What planet are Age UK on....

Your experience with AgeUK chimes with mine, Anya. When we were clearing my MIL's house, we filled 4 or 5 bags with good quality donations for the first charity that posted a bag through the door - AgeUK. They weren't collected, so I rang the number on the bag several times. When someone eventually picked up, I was advised to ring the local shop, so I did. I was asked to ring two days later and speak to the manager, which I did. I was then promised that they would be out the next day to collect. When they didn't come I rang again and was promised they would be collected the following day. They weren't, and this time they got wet while we were out at work. I dried everything off and donated them elsewhere.

I did get a reply to my complaint about using an out-of- date seasonal automated response.....another automated response but not a seasonal one ? Path-et-ic

From what I'm reading on this thread this is a charity that is inefficiently run, with poor communication, and lacking in good strategic leadership.

All these potential volunteers disregarded at best, alientated at worst.

AgeUK needs to get its act together starting at the top.

I closed down my monthly direct debit to them and redirected it to another charity.

Anya !!
I tried to volunteer for Age uk . I went into the shop to talk to someone but just got handed a leaflet about volunteering and a long form to fill in . Did you know you also have to have a Police check before they will take you ? I went round the corner to a local animal charity who were delighted and asked me to come in the next day to do a shift to see how I liked it . I am still there and yes I love it . I would suggest you try somewhere else x

Anya
Have you tried your local community voluntary service? They have a vast amount of opportunities country wide. (smile)

Thank you greenfinch that was a nice thing to say

OK.

Age UK have totally blanked my email. So another one sent to their Managing Director (they don't have a CEO)

And then I'll be stopping my DD.

Yes but I admire you.

Perhaps your right Nonnie

I'm a terrible stickler for time keeping, efficiency, and so on. It was a standing joke at the LA that my team would have something sorted before you asked for it!

I love lists, spreadsheets, flow charts, mind maps and all those little tick boxes. Even now when I'm retired I write myself a memo every morning of 3 things I have to do, three I should do and three I might get round to doing if I can.

Sad ain't I?

Anya maybe you should ask if the Head of Volunteering would like an assistant because they are clearly not on top of the job!

I frequently have to tell our doctor's receptionists that the note currently on the outer door is out of date. They don't use the patient's door and forget. We have a laugh about it and I take the note down for them. In every other respect they are very good.

I agree about local agencies TrishT but that response what a national one from their Head of Volunteers, presumably a paid position.

It's now nearly noon in a working day and no response from my email yet.

Re local agencies of charities. Where we lived before my dog was a PAT (Pets as Therapy) dog. We went to residential homes, elderly people at home, worked with children and hospices. There was a thriving and supportive network of local volunteers.

When I moved here I tried to do the same work, but the local 'coordinator' didn't know her arse from her elbow hasn't a clue about who needed a PAT dog and even when I managed to get a list from her it was so out of date many of the old folks had passed away (I gave up phoning as it was emarassing) the children were nkw grown up and grandmothers themselves (OK bit of an exaggeration) and homes and hospices had new managers who knew nothing about the PAT service.

Why do people take on voluntary roles such as 'co-ordinaters' when they couldn't find their way out of a paper bag? Why?

At the suggestion of my mother's doctor I contacted Age UK to ask about a volunteer to walk with her once a week to her local supermarket. To be told that they don't have any volunteer helpers in her area (a medium size rural town). We're on our own then!

I think they need to get their act together!

Very poor response.

Anya, I can see why you were annoyed, but I hope it doesn't put you off. I also volunteer for AgeUK, and it does great work in local communities, mainly with volunteers, and very few paid staff. Each local Age UK is an independent organisation, affiliated to the national body, but the local groups are very different in the activities they do and the way they work.

Stansgran, I have also read the stuff in the news this week about Age UK and other charities selling services to older people and making a profit. I can't condone selling anything that is a rip-off, but many of the services sold are good value. For example, car insurance for older people used to be very expensive, and the big insurance companies couldn't see beyond peoples' age as a problem, never mind the better than average safety record of older drivers. It wasn't until Age UK and similar organisations came into the market offering lower insurance premiums, that the commercial firms started to drop their prices.

Charities have to raise their funding from somewhere, and I'm glad the aggressive marketing that has been in the press for the last year or so is being clamped down on. Selling services, provided they are good value, seems to me a reasonable alternative when the profits are ploughed back into the charity's work (unlike Saga services which are wholly profit making for shareholders).

anya read the saga of the chests

You can try DTL - it's got more chance of reaching me than some of the things I've ordered online recently

I did volunteer with Age uk Information and Advice,and also Benefit Uptake,visiting homes and completing AA forms etc..Unfortunately there are very few paid members of full time staff,and the bulk of the work is left to part time volunteers,and no one to coordinate the work,some one obviously thought it was someone else's job,so no one did it....have a jar of mincemeat in the cupboard anya shall I virtually send it x

That is shockingly poor! I am looking forward to hearing what they have to say for themselves.

I don't fancy your chances there Anya. Mincemeat is "seasonal"!

There was an article in the paper about the salary of the CEOand how they have connections with energy suppliers,insurers etc which are simply not good value for money.

I'll keep you informed. Meanwhile off to buy some mincemeat

Their reply is staggering No doubt it will be blamed on a computer error .....

Let us know what you get back.

I have emailed a response simply asking 'Is this for real?' (appalling grammar possibly but short and to the point)

Charleygirl I think that you, never being contacted, is appalling too.