Volunteers needed to help visually impaired in central England

British Wireless is looking to recruit some new volunteers to help the visually impaired people it supports in Birmingham, Staffordshire, Leeds and Manchester.

New volunteers are needed to help British Wireless support the visually impaired community in central England.

Our vacancy for an exhibition volunteer is an ideal opportunity for an events or hospitality student.

We are looking for someone to attend events on our behalf in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Staffordshire.

The role will involve travel across the region, sometimes including overnight hotel stays, and the successful candidate will need to commit to attend between four and six exhibitions a year.

They will be expected to talk to members of the public about the charity’s equipment, demonstrate it, answer questions and give information about its services.

It would suit someone who is computer literate, reliable, outgoing, confident and able to convey information correctly.

We are also looking to recruit a radio support volunteer to distribute sets to visually impaired people in and around the Tameside area of Manchester.

This role involves visiting blind and partially sighted people in the homes, installing their new radio and teaching them how to use it as well as providing on-going support where needed.

It involves a small amount of admin and there would be one to two visits a month, each taking around two hours to complete.

Lastly, we also need people to help us provide support to visually impaired people who already have our radios in Birmingham and Staffordshire.

These roles are home-based and volunteers will be required to get in touch with BWBF recipients to make sure they are getting on OK with their radio.

It is a flexible position and volunteers can commit as much or as little time as they like, but ideally two to four hours a week.

It would suit someone who is a good communicator, experienced at using Word, Excel and the internet. They will need to have access to a computer, broadband and a printer.

All expenses incurred by volunteers carrying out any of these roles will be reimbursed and full training will be provided by British Wireless.

Regional Development Manager Sophie Wheldon said: “These roles are an exciting opportunity for anyone who would like to gain valuable experience within a national charity.

“You’ll be providing support to visually impaired people within your community and also improving your employment prospects by enhancing your CV.

“Volunteering is a really rewarding way to give something back to your local community and a great opportunity to meet new people.”

To find out more or apply for any of these roles, please contact Sophie on 07540 724063 or email sophie@blind.org.uk