Volunteering

[rattymol]

The number of people volunteering has really fallen. I am interested in why. So
Yalu = I don't volunteer and won't
Yanbu = I do volunteer or would

Interested as well to know why people volunteer or don't volunteer.

I think people volunteer when there are gaps they would like to see filled. I have volunteered to do my local poppy collection this year. I was surprised that we had nowhere locally to buy them.

I think places have forgotten why people volunteer. They need to get something out of it. If I want to work hard for free and have no one notice I can stay at home.

For me, it's because I am GC and I refuse to use 'inclusive' language as I find it excludes women who, like me, don't want to be reduced to their bodily functions.

I think for many, it's because they now find their pension/benefits don't cover their living costs so have had to find gainful employment as opposed to voluntary work.

I have been volunteering for nearly 30 years, currently for 2 different organisations.

I’ve volunteered at parkrun before but found it quite cliquey. Saw someone turn up to volunteer at a parkrun recently and he was turned away because they already had enough. Can see that might put people off.
Also tried to volunteer at school and at a food bank but don’t get a response. Like another poster said earlier it seems to be the same people volunteering all over. They always shout out about needing more but don’t make it easy for ‘new’ people to join in.

To be honest I ‘volunteer’ enough extra unpaid hours in my nhs job that volunteering elsewhere seems a big ask.
Many of the serial volunteers I know seem to do it for the social media kudos.

Litter picking is probably one if the most accessible as and when options. Your local council can supply you with equipment, or put you in touch with groups for free equipment. It's not glamorous and I live it as it is totally anonymous.

I used to do hours of volunteering a week but now I don't do any. On the surface it's because I now work full-time irregular hours and have DC so I don't have time and can't commit to anything.

Other reasons- unrealistic expectations of volunteers. Several times I've sounded out the time expectations around a role, to be told it's only one Tuesday evening a month and that's it. Work out this is feasible, start it and discover there's extra stuff each week, online things to do and some Saturdays. Clearly in the past people used to just suck this up so there was consternation when I turned round and said I was only doing what I'd agreed to!

Training requirements. I totally agree with the need for safeguarding, DBS etc but I used to be involved with Guiding and it was a 2 hour meeting plus set up/clear up time each week, at least another evening a week of planning or training, remember to do some shopping for supplies, then extra stuff at weekends. I stopped at the point when someone thought I would volunteer a week of annual leave to go to camp!

General public are often unpleasant. I used to volunteer at a heritage thing but instead of being grateful someone made it available for them, I just got moaned at because of the limited time it was open, people wasting my time by being really late and frankly unrealistic expectations.

I volunteer at a living history museum where I dress as a Victorian and tell the visitors how people lived in Victorian times which I really enjoy

I volunteer as the Treasurer of my DC school PTA, as well as going on the occasional school trip.

I also do unpaid NED work, however lots of those opportunities are now become inv paid, so I'm doing those instead.

I volunteer for 3 different things a week, my husband volunteers 1 thing a week, my son volunteers 1 thing a week and my daughter doesnt do any but will do from September.

All the things we volunteer at, benefit the community and wouldn't be able to happen if there were no volunteers

I volunteer and have done in various ways since I was about 15. Currently, my volunteering is for a community music group, a children's sports activity and a parenting group/resource. I do it because they are things I believe in, there are roles I can fulfil that mean the activities can continue and because I can fit them around my full-time job and children's activities. They are substitute hobbies really so maybe I'll do less once children have left home and I can reliably join evening activities.

In the past I've volunteered lots of hours each day to set up/run booking systems for community venues that were entirely volunteer-run but needed to generate an income from its spaces in order to keep going. After about three years one of them was in a position to employ a member of staff to manage the venue (including the bookings) and I was delighted. My volunteering has always been very flexible and apart from attendance at committee meetings, doesn't require me to commit to a certain number of hours each week/a specific time slot.

I’ve done several volunteer roles.

I did the training for CAB and would have carried through with that, but they wanted so much commitment and things like booking in holidays. If I’m not being paid, I’m not going to be told when I can take a holiday and have to fill in a holiday allocation sheet.

So many hoops to jump through and application forms to fill in, for the most basic and boring of jobs. It’s difficult to find professional referees when you aren’t working.

Repetitive and boring jobs, with no prospect of being given something more interesting to do.

Spending money on travel, parking etc, so volunteering costs the volunteer money. Not sustainable with rising prices everywhere.

Under appreciated and lack of interest from paid employees. It’s as though they don’t really want volunteers at all.

Lack of interest. Going through volunteer opportunities on websites and getting in contact, to be told they don’t want anyone, or often, no response at all.

I do a lot of volunteering atm. 3 committees, one of which I chair (not long home from a successful fundraiser) and another voluntary roĺe related to my previous career. Plus PTA stuff and occasional help with my daughter's rainbow pack.

However I'm mostly a sahm but if I up my hours after the summer something will have to give because I'm studying and my children are still relatively young.

Still no further posts from @rattymol the OP.

I volunteer on the committee of the
sports club that my daughter is a member of. Only some of the activities I run are relevant for my daughter, and sometimes it takes me away from supporting her participation, but it's a great club and she has got a lot out of it so i wanted to give a bit back. Everybody who joins is supposed to also do 1 event day that they volunteer at as conditions of being a member. They can choose an event that they wouldn't normally participate in (e.g. the parent of a novice junior can do their duty day at an event for advanced adults). We really struggle to get people to keep this commitment, but without it, the club couldn't run, or would need to pay a lot of staff and costs for each event would be sky high.

Many of the committee members are retired, no longer participate in the sport, and really want to step down but there aren't many younger volunteers willing to take on a committee role, even when we break them down into relatively small tasks. I can see clubs having to close if they are unable to get me committee members to run them.

I work full time, have a child and animals to look after etc. And it's hard fitting it in, but I do feel that if I want my daughter to enjoy what the club offers then somebody needs to help organise it.

I work a busy (more than) full time NHS job. I have skirted burnout on several occasions over the last few years and very much need my downtime when not working. Volunteering is not something that feels possible at present.

I would be interested in volunteering when I retire (10 yrs or so) but will try to find a role which does not involve interacting with the public.

I volunteer at a heritage site because I enjoy it. I WFH post covid and was going stir crazy stuck at home. This helps me get out of the house. I also love local heritage and chatting to people interested in local heritage.

Most of the other volunteers are retired though.

What volunteering do you do, @rattymol ?

I volunteer very occasionally but used to volunteer weekly. If you have the time, and can afford to do it, then I'd really recommend it.

I work for a charity that relies on volunteers, the vast majority of our lovely volunteers are retired people. We do have a few that aren't, but not many

I've volunteered since my youngest started playgroup, so around 25 years. I've done various things, helping in school, Scouting and also helping at the local Children's Hospice.

I feel as I have the time, and don't work, I should give as much as I can to help others. I thoroughly enjoy it as well.

I volunteer as an assistant scout leader. Been doing it for almost six years. It is sometimes hard, on top of working full time and being a solo parent.

It often takes up full weekends for camps, and a full week for Jamborees and summer camps, which rinses my annual leave.

For me, it is worth it. Giving these opportunities to young people and seeing them growth, learn, make new friends and thrive is fantastic. Also, watching young people interact on camps without phones is lovely!

As an adult, I've met a lot of new people and have widened my own support network.

I volunteer for a week each summer at a children’s summer camp that I used to attend - hard work but it is so rustic it makes for a true escape for a short while, and I have good friends there. I also help at the Brownies each week plus additional events for that.

I do so now because I can. I have an 8 week summer at my school so a week volunteering doesn’t hurt. I also have fond memories myself of going off to camp and Brownie camp and Guides and performing in the pantomime our district put on and none of those memories would be if it wasn’t for volunteers. Brownies is becoming a bit more challenging with my teacher work load I admit, although it’s spread between 3 of us. It’s nice to be able to plan sessions and activities and not have to think of differentiation, think of every single learning point etc.

I have a good relationship with the girls and their parents mostly. Some have literally no clue the work involved and that costs in terms of man power. Some parents are just so rude and incredibly demanding and entitled and think the entire organisation should be adjusted to suit their needs. Thankfully these are a small minority.

I want to have children and that will be the final line in which both these things will stop. Been doing both for a decade plus so I’ve certainly done my share. Camp will stop but could return to something like Brownies once any child I have (if I have I hope to have) is older but it will depend on life.

Previously volunteered at a school where some of the staff were visibly annoyed when I showed up and moaned about the only day I could offer not being the best for them - so I stopped going. Tried to volunteer at the local library who never called me back. Now been at the local food bank for over a year. Most of the other volunteers are retired or unemployed and go twice a week. I do 2 or 3 shifts a month and am looked down on. The shifts are managed by other volunteers who are inconsistent, have poor communication skills and who will often criticise you in front of all the other volunteers in the main office. Several times this has been for things I have actually not been involved in. I am committed to giving back to my community but it feels less and less like something I want to do - after 40 years of volunteer work!

I fill a lot of my time with volunteering work, which brings me in to contact with other people, gives me a feeling of fulfilment and several interesting and varied roles. However, I fully appreciate that I am very lucky to have sufficient household income, so that I have the freedom to do these things. If we were struggling for money, I wouldn't feel able to work for nothing and 'waste' all that time doing things that are not contributing to the family income.

People tend to volunteer for things for about 2 years on average and then move on. We are definitely finding it harder to recruit nowadays. Cost of living rises must surely be a big factor, plus perhaps a bit of a backlash after Covid. A lot of people had more time on their hands and wanted to feel they were doing something to contribute during the pandemic. Now that is fading away and they are turning their attentions back to everyday work and lifestyle.

I volunteer (girlguiding) plus work full time.
It’s not just weekly meeting it’s hours of admin.
The requirements for safeguarding/first aid - I know some leaders who work in schools dislike fact they have to do same course for volunteer role.
Some parents don’t realise we are unpaid and can be demanding, hard work or downright rude.
Very few say thank you or appreciate your efforts.
It costs money to volunteer and time - I use annual leave.
I enjoy it but I can see why lots gave up in Covid and didn’t return.
Less volunteers means more pressure on existing volunteers.

Who at the council should one ask ?