... to think the gov can eff off if they think I'm going to do voluntary work?

[woollyideas]

I'm really fed up with reading about this hypothetical army of volunteers who will run our libraries, patrol school crossings etc., etc. as part of the old Big Society thingmy. AIBU to think that if I was to be made redundant due to government cuts, I would prefer to lie in bed a bit later than usual, write, paint, read, bake cakes, stick two fingers up to the Condems, etc., after 30-odd years of working? Or do you think I should just pop along and be an unpaid slave happily work for nothing in a local school or something worthy?

What would you do?

**

Make us a cup of tea love...we've had to sack the maid

I don't understand how places like libraries could be entirely run by volunteers.

Firstly who would pay to train all these people? Because to be a librarian you need certain skills don't you? You have to be able to work all the computer systems etc. What if they paid to train you up and you just decided it wasn't for you and left?

Also volunteers are under no obiligation to actually turn up every day and on time. So if a volunteer couldn't be bothered one day, or had something better to do - they could just ring and say they're not coming in today. Or be late. It's not like they can be fired is it? Imagine the chaos. Especially if people were depending on them.

It's just bananas this whole thing. It's like the cultural revolution or Pol Pot. Get rid of anyone who knows what they're doing! Sack the educated! Wahay! Let's all muck in! Same with the free schools shite.

You wouldn't say "Wahay! Let's sack brain surgeons to save money and do it all on a voluntary basis" - and it's not really much different doing it with libraries and schools.

And Dave - "voluntary" - the clue's in the name. If you have to do it to get your benefits/pension, it's not voluntary you dunderhead.

It all makes me so furious and yet so cynically unsurprised.

It's all complete bollocks. Most people volunteer because they have a few spare hours here and there and want to do something useful. They do not want to be responsible for running a whole bloody library or whatever. I run a project which relies on volunteers. They are all fantastic lovely people, but I very much doubt any of them would want the responsibility of actually running the project, having to be there every week, keeping up with paperwork as well as the practical side of things etc. It's just too much to ask of someone.

There are a lot of problems with the vision Dave Cameron has of volunteers running public services. But I work for a small charity and the number of people coming forward to volunteer has increased over the last six months.

Also, volunteers already run services where they are reliable about turning up and doing a professional job. E.g. samaritans helpline is staffed by volunteers.

I do agree that finding a volunteer to take responsibility for a project is very hard. We do have volunteers who do this, but they are much rarer.

That is why most projects that rely on volunteers have a paid worker to take responsibility and then lots of volunteers.

Sod the volunteer bit. Send them to the workhouse. Make them earn their benefits.

Lesley33, you work for a charity at the moment, honestly how would you feel if you were replaced with an unpaid volunteer.

Surely this is a real possibility. Charities and private concerns will either have less funds as councils have less to spend and people tighten their belts and give less.

In this country, people who do paid work are much more likely to volunteer than those who are not working.

Queen - I think some jobs are very hard to replace. We have 12 staff - many part time - and about 250 volunteers. But as I said, for each project we do someone has to take responsibility and pull it all together. Thats what we do as staff. Hard to find volunteers to do this.

There is much less money around for charities and much of the smaller charities are going to collapse. Govt funding, private sector funding and idividual donations to the charity sector have fallen.

Although a few things that fold ,might be replaced by groups of volunteers; the reality is that the projects local charities currently run, will cease to exist.

Lesley, yes it must be hard to recruit volunteers with the right skills that could run an entire project and supervise others, so hopefully you and your collegues will be safe.

I think many small charities and small businesses that provide social care, drug and alcohol services or respite etc, will fold. If local councils do not have the money in their bugets to commission and outsource then they will fail to offer services.

Charities may well find they have less work, when really they should have more! Volunteers need to be trained and need to be employed by someone who guarentees a level of service to users.

Recently unemployed people may have transferrable skills and the right attitudes but the long term unemployed may lack the right attitude towards service users. It's a recipe for disaster.

I have volunteered for years, starting in the 80s, last time these tossers tried to ruin our society. You know who I never met while I volunteered in prisons, homeless shelters, or collecting for children, animals and the environment? Young Conservatives, that's who. It was all lefties and greens. Big society, my arse.

'They're taking paid jobs from people and handing them to those who will do the work for nothing.

Back in the 80's those people would have been called scabs.'

Only now, mutz, they've got a work round for that!

Make 'em redundant.

Then, when they sign on, force them to volunteer and do their old job or someone else's for nothing or they won't get any benefits.

So back in the 80s they may have been scabs, but in Dave's New Order they'll have no choice - do the volunteering, or don't eat.

And YANBU. He and the whole lot of 'em can get straight to fuck if they think I'm going lift a finger to aid their endeavours in any way. I wouldn't pee on them if they were on fire.

expat you are spot on!!!When do the riots start??

I volunteer in a charity shop where there are no paid staff I have been there nearly a year.

I am now responsible for opening the shop and recruiting volunteers, I also have revamped the shop and have upped the takings by 20%.

Because of this I now have relief shop manager on my CV which has helped me get an interview for paid shop work next week.

In the 80's the term 'scabs' was applied to miners or other workers who broke the picket lines to work against the instructions of the unions. They weren't volunteers.

YANBU

In a great twist of irony, one of the Tories responsible for this volunteering malarky has had to cut down on volunteering cos he can't afford to do it for free. Lord Wei story here.

in this case the Big Soc shafted its own: he was only told the day before taking up the role as Volunteer Czar, or whatever it's called, that he had to ditch his paying work in order to accept the role. Sucks to be you if you're not already independently wealthy!

I won't volunteer to clean up after the riots.

YANBU.

YABU... no-one's forcing anyone to volunteer for anything .

My mum volunteers with Riding for Disabled (RDA), and my DH volunteers in helping run the Juniors section at local village cricket club. My granny volunteers with League of Friends at local hospital. My grandad (passed away) used to do voluntary work for National Trust. My best friend volunteers as a scout leader. I let the side down.

When it comes to volunteering I think it needs to be related to a hobby and something you are interested in. I dont think any of my family or friends would volunteer with The Big Society.

My Mum volunteers with Meals on Wheels. The council are closing it down. She got sent a letter suggesting that she might like to work in a charity shop instead. No she fucking doesn't, she wants to deliver hot meals to vulnerable people. But that's not important, is it?

I do voluntary work now because I work very few hours but If I was in full employment and made redundant, NO i would not do volunteer work instead! What are people supposed to live on, love and fresh air?

Was hearing in the news yesterday about cuts in Blackburn, 1000 council workers will be made redundant, mostly people working in childcare, vulnerale adults care and elerly care. Are all of them then supposed to do the same job for free to avoid the society to collappse? It is going to be even worse than I imagined. Poor people It made me cry. In a lot of other lines of work you might expect the private sector to pick up the pieces it is very unlikely that it will happen in that case so there will be 1000 people jobless and 100s moreuncared for.

Yes some volunteers do run projects, recruit and superviuse other volunteers. We have some volunteers who do this. But it is difficult to frecruit people willing to do this.

I agree that as a volunteer myself and through my charity work, the people who volunteer tend to either be older, or if younger tend to be leaning to the left.

I have met many l;abour, lib dem, and apolitical volunteers. But as other poster said, don't meet lots of conservative suppporters.

It makes me wonder if those who support conservatives tend to be less bothered about others?