Who we are:
We are called Grace (aged 11), Anna (aged 12) and Alice (aged 11) and we go to Stamford High School. Every year the school asks the students in year seven to go to work with their parents or a close family friend. We decided we would like to go with Amelia, Anna's mum, to RNIB and see how the charity works.
What we did:
When we first got there we were met by Lisa, from the volunteering team. She explained to us what we would be doing for the day and gave each of us a pack all about RNIB. Some of the things included were: an alphabet Braille card, an Understanding Sight Loss DVD, an information booklet and a badge!
Reception:
In reception we worked with Maria. She was really nice and very chatty. We helped her order books for blind and partially sighted people. She showed us how reception worked and what she did everyday.
Volunteering Department:
In the volunteer section we worked with Kate. She showed us how to make up an information pack and a volunteer application pack. We were then taught how to file and did some proper work.
Post Room:
We were then taken to the post section and worked with Betty. She showed us the post room and how it worked and all the machines that mean that the post is delivered and collected efficiently. There were machines that you never knew existed but were incredibly useful, for instance, a machine that folds and puts letters into envelopes.
Printing Floor:
Betty also took us on a tour of the printing room and where they made the Braille. This room was amazing. Papers were piled high right up to our waists, and all the machines were constantly on the go. We met Betty's daughter who operates the Braille machines that make the Braille books. We saw how the books were made and put together, all in Braille and some in Braille and writing. Betty gave us a magazine each that blind and partially sighted children, teenagers and adults receive every month. They ranged from magazines about fashion and beauty to music and science. These were all in Braille and very interesting.
Canteen:
We had lunch in the canteen, it was very tasty! We had chips, beans and salad and pudding, a banoffee pie!
Site Tour:
After lunch, we were met by Zelie. She took us on a tour of the whole of RNIB. It was very interesting. She took us to the recording labs where it is soundproofed. This is where people can have anything from bank statements to children's stories read out to them.
Next Zelie took us to show us the tactile images. These are pictures which are raised. Artists draw on to special paper and then when the paper is heated the drawing rises leaving the image textured so people can feel it. These are used in museums, in schools and in books.
After that she took us down to the printing room and gave us lots of information about how it works. She showed us 'Moon', which is similar to Braille but does not use dots, it actually looks more like the normal alphabet. She told us about how they produced the latest Harry Potter book. They had to keep it in a top secret room so no one could know the end! This just shows what a big organisation RNIB is and how important they are to blind and partially sighted people.
Zelie next took us to the warehouse where all the gizmos and gadgets for visually impaired people are kept. These ranged from sunglasses to pink mobile phones! These were all kept in a very expensive storage unit which was operated via a computer. You would type a code into the computer and it would go and collect the box of items you want. This was fascinating.
She also took us to the call centre where all the queries or questions are answered by trained members of staff. You can order items from the catalogue and they will be delivered to you.
What we thought:
This was the end of our day and we had a great time. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped us enjoy our day. Thank you very much! We would love to come back and volunteer at RNIB again.