Dig at Gisburn when I can, really enjoy it due to the banter. Nice mix of people I wouldn’t generally meet which is great. The building of the tracks is secondary to me really. However the idea that someone else can enjoy what I helped to make does make you feel better about your day. Also helped out at the brownbacks racing at lee quarry. Really enjoyed that and is highly recommended. Get involved in something in your area. I did and it initially put me out of my comfort zone being with people I didn’t know but that’s part the reason why I did it.

I started volunteering this year. I had one day at a community woodland which was great except that when I turned up in the morning I was told that ‘we start the day with a song’, and handed a laminated sheet on which were the words of the song. There were four of us. I was the new person. Standing in a circle singing a vaguely pagan, humanist hymn. I sometimes find new situations difficult. I went off the scale on that one. They were otherwise, quite lovely people but I haven’t been back.

I have been doing some voluntary work with a talking newspaper for the blind. I have a fair bit of experience in recording and editing audio and hoped that I would be able to offer those skills but got drafted into the copying team. Living nearby and being flexible with my time meant that I was often called on at short notice which I didn’t mind.
They also periodically produce an audio magazine to which I’d hoped to contribute. There is a nearby blind cycling group that I’d love to make a report on.

I’ve also put myself forward to run an art group at a drop-in centre for people diagnosed with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. I had a brief bit of training and then had to have CRB disclosure and that took a couple of months. I also looked into doing similar for a mental health charity but that’s a bit too close to how I am so probably not best suitable. (I’m also supsicious that I may be a little way along the spectrum myself). Working with Aspergers folk requires a commitment. Maybe only a few hours a fortnight but over a couple of years.

Unfortunately, things have not been good and I’ve not been able to do anything since June and I do feel like I’ve let people down a bit.
From what I’ve witnessed with my family, anything that goes to giving some relief to those caring for dementia sufferers is much in need and greatly appreciated.

Not dementia sufferers please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Living with dementia. Its a subtle but important difference

I have been the chair of the trustee board of a large advice centre for coming up to 7 years. We meet every 6 weeks in the evening but as chair need to spend more time with the executive management than the other trustees, and also have to do fair amount of work at home e.g. helping with funding bids, commissioning processes etc. There are another 8 volunteer trustees and around 60 volunteers providing advice to our clients (there will be more demand for volunteer advisors as the impact of the spending cuts starts to be felt with more enquiries about benefits and more people facing debt and other financial problems).

For the last 2.5 years I have also been delivering the marketing session, and sometimes the sales session, of the Prince’s Trust 4 day Business Course for young people looking to set up their own business – this is either half a day or a full day once a month depending whether it is just the marketing session.

In the past I have also been chair of another organisation which worked with young people at risk of homelessness, providing them with accommodation and training. I also volunteered for Oxfam Campaigns team for a number of years in the early 90s which was fun and involved meeting politicians and personalities who would support a particular campaign. I have also mentored a small number of people on a voluntary basis in the past.

I get a lot of satisfaction from the volunteering I have done – the feedback from the young people on the Prince’s Trust courses is really motivating – and its great to see how some of the young people develop. If asked what my single biggest achievement has been it would be a fundraising appeal I coordinated for Oxfam which led to a plane of emergency equipment being sent from Bristol to Rwanda in the mid 90s.

On the flip side being a trustee (and particularly being chair) can be stressful – for example undertaking a re-organisation and having to make redundancies due to funding problems. There is also a huge amount of responsibilty and very little thanks or appreciation, as few other people in the organisation realise that you are doing this on a voluntary basis.

I work as a self-employed management consultant and I work primarily with public and not-for-profit sectors such as charities, community organisations and social enterprises. As such my volunteering gives me the knowledge, skills, experience and perhaps most importantly the credibility when working with clients. For example I can empathise with the issues facing the trustee boards of client organisations.

So b*gger David Cameron’s idea of “Big Society” – it’s already happening across the country and amongst the regulars of STW!

yep, local trail network.

met a few others, do my bit for keeping trails in good nick, learnt some trail building skills (and how other people see lines on the trail helps with riding too).

probably avg a day a month – more regular in winter when ground is damp and good to dig, less in summer when it bakes hard and the poisonous things are around more.

I volunteer once a week at Macmillan Cancer Support office in Edinburgh. I’m in the finance department and do all kinds of work, from processing gift aid claims, sending out reports, updating the spreadsheets, input data as well as standing in front of 4 drawers and filing for 2 hours 😉 Great opportunity and experience connected with my uni course as I’m studying accountancy. I might not be directly helping people like others here but I do think I somehow contribute and benefit from it in the same time. It’s a charity but it has the financial side like any other company. I get real life experience and can make life easier for the lovely 3 ladies working full time in that department. Amount of work there is huge and there is always something to do.

I help/hinder the running of SingletrAction and as my day job is cutting hair then it has and continues to help me develop my complete lack of computer skills and an understanding of the hoops that have to jumped through before anybody can build an actual trail…. 😯

Plus i turn up and do the actual digging but this gives me such pleasure that it doesn’t count..

We do not order anybody about (unless they ask nicely) and put no pressure on peeps to turn up. It eithers works for you or it doesn’t.

In my case i think you just get to that age (i was 35) where you are happy to put something back. Just make sure its something you are passionate about

I volunteered in a local theatre when I was a student – didn’t last long as they were v disorganised and frankly quite bitchy (shock horror) and I didn’t want to give up my time for that.

Since I grew up have been on various committees involved in MTB racing, and now help run events locally using a combination of volunteers if we can but sometimes we have to pay people. I often help out at local events it’s fun sometimes to not have to be in the driving seat.

Also help SC coaches supervise local kids training group every second wednesday in summer. Which I think is the key, be realistic about how much time you can spend, and be prepared to make a committment. They can’t run the group if not enough adults with proper training and clearances turn up for the sessions.

I find it very rewarding and would encourage you to get involved.

Just don’t overtax yourself I have found myself in that position where folk are just taking advantage and stressing about something that should be rewarding.

I’m a trustee for the local Headway group – which makes sense because I work as a case manager for people with brain injuries anyway, and I’m passionate about developing networks and pathways for people with brain injuries and their families, so that the largely hidden needs of this surprisingly large group of people starts to get on the radar of the authorities. I work on the principle of ‘together we are stronger’ and ‘if you’ve got the energy, why not?’ I also think individuals and families need to be put at the heart of these services (subjects not objects) so I’m into helping self-organised groups get active and get strong.

Don’t confuse volunteering with all this ‘Big Society’ bollocks, because frankly that’s a smokescreen for cutting state services and outsourcing/privatising risk. The best voluntary services fill specialist niches alongside well funded and well planned public services, which are necessarily more generic.

And now it’s off to work we go…………..!

Yes, I read news articles for the local talking newspaper for the blind. Time commitment is one evening a month. I work full-time, so would otherwise be limited in what I could do on a regular basis.

I did an internet search on local charities, and this one had a well-organised web site, and good set-up for recruiting new volunteers. It’s also personal to me as when my grandfather lost his sight, his local talking newspaper was a real lifeline.

The main plus for me (being a self-employed home worker) is that I get to chat to people, and it’s something completely different from what I usually do.

Good luck finding something!

MrsT

I do marketing stuff for Aston Hill and was involved in a dig day there yesterday.

Sometimes it takes up an awful lot of time, but I do get a kick seeing the the races filling faster and people obviously getting a buzz from riding there. I genuinely believe that the Hill is an awesome venue and I love seeing people enjoying it. To me that makes it all very worthwhile.

I am a coach for a local rugby club – about 3 hours on a Thursday evening and most of a Sunday for 8 months a year. There are good days and bad days – given that I coach the Colts team (U,17, U18 and U19) this is only to be expected. However overall I do enjoy the activity and it has been very useful to improve my inter-personal skills. Done it for a number of years and am starting to reach the end of my involvement.

As an aside, like most people who volunteer, I am surprised at the number of people (normally parents) who are not prepared to assist with activities and then have a go at the people who do.

I volunteer at a local cycle club. probably 3 out of 4 saturday mornings. I’m an SMBLA mtb leader and level 2 BC coach (soon to be mtb specific) and really enjoy it. Not a big commitment but enough for me.

As an aside, like most people who volunteer, I am surprised at the number of people (normally parents) who are not prepared to assist with activities and then have a go at the people who do.

Yes, definitely. It’s always easier to point out what’s wrong than actually do something about it.

As an aside, like most people who volunteer, I am surprised at the number of people (normally parents) who are not prepared to assist with activities and then have a go at the people who do.

well said, it won’t be the first time a parent has had a pop for no valid reason, usually when things are explianed to them they apologise but not in all cases.

my wife and i help run a small charity doing social projects in india. takes up allot of our time(esp during the summer when most of our fund raisers are), dont get paid but my s/e work, which only takes up 30hrs max per week, pays ok. as trustees we meet perhaps 4 times a year. i also do 3hrs a week in the local rspca shop.
the india work is great, its small but affective. the only downer is its a can of worms; there is always more that could be done . i’m part indian so we get to see the projects on a regular basis. no other reason to do it except it felt right to do something as we are fortunate to have the luxury of donating some time. local shop is great because its local!

I’ve done a range of things over the years and continue to do so

Practical conservation and survey work
Leading a schools expedition to Bolivia
Trail building and
Outdoor youth work and coaching
Fell rescue team

It’s helped me to gain work in the past, to maintain perspective on my day job and has provided job satisfaction when my paid work has failed to deliver in that department.

I’m sceptical also of the “Big Society”. I know lots of people who “give back” regularly though perhaps there are sections of society who could be persuaded to think a little more than just about number one.

I volunteered for around a year, 4-5 hours a week plus extra bits here and there. Eventually got a paid job doing it which I love and gave up my soul destroying 9-5. Community music, helping kids make and play music essentially.

I do some IT help for another charity at the mo.

Scouts, assistant scout leader, I got asked and figured if I wouldn’t do it why should anybody else. My kids are too young but are working their way through Beavers and Cubs so will be in the group soon.

Special skills? nope but I am generally practical and like outdoor stuff so happy to pass on what I can. I did take them for their cycling badge, its scary how many cannot ride a bike aged 10-14ish, 5 miles and only one broken bone 😕

I’m not sure I enjoy it all the time, often it frustrates me but occasionally I think I have managed to pass something on.

If nothing else it does give my mates something to tease me about 🙂

1 night a week, two weekends a year and assorted other bits

Mrs B helps out at a lunch club a couple of hours once a week for older, but able people who can get to the venue.

She also see’s a total of 3 people who are living with dementia at their home. One weekly and two less often. This is through Age Concern. She has enjoyed this and does gets far more from it then she ever thought she would. (One guy, who died recently, was a code breaker at GCHQ during WW2). Just because they are old does not make them interesting.

I was made redundant a month ago and once I sort myself out I will probably volunteer for something also.

1. Institute of Advanced Motorists – Local group Vice-Chairman and volunteer instructor – on average about 2 hours every other Sat morning and one or two evenings a month. Not strictly all volunteering as you have to be a member but I also get paid for certain training I provide.

Why? Doing my bit to help improve driving standards and make the roads safer.

2. School Governor. Also got more involved with school build. About a morning a month.

3. Run the local Residents Association (I’ve been ‘Acting Chairman’ for the last 5 years). Organise Community Events (we’ve an Owl Prowl next Tues!) put out the occasional newsletter and organise infrequent meetings. Maximum 7 days over the year.

4. Help marshall and provide ‘First Aid’ cover at bike events.

5. Help run a monthly community ‘Litter Pick’ group

6. Do the occasional ‘Community Speed Watch’ with the local police / councillors.

7. Dabble in politics – member of the local executive.

8. The Mummers (secret sect – you’ll have to look it up 😉

And each Weds Night I usually lead a local group of lay-abouts on a bike ride 😀

Allied to those, not so much ‘volunteering’ but I try to get to support other groups like our local Cyclists Campaign Group, the Local History Society, Gardening Club etc etc. Often just by turning up and taking part in the debate or helping make the tea etc. 😆

Have done lots similar over the years:
– Trustee for an Environmental Charity (which set up the first ‘Farmers Market’).
– Helped teach young offenders to read and write.
– Ran a ‘Bike Maintenance and Riding Skills’ course at the local yoof club.

Why? Something different from work, helps widen your interests. Using skills I’ve gained at work to help outside and to an extent vice versa. Most of all because it’s good to give as well as take and it’s important to me to be part of the local community.

Yes, like work there’s the occasional numpty but on the whole people understand your a volunteer and there’s less of the pressure and hassle that accompany ‘real’ work.

Thanks to all those above for everything you do!

Go for it C_G and let us know how you get on.

Up until last year I was a council walk leader. Mainly leading walks every fortnight for a 4-5 mile or 2 hour stint.

I saw an ad. in the local paper and after an interview, I was handed over the responsibility of leading as many as 35 people around our local countryside.

Its one of the best things I ever did. There are so many lonely people out there in this world, and our walks were a way of getting them out of their homes and out into some fresh air.

So many regulars came that they began to hold gatherings and social events for themselves.

Poor health made me give it up last year, but I shall be back.

The feeling of putting something back into our community is a strong one. I urge everyone to go and find something that suits them and have a go.

Good luck c-g.