Do you volunteer? If not, why not?

When I first stopped work I contacted a local primary school to see if they wanted volunteers to hear the children read, when they realised I am a former maths teacher they asked me to support year 6 pupils in maths lessons. I did this for a year
but the commitment of 2 hours a day on 2 separate days was too restrictive, but I enjoyed it.
I have never seen myself as a charity shop person, think I would be bored, but I do love to browse in them.
I have looked at Citizens Advice but they want a big commitment in terms of hours.
I currently volunteer with an amazing charity called Action Tutoring - they provide 1 to 1 or 1 to 2 tuition for disadvantaged children in English & Maths. They work in primary and secondary, preparing children for SATs or GCSEs. It is one hour a week, I’ve been doing it for 3 years now and love it. You do not have to be a former teacher to volunteer with them. I have worked with some fantastic young people and they really benefit from the small group input.

Commitments with GC and enjoying spending a lot of time with OH for the first time in our marriage rule it out for now. As circumstances change over the coming years it could be a possibility.

Ive volunteered over the years. Helped out at a hospice shop but got pressurised into more hours and various other jobs, I left. Put my name forward at the local CVS but they wanted me to do telephone and admin work but after years working in an office that wasnt for me. I asked at the local library about reading to children or helping out those who were unsure how to use a computer. One lady was keen for me to help but her boss vetoed it. I've not volunteered for anything since.

Interesting reply kissngatem, it's not always easy to volunteer! Friends of mine thought that I would volunteer at an animal rescue centre, I would love to, but you have to fill in application forms - so much hassle.

When our children were small, I helped by listening to children read, or when they had cookery. (Oh, the grey pastry!)
At the same school, there were mums who helped after swimming lessons, when little ones had problems getting dry and dressed.
Wouldn't be allowed now.

Since retiring, I have helped in a charity shop, love it, and never get bored.

Thanks, kittylester, for starting this thread from my comments on another one.

Well, there's certainly lots of interesting comments coming out as to why people either do or don't volunteer.

Many thanks for the input GN.

Bit preemptive

I volunteered in a local primary school listening to children read and as an extra pair of hands for a few years. It was also where I did p/t paid work.
I loved working with the children. Sadly the school was made an academy and the whole dynamic changed. Several staff left including the ones I had worked with. Nobody wanted my help anymore.

I used to volunteer, but to be honest another volunteer started and I just couldn't get on with the person. For various reasons just did not hit it off. Something occured where I ended up complaining about this person to the manager who promptly took their side and I was made to feel it was me and my attitude that was to blame. Given the amount of work I had done within this organisation and the fact I was one of the most reliable, I felt pretty hurt and unappreciated.So I left as it wasn't going to be solved. The interesting thing is they are still there but absolutely no one else is from my time there and the place has constant advertisements for volunteers. I wonder why...... On another note I have different commitments now so couldn't do the job. However, my experience has made me think twice about giving up MY time to organisations that have no appreciation for effort put in or what you contribute. My face didn't fit. At least now I can do what I like.

I used to be a volunteer and stopped when I got a job in the organisation.

It was pretty full - on and although the training was good, there was, and is, a high turnover of volunteers. I'm my experience, you have to have a pretty thick skin.

Some of the volunteers were belittled and undermined by one member of staff I'm particular (including myself) which is pretty galling when you're working for nothing.

I've got mixed feelings about volunteering as a concept - on the whole I'd much rather see all staff being rewarded financially for their time. Different for interns and the like, maybe.

in.

I had a volunteering role which I really loved for about 11 years, Fiancha, but a new young manager came along and decided that some of us were 'too middle class' and made life so uncomfortable for us that most of us left.

After that I did stuff in the village including being part of the team that took over the village library from the local council. We had a chair who must have been an insomniac because I would find 6 emails had arrived overnight and i felt it was taking over my life.

At around that time, a friend of dh was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia. His wife was struggling so i started investigating the help available. In my search i discovered that the Alzheimer's Society are desperate for volunteers.

I volunteered and can honestly say that i have never come across a nicer group of people. My manager is lovely, the support staff are fabulous and the other volunteers are so friendly and kind.

So, i do as much as i can to help when and where needed. I do one regular session a week and then help out at events if i can.

I really think the people are so important whether it is paid work or volunteering work.

I wouldn't want to be paid. I like the freedom to say that I cant come on a particular day if I want to do something else but, because I feel valued, I rarely do.

I never volunteered when I was younger, I was too busy, possibly selfish too. Now I work 2 long days a week, but sadly have no parents or grandchildren, so I like to do things outside the home.

I'm in a very easy going amateur ukulele group, we practice every week. We do free playouts for charity events like Children in Need, older peoples Christmas lunch etc. It's only occasional and great fun, and they appreciate it.

I also foster cats in a garden run, which is a commitment. We don't go on holidays much, but the foster cats would be moved elsewhere if we did need to go away. I also do some publicity for the charity online, and run a stall at various summer shows. That can be hard work over a long day. We need more slightly younger volunteers, but it's hard to find them.

This year I'm helping our small village organise VE day celebrations, street party etc.

There's a lady in our elders group who often talks, with a bit of a smirk on her face, about her volunteer work and how much she does in the community.

Volunteers are vital to keep many hard-pressed charities going but clearly some people volunteer to feel virtuous, so they can tell people how good they are.

Conversely, there is no shame in being unable or even unwilling to volunteer.

Yes I agree BradfordLass, it is up to the individual. Some people are very happy just living their life and some have poor health so can't do much. Doesn't make them a worse person at all.

I think although volunteering is for a good cause, you have to be getting something out of it for yourself too. The stories above illustrate that.

Not quite sure what you're getting at grannylyn65

Volunteered for a number of years and my experiences were mixed, some good some not so good. Feeling valued and enjoying what you do is important. Charities need to value their volunteers and see them as an asset unfortunately this is not always the case. It has to be a two way process in that you give to them but need to get something out of it otherwise you start to feel used. Sometime I felt that I was being treated as a paid employee and expected to do whatever was asked of me. I was constantly being called at home and asked to come in at short notice, very rarely thanked for my contribution and told I did not have any choice. Yes I had a choice and that was to stand down from volunteering after many years and to look at other ways to find fulfillment in my life.

I always thought i would do volunteer work once I retired, but so far I haven't. The reason being there are so many people on JSA looking for work i believe they should be made to do at least one day a week in the volunteer sector. For those who have been out of work for a long time it would help them have a purpose to their life, and hopefully give them the chance to learn a skill of some kind to assist with getting a permanent job.

Travels we had people at my old voluntary workplace who did come and help. They were on jobseekers and one worker did go on to find paid employment as a manager in another organisation. So there are success stories with volunteering. Kittylester, I am glad you found your niche. It has been interesting reading this thread. It seems to me that some organisations need to appreciate their volunteers more. I do often think volunteers are taken for granted and treated the same as paid staff which should not be the case. In my own experience, yes, it has put me off volunteering. Perhaps not forever, but certainly for the present. As it is I have other commitments now.

It is sometimes not as easy as one might anticipate. Very often [perhaps rightly so] even voluntary organisations are not willing to "employ" folks who do not have traceable references. This has happened to us where we tried to volunteer for different charities, only to be told if we did not have the above, they were not willing to take the risk! Have now applied for a DBS certificate in the hope that volunteering as a class room assistant teaching literacy will be accepted. That's the trouble with having lived all over the world!!

I volunteer for the wildlife trust. It is very enjoyable. I volunteer for outdoor tasks which have improved my understanding of environmental conservation. The tasks also improve my fitness and provide opportunities to enjoy nature. It is a pleasant experience working with other volunteers and the Trust staff.

I was a very involved school governor for 22 years and consider that counted as volunteering. Now I am a carer for my ailing husband and my very elderly mother. I also help out with the GC. When I suggested volunteering for a local homeless charity I was , metaphorically, pinned to the ground my daughter and a friend who was visiting at the time. To be honest, I could do with someone volunteering to help me.

I have volunteered in different ways all my adult life, when I was working it would be on top of the workday twice a week Since retiring my volunteering commitment have almost come up to full time, I work in a charity shop three days a week and a library one afternoon, I do community gardening in a local small park, I litter pick and beach clean when needed
I m not bragging I don’t want it to sound like I m a goody goody it gives me so much more than I give it It gets me out of the house and out of my own company I meet people I have a laugh, a moan, a grumble , it keeps me involved
It saves my sanity it helps me more than I help it

Until recently, I've always been far too busy working, studying and bringing up a large family. I like the idea of volunteering, but fear the commitment and routine. Making arrangements, changing and cancelling drive me dotty. If I could just 'drop in and help out' that would suit me.