A children’s charity in Ipswich searching for new volunteers is aiming to attract people who are looking to get back into work.

Ormiston Children & Families Trust, which runs the children’s centre in Felixstowe Road, is recruiting people to work on its reception desk. The children’s centre supports families with children under five by offering parenting courses, breastfeeding workshops, baby massage groups and speech and language support.

Sarah Brown, Ormiston’s lead volunteer co-ordinator, said the volunteering vacancies provide a great opportunity for people who are trying to get back into employment.

She said: “For anyone who has been out of work for a while and is trying to find a new job, this is a chance for them to get some valuable experience.

“We’re looking for people to help run the reception desk in the children’s centre, which will involve things such as answering the phones, greeting visitors and general admin duties.

“We’re looking for people who are friendly and welcoming, with a good telephone manner and good communication and literacy skills. Training relevant to the position will also be provided.

“It really is a fantastic opportunity for people to gain some real work-based experience, but we’d also like to hear from anyone who’s perhaps recently retired and looking to do some community work, or anyone who has got a couple of hours to spare and would like to help out.”

The charity is looking for a number of volunteers to cover the reception desk from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Shifts will be based on a rota system, which will be tailored to suit individual availability. Volunteers will also be subject to a criminal records check and will need to provide two references.

Other Ormiston services in Ipswich include Polish Outreach, which researches and responds to the needs of the Polish community in the town; the Ormiston Domestic Abuse Service, which offers support to women on a one-to-one basis; and MPower, which gives intensive support to women who have had a child, or children, removed from their care.

Last year Ormiston helped more than 130,000 children and families experiencing difficult times in their lives.

For more information about the posts, or if you are interested in volunteering, contact Jools Ramsey on 01473 705050, or email jools.ramsey@ormiston.org.