Is anybody willing to share what they do for voluntary work?

[florentina1]

Since losing my dog I have lots of time on my hand . I really would like to do something to get me out of the house. I help out at the food bank once a week, but there are no more shifts available.

I am mid 70s and fit, but I no longer drive, and my IT skills are only average. I have looked on our LA website for volunteering but nothing really grabbed me.

i hope that by finding out what others are doing it might inspire me.

I used to have 3 voluntary roles ;

At a community lunch club
At a foodbank
As a school governor

Covid put pay to the 1st

Still busy with the other 2.

I think the trick is to volunteer with charities or organisations that you are passionate about....Because you have to deal with a lot of issues...sometimes from other volunteers!

Add in the statutory training (gdpr, safe handling, safeguarding etc...) and it can take up a LOT of your time.

The minute they get a whiff that you are remotely competant they will try and give you more to do. Have boundaries!

I volunteer at a wildlife hospital looking after injured and/or ill foxes.

I've previously been a seasonal baby bird feeder (in a different wildlife hospital) where I also occasionally got dragged into looking after badgers and swans (due to my fox experience as these are considered 'more complex' patients). Baby bird feeding is surprisingly stressful!!

I've also volunteered as a Samaritan but unfortunately had to give it up due to monthly mandatory night shifts start and end times clashing with day job.

I used to volunteer for a local charity by ebaying some of their more specialist, niche donations. I did this from their central donations sorting HQ so worked alongside other volunteers who did a variety of roles. I loved it!

You don't need great IT skills, just know how to list things on ebay (and the patience of a saint to deal with some ebay buyers!)

I'm a befriender for children in foster care who don't have contact with their families.

I volunteer as a counsellor for Childline. The training is extensive and it's very rewarding albeit difficult at times.

Beanstalk, which others on this thread have also volunteered for, sends trained reading helpers into schools. So you could contact them and similar charities too, and ask if they work with your local school (if that's the only one you can get to). It means they train you, sort your dbs, and you have a structure/plan to follow - not just whatever the school wants you to do. And some support - a child made a safeguarding disclosure to me on my second shift - and Beanstalk checked up that I was OK afterwards.

St John's Ambulance and local foodbank

I work one day a week as a guide in an art gallery. It involves training because of the changing exhibitions.

I have completed my application for Beanstalk. I previous helped at my Library with their Summer reading scheme, so fingers crossed.

Losing my dog is still raw, so I might think about the Cinnamon Trust later next year.

Cannot stress how much schools need governors, or even just reading buddies. Contact your local school!

I volunteered for a local dog rescue. Taking them out for group walks and then taking one home for the day to see how they are around the house etc, taking pics of them and giving them some time out basically

I brought one home as he hated the noise in the rescue and he climbed on the sofa and slept for 6hrs my friend adopted him the next week after seeing my photos of him

The Good Samaritans 😁

One of the trainers, when I worked for them said you should never underestimate the value of an interested adult in a child's life.
It really stuck with me - I had some lovely conversations with the children about anything they wanted to tell me about.
I got a special library membership which allows you to take out lots of books at once so we had lots of variety to look at.

Thank you again for every reply. I have got my first training session with beanstalk next Wednesday

@florentina1 maybe consider being a school exam invigilator. It's a paid, casual role, not voluntary, but obviously very worthwhile and schools are struggling to recruit Have a look at some nearby secondary school websites to see if they are advertising on their jobs page.

School PTA, online selling donations & discos & other events

Cinnamon Trust 3 walks/week

Occasionally volunteer to help run sport events, was outrider for a half marathon last month, will take payments & check licenses for a different event in January.

Trying to avoid being dragged in to help with Air Cadets. I'm not actually that sociable, but love being outside.

I might be a volunteer driver if I had lots of time, I notice the community buses are all driven by retirement age adults

@Chuckiegg , totally agree about Beanstalk. As I mentioned, a child disclosed to me on the second shift. Apparently that is not unusual - some of these children have no-one. It did make it a real commitment though, they hated it if I changed my days or went on term-time holiday as I was one of their fixed points. That's one of the reasons I haven't gone back and instead have upped my volunteering for a national museum - it is more flexible (I work PT).

My local library did the same - gave me a teacher ticket.

An independent school by us pays the invigilators £17 per hour.

I do a shift or 2 at the local foodbank per week, either in the warehouse or driving.

I help out with some charity shops in a local town (something my mum and aunt had done for many years). I’ve only done that for the past few years here, as I’ve moved back to my home area to support on some other family issues.

Its been an eye opener for me. The town historically was a prosperous market town, but has been on a long decline over decades. Limited work opportunities, not great schools, serious community issues with alcohol and drugs, violence, etc. I really feel anything I do here in helping out is totally missing the bigger picture issues, but Regardless I know my mum appreciates it.

@MsMartini. And @Chuckiegg thank you again for suggesting Beanstalk. I have done one training session and have a second booked next week.

Would you mind telling me how you were allocated a school, and any else you feel might help me,

I got offered a local school (but not too local - you do not want to be bumping into kids all the time, strict rules about out of school contact) and accepted. I was lucky in that they let me do 9-10.30 (ie during literacy/numeracy) whereas lots of schools only wanted after lunch which really breaks up the day.

I worked with year sixes - for some, the job was as much trying to provide a calm, positive experience and gently foster conversation/enjoyment of books as anything - they were way way behind but there were lots of barriers. In my last year especially the year head was great and really engaged with me about one troubled lad which meant i was better able to support him and could tweak the sessions to suit him/support the class teacher. If the school is not supportive/committed, do raise it early on with BS. You should not be fighting for decent space, the allocated time, chance to do what you are there for not what the school wants (other than very occasionally). And do try to find a way of knowing when school trips are on so you don't have wasted journeys. When dc were ill, the school would usually ask me to read with a good reader that I didn't know as a treat for them, which was great!

Having waved my own dc off, it was a tie - i felt bad going away in term time as the kids minded (especially those that claimed to hate reading 😀). That's one reason I've not gone back. I also became attached to the children and they to me, and it was hard when one made safeguarding disclosures. Beanstalk was going through a tricky time then too - but I did really like having the external support and training, and a chance to meet other people doing the same thing.

The school let us (they had about 5 BS readers, were really committed) each keep a box in a cupboard. I used to buy books at charity shops and also got a teacher's pass for the local library (20 books, no fines). And I would keep maybe a word game, a crossword book, a conker, a fiddly thing, things to talk about in there. The children liked choosing books and having a special box. If you work with older children like I did, and can gain their trust enough for them to let their guard down and engage with books they can actually read and enjoy instead of ones "for" their age - it is magic seeing their confidence grow. Roald Dahl's verses were great with this age too, as we'd do a line each and they could guess....I could go on but will stop there!

There are some really cool things on this thread… I help do deliveries at my local food bank, I’m on the PTA, I do the preloved uniform shop, and I do a few hours in a local charity shop. I work as well, but I like being busy.

What a fantastic, valuable thread.

@MsMartini thank you, that is so helpful