Volunteering shouldn't be this hard, surely?

Our local school has a scheme whereby you can go and listen to readers and/or read a story to a group of children. While they do prefer a regular commitment for timetabling they are understanding that occasional absences will occur.

It was the regular commitment aspect that put me off voluntary work. If there was anything one could do on the basis of what you can when you can I'd have jumped at it.

Nannyof4mummyof2

Hi what is U3A please

University of the 3rd Age www.u3a.org.uk/

All run by volunteers.

Do you have a 'Link Scheme' in your area?

We have one in the town and several in the villages surrounding, where you can call to get a lift to a hospital/doctors appointment etc (my mum uses it to go to yoga every week). There is a co-ordinator and they have volunteers who they can call upon to do the driving.

A friend of mine also volunteers for the local foodbank - they also have a list of volunteers to call upon to deliver boxes etc to people or collect from supermarkets.

I too am bored senseless but as I am ill and disabled I'm not much use to anyone except from behind a keyboard sadly ... would love to do something but just cannot be relied upon, which would give me so much extra stress if I couldn't go .

Good luck in your endeavours!

They don’t make it easy, do they. My friend who retired early from a busy PA/Admin role applied for a voluntary NHS administrator role. They wanted a reference from a person of standing in the Community such as Solicitor or Police Officer. She knows neither, so had to withdraw her application. Stupid. No wonder they struggle to get volunteers.

If you are in the UK speak to your local council they are often crying out for volunteers

National Trust volunteers sign up for whatever shifts they fancy. Some people do the same day each week, others pick a day when they have nothing else going on and some, usually still pre-retirement, do odd days/half days as and when they can. So if you have an NT property in reach, that might work. There are various options - house, gardening, 2nd hand bookshop, etc. And you meet some smashing people, both other volunteers and paying public! www.nationaltrust.org.uk/support-us/volunteer

Hi what is U3A please

What about litter picking on beach or woods or questionnaires online or bank for a charity shop or kitchen helper at a homeless venue or join a choir or do something for yourself like a model for trainee hairdresser
Or perhaps make things for charity good luck x

Have you considered joining the U3A? We in my branch are always in need of people to join the Committee or take special jobs. If it gets much worse we are going to have to close, and we have 500 members!
You get the extra bonus of Groups to join.

Our local hospital needs desperately volunteers .

In all my many visits I've only seen two of them .
Apparently , there were about 60 before the lockdown now there are about a dozen .
But applying to be a volunteer is unbelievably complicated .
I know several people who've given up and given their time to other good causes .

I used to do driving people to hospital appointments etc, so thought I would like to expand it a few years ago when I saw an advert for hospital volunteers. So I applied.
It was the most badly planned, inefficient thing ever and went on for months. Endless meeting and phone calls, they lost all my paperwork etc. I never saw the same person twice, there seemed to be various, very pleasant young ladies organising this. Eventually I just lost patience with them and withdrew my application. Such a shame. And I'm too old and creaky now so shan't apply again.

I also would like to do some volunteering and I noticed my local food bank wanted volunteers but it was in the evenings and I do not venture out in the dark. I cannot drive at dusk or dark so that is me out.

I am assuming that their day jobs take up the daylight hours.

Again I could be a waitress on Christmas Day for many who receive free lunches but again I would not be able to get home safely.

I volunteer at my local museum stewarding one of the attractions, I also organise the rota for the volunteers. Some volunteers prefer certain days, some chop and change. I usually send out the rota a month in advance and volunteers email me with their dates, first come first served basis.

Through volunteering at the museum, I got involved with their education team working with school groups and for a time ran the education department whe the education officer left and a replacement had not yet been employed.

I hope you find something suitable soon.

I volunteer at a local country park. They put ‘vacancies’ on a web page and you sign up for whatever suits you.

Then there are more informal voluntary activities like walking a route and recording the species that you see… try googling naturespace.
I also read (on GN, I think, of someone who photographs headstones for an organisation.

I volunteer for Good Neighbours but commit to every Monday and cover absence if I’m free, that’s booking the drives. For driving, as said, you can always refuse a job,

In the two voluntary groups I am involved with, there is always a need for people who can be called on to cover for illness etc.
Could you ask local charities if they would like to have your contact details for emergencies? Of course it would always depend on your availability that day, but if they have a list of people to call on it seems to work well.

Do you like dogs ? Loads of rescue centres desperate for helpers . Once you're registered, you can pop along whenever you have free time to walk the dogs etc

Most charities need a certain amount of commitment. I have had the often difficult task of doing the monthly rota for two charities and as Sodapop said, you have to ask for the following month’s availability, always expecting retired volunteers to often go away or not be available. We ask for people to do regular slots but none do it every week/month and it is not expected that you will give 52 weeks a year commitment, you Just let them know in advance when you are not available.

Organisations that I know have flexible and/or adhoc volunteering opportunities;

English Heritage
National Trust and the National Trust for Scotland
Canal and River Trust
Citizens Advice Bureaux

You could volunteer at residential homes. I used to go in to chat to those that did not have visitors, I would phone at the beginning of the week to say when I was coming in but it didn’t really matter as the residents were not told before hand that someone was coming.

I do the rota for volunteers at the small library I help to run. I email the volunteers at the end of each month for their availability the following month. They are free to do as many or as few shifts as they want. Something like this would suit you Loobs

Wherever you live there will be community events.
In a village it might be the village hall, church, clubs. Offer to help when they do a bit of fund raising. I live in a village and we had a concert at the weekend. I could have done with a bit more help but have a small team that step up if they can. We would also welcome more help at out at our coffee and cake afternoons.
There is always the danger of getting too involved but if you go in with your eyes open then that is up to you.
.

I volunteer as an oxfam steward at festivals during summer months....... just sign up as per your availability or interest .....its generally 4 or 5 days each festival....you do 2 or 3 shifts ( 8 hours) then your time is your own....some of the smaller festivals are lovely .

I volunteer at a shop my daughter volunteers at the local community theatre and one of my grandaughters at uni at a food bank but all require regular availability
I think that’s your problem
What about helping people who can’t read and write that would probably be more at your time offered