Dog, people and equipment driver

What you’ll be doing

We rely on volunteers like you to help us improve the lives of people with sight loss. In this role your support will include:

·     Providing safe transportation to our puppies, adult dogs and equipment between Guide Dogs sites, to events and appointments.

·     Providing safe transportation for our dogs and puppies, service users or equipment.

·     Following Guide Dogs' guidelines for handling and transporting young puppies and adult dogs.

You’ll have

Ideally you will:

·     Be a confident and conscientious driver - a clean driving licence is preferred, although minor driving convictions may not necessarily stop you from volunteering.

·     Be willing to drive a range of distances which may be out of your local area.

·     Be willing and able to handle and manage our dogs and puppies using positive reinforcement methods.

If you don’t feel you tick every box but are sure this role is the one for you, please drop us a message and tell us why. We’re open to suggestions and happy to chat with you to find out what’s possible!

You’ll get;

Volunteering is a two-way street, so in return for your time you will get a dedicated volunteer manager/key contact who will help you settle in and support you during your time with us. You’ll also get:

·     The satisfaction in knowing you are supporting people with sight loss to live actively, independently, and well.

·     A flexible role which fits in with your existing commitments.

·     Support to develop your dog handling skills and have 1:1 contact with our dogs and puppies.

Training and support

This role has 6 hours of training and then you’ll be ready to go! These modules include:

• Driver induction.
• Dog handling training.
• Safeguarding training (Level 1 and 2)
• My Sighted Guiding training

If you have questions about the training requirements, we can answer these at your interview along with any other support or accessibility needs you may have.

Volunteering for Guide Dogs should never leave you out of pocket.

We’ll make sure we pay any expenses related to your volunteering with

us in line with our policy.

What we need from you

·     To ensure your vehicle is safe and legally roadworthy to drive.

·     To ensure that you have any additional equipment necessary to fulfil your role and that it is in working order whether it be using your own vehicle or a Guide Dogs vehicle.

Criminal Disclosure check necessary? Yes. Due to working with service users, you will need a DBS and will be given safeguarding and My Sighted Guiding Training.

We are working hard to make sure anyone who wants to can volunteer for Guide Dogs, but at the moment we have a minimum age of 18 this particular role.

Not sure this is the role for you? Apply on this website for me to be able to contact you and chat.

**On our website, this role is split into 3 - dog driver, people driver and equipment driver. You can apply for all 3 or whichever roles are suitable for you**