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Original poster

References for volunteers

12 replies

Nocaloriesinchocolate · 08/04/2021 10:45

Prompted by another thread but not TAAT. I am retired and have considered a couple of voluntary roles. Both have foundered because they both demand 2 references and I simply don’t have the referees. I retired 3 years ago and have no idea whether the people I knew there are still there. I have very few friends who would be in a position to write a reference (being antisocial is my and DH’s choice!). The only one I can think of is far too caught up in a major domestic issue of his own for me to bother him. My vicar could be one referee, but there is no-one else. I’m sure I’m not alone with this dilemma. It makes me so cross!

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 08/04/2021 10:49

Why are you cross about it? Volunteers are often working with really vulnerable people. Just because you’re offering your services for free doesn’t mean you aren’t there to do a good job.

Isn’t there anyone else at your church?

SkepticalCat · 08/04/2021 11:16

Is there anyone else in your church that could act as a referee - business owner, teacher, doctor, any professional really who could verify they know you.

Is there anything stopping you trying to make contact with your most recent employer to see if anyone can provide a reference?

Original poster
Nocaloriesinchocolate · 08/04/2021 14:57

I take your point about working with vulnerable people but these roles do not involve this. Yes, I do know that service users etc need to be protected and I’m not really sure what the answer is. I’m not so much cross at the organisations, more at the fact that there seems to be no answer to this. Re: the church, that would be awkward for a good reason it would be outing to mention (but not in any way that the church know anything dodgy about me. There’s nothing dodgy to know!)

OP posts:
SkepticalCat · 08/04/2021 15:25

OK, so there are people you can ask for a reference, but you're finding reasons not to ask them.

Not sure what the answer is there.

UCOinaUCG · 08/04/2021 15:47

Surely after only three years you could still contact your old boss?

allmycats · 08/04/2021 15:53

This does not help you but I found it very silly
Wanted to volunteer as a Foster carer for mummy cats and their kittens. Needed 2 references, 1 of which needed to be from my last place of education. I was 57 at the time and pointed out that it was very unlikely that many of my old teachers would still be around !!. My other reference was going to be from my vet. The 20 something at the RSPCA said that it must be last education. Maybe she was wrong in her interpretation but it was bloody silly.

covetingthepreciousthings · 08/04/2021 15:56

@SkepticalCat

OK, so there are people you can ask for a reference, but you're finding reasons not to ask them.

Not sure what the answer is there.

This ^

Just contact your last employer and ask if they'd be happy to provide a reference? 3 years really isn't that long ago.

SkepticalCat · 08/04/2021 17:20

@allmycats

This does not help you but I found it very silly Wanted to volunteer as a Foster carer for mummy cats and their kittens. Needed 2 references, 1 of which needed to be from my last place of education. I was 57 at the time and pointed out that it was very unlikely that many of my old teachers would still be around !!. My other reference was going to be from my vet. The 20 something at the RSPCA said that it must be last education. Maybe she was wrong in her interpretation but it was bloody silly.
That is ludicrous. Did you manage to get them to agree to a non-education reference in the end?
Frownette · 08/04/2021 17:27

References aren't quite what they used to be. Usually it's just confirmation of work, or for personal then they just need a few sentences and capacity of how you know each other.

allmycats · 09/04/2021 09:26

Yes, but I had to do it via my vet. They would only accept last education or current employer as a reference, and I worked for our family business at the time, so work was not acceptable to them either. My next door neighbour, a vicar, was finally accepted as being trustworthy.

Xiaoxiong · 09/04/2021 10:17

You only retired 3 years ago. Just write a brief email to HR or whoever is responsible for HR, even if you don't know them, and say that you are a former employee, now volunteering for cat's protection or whatever and they want a reference from your last employment so you're putting their name down. They'll be getting requests like this all the time, it's no big deal - then just tell the voluntary role the name and contact details of the HR person. Job done.

Camomila · 09/04/2021 10:20

I work in referencing, it usually doesn't matter if the people who knew you are still there - we are happy with standard references from HR with just your dates of employment and position.

(Might be different if the charity is specifically asking for character references)

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