Blind Volunteer Roles

Join Usher Kids UK as our fundraising trustee, and help us empower the next generation living with Usher syndrome (a progressive form of deafblindness). With your help we can make sure every child, young person and family has access to the information, support and connections which enable them to thrive. We can guarantee huge satisfaction and enjoyment working with our team and community, and the opportunity to make a real and lasting difference. 

Key responsibilities:

•  To assist the Board of Trustees to develop a comprehensive fundraising strategy for the charity.
• To report to the Trustees on a quarterly basis giving an update on fundraising achievements, plans, and progress.

What we’re looking for in our fundraising trustee:

• Someone with substantial background as a senior charity fundraiser with a sound understanding and experience of charity fundraising, and diverse income generation practices, at strategic and operational levels.
• A good understanding of fundraising within a small charity and the challenges facing small charities.
• Someone able to commit approximately 8 hours per month, and bring their skills and qualities to actively contribute to our friendly and dedicated team of trustees.

Interested in joining our mission? View our application pack and role description for more details.

VocalEyes is seeking a proactive and committed Treasurer to join our Board of  Trustees, bringing financial expertise and strategic guidance to help ensure the charity can respond to opportunity and challenge.

VocalEyes is an arts organisation and charity that works with and for blind and visually impaired people. With access and inclusion at its heart, its purpose is to create accessible performances, events and digital media for arts and heritage venues across the UK. Funded by Arts Council England (ACE) and a variety of Trusts and Foundations, a team of freelance audio describers, trainers and consultants work with hundreds of theatres, museums, galleries, and heritage sites each. VocalEyes is a Disability Confident Committed Employer and a registered charity.

The Treasurer’s role is to maintain an overview of VocalEyes’ financial affairs, ensure its financial viability and sustainability and see that the charity maintains proper financial records and procedures in line with accepted accounting practice.

The Treasurer, with other Trustees, must also hold the charity “in trust” for current and future generations by ensuring that VocalEyes has a clear vision, mission and strategic direction and is focused on achieving these.

We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experience, particularly those with experience of sight loss or visual impairment. We are a Disability Confident Committed Employer. This is a voluntary role, with all associated expenses covered.

For further information please download a recruitment pack.

We are looking for someone with:

• Experience of budgeting and planning.
• The skills to analyse proposals and examine their financial consequences.
• Capacity to be available to give financial advice and answer enquiries from any staff or volunteers on an ad hoc basis.
• A broad understanding of risk management in the wider business sense.
• A background in good governance within a public or private sector organisation.

New Year, new challenge? Do you want to make a difference in people’s lives?

Avon RDA Group, based on the outskirts of Bristol (BS10), is looking for volunteers to train as RDA Coaches to join our expanding team. Successful candidates will deliver engaging and effective therapeutic riding sessions for participants of all ages and abilities in a safe and supportive environment. As an RDA Coach, you will play a crucial role in providing therapy, physical activity, skills development and fun for our riders. Coaching experience is not necessary, but some horse care and riding knowledge would be helpful. Training will be provided. You will work alongside an experienced coach and a number of arena volunteers who assist with delivering sessions.

 RDA is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all participants; all candidates will be subject to an enhanced disclosure check.

 Working with the RDA is incredibly rewarding; you will see positive changes in your riders, their skills and engagement levels. Most sessions take place daytime, Tuesday – Friday, term times only. There are also opportunities to support and attend annual regional and national competitions to assist your riders achieve their goals at international venues. 

Initially set up in 1980 and approved as an RDA Group in 1984, the Avon Centre is now an equine and nature based charity. Set within 100 acres of grassland and woodland, we have a range of horses and ponies. Our facilities include a large indoor arena and an outdoor arena, a mechanical horse simulator, plus paths and tracks around our land.

If you're interested or would like to learn more please reach out.

To enhance the listener experience we need a variety of voices and we are currently looking for more male readers.

The role involves:

• Reading out the local news and magazine articles collated by the news and magazine editors. The readings are recorded by our sound recordists and downloaded on to a memory stick which is then posted to the listeners.
• Recording takes place fortnightly on Thursday mornings in our studio at Swail House in Epsom between 9.45am and midday. Readers volunteer on a rota basis with three readers recording in the studio for each issue.
• As the issues are recorded fortnightly, readers can expect to visit the studio once every six to eight weeks.

Skills needed:

• The ability to read print clearly and expressively at a pace suitable for our partially sighted and blind listeners.
• A voice sound check is required for new volunteer readers to check voice quality for the recording equipment. This will take place in our studio at Swail House in Epsom.

Full training and support will be provided by our friendly team.

The Epsom and Ewell Talking Newspaper (EETN) is currently seeking an enthusiastic individual to be responsible for seeking promotional opportunities to recruit more Listeners and when necessary specific Volunteers in addition to organise our talking newspaper events. 

These currently are a stall at the Banstead Summer Fair and a Christmas party for the 36 Volunteers. We have historically had an Awareness Day in the Ashley Centre and when required, an event to present Long Service certificates to Volunteers.

The role would suit someone with initiative, limited spare time, but a wish to help an invaluable, long established local Charity. Applicants should live in the local area (Epsom, Surrey, UK) and be within easy reach of our studio in central Epsom.

The role involves:

• Communicating with the organisers of events, including booking and liaising with venues.
• Promoting the EETN at new events organised by other outside bodies.
• Coordinating the EETN volunteers’ rota to run the stalls, organise activities and catering if required. Ensuring stalls are correctly set up, cleared away and all equipment returned to storage after an event.
• Managing the budget and monitoring expenses, including liaising with the EETN treasurer.

Skills needed:

• Effective communication and people skills for liaising with the volunteers, the committee and event organisers
• Good organisational skills for planning, controlling and coordinating events.
• Time management skills to ensure events run smoothly.
• An ability to keep costs within budgets.

Full training and support will be provided by our friendly team.

If you have some spare time, would you like to become a magazine editor, choosing articles from your favourite magazines and journals, then preparing them for recording for the local visually impaired community?

The role involves:

• The collation and ordering of magazine articles sourced from a wide variety of literature to be read and recorded by our volunteer readers.
• Reading the opening and closing sections of the magazine articles in our studio on recording days.
• With a team of four magazine editors, each editor is on duty once every couple of months with flexibility in the rota to allow for holidays.

Skills needed:

• Proficient writing and proof-reading skills.
• A clear and confident speaking voice.
• A degree of computer literacy to enable sourcing and editing online articles.

No experience is necessary. The successful candidate will be fully trained, supported and mentored by their colleagues.

Only applicants living in the area local to Epsom, Surrey, UK should apply.

About our charity

Everyone deserves to live their life to the full, with maximum choice and control.  Our purpose is to make that a reality for young people with vision impairment and complex needs.  They face a multitude of barriers because of the combined impact of a vision impairment with other disabilities and support needs.  We enable each person to find their unique pathway towards their very best life, using our specialist expertise and knowledge.

Our charity is now looking to recruit new trustees to help shape this vital work.

Plans to develop our board

We are specifically seeking one or more trustees with a good knowledge and experience of adult social care.  As well as the normal duties of a trustee, you would take a specific interest in our adult care service provision – St Davids House (residential care), Jigsaw (day service) and our Supported Living service.  You would scrutinise the quality and operation of our care services for adults and offer advice and challenge to our staff team as a member of our Adult Care Advisory Committee.  You will liaise closely with the Director of Care and Support.

You may have been a senior manager in an adult care service or have been a commissioning manager within the NHS for people with complex care needs.  You will have a passion for great person-centred care.  Experience of CQC would be an advantage.

The Board meets seven times a year and is also invited to all events and celebrations which is optional.  Trustees are warmly encouraged to attend meetings in person, but if required can attend some meetings online.  Expenses are paid for travel and overnight accommodation can be arranged for those not local to Devon.

Don’t have the time to become a full trustee?

Don’t have the time to become a full trustee?  We also have a role of Advisory Member on all our committees.  Advisors are appointed by the Board.  This role allows us to access knowledge and experience about running a charity, specialist SEND education and adult social care, but you do not have to take on the full role and responsibility of a trustee.  If you would be interested in finding out more about this role, please contact us.

About our charity

Everyone deserves to live their life to the full, with maximum choice and control.  Our purpose is to make that a reality for young people with vision impairment and complex needs.  They face a multitude of barriers because of the combined impact of a vision impairment with other disabilities and support needs.  We enable each person to find their unique pathway towards their very best life, using our specialist expertise and knowledge.

Our charity is now looking to recruit new trustees to help shape this vital work.

Plans to develop our board

As a general trustee, you would contribute to our Board across all areas of InFocus.  You may be assigned to any one of our committees – Business Affairs, Education or Adult Care but you would not need to be a specialist in education or care.  You would support the scrutiny of our activities across the board and offer challenge to the staff team.

You will have experience of committee work, preferably in a trustee, governor or director role.  You may have skills in a specific area such as Property Management, Health and Safety, legal, HR, fundraising and so on that could support a specific area of our work but again this is not essential. What is essential is a real interest in our work and a commitment to doing the very best for the young people we support.

The Board meets seven times a year and is also invited to all events and celebrations which is optional.  Trustees are warmly encouraged to attend meetings in person, but if required can attend some meetings online.  Expenses are paid for travel and overnight accommodation can be arranged for those not local to Devon.

Don’t have the time to become a full trustee?

Don’t have the time to become a full trustee?  We also have a role of Advisory Member on all our committees.  Advisors are appointed by the Board.  This role allows us to access knowledge and experience about running a charity, specialist SEND education and adult social care, but you do not have to take on the full role and responsibility of a trustee.  If you would be interested in finding out more about this role, please contact us. 

Do you have a passion for bikes?  Can you help a visually impaired adult experience the joys and freedoms of cycling?

We’re seeking volunteers to join our Two’s Company team, piloting a tandem bicycle with a visually impaired adult or a young person with disabilities.

About this role

As a volunteer front rider, you’ll assist our visually impaired back riders by piloting a tandem bicycle in Bristol and the surrounding countryside.

Many of the participants can’ ride a bike independently. Taking part in group tandem rides is a great chance to socialise, experience the sounds and smells of the countryside, and feel the wind in their hair.

The rides are very sociable, and we usually stop at a café or pub for lunch. If you enjoy meeting and chatting with new people, you’ll be a perfect fit!

About the rides

Each year we run rides between March and October, mostly on weekends, with the occasional weekday or evening ride. The rides are pitched at different levels – gentle, intermediate, and advanced, to enable people of all abilities and fitness levels to participate. Front riders are matched with different back riders, and each ride has a trained group Ride Leader.

About Life Cycle

Life Cycle is a charity that works with people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds at every stage of their cycling journey, from learning to ride, to building a career in the cycling industry.

In this role, you’ll be a key part of our Two’s Company project, working with our Inclusive Cycling team to provide tandem adventures for visually impaired people.

‘’It certainly helps visually impaired people hugely to get out and about and help with some fitness and get them to meet other people. A lot of blind people are very isolated, and it opens up a new world, really.’’ – Jenny, Two’s Company participant.

About you

To be a front rider you should be a strong and experienced cyclist. No prior tandem experience is required as training is provided. We also ask that you commit to at least five rides a year. We offer approximately 30 rides per season, so there are plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Volunteer front riders should be:

• 18+ years of age.
• Comfortable doing 20-30 mile rides.
• Confident cycling on with traffic.
• Friendly, outgoing and a good communicator.
• Treat visually impaired people on an equal, non-patronising basis.
• Ideally be at least 5’6” (168 cm), as most tandems have quite large frames.
• Able to attend induction and training sessions.

We have some flexibility, so please ask if you are struggling to meet the dates and times offered or have any other specific requirements.

We couldn’t run this service without our amazing volunteers, so thank you for showing your interest!

How to apply: please apply via the ‘Volunteering and jobs’ page on our website.

Trustee / Governor Opportunities

At the Royal National College for the Blind our vision is ‘Education, Employment, Empowerment’ and we are committed to a world where every person with a visual impairment has true equality.  Located in Hereford, RNC is a specialist further education college and charity with a national and international reputation. All of our students have visual impairments and a proportion have additional special educational needs We offer academic and vocational qualifications in a wide range of subject areas alongside specialist skills to enable independent adulthood. Our provision is in line with the best practice outlined in the Curriculum Framework for VI.

We are looking for motivated and committed volunteers who can bring a range of skills to the Board. Applications would be particularly welcome from people with lived experience of visual impairment and/or expertise and skills in:

· Further Education, particularly Specialist Education

· Estates Management / Strategy

· Health and Safety

· Fundraising and Marketing

· Accountancy / Finance

· Business

We aim to strengthen the diversity of our Board and applications from women, people with disabilities and people from black and ethnic backgrounds are particularly welcome.

As a trustee you will be required to attend five Board meetings each year and be a member of at least one Committee.  Some remote attendance may be possible. You will experience collective responsibility, how to challenge effectively, with the opportunity of chairing committees in the future.

Whilst trustees do not receive remuneration, reasonable expenses incurred in attending meetings will be reimbursed.  A full induction programme and training is provided and participation in College events is encouraged.  Appointments are subject to enhanced DBS checks.

RNC is a Disability Confident employer

Join our amazing volunteer team to raise awareness of the issues affecting blind and partially sighted people in relation to sport. You will give talks in person or virtually, sharing your own story to improve understanding of sight loss to sports clubs, sporting venues and facilities and community groups. You’ll be making a real difference to people living with sight loss by helping to improve accessibility and inclusivity, creating a sporting world without barriers.

What you’ll be doing
1. Talks to sports and physical activity providers to support and encourage them to consider the needs of blind and partially sighted people by sharing your story to audiences, for example, local leisure centres, sporting venues and sports clubs.
2. Delivering talks to raise awareness of existing sporting and physical activity opportunities for blind and partially sighted people.
3. Representing RNIB as an Ambassador for the Community Connection service.

What you’ll gain from the role
1. A chance to give something back in an area you are passionate about.
2. A chance to make a difference with a sense of achievement.
3. A chance to build a strong community of sports people with sight loss.
4. A chance to be part of a team of like-minded people, increasing your confidence and skills to talk to groups of people with impact, with an opportunity to develop your role into delivering independently over time.
5. Opportunity to explore different roles within our organisation including our internal recruitment vacancies

In return for donating your time we will support you with:
1. A rewarding role
2. A great Induction and Training, in particular training in public speaking and story telling will be given.
3. A supportive Manager
4. Regular catch-ups
5. Expenses
6. An opportunity to connect with other volunteers

How often will I be needed?

• 4 Hours per Month

Key requirements

• This role requires 1 reference.

Location

Region

• Greater London, South East

Who this opportunity will suit

• This role is reserved for blind and partially sighted applicants

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply

What skills and experience are needed?

• You’ll ideally have 1. Lived experience in playing, spectating, or delivering sport or physical activity sessions as a blind or partially sighted person. 2. Lived experience of issues affecting blind and partially sighted people in relation to sports and physical activity. 3. Be comfortable speaking to different audiences to share your sporting story, or a willingness to try with our support. 4. Have effective communication skills. 5. An outgoing friendly approach to meeting new people

Join our amazing volunteer team to raise awareness of sight loss and RNIB services at local events. You will give talks in person or virtually, sharing your own story to improve understanding of sight loss to local service providers and community groups. You’ll be making a real difference to people living with sight loss by helping to improve accessibility and inclusivity, creating a world without barriers. What you’ll be doing: • Giving talks to groups of people to raise awareness of sight loss in your local community by sharing your story to audiences, for example, local businesses, community and voluntary groups. • Delivering Talks to raise awareness of RNIB services as a trusted source of support for blind and partially sighted people • Representing RNIB as an Ambassador for the Community Connection service What you’ll gain from the role: • An opportunity to give something back. • A chance to build a strong community. • A sense of achievement through the difference you make. • A chance to be part of a team of like-minded people • An opportunity to develop and explore different roles with RNIB, including our internal job vacancies. In return for donating your time we will provide: • A supportive route to building your confidence in presenting and sharing your story with an audience. • A rewarding experience. • A great Induction and training

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply

What skills and experience are needed?

• • Lived experience of issues affecting blind and partially sighted people • Be comfortable speaking to different audiences to share your story, or a willingness to try with our support. • Able to communicate effectively. • Have an outgoing, friendly approach to meeting new people.

Join our amazing team and make a real difference to people living with sight loss. Help create a welcoming and safe environment for people to share their experiences, ask questions and support each other and connect with a local community in a group setting via Facebook. In this role you will be: • Managing group membership – authorising Requests to Join. • Creating a warm and welcoming environment. • Supporting group conversations. • Working with a Volunteer Moderator Team to create engaging content for the Group. • Ensuring House Rules are followed and content is appropriate. What you’ll gain from the role: • An opportunity to give something back. • A chance to build a strong community. • A sense of achievement through the difference you make. •  A chance to be part of a team of like-minded people • An opportunity to develop and explore different roles with RNIB, including our internal job vacancies.

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply

What skills and experience are needed?

• An understanding and interest in maximising the benefits of social media platforms. A willingness to learn about local services and activities to inform the community as appropriate. Interested in helping people get the information they need. Good communication skills.

Join our amazing volunteer team to raise awareness of sight loss and RNIB services at local events. You will give talks in person or virtually, sharing your own story to improve understanding of sight loss to local service providers and community groups. You’ll be making a real difference to people living with sight loss by helping to improve accessibility and inclusivity, creating a world without barriers. What you’ll be doing: • Giving talks to groups of people to raise awareness of sight loss in your local community by sharing your story to audiences, for example, local businesses, community and voluntary groups. • Delivering Talks to raise awareness of RNIB services as a trusted source of support for blind and partially sighted people • Representing RNIB as an Ambassador for the Community Connection service What you’ll gain from the role: • An opportunity to give something back. • A chance to build a strong community. • A sense of achievement through the difference you make. • A chance to be part of a team of like-minded people • An opportunity to develop and explore different roles with RNIB, including our internal job vacancies. In return for donating your time we will provide: • A supportive route to building your confidence in presenting and sharing your story with an audience. • A rewarding experience. • A great Induction and training. • A supportive manager. • Regular updates and catchups. • Expenses. • An opportunity to connect with other volunteers.

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply

What skills and experience are needed?

• • Lived experience of issues affecting blind and partially sighted people • Be comfortable speaking to different audiences to share your story, or a willingness to try with our support. • Able to communicate effectively. • Have an outgoing, friendly approach to meeting new people.