End of volunteering

[Pensl]

I have volunteered for a service user through a charity for a few years. This service user has an animal from the charity which they don’t really need but fiddled the system to get it. They and their family have been neglecting the animal. I have reported to the neglect to the charity but concerns have fallen on deaf ears. The service user sent me an abusive message for reporting them.

I haven’t been since and don’t want to waste anymore years for this toxic devious family. They still have other volunteers so it is not like they are in the lurch plus the family could actually help out. What is the best way to cease volunteering with notice to the charity without causing offence or being seen as a troublemaker. I don’t see the point in being too honest as the charity never resolved the issues when I reported them.

You posted this before. What are you wanting, another person to support or to leave?

It is a complete different thing I am asking. I want to know how do I terminate with the charity without ending on a bad note. The charity still want me but I don’t want to help this service user any longer but would be happy to help
someone else.

Well you either have a chat with the volunteer coordinator and tell them you are leaving or you have a chat with the volunteer coordinator and ask for a new person to support. If your original client has sent abusive messages to you then you would have obviously reported this to the charity so they can support you. Just talk to them.

There should be a volunteer manager you can have a conversation with to request another service user to support. However if your issue is as much with how the charity has handled your concern about the service user and misuse of funding then leaving and finding an alternative is better. You just issue notice as you would for a job.

Yes agree with the above. No charity would want or expect someone volunteering for them to be on the receiving end of abuse. Just talk to them and say this placement is now untenable for you for this reason. They should be supportive and helpful - and grateful you are volunteering your time!