Whatever the job, all volunteers:

• Are able to join in with other volunteers
• Enjoy helping out
• Receive an introduction talk and appropriate training
• Make tea or coffee
  

The producer is responsible for the content of each edition as well as its recording quality. Producers work Wednesday evenings on a rota system.

• Organises editor to provide news items to last 55 minutes
• Organises engineer for recording
• Puts together items to be recorded
• Organises individual contributors
• Organises producer contributions
• Starts recording side 1 at 8.00 p.m.

The editor selects the news stories for side 1 of the tape from the week’s Swindon Evening Advertisers. It is important that the news stories selected are a true representation of the week’s local news coverage.

• Culls the Swindon Evening Advertiser for the previous 7 days
• Selects enough stories to last 45 minutes plus 10 minutes for reserve
• Edits out certain words e.g. today, yesterday etc.
• Ensures incomplete court cases are concluded with "case continues"
• Looks for other items which may be used on side 2
• Attends a bi-annual evening for listeners and volunteers.

The job of the engineer is to ensure good sound quality on the master tape.

• Is familiar with the recording equipment controls
• Records to a satisfactory standard
• Draws attention to poor quality of master recordings
• Advises on obtaining new equipment.

The technical manager is responsible for ensuring that the recording equipment is in the best possible condition, to help us maintain consistently good sound quality on tape. He/she also looks after the computers.

• Advises on the best equipment at the most economical prices
• Repairs or gets repaired all electrical equipment
• Advises as to the latest developments that may be of use
• Is familiar with the controls so as to be able to advise others
• Monitors the engineering quality of outgoing tapes
• Carries out annual electrical tests (not statutory tests).

On side 1 of the tape four readers read the articles selected by the editor. Variety in the reader’s voices adds to the interest of the listener so it is essential that the four readers are different in sound but work as a team. Newsreaders are needed for an hour or so on Wednesday evenings on a rota basis.

• Must have a clear voice
• Must be proficient in reading skills
• Must be at studio at 7.45 p.m. to scan the news items for mis-spellings, difficult words etc.
• Must be available to read extra stories for side 2

Contributors provide magazine style features on side 2 of the tape. They provide their own features which may be of local interest, or relate to visits, holidays, or any other topic, which may interest our listeners. Volunteers also contribute to regular features such as sport, What’s On, thought for the week, and many others. The producer schedules contributions and may edit them to fit into the weekly tape. Some regular features on side 2 such as what’s on are recorded on Wednesday evenings.

• Must have a clear voice
• Must be proficient in reading skills
• Provides material of general interest
• Provides recordings of a satisfactory standard

The tape administrator is responsible for keeping records of listeners and keeping track of tapes sent out and returned. The tape administrator needs to be available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

• Bar scans wallets
• Ensures returned tapes are erased
• Ensures tape stocks are sufficient
• Registers and sends out new listeners tapes
• Deals with letters and shape requests in wallets
• Organises second tapes
• Co-ordinates extras to TN tape e.g. competitions, AGM Agenda etc
• Records and deposits listeners donations
• Keeps records and announces on tape listeners birthdays
• Produces computer reports
• Reports to Committee

The second tape co-ordinator deals with additional tapes to the normal weekly news tape.

• Arranges any second tapes to be made available to our listeners
• Advertises on tape any second tapes available
• Co-ordinates all tapes going out
• Co-ordinates sending out prizes and has input into competitions.

Copiers copy, check and put into wallets ready for posting 200 copies of the talking newspaper each week. The master tape is loaded into a fast copying machine linked to eight ‘slave’ tape copiers. Copiers put blank tapes are put into the slave machines and the master is copied at high speed so that the eight copies are recorded in four minutes. One of the copiers is responsible for checking out, via the computer, tapes sent to listeners (as with books in a library). Copiers work in teams.

• Must be available on Thursdays
• Must know how to operate the fast copiers
• Must operate cassette machines to check tapes.

Publicity is needed to ensure people in the Swindon area know about our service.

• Gets the aims and objects of this Association known in and around Swindon
• Reaches potential listeners, volunteers and benefactors
• Produces high quality information in various formats

We depend on donations to maintain our service to listeners.

• Raises finance for the Association
• Organises events
• Keeps individual accounts for each event then submit to the treasurer
• Co-ordinates letters with the Secretary.

Volunteers with specialist skills develop systems to support the current work of the organisation organisations and prepare for the introduction of new services in the future. Volunteers should be competent users of Microsoft Office, and have expertise in one or more of the following:

• Access database development
• Web site development
• Knowledge of bar scanning technology
• Knowledge of MP3 and related technologies

Volunteers work on with special projects, such as extending our service to listeners with non-visual disabilities, and introducing a Talking Prescription Service. Volunteers for this type of work under the guidance of the Committee. They must be:

• Confident, articulate and mature