Aibu and not volunteer again

[Metoodear]

So I got myself on a very important volunteer job 6 months ago as I was only working one day a week

So thought I would do some good recently I had to resign as I have a pt job 3 days a week and tbh the volunteer job needs doing well and I wouldn’t have the time as I don’t want to a shit job because I am trying to do to much

Sent a lovey letter about how much I had enjoyed myself and thanked them for the opportunity

I didn’t even get a smiley face emoji back
Ducking rude or is it just me and they wonder why they struggle to get people

Aibu to think I should of got even a email thanking me for my time

Yes i have voulenteers work with me and i think its right to thank peopke and it cost nothing at all. I would buy flowers out of my money xx

They should have at least received an email in acknowledgement, a small thank you doesn't require a lot of effort.
For the people saying the poster is being attacked for the grammar, if it wasn't for people correcting others on their mistakes I wouldn't have learned how to use grammar correctly.
Not everything is an attack, sometimes people just like to correct you because as others have said if you need to write an important email or job application it can reflect your competence.

*you should have revieved

• received.... Losing the will to live with this

ICantCopeAnymore

OK what I should have said:
If a post is so far below your level of intelligence you can't even begin to get started with it, perhaps you should just leave it and move on? Rather than indicating the op is clearly in error but you are so high and mighty you can not even lower yourself to explain how they are wrong. I have genuinely don't understand this type of behaviour.

OP, as you can see from all of us who work with volunteers, many of us really appreciate whatever work you do. Please do it again when and if you have the chance.

Bearfam - who on earth said it was beyond my level of intelligence? How bizarre you are.

Metoodear

Thank you for posting this. I don't know about you but it makes me feel slightly better to know that this is not a rare experience. I am a bit too sensitive and take things to heart and for a while was worrying about whether I'd done something wrong or upset someone there etc. and taking it all very personally.

I put my all into helping the animals and I got a lot out of it. I have not ruled out the possibility of volunteering again.

Managing volunteers used to be part of my job.

Absolutely vital to show gratitude and thanks. And you know, just the decent and polite thing to do.

I hate it when the basic social forms are abandoned.

I was a CAB trustee for about 4 years, while I worked full time. It's a role which carries a lot of responsibility and I did a lot of work as well.

When I had to resign due to moving jobs and the commuting meaning I couldn't make it to meetings, the Chair asked me to stay (there was some work he wanted me to do) and I could just not attend the meetings (which obviously cannot go on long term). I did that for another 4m. Then I said to him that's it, I cannot do it any more. He ignored me. Then another trustee asked me to complete some work and I emailed back and said "I don't know if Chair has told you, but I have resigned, we've not agreed an end date yet" (I did the work).

About a week later I got a for, in the post saying I had been removed from the Companies House register of directors (which is fine, I wanted to resign) but I never heard another word from any of them - no thanks, no confirmation that I had been taken off or anything.

I will admit, it did put me off as after 4 years I thought I had a good relationship with them all - I had practically been on call for the general manager and answered calls during work, evenings, weekends, I'd set up whole days of charity events and networking among local charities, managed a restructure, done staff consultations, overseen a merger of two CABs and transferred staff, etc.

YANBU.
Whether or not they actually thank you, it's only basic manners to reply to your email.
A quick response along the lines of: "Sorry you're leaving. Thanks for all your hard work; good luck in your new position" would have taken seconds.

Ignore the pedants: they are a bunch of superior pricks.

My god, of course you should get a thank you. I'm actually amazed at how many people think you should give up six months of free time for an organisation and not expect even a measly email saying thank you?!!!

It's also just bad practice. Years ago I donated litres and litres of breast milk to two hospital milk banks. One coordinator was friendly and helpful throughout, always smiled and thanked me when I went in with a load of full bottles, and sent me a lovely card saying thank you at the end. The other coordinator was miserable, acted like she was doing me a favour when I went in with bottles, and obviously not a word of thanks at any stage. I very soon donated only to the first bank - I wasn't doing it for the thanks, but as I also had a toddler and a tiny and very sick hospitalised baby at the time, and was driving for 40 mins to drop the donations off, then fucking hell yes, I did expect a little bit of kindness and consideration, rather than being made to feel like a nuisance! If you don't treat volunteers well, they'll vote with their feet. It's utter idiocy on the part of organisations not to realise this.

I think if you volunteer, you give your time freely and don't give it for a reward. That reward includes being thanked.

However, it is also rude not to acknowledge the time and effort of someone who has given time, so you could argue that whoever your boss was at the council, should have been polite enough to say thank you. However, in all honesty, they probably don't have the time to write a letter and you didn't go in to say goodbye, so you just have to put it down to lack of time and mild rudeness!

OP, I think you should have received a reply. You gave them a two-week notice (if that is how it should be) and because you worked for them for FREE they should have had a courtesy to thank you. They don't need to write an essay but two sentences would have been as a very nice gesture. If they take their volunteers for granted they may not have any at all with such attitude.

^Sevendown 6 months is more hassle than it’s worth for a volunteer coordinator*

Oh well then, those pesky 6-monthers willingly giving free labour deserve to be ignored and disrespected, then.

There is a pedants corner, where grammatical and punctuation errors will be discussed.

Given that organisations are frequently asking for volunteers, but make it really difficult for people to do so, because of the length of time it takes to be accepted, the forms that have to be completed and the communication issues, I’m not surprised you had little acknowledgement. It is disappointing when you have given time and effort that doesn’t seem to be appreciated.

I work for a charity and we always acknowledge and thank volunteers- it's bad form not to regardless of length of stay.

I've had some awful volunteering experience and it's put me off for life, but I still got thanked!

But... having said you're right (that you should have received a reply), it would be really sad if this put you off volunteering again. The next organisation might well be better run. Also, the more important thing is whether you can contribute something that helps make a positive difference, surely.

I think OP is using a mobile phone and that is why some words have been misspelled. Unfortunately, Mumsnet doesn't allow to edit the posts which is a shame. I know you need to read before you post but an edit function wouldn't harm anyone.

Fox say, this is why people should be appreciated. Waiting for the DBS check, or whatever it’s called now, I can’t think off the top of my head, the police clearance, which has to be done in a lot of cases, and everything else you have to go through just to become a volunteer. You need a lot of patience just to become a volunteer, so you should be told thank U. And are used dictation, as most of you know. So if there are mistakes, it’s down to dictation.

I volunteered for a blind charity for six years, often at my own expense and despite having two children during that time. I never once got a thank you, no phone call to see how I was getting on. No support, nothing. Even when I pointed out the many safeguarding procedures they weren't following, still nothing. I know doing a good thing should be it's own reward but a thanks would have been nice.

I agree op, manners maketh the man. A thank you very for your time, e mail would be fine, take a few seconds and not cost anything.

The OP's got a hard time here and some mean comments.

I volunteered for a while but eventually had to stop for work reasons. They were gracious, thanked me for my work and time and wished me well for the future. It's basic manners.

Nomad, I’m sorry you went through that. Hopefully the service users appreciate appreciated your efforts at least. I run my own organization, but I have also been supported quite a lot through the years, and I know that when people see me make progress, they’re really happy.

There is a Richard Branson thing going round Facebook, something along the lines of treating staff well, they will treat your customers well. Totally correct. Those giving op a hard time, shod examine their manners!