Wish Maker - Interpreter (British Sign Language)

Make-A-Wish UK brings amazing people together to grant inspirational, life-changing wishes for children with critical conditions. We work with wish children, their families, and medical teams to make unforgettable wishes a reality – like a child getting to be a princess in their own castle, cooking with their favourite celebrity chef, and even becoming a Ghostbuster to save the city of Leeds! Our mission is to grant a wish for every eligible child living with a critical condition in the UK, but we can’t do this without your help. In this vital leadership role you will be instrumental in helping us to grant the wishes of 200 children that are waiting right now in communities across the UK. Helping us to reach them will be an inspirational and fulfilling experience that you’ll never forget. Join our volunteering community now and make a lasting difference. By sharing your time and skills, you can help children across the UK experiencing life-threatening illnesses.

Why we need your help

When a child is diagnosed with a critical condition, everything changes. The joy of childhood is brought to an abrupt end; replaced by hospital appointments, gruelling treatment plans and endless worry. A wish has the power to cut through the gruelling daily reality of life with a critical illness, bringing true magic back to the childhoods of those most in need. Sadly, the number of wish enquiries from seriously ill children with less than a year to live is rising fast. We need help to meet this urgent demand now - before it’s too late. By volunteering, you have the power to make a wish come true for a critically ill child, allowing families to create lasting memories to treasure forever – no matter what the future holds.

Why volunteer for Make-A-Wish UK?

When you volunteer for Make-A-Wish UK in your community, you'll become part of a nationwide team, helping children who are living with critical conditions by:

• Getting active in your local community with other volunteers – both in person and online
• Helping local wish families by capturing their child’s unique wish and bringing it to life through all stages of the wish journey We know that your time is precious, so we’ll work with you to make sure you get the most out of your experience with us. You’ll have the opportunity to:
• Join an inspiring and magical organisation, where you will help children experience the anticipation and long-lasting effects of a wish
• Develop new skills and gain new work-related experiences and relationships
• Participate in an interactive and engaging learning and development programme, that fits in around you and your life
• Build emotional resilience, and increase your levels of wellbeing and self-esteem using our wellness platform and recognition programme
• Access our volunteer Teams community; our online network where you can connect with both Make-A-Wish UK Employees and volunteers across the UK, and access handy resources and training documents
• Make connections with a diverse range of people and build lifelong friendships
• You will attend regular volunteer community meetings, which will keep you updated on Make-A-Wish UK news and wishes, deliver training sessions, connect you to other volunteers and the wider team and hear from our guest speakers. You may even wish to have slot yourself to talk about what you have been up to as a volunteer
• Access our Volunteer App which shows you where wishes, and activities are happening in your community that you can choose to get involved in

How will I be supported?

You will be fully inducted into the world of Make-A-Wish UK and receive a training session which showcases our values of be inspiring, be magical and be inclusive that we expect all Make-A-Wish UK Volunteers to demonstrate in any role or activity.

Alongside this you will receive specific training relating to your role through our engaging learning and development programme, as well as plenty of support from the Make-A-Wish UK team, enabling you to feel confident and empowered in making magical wishes happen for our wish families.

Requirements of this volunteer role

The amount of time commitment will vary. When a wish requires interpretation, we anticipate around an hour for the initial call which is dependent on the questions the family may have.

You will also be asked to call the families every month after the initial call if we do not receive the initial forms. From this, a subsequent call with a Wish Referral Officer may be arranged to discuss any further questions the family may have.

Interpreting Wish Discoveries could take 30 minutes to an hour as the Interpreter and Wish Maker explore wish ideas together with the family.

You may also be required to be present for all interactions between Wishgranter and wish family so that they are able to organise all details of the wish and may require the Interpreter to attend the wish depending on the wish type.

Please note that you will be able to carry out this role from home and can be delivered by phone or video call. There may also be the opportunity for face to face contact.

What will I be doing as an Interpreter?

-Help with the initial contact with wish families that need to use BSL.

• Making the first call to the parent/guardian of a wish child when a referral comes in, to explain what we do here at Make-A-Wish UK and with the support of a Wish Referral Officer, help complete the application for a wish.
• You may be required to call the families every month if the forms have not been completed
• You may also be required to interpret during the Wish Discovery and the delivery of the wish.
• You may be required to call the families every month if the forms have not been completed.

What skills do I need?

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build networks across your community.
• Be warm, approachable, enthusiastic and friendly.
• A basic level of IT skills are essential for this role, knowledge of Microsoft Office and Teams is desirable. You will also need access to either a computer or smartphone/device
• A commitment to our behaviours and values
• A commitment to the learning and development programme
• Fully proficient in BSL.
• Experience interpreting in some way would be advantageous, this does not need to be in a professional setting.

If you would like to volunteer for Make-A-Wish UK but would to like explore other volunteer opportunities please do visit our website and take a look at the other magical roles to offer. Or you can reach us at volunteering@makeawish.org.uk.