Volunteers
If you can give a little of your time then we would like to hear from you. Help is needed for:
- Editing The editors are the ‘eyes’ of the listeners. Each tape/CD produced has a team of four editors who scan the local press for news and then select and edit the items.
- Producing The producer usually starts as an editor and is in overall control at the recording sessions.
- Technical/Engineering Engineers attend recording session about once in every four to six weeks. They must be experienced in Windows XP. Some experience with recording equipment is preferred but full training is given. Recording the fortnightly news programmes takes approximately three hours on a Tuesday evening. A whole day is set aside for recording the quarterly magazine.
- Reading Voices are our most important asset and is the number one volunteer choice and, as such, we usually have a full team. A prospective newsreader will be asked to record an audition tape, which is sent to a panel of visually impaired listeners who decide if the reader’s voice is suitable. Training is given and the readers’ rota covers a three month period during which each person will be asked to read two or three times.
- Distribution Returned tapes/CDs are checked in and new ones are copied from the master tape which is produced once a fortnight. These are recorded in the distribution register before being prepared for posting.
- Fund raising HBTN is an entirely voluntary-funded organisation and the community service is completely free. No grants are received and the running costs are met by donations from a variety of sources including supermarket collections (you may have seen us at Asda), commercial organisations, legacies and ‘the Friends of HBTN’. If you would like to become a ‘Friend’ why not meet others like yourselves at our two annual social events. The cost of £2 for annual membership or £10 for life membership will also entitle you to an HBTN diary. All monies are spent on the specialist recording equipment and maintenance of the studio facilities.
If you would like to help, then click here to contact us or download our brochure.
