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

The Southern Yeti – Member

chewkw – I volunteer to stamp on you maggots.

😆 Thank you dear leader. 😆

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

Work hard in a British company that exports to continental Europe, and pay plenty of tax.

When I’m done with that, I’ll consider volunteer work.

A few years back I looked at a few different volunteering options like National Park Ranger but the Lakes & Dales are very oversubscribed. So I started helping out at a local independent animal sanctuary walking dogs for a few hours most Sunday mornings. I top this up by fundraising for them and have sponsored a dog pen for the last three years now.

PArish Councillor

Sustrans Ranger

Pick rubbish up in my street 🙁 with a free grabber from the council (I paid that. but they think it’s free}

Promoting the Local Nature Reserve

I whack rocks at Glentress. But I’m not sure it counts, I only do it because I like it…

Coach and welfare officer at our kids trampoline club. Started helping out because wife broke her ankle (she is the volunteer co-ordinator) on a temporary basis and sort of got sucked in. Sometimes I enjoy it and sometimes its a pain but you gotta support your kids. It feels like we are a cheap version of child care sometimes.

If only everyone volunteer to be less greedy the world would be a slightly better to live in.

Where’s my bank bonus as I am the CEO …. I need a pay rise … oh no … I overworked I need more pay … I am the boss so I am entitled to more pay … I am working hard so more pay … oh look they got pay rise so I need pay rise too … oh no … we need to increase the price of the goods because there is inflation … oh no … our organisational profit has dropped to £5 Billion we need to cut cost and have pay cut. Oh look he got an iPad I want one too …

The world is parasitic …

I have over the years helped build, maintain and act as service crew for mates who did a bit of car rallying. Set out courses and marshaled on many an RAC, Scottish and local rally.
I have been on various committees for car, squash, cycle clubs and the kids school board. Helped start and run a swimming club at the kids school for around 16yrs and followed that up be assisting at special needs sessions.
Currently involved with local Go-Ride club and helping LEA active schools deliver cycling skills and proficiency sessions.
Managed to pick up qualis along the way to do all of that. The only other qualis I have are my trade ones, managed to flunk all my school stuff 🙄 Gaining my swimming teachers award was possibly one of the most rewarding things I have done bar having my 2 kids 😆
Could quite easily make money by teaching swimming or getting paid by LEA, the offer is there but I have declined. They do pay for the courses tho 😆

– Trustee of local Headway group
– Committee member of UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum (UKABIF) with responsibility for developing regional groups.

………but the ‘big society’ notion is a pile of crap. We do these things because we believe in them and because they need to be done, but we need the state to provide the backdrop and the infrastructure of basic services. Without these we’re frankly pissing in the wind. Only millionaires like Dave and Georgie boy could be so blinkered as to think otherwise – but then we know their real agenda: snip snip snip at the public sector, give every chance to private business, because without private enterprise, how could they get so rich???

Volunteer crew member of the RNLI. Something i wanted to do since i left school but working away in the catering industry wouldn’t permit time wise.Now in an office where i’m allowed to drop tools (i.e. a pen!)and get to the boat for shouts. Hugely rewarding, get to meet a great group of people and use the training you get with them in day-to-day life…. especially 1st aid of late!!

does giving Blood count?

http://www.blood.co.uk/

After years of saying I would, finally got round to donating after pressure from a good mate of mine.

Simple to do really and only once every 3 months.

They are always short of donors worth giving a go.

everything counts.
southern yeti, you’re right in one respect my wife chose to be a childrens nurse. me on the other hand found myself out of work and being big and ugly i can scare kids fairly easily. but then i found i love the job dearly. i have a strict policy at work of not giving to sponsored this that and the other but then i would never ask them to sponsor me. we have a charity every year that we give to, we change it every year and if they ask for more then we don’t give to them again!
it’s all so personal, society wouldn’t work without people giving something for free but then i think if certain people do their job to the best of their ability then they contribute to society anyway.
big old can of worms really!

Suprised nobody has mentioned being a school governor. At this moment of time its a very important role in holding heads and local authorities to account as well as planning the future quality of schools. Have done it for over 15 years now. First as influence for my own children’s education, then out of professional interest and now as a way of safegaurding education in a rural area when closure is a possibility. I like the concept of putting something back but this lot are trying to get something for nothing.

At the moment its taking me 20 plus hours a week as chairman (person!!!) and that isn’t sustainable. I’m semi unemployed/retired so can give the time but how it could be done by somebody in full time work is beyond me. It’s like an unpaid job. The government (past and present) have heaped responsibilities on governors (hiring and firing heads, deciding who to make redundant when budgets and pupil numbers fall) without any recognition.

Cameron’s crew are trying to push groups to take responsibilities that are sometimes beyond them, and subject to inspections that will criticise them for not providing leadership!

That all sounds a bit grim reading it back, but I enjoy the work and do encourage sensiant beings (are there any on here!?!!) to get involved.

When I worked in Shitehall it was interesting how departments would always support anything if it was positive or successfull in a local area.

Wingnuts – do you mean sentient?

Can youngsters (31) be school governors if they’ve not got children??

RNLI sounds like an awesome thing to do… might struggle from my current location!

I was at a bit of a lul in my life, between jobs, so I thought I’d try giving back to society. I searched and searched for something suitable and eventually found an opening working on a rifenery in the middle east. Oh no, hang on a minute……..

TSY – yes and yes. There are catagories of governors. Parent, teacher, community and those appointed by the LA or sponsor. If you have particular expertise (anything the Full Governing Body sees as relevant) they can even coopt you as an asscociate member. Talk to your school or governor services at the council. Age is irrelivent. Had ex sixth formers and one bloke in his 70s. Both were good sound people.