We are always looking for people willing to take up the challenge of helping those less fortunate than themselves. Fresh faces and willing hands ensure that the service can continue to be provided FREE of charge to the users.

The time commitment is not onerous. Dependability and keenness are the prime assets. Every single person who works for the charity is a volunteer. We are one of those rare organisations where every one of us is unpaid so we value all that we do for each other and as genuine team members.

• Volunteers raise funds to finance the service
• Volunteers select and read the news items
• Volunteers ensure precise sound levels and tape quality
• Volunteers duplicate the tapes
• Volunteers check those receiving the tapes have suitable machines to play them on
• Royal Mail helps out by providing a free postal service
• The United Reformed Church at Witham assists by providing subsidised facilities for recording sessions.

We help each other

Every volunteer with the Mid Essex Talking News is valued because our charity is run entirely by volunteers. No-one receives payment for what they do so we all know how valuable each of us is to the other.

Working as a team we provide:-

• Full training
• A written volunteers’ policy
• Happy, friendly and safe working environment
• Full mentoring
• Equal opportunities
• Business plan
• Agreed mission statement 
• Quarterly newsletter

How you can help us

Here is a post by post guide to the many ways you can assist the charity in its work. Duties are many and varied but fit in with busy lifestyles of volunteers, who, we all realise, are probably involved in a number of other activities already!

Your total commitment is entirely up to you… and do not worry if you have never done anything like our jobs before. You will be fully trained by experienced volunteers who will spend time and trouble in ensuring you know all you need to know.

All the activities except news editing and fundraising are held in The Centre, United Reformed Church, Newland Street, Witham.

News Readers

Commitment is approximately one Friday evening every two months. You are one of a team of five recording the news items, in rota, on to our master tape or CD. All the items read from local newspapers are selected on news value and interest and may be edited for length. A clear voice is the only essential. You will be involved on the Friday from approximately 7.15pm to 9.00pm.

News Editors

You choose and edit the items for recording from the various editions of the Braintree and Witham Times, Halstead Gazette and Maldon and Burnham Standard. Due to the need for continuity each editor works for a complete month of issues and ensures that the marked-up papers are delivered to the recording base in good time for the Friday evening recording session.

Technical Officers

This a key role linking all those involved in the recording session from beginning to end. Available for a month at a time, again to ensure continuity and non-repetition of output, they oversee the recording sessions using a mixing console with tape and CD input decks to create a master. Sound level control and clarity are the aims. They also check and edit the tape before, and during, the duplicating process. Full training will be provided. Time commitment is from 6.00pm to 10.30pm.

Tape Copiers

Available later on Friday evenings once the recording is made and quality checks have been carried out, they duplicate some 100 cassettes from the master on a bank of high-speed copiers. The task is non-technical and training is straightforward. Time commitment is approximately 9.15pm to 10.30pm on the Friday evening. Duty sessions will be decided by rota.

Tape Packers

Again available later on Friday evenings, this task involves placing duplicated cassettes into already-addressed pouches and maintaining details of who has received tapes through a central book. Organisation is the key to the role and you will be working alongside the copiers. Time commitment is approximately 9.15pm to 10.30pm. Many volunteers combine reading and packing to make a complete evening!

Tape Cleaners

These volunteers work during the day on Fridays, at times convenient to them, to check over the used tapes returned by listeners, record the returns in the central book, erase the tapes magnetically and then arrange the pouches ready for that evening’s packing. Time commitment is only about an hour a week and main attributes are dependability and thoroughness.

Fundraisers

Volunteers involved in the weekly tasks are also fundraisers at the moment because we feel we should all get involved in financing the work as well as doing it. Everything we tackle is as a team and we try to ensure that all burdens are shared as evenly as possible. So we organise and run events to make money to finance the weekly service and ensure those with sight problems can receive the news service FREE. Present fundraising includes a New Year’s Eve dance, a weekend Art Show and Sale, Quizzes, Book Sales and Street Collections. There are plenty of other avenues that could be explored and we are always open to new suggestions and ideas.

Want to help?

If you would like to know more about assisting us simply contact our secretary Ray Hardisty (tel.: 01206 545062, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).