Mottistone Gardeners sacked without warning !

You are right M0nica but this had to be a generic letter as it was written to a group.

NotSpaghetti

Did anyone else read this?

From the NT July 14th:
Problems included:
*Delays in completing mandatory training related to health and safety and garden procedures.
*Instances of behaviour, language or attitude that do not reflect the respectful and inclusive culture we strive for.
*Hesitancy to raise concerns or engage constructively with team members, including new staff, volunteers and managers

It sounds to me that they had become a bit of a clique - not wanting to work with new volunteers and not doing H&S training etc.
The whole thing happened after their individual working reviews.
You do have to do these as volunteer managers.
I think there is more to it than meets the eye, personally. They aren't going to turn them away for no reason.

Anyone can make vague generic remarks like tbis. To have any validity they should be describing specific incidents that are more than just a 'one off', but continuous mis bahaviour despite warning. No names need be given.

It seems to me that if people feel 'hesitancy' raisig concerns with management then that is amanagement failing. Its probably significant that management is so bad they cannot see that.

No, but feedback at reviews is "usual" I would say.

Management of volunteers is decidedly varied I'm sure.
Management of paid staff is too... in my experience.

NotSpaghetti

I assume they each had feedback at the reviews and were afterwards grouping together to complain.

It's difficult to manage volunteers well - they are generally expected to adhere to the philosophy and ethics, rules etc of the company/charity but if they are long-term volunteers they don't tend to like change - in my experience.

I'm not sure one can assume that re feedback individually at reviews. Management of volunteers is decidedly varied!

First rule of organisations like this must, absolutely must,be to look after and respect your volunteers. Every dissatisfied volunteer will on average tell at least 10 others why they have been badly treated. Big mistake on the part of the NT.

I should say - I am a volunteer at the National Trust and everything Ali61 says I recognise and agree with. I’m also a member of the National Trust and will give that up when it finishes next year.

There are increasing issues as to how volunteers are treated at the National Trust. Remember, these people work unpaid, week in week out, and very often have more professional experience than those in the National Trust.
Being asked to complete various ‘training’ documents in your own time, many of which don’t even apply to you at all, is ridiculous. All they have to do is do a days training and get it out of the way, and trim the training to fit the post the volunteer is doing. Too often the National Trust tries to fit one cap on all heads!
There is a dearth of real management ability in the National Trust at every level and few have worked anywhere except the National Trust - their idea of normality is therefore very shrunken and narrow.
The National Trust put out surveys to volunteers to complete - but the questions are so skewed and don’t really give the scope to elicit the problems volunteers face. In other words - skewed to get the answers they want.
Getting rid of volunteers without explanation is incredibly disrespectful and at odds to what the National Trust claim their values are. Unbelievable - or increasingly, maybe not.

Yes Peasblossom.

IMO it is a disgrace, as mentioned above, that J K Rowling is being vilified. She stands up for Women’s Rights and keeping children safe.

No but you can be told you are no longer required

Can you actually be “sacked” if you’re a volunteer?

NanKate I don't blame him, it's utter nonsense.

We are seeing the NT being more “corporate” especially the big venues. Woke is everything and if you don’t like it tough, thankfully there are plenty of independant places to visit as an alternative.

I think its dreadful ... people giving their time and effort and they were not appreciated ... I wont visit any NT houses anymore ...

I am a NT volunteer and I'm not surprised at what has happened at Mottisfont. Unfortunately the Trust seems to have changed immensely in recent years - very woke and trying to force volunteers to think in a certain way, speak in a certain way and inflicting ridiculous EDI workshops on us which are hugely expensive and exactly the same training as the staff are subjected to. I find these days we are treated the same as the staff - everything comes from HR and there's very little understanding of how to treat and maintain the volunteers. I have decided to stay at my property until the end of the season but may then move on. I feel really sad for the gardeners at Mottisfont, but as another poster said, it's the National Trusts loss 😕

Sorry, wrong thread!!🤣

I know you’re not supposed to - but has anyone tried washing one of the coated Cath Kidston handbags? 🤔

I assume they each had feedback at the reviews and were afterwards grouping together to complain.

It's difficult to manage volunteers well - they are generally expected to adhere to the philosophy and ethics, rules etc of the company/charity but if they are long-term volunteers they don't tend to like change - in my experience.

butterandjam

After 10+ years of volunteer gardening for NT (Scotland) I withdrew my services (as did many longterm vol colleagues) . because behaviours and attitudes of NTS head office /management towards volunteers had reached an all time low.

Yes that does not surprise me having read about this management debacle.

NotSpaghetti

Did anyone else read this?

From the NT July 14th:
Problems included:
*Delays in completing mandatory training related to health and safety and garden procedures.
*Instances of behaviour, language or attitude that do not reflect the respectful and inclusive culture we strive for.
*Hesitancy to raise concerns or engage constructively with team members, including new staff, volunteers and managers

It sounds to me that they had become a bit of a clique - not wanting to work with new volunteers and not doing H&S training etc.
The whole thing happened after their individual working reviews.
You do have to do these as volunteer managers.
I think there is more to it than meets the eye, personally. They aren't going to turn them away for no reason.

Yes I read that. Yhe point is the gardener volunteers are saying that they have asked for clarification and been given bo information. That is poor management of the problem.

I am not saying the gardeners are all in the right - like you I suspect their is more to this than meets the eye. Also I think the new interim manager and NT management have dealt with it badly this creating the situation they are now in in the National Press!

theworriedwell

Hopefully if they take on paid employees they will do their jobs properly, the ones I encountered certainly didn't.

As these volunteers have been praised and even received awards I believe for the standards of garden maintenance it appears that they did do the volunteering job properly.

To be fair, I recently visited five NT properties in Kent and found all the volunteers well-informed and helpful, with no hint of wokery or other trends of which the NT is currently accused.

After 10+ years of volunteer gardening for NT (Scotland) I withdrew my services (as did many longterm vol colleagues) . because behaviours and attitudes of NTS head office /management towards volunteers had reached an all time low.

Did anyone else read this?

From the NT July 14th:
Problems included:
*Delays in completing mandatory training related to health and safety and garden procedures.
*Instances of behaviour, language or attitude that do not reflect the respectful and inclusive culture we strive for.
*Hesitancy to raise concerns or engage constructively with team members, including new staff, volunteers and managers

It sounds to me that they had become a bit of a clique - not wanting to work with new volunteers and not doing H&S training etc.
The whole thing happened after their individual working reviews.
You do have to do these as volunteer managers.
I think there is more to it than meets the eye, personally. They aren't going to turn them away for no reason.

Hopefully if they take on paid employees they will do their jobs properly, the ones I encountered certainly didn't.

theworriedwell

I vowed never to go to a NT property again after we were treated.very badly by a volunteer, probably racist as DH isn't white and the couples getting better treatment were all white. Good for the NT if they are going for a more professional standard

I'm not sure treating people that way is a "more professional standard"! It is wrong that you were treated badly. I think these long serving volunteers have also been treated badly if given no explanation etc. The changes may well be needed and valid. The management of those changes appears to have been useless!