Volunteering nightmare

[Oliveoiloli]

AIBU I think I have made a massive mistake. To get my DC into a much sort after childhood activity I volunteered to do some admin for the charity free of charge. My DC loves the club BUT my small bit of admin has turned into me being on call 24/7 basically acting as the offsite caretaker for the charity. I am already working full time and I’m beyond overwhelmed but feel so guilty- they are adamant DC can’t keep his place unless I volunteer but these people are trampling over boundaries. I am happy to do what I signed up for but being constantly contacted is driving me mad. I put an out of office on and now they are calling my personal phone. What do I do? Do I just find a new club for DC?

This always happens in Volunteering. As others said you only do what you want and able to do.

For some reason these organisations try to treat you as if you’re a paid employee with employment contract. Just turn up when right for you to make the point you won’t be pushed around

She offered her time not to have personal calls non stop.

I agree with 'mydefthedgehog' How dare they threaten your child's place. Such a low' move! Make it clear what you will and won't do. Tell them when you are available to' help out' with their admin. Don't be bullied!

Surely there’s a GDPR issue here? You gave them your number so they could contact you in an emergency, not so they could have you at their beck and call. I’d be asking them to explain what that’s about and watch them squirm

They have my number as I had to give a contact for my child (which is fair).

they are actually then allowed to use that number to phone you on, to have searched their files to find your telephone number for another reason other than to call you about your ds is not allowed due to GDPR

Id suggest as admin that you tell them they need GDPR training as if they are making that mistake, there are plenty other data breaches they are likely to be making and as they are a club with children its really going to end in hot water

Well I guess she's grown up enough to talk to them about that!

Well the op came on here for advice and people gave it. So it’s up to her now.

This has been explained several times on this thread.

Whereas we can all agree that the OP needs to go back to the person who first asked her to do the role, and get clarification about the expectations (on both sides) so the OP can decide if she needs to set some firmer boundaries or if whoever is making the additional demands can be spoken to, or if indeed she decides to leave, there are an awful lot of people on here who need to go back and look up the meaning of the word 'blackmail'. This is nothing of the sort, and quite frankly just shows you haven't read any of the numerous explanations about a sensible policy to try to reduce waiting lists and offer the activity to as many young people as possible.

Does anyone who is making this ridiculous accusation actually run a youth activity each week ?

Same! I’ve had kids in scouting for over 10 years and I don’t recognise this situation at all (and have been a volunteer for some of this time)

Some groups have this policy,others dont.
I've volunteered in both sorts. I actually don't like it because its so easy for parents who want their children to get in to promise help and then very quickly drop away. As the unit leader it leaves you a ) without the help promised and b) in a totally impossible situation with the child who should return to the wait list but inevitably never does because we are not the evil people some on here seem to think we are.
The policy is just a sign of the desperate need youth organisations have for more volunteers. On the plus side we have got some fantastic new leaders who started because they came to help in this way and ended up staying long after their own children were adults.

Surely they would also collect numbers for volunteers? And organisations like this aren't going to be able to buy every vol

How do you know? I've not seen the OPsay this.

It is completely unreasonable behaviour on the part of the charity. It would be useful to know what type of organisation it is. You need to firmly set some boundaries, reiterating what you said you would do and make it clear you will not be on call. I don't know any organisation that would expect that of a volunteer.

Apologies, started posting a reply to something ages ago and somehow it just posted my half finished reply. Ignore my post above!

Shes had plenty of time to say that this wasn't the case hasn't she?
I cant think of any other explanation.

In the OP, she said "To get my DC into a much sort after childhood activity I volunteered to do some admin for the charity free of charge." which very much implies it, and then at 22.11 on 8th August, the OP directly quoted the poster saying this and didn't refute what had been said.