that they get in a tiz about.

“I taught them how to get Siri to work and it’s opened them up to many things they were missing out on.”

Next week Mr Broughton, who also drives a minibus for Richmond and Kingston Assisted Travel, will start in a new volunteering post for the Thomas Pocklington Trust, helping patients at Kingston Hospital’s Royal Eye Unit.

He said: “Most of the people I talk to who are visually impaired go to the doctor, come out having been told they should be registered blind, and they haven’t got a clue what they’re going to do next.

“It’s offering succour.

“What we’re trying to do is get them to people like KAB who can get them help.

“I just want to tell people that there are organisations out there.”

The former St John’s School governor also jointly organises a running club there for nine and 10-year-olds, when he has finished his work as a teaching assistant.

The trick, he said, is to have the kids run shuttles.

He added: “They run about three miles and they don’t realise.”

Sheila Austin, from KAB, attends the macular disease support group Mr Broughton runs and summed up her thoughts by saying: “He’s a really good bloke.”

To get involved with KAB, call 020 8605 0060.

To find out more about the Thomas Pocklington Trust, call 020 8995 0880.