Our telephone groups depend on the time and commitment given by our team of volunteers. There are over 100 volunteers from across the UK currently supporting Talk and Support.
The majority of these people volunteer from home over the telephone. Approximately 55 per cent of our current volunteers have sight loss themselves and are giving their time to help others that may be in a similar situation.
Volunteer roles
Volunteers offer between one and six hours per week and are involved in every aspect of the Talk and Support groups.
There are five different kinds of role you can get involved with:
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The Telephone Promotion volunteers help us to let people know about our groups.
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Call Back volunteers help people decide which group will suit them best.
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Telebefriending Facilitators help make the weekly telephone social groups run smoothly.
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Book Group facilitators do the same for the monthly Telephone Book Club meetings.
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Dial-up volunteers make sure everyone's connected to their telephone group on time.
Read our volunteer stories to find out more about what volunteers do and why they love being involved.
Training for volunteers
It's very important to us that our volunteers feel comfortable and confident in their volunteer roles.
To help all volunteers to enjoy their roles we have training programmes to prepare everyone. Training for home based volunteer roles takes place over the telephone, often as part of a small group with other volunteers.
All volunteers receive individual support from the Talk and Support team once they are in their roles. Support is also available by meeting up with other volunteers over the phone.
How to get involved
Talk and Support recruit new volunteers to a variety of roles throughout the year.
For more information about volunteer vacancies or, if we're not currently recruiting, to join our waiting list, please email volunteering@rnib.org.uk or contact RNIB Volunteering on 0845 603 0575 or 01733 375450.