Ooops - Volunteered, but……..

I always said , I would volunteer after I retired , which tbh I had done for 4/5 years as well as working between 2013 -2016 .First I applied to Age Concern as a “ Befriender” which was a telephone related role .giving an hour a week to do as it says on the tin. There were a lot of rules & regulations to follow as well as a DBA check & references .Well that was a waste of time as the whole process took so long between each & every part .And they took 2 years in total to finally get back to me !
I then looked at CAB as I really wanted to get to meet new people & use my skills as this was a phone based role it was well suited .However once again , it took a while telephone interviews & online . Finally, accepted only to find out it was a WFH role with the expectation of working an 8 hour shift !!!!
So , I’m going back to the role that I originally volunteered at &before taking a managerial role within the same sector . I won’t start until July as we are away for the whole of June .

Kateykrunch

Aww thanks any way. Just been and gone and done it (messaged to say I cant do it and not what Im looking for) I dont half get myself in some predicaments lol.

Sorry, I missed your update. Glad you've done that. Good luck with finding something else - there's plenty of volunteering roles out there.

I would be honest, email her (easier to do that than telephone) and say you hadn't realised that this would be part of your role, explaining that you don't have the means to do so. I'd also say that you thought it best to inform her as soon as possible, so that she has time to ask someone else who is better placed. Then I'd add a bit about what kind of role you would like to take on.

To add to what others have said above, I took several attempts before I found a volunteering role which suited me. I'm now a happy Befriender with Alzheimers Society and also help children with their reading at a local school.

Well done ! You have done the correct thing. I have done years of voluntary work , it is essential you do something you want to do and feel confident doing. I am sure it was difficult to message the person concerned but voluntary work should not cause you stress! Keep going you will find the right role for you. Next time remember to be very clear about what you want to do. Good luck!

Aww thanks any way. Just been and gone and done it (messaged to say I cant do it and not what Im looking for) I dont half get myself in some predicaments lol.

Sorry Kateykrunch, I see you’ve already decided. 👍

This isn’t what you wanted to gain by volunteering. I agree with the majority here and suggest you tell the organiser that you’re very happy to give a few hours, but would prefer to offer other skills, which you’re comfortable with. It is good to volunteer, but sometimes you can be taken advantage of.

I've volunteered to get out and meet people and feel.useful as I'm sure alot of us have on here . Not to be stuck on a computer . Download a standard one from google and change to a role that involved more interaction .

Thankyou, I will let her know that I am unable to help with this task.

I volunteered locally and was told that I could do admin. I wanted to spend time interacting etc. I politely declined.

I agree with others be honest and say it wasn’t what you expected or could manage Don’t plod on with something you’re not really interested in or up to ….volunteering should be fun and interesting

Just be honest and say taking this on was a mistake as you were really looking for something that would require interacting with people, and you don't have the necessary computer access of information to complete the task.

The sooner you tell her, the sooner you'll stop worrying about it

If you google 'Producing a fundraising pack' loads of charities offer packs on how to do it. Dorothy's for example..

Oh no! To be fair it took me a few goes to find the right role.

I'd just be honest and say that it wasn't what you had in mind and you would find it very stressful.