Walking Guide - Blind Low Vision NZ

Blind Low Vision NZ (formerly The Blind Foundation) is New Zealand's main provider of practical and emotional support for the 14,000 kiwis who are blind or have low vision, enabling them to face their future with confidence, be self reliant and live the life they choose. One of the challenges for their members is moving around safely and confidently outside of their familiar environments and enjoying the great outdoors.

• Walking Guides support members of BLVNZ to keep active and both mentally and physically healthy through walking within a group environment.
• Enjoy sharing the great outdoors while keeping fit
• Offer friendly, supportive conversation

This role not only provides vital support to someone who is blind or has low vision through walking, but also makes a real difference by offering companionship and friendly conversation in a family-like environment.

Requirements

If this sounds like you and you would like to share your time and skills in this area then you'll need:

• a moderate level of fitness and health yourself as this is a physically active role.
• a full, clean driving license, this is not specifically a driving role, however driving members to/from the beginning of some walks is part of the process.
• foreknowledge of local walking tracks is helpful, however not essential.
• an ability to use email and a familiarity with accessing online links to complete the registration process as this is all online these days.
• to feel comfortable around dogs, as a Guide Dog or two are frequently in attendance with our walking groups.
• a friendly and patient nature.
• the ability to act professionally and respect confidentiality of our members.

A Ministry of Justice background check is required for this role.

Time commitment

This is a formal volunteering role and requires an interview, referees, the completion of online induction modules. Our induction process supports the new volunteer with understanding etiquette around socialising and being active with blind/low vison people. You will learn how to act as a guide for our members on walks, before you are active in the role.

• Initial online induction modules - 2 hours
• Human Guiding practical workshop: 1.5 hours
• Walking group activity may be between 2-4 hours on a fortnightly basis, usually on a weekday morning.
• Due to the onboarding and training process it is helpful if the volunteer anticipates being available for a year or so, as this is an ongoing activity.

Getting started

The first step is to express your interest by filling out the form below. We will then put you in touch directly with the organisation for more information on the role and how to proceed.

---

Enquire about this role:

First name:

Last name:

Address:

AucklandNorthlandWaikatoBay of PlentyGisborneHawke's BayTaranakiManawatu-WanganuiWellingtonTasmanNelsonMarlboroughWest CoastCanterburyOtagoSouthland

City:

Country: New ZealandAfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia, Plurinational State ofBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, the Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCôte d'IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRéunionRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaSaint BarthélemySaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet NamVirgin Islands, BritishVirgin Islands, U.S.Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabwe

Phone number:

Email address:

Keep me updated with the latest roles and events

Other information (optional):

Demographic information:

Used anonymously for statistics to demonstrate our impact to funders.

Gender: Please select...MaleFemaleGender diverseRather not say

Age group: Please select...Under 1515-1920-2930-3940-4950-5960-6970+Rather not say

Ethnicity: Please select...AfricanAsian (other)AustralianBritishCentral AmericanChineseEuropeanIndianJapaneseKoreanMaoriMiddle EasternNew ZealanderNorth AmericanNZ EuropeanOtherPacific IslesPakistaniRussianSouth AfricanSouth AmericanSri LankanRather not say

Labour status: Please select...Full-time employedPart-time employedNot in paid employment by choiceSeeking employmentRetiredStudentSelf employedVisitorOtherRather not say