About us
Established in 1967, the BUILD Charity provides social, leisure and learning opportunities for anyone, with any disability, aged 18 or above in Norfolk.
We aim to support and co-ordinate opportunities so that people with disabilities can access, and enjoy, the kind of social life that most of us take for granted.
We don't have contracts, or service level agreements, we offer a programme of opportunities on a "take it or leave it" basis, providing our beneficiaries with information and variety to make an informed choice about what to do, and when to do it.
We do this through around 300 individual opportunities, each year, offered through a published three monthly programme delivered through four core strands:
- The Wednesday Club - a weekly evening social club in Norwich
- The Community Opportunities Programme - a range of community based meals out, sporting, recreational, cultural indoor and outdoor activities
- Skills for Life - monthly bite-sized sessions helping people maximise their independent living
- GetAways and the BUILD Travel Service - Days out, short breaks and holidays
Anyone, with any disability can register their details with us and access any of the opportunities we host. Most are based on a pre-booking system to ensure that we manage small social, and inclusive groups with appropriate levels of support.
We do not provide personal care, or help with medication. Many people who need this, or have a need for additional support through their care plans, are welcome to bring this with them.
Volunteer with us
"In over thirty years of recruiting staff I have hardly ever appointed someone who has not had volunteering experience on their CV"
so says our Chief Executive, and he is not alone. Many employers we speak to see volunteering as a great way of learning new skills, finding out whether working with our beneficiaries is the kind of role you might want to do professionally.
Maybe you are looking to gain experience in marketing, or public relations, maybe in financial management, volunteer management, risk management, or event management - all of those opportunities exist within the BUILD Charity as a reward for the time and energy you put in.
Here are the benefits of volunteering with the BUILD Charity:
- making a real difference to real people's lives - your support for someone with a disability in accessing one of our programmes means that your input reduces social isolation, increases confidence and widens horizons.
- free and high quality training - As a BUILD Charity volunteer you will have access to induction training, Safeguarding and Prevent training and Disability awareness training, as well as marketing and PR training, all of which will enhance your CV as well as give you the tools to perform the volunteering role.
- refund of expenses - our expenses policy means that we can make a contribution towards your cost of travel to and from our activities, pay for entrance tickets to films, shows and other attractions where you are supporting, and on occasions pay for meals and drinks.
- meeting people - as a BUILD Charity volunteer you will be part of a team of around 80 volunteers all performing different roles, but all looking to make a difference and gain as much, if not more than they put in.
- flexibility - our roles can range from a couple of hours once a week, to once a month, or even once a year to support a specific event. Our roles can match your availability.
If you don't believe us, then here are some of our current volunteers talking about why they share their time and expertise with us.
