Volunteering - Does anyone here do it?

Holy thread necro :o I started reading it and saw my own reply at the beginning!

FoxEye said:
I was recently turned down for a volunteering role as I was told lone(r) volunteers are not permitted. All volunteers must be accompanied by two members of staff at all times, and groups go out in teams of 10 or so. And the staff members have to be qualified first aiders and yadda, yadda.

It was an ourdoorsy naturist role. 'Elf and safety don't permit volunteers to work alone, in case they get attacked by man-eating squirrels, or something.
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Are you honestly that surprised? No volunteer organisation in the world is going to assign someone a job to do on their own in isolation outdoors. You presumably weren't turned down because you were volunteering on your own, but I guess you said you didn't want to work alongside any other volunteers?
 
ci_newman said:
Are you honestly that surprised? No volunteer organisation in the world is going to assign someone a job to do on their own in isolation outdoors. You presumably weren't turned down because you were volunteering on your own, but I guess you said you didn't want to work alongside any other volunteers?
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So everybody has to volunteer in a pack, then? Nobody is ever allowed to work alone? Got to do everything in a human swarm?

The reason being...? Yes, I'm a bit surprised at this lack of flexibility.

Plenty of people like myself like being outside in the peace and tranquillity, and away from other people :p
 
FoxEye said:
So everybody has to volunteer in a pack, then? Nobody is ever allowed to work alone? Got to do everything in a human swarm?

The reason being...? Yes, I'm a bit surprised at this lack of flexibility.

Plenty of people like myself like being outside in the peace and tranquillity, and away from other people :p
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Short answer, no.

With todays blame culture, volunteer organisations have to protect themselves from future lawsuits.
 
FoxEye said:
So everybody has to volunteer in a pack, then? Nobody is ever allowed to work alone? Got to do everything in a human swarm?

The reason being...? Yes, I'm a bit surprised at this lack of flexibility.

Plenty of people like myself like being outside in the peace and tranquillity, and away from other people :p
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Unfortunately if something were to happen to you whilst volunteering for an organisation, they would be be considered partially responsible if they hadn't done proper risk assessment and put measures in place to minimise those risks.

Nothing stopping you "volunteering" on your own if you want to go litter picking or whatever.
 
I volunteer litter picking - both solo and in groups.

If councils stop charging for bulky waste, disposing of certain things at tips. Plus if retailers of sofas, beds and white goods take away the old stuff for free, most of the fly tipping would be gone.

Wish the govt ban the sale of the massive nitrous oxide canisters https://www.bishopsstortfordindepen...ompts-call-for-stortford-mp-to-tighte-9274449 to the general public - need a license for catering, dentistry and (think) veterinary trades to buy.

We often see dozens of these when we litter pick. They retail at £25-32 each! Where do the young people get the money from?

Seen drivers doing hippy crack (inhaling the NO via balloons) whilst driving. Hold the canister between their knees. They drive side to side. A couple of months ago, was driving behind a car and driver threw one of these out of the window! Fortunately, there was no one to the side of me. If hit under my car, goodness knows what damage the canister would have caused. Seen many of these on the roadside.

Im a member of the South Leicestershire Litter Wombles and collected 130k bags in 3.5 years plus the same amount in weight in larger items.

I found 20m of cable wrapped around about three trees.

Then in a gap between a jitty and some wasteland, 5 old uPVC windows.

We can’t do any litter picking without picking up McDonald’s packaging and Chav (Red) Bull.
 
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Yeah, loads, always done it as an adult.
STEM Ambassador
Local committees, Mentor and Examiner for Institution of Civil Engineers
At least my company allows me to do some of this on work hours
Adhoc helping local food pantry
Went from 5 to 4 day work week to volunteer om crohn's research - this led me to an amazing paid-for conference to Copenhagen in March. Recently joined Crohns and Colitis UK as Research Champion. I find this role very rewarding.
 
cheesefest said:
I volunteer litter picking - both solo and in groups.

If councils stop charging for bulky waste, disposing of certain things at tips. Plus if retailers of sofas, beds and white goods take away the old stuff for free, most of the fly tipping would be gone.

Wish the govt ban the sale of the massive nitrous oxide canisters https://www.bishopsstortfordindepen...ompts-call-for-stortford-mp-to-tighte-9274449 to the general public - need a license for catering, dentistry and (think) veterinary trades to buy.

We often see dozens of these when we litter pick. They retail at £25-32 each! Where do the young people get the money from?

Seen drivers doing hippy crack (inhaling the NO via balloons) whilst driving. Hold the canister between their knees. They drive side to side. A couple of months ago, was driving behind a car and driver threw one of these out of the window! Fortunately, there was no one to the side of me. If hit under my car, goodness knows what damage the canister would have caused. Seen many of these on the roadside.

Im a member of the South Leicestershire Litter Wombles and collected 130k bags in 3.5 years plus the same amount in weight in larger items.

I found 20m of cable wrapped around about three trees.

Then in a gap between a jitty and some wasteland, 5 old uPVC windows.

We can’t do any litter picking without picking up McDonald’s packaging and Chav (Red) Bull.
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Wow you're hilarious lol.
 
I'm am an Under 11's boys football coach. Had this group of kids since they were 6. There were about 20 boys when it started and when we started playing competitively at U7's, the original 2 coaches took the best 10 and left 10 boys (including my son) with no team or coach, so I kind of took it on with zero experience. 4 years later we have a team that some of theirs have since joined as we play the right way with a good team ethos, full of encouragement and we beat them the last time we played then in a friendly. Takes a lot of my time and no more late Friday nights for me as I have to be there for them on Saturday morning, but very very rewarding seeing them grow and develop. We win a lot as well now but always in the right way. :)
 
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cheesefest said:
I want to live in a place free of litter.

A house around the corner from me has finally got rid of the fridge in their driveway after 4 years.
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Your stories are ridiculous. Tales of people driving and doing nitrous and throwing canisters out the window.

I drive 20000 miles a year through all types of areas and never seen many of these roadside £30 canisters.

You're a really sad individual if you care what someone has on their drive. Someone who lives around the corner aswell. Not even in your line of sight!.

You're a Walter Mitty character.
 
Hedge said:
Your stories are ridiculous. Tales of people driving and doing nitrous and throwing canisters out the window.

I drive 20000 miles a year through all types of areas and never seen many of these roadside £30 canisters.

You're a really sad individual if you care what someone has on their drive. Someone who lives around the corner aswell. Not even in your line of sight!.

You're a Walter Mitty character.
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Check our Facebook Group - South Leicestershire Litter Wombles. I visited Houses of Parliament in Dec. We were disappointed that the government dropped the discussion of NO.


Obviously we aren’t allowed to clean up motorways. I’ve not seen any NO canisters on motorways yet.

NO canisters are found in lay-bys, parks, in housing estates, disused units in industrial parks. Until a couple of years ago, the users used the small canisters (size of a thumb) that are used in soda siphons at home. Now they are the size of small fire extinguishers.

Im very offended that you accuse me of being a sad individual. Im not. I have my mental health and physical health issues.

I take pride of my area. We get thanked, strangers come up to us with drinks, food to say thank you.
 
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cheesefest said:
Check our Facebook Group - South Leicestershire Litter Wombles. I visited Houses of Parliament in Dec. We were disappointed that the government dropped the discussion of NO.


Obviously we aren’t allowed to clean up motorways. I’ve not seen any NO canisters on motorways yet.

NO canisters are found in lay-bys, parks, in housing estates, disused units in industrial parks. Until a couple of years ago, the users used the small canisters (size of a thumb) that are used in soda siphons at home. Now they are the size of small fire extinguishers.

Im very offended that you accuse me of being a sad individual. Im not. I have my mental health and physical health issues.

I take pride of my area. We get thanked, strangers come up to us with drinks, food to say thank you.
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No doubt a dedicated litter picking group comes across all kind of things but your stories are nothing but moaning about everything.

I don't like litter and I also like to live in a nice area but I also feel I have no business in what people choose to keep on their property. The fact you complained someone around the corner had a fridge outside for years tells me you must have a very simple life.

Next time you see a neighbouring house with items on the drive you don't approve of, have the courage to knock on their door and ask if they need the assistance of their resident neighbourhood womble. Maybe they also have "mental health and physical health issues" like yourself.

You see, that's what's laughable. You say you have your own personal issues yet you have nothing but disdain for people who don't meet your standard. Funny really, have you considered these people who don't work, live in "council" houses, or maybe take nitrous oxide might actually have issues of their own?

I look forward to your future posts about how a colleagues husband is a police officer, fireman, doctor, shopkeeper, builder, engineer, postman or politician.
 
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