Volunteering, giving something back, big society… what do you do?

Watched this and thought…

I really need to start giving something back to society, stop living so much in my own self obsessed world… so I started a thread about me :).

What volunteering stuff do people do? I used to teach kayaking years ago as a volunteer but do nothing now… please inspire me, or advise on how I can get back into some form of voluntary work.

Ta.

Get a life?

Or try 3 kids and working full-time – that fills my life

Thanks for your input b r. 🙄

Let’s hope your kids don’t ever want to go to Scouts or Guides etc.

Pay taxes? 😉

marshal for us this Sunday

http://www.brownbacksracing.co.uk

Used to volunteer for Riding for Disabled Association helping looking after the horses but gave that up when I moved to Portsmouth.
I’m just waiting for a CRB check to come through and then I hopefully start training to join Hants Search and Rescue. (Thanks to a post on here)

http://www.do-it.org.uk/

Now that volunteering has become a government policy, I feel even less desire to do it than normal 🙂

I really need to start giving something back to society, stop living so much in my own self obsessed world… so I started a thread about me :).

Are you doing it to make yourself feel better or because it’s the ‘right’ thing to do?

I run a bicycle project for the local council. We teach ‘wayward’ kids bike mechanics by repairing salvaged bikes, and they get to keep them at the end. Also I run ‘Bike MoT’ days where we set up in a housing estate and check/fix bikes for free.
I really enjoy it.

Mrs PP runs the local Contact the Elderley group who take lonely pensionners to tea parties once a month, usually at someone’s house. She’s been doing it for 11 years or so.

Yossarian – It’s the right thing to do… but has the added benefit of making me feel good aswell… the two are intrinsically linked.

Poddy provides a great example of this. Cheers.

I’ve been thinking about this too, I rattle a tin for the Britsh Legion each November but thats about it. Was thinking maybe help out with teaching adult literacy, something like that….needs a proper commitment though but that would be rewarding I think.

I’ve just spent 18 months living in Ethiopia helping to install a network at the Hawassa teacher training college with the VSO.

I reckon that’s me done on giving something back to society…

😆

One day… So far it’s limited to just giving money to other people who volunteer.

Are you doing it to make yourself feel better or because it’s the ‘right’ thing to do?

Are you on the moral high ground asking that question and do something yourself?

Are you doing it to make yourself feel better or because it’s the ‘right’ thing to do?

They are the same thing if you get it right. Gratitude is its own currency, earn as much as you want.

Are you doing it to make yourself feel better or because it’s the ‘right’ thing to do?

What a bloody dozy thing to say! And, either way, why does it matter anyway?

I have such little free time with working away that at the moment I do very little.

My feelings are similar to IanMunro – government cutting funding and expecting everyone to pick up the slack by doing it for free. Makes me less inclined and I feel bad about that.

Would be nice to see a list of all the stuff senior ministers do for the big society – I reckon I have as much free time as they do.

Gratitude is its own currency, earn as much as you want.

Thank you 🙂

One day… So far it’s limited to just giving money to other people who volunteer.

But you see, that’s just as important! 🙂
Our project couldn’t survive without council backing, and when I realised that I didn’t have the tools to fix stuff on older more basic bikes (Peg spanners, headset spanners etc) and I asked where I could get some for cheap on here, a very kind STWer sent me exactly the tools I needed for free. I was amazed TBH, and extremely grateful. But you can’t exist without people like that 🙂

Most sports clubs in the UK only survive through people giving up their time to run them. I help out at two (Rugby Coach for U19’s and Cricket Manager for an U17 team). We have never had government funding so this is nothing new. As a country, volunteering is nothing new – from sports clubs, church groups through to charities – most run on free time donated by individuals.

For me its limited to funding good causes rather than time, my company sponsor a number of local initiatives and I have my own favourite charities I support too.

I would like to have more time to be able to spend actually doing things too but my life doesn’t allow this right now.

I live rather loosely by the do at least one thing a week (probably should be a day) that helps someone else philosphy.

I do but ,like many, I am much less inclined to do it now it has been politicised by Dave.

i work as a secondary school teacher and the missus is a childrens nurse, not being funny but how much do you want giving to society?

Sorry, I should’ve left the Big Society out of it… but it’s topical.
It’s been on my mind for a while, since I stopped studying whilst working.

Thanks for the link Derp.

Jeepers! Calm down, probably should have qualified my comment. Why does it matter? One is about offsetting your guilt (like corporations planting a tree for every tonne of co2 they produce) and the other is about a lifestyle choice. Yes the two can go hand in hand but often they don’t. Its important to be honest about why you do stuff. The end result might be the same but there’s an element of personal development isn’t there? Sometimes giving money is every bit as important, kind if depends on the needs of the project.

At the moment I do **** all for anyone other than myself, my wife and my kids. In the past I’ve worked as a volunteer in a homeless charity, cleared ponds, river banks and beaches for a nature conservancy group and done a fair bit of marshalling at local events etc. At the moment whatever limited free time I have is mine. I’ve earned it by getting up at 5 every day and working a 12 hour day and studying for an MA at the same time. I have no guilt. No doubt when things have calmed down a bit in my life and both my lads are at primary school I’ll get involved there.

Edit: I work in further education, and yes it was a deliberate choice to work in a sector that benefits society.

nickhart… you’ve both chosen careers where I personally think that you’re already ‘volunteering’ in a way. I can’t say the same for myself. I don’t feel guilty for my choices… just that I think I could make a valuable contribution to something…

Some miserable gits on this thread. 🙄

I do but ,like many, I am much less inclined to do it now it has been politicised by Dave.

So you won’t help someone out by volunteering becasue you disagree with a politician? OK. Right….

That’s such a blinkered point of view. Why do people let politics define what they do? Why does it matter?

I don’t really take much notice or interest in politcs, I just get on with my life.

I am much less inclined to do it now it has been politicised by Dave.

Got to be one of the stupidist things I’ve ever read on here.

Why do people let politics define what they do? Why does it matter?

Issues with authority isn’t it?

Its important to be honest about why you do stuff

I do it becasue I enjoy it. Honestly, pure and simple. I can make some kid happy by doing something I enjoy.

I’m not ‘offsetting any guilt’ and it’s not a ‘lifestyle choice’. That just sounds ridiculous to me to be honest.

LHS, agreed. Well put.

I’ve been thinking about this on and off since the start of the year. I looked into http://www2.btcv.org.uk/ but haven’t done anything about it yet 😐

Pick something you are passionate about, have an interest in or feel makes a difference and look into it.

Hope the link works as I’m on my phone and can’t check it properly.

Seems like both you and I need to challenge ourselves with altruistic endeavours rather than getting well buff and fit and stuff.

I see peoples points regarding the political side of things. Voluntary work shouldn’t be a substitute for state intervention but it does have the potential to make a better world for us all.

Marshalling/organising/helping out at cycle events. I don’t do it cos I feel I have to, I do it cos I want to and I enjoy it.

Oh and helping out at the Bradford round of the National CX Series gets me guaranteed entry into the Three Peaks CX race as well so I’ll admit to selfish reasons on that one!

We have work experiance school kids at our company. They come for 3 days a week for 8 months as an alternative to full time school, a place they mostly don’t do well at for various reasons. It’s been a really postive experiance for all not just the younguns. They get in the way a bit when you are trying to do your normal job but it is in work time so no complaints. I’m sure there are other things that could be done related to work situations.
In our area there always more school kids who would benefit from a work placement than there are places for them to go.

Wow thanks Tory fan boys ….Perhaps with your deep suited empathy and reading of human nature you could diversify in to counselling ? You seem to have the complete skill set 🙄

I don’t really take much notice or interest in politcs, I just get on with my life

Well they say ignorance is bliss PP so you must be very happy.
Even if I choose to be ignorant of politics unfortunately government policies still affect me.

Got to be one of the stupidist things I’ve ever read on here[/Quote]
Do explain why ?
I assume you recall how succesful the big society campaign was ? Cancelled due to people attacking them for cuts etc
Whist i agree that volunteering is a good thing politicising will not/has not made more people volunteer.
If you wish to call it stupid why not explain why you think it will be succesful? Even dave seesm to have given up but I am sure between the two of you “apoliticals” you can put forward a great case against my stupidity. The success of Big Society would be a good place to start your argument.

mt do any of them get taken on by your company as a result or find employment of the back of this?
That is not a dig I do that kind of thing work wise and I am just interested in outcomes

<avoids political debate>

Yeti, I don’t know why, its the right link. BTCV are an environmental charity, and my interest partly stems from work, and partly from my beliefs.

Well they say ignorance is bliss PP so you must be very happy.
Even if I choose to be ignorant of politics unfortunately government policies still affect me.

I’m very happy and content thanks 🙂
Are you? You seem very bitter.

Their policies seem to affect you in a Tit for Tat manner: Someone does or says something you don’t like, so for no other reason than that, you are ‘much less inclined to do it now’.
Seems childish to me.

I don’t even know what “it has been politicised by Dave” refers to. I don’t care either.

Should I?

Please explain, lets see if it bothers me.