Do you volunteer? Then join in here...

[Helium]

Hello fellow volunteers!

I love Mumsnet and find the support and advice on here invaluable (and at time priceless!!). I think it would be really great if we could have a Volunteers thread (or even better a whole topic??!?!??!) to discuss issues to do with volunteering, share experience etc.

Who else volunteers?

Let's start by saying what we do (keeping it general if necessary!).

I'll start:

I head up a residents association and also work for blind people. In the past I've written and produced a newsletter for a local charity.

i wasnt born to type

I'm the chief exec of a charity (sounds grand but it's loads of work for crap pay although I do love my job) so I know how invaluable my management committee is (all volunteers).

Even before I started working the the voluntary and community sector I was a volunteer - I chaired the PTA and was a school governor for years when my dds were small.

Now I'm the neighbourhood watch coordinator for my road and I help out at DD1's youth theatre (refreshments, front of house etc). I also look after all of the business management for our local playgroup.

Why? well I suppose like most have already said - when you've got a decent life it's no real hardship to put something back.

I've just heard back form the NightShelter peeps I emailed about voluntary Christmas work.

They have overnight shifts avaliable, which means starting at 9pm, sleeping overnight at the shelter and finishing shift at 9am.

This sounds fine to me, but I have a bit of a nervous flutter in my tum about it, and not sure why!!??

I wouldn't be on my own, lots of other people there.

They'd see my morning hair....

Anyone else done this type of overnight work?

I have just become a volunteer at a Debt Advice centre. It's just the admin side for now - but as it takes an hour to put a new client on the system, anything I can do frees up the advisors' time to see more clients.

I'm currently training to be a Better Reading Partner in DCs' school.

I teach & coach swimming at our local club.

have posted on you childline thread giraffes!