volunteering

I have concerns about a voluntary organisation. The manager, new to post and from a business background, has changed the way in which they involve volunteers. Historically their service has been predominantly provided by volunteers and students in placements, and managed by a team of paid workers. The paid workers have all left their posts and not been replaced. The volunteers have been offered paid hours to match their volunteering hours i.e. If they work a day as a vounteer they can work for a day paid but they have to put in the free time in order to get the paid work. In my opinion this is really pushing the boundaries of what 'volunteering' means, apart from legal repercussions ie job substitution, unpaid work as opposed to volunteering, employment law and minimum wage.

 I wanted to share with you a letter I sent to Third Sector in response to the interview in last Weds (20th Aug) issue in case it doesn't get published.  I'd welcome your thoughts!:

Sir,

I read with interest your interview with Stephen Green, Chief Executive of RockCorps.

While thinking the RockCorps concept is an interesting and innovative idea in introducing young people to volunteering I am left feeling a little troubled about incentivising volunteering in this way. If young people are more willing to give than ever as Mr Greene states, why then to they need to be offered concert tickets to volunteer? Volunteering shouldn’t be about personal material gain. It would be interesting to find out how many of the 35% who went on to volunteer elsewhere did so without being offered something material in return. While I understand that the idea is to introduce young people to volunteering, can 4 hours really give them a proper idea of what it is really like to be an active citizen?

Offering concert tickets in this way would also seem to be a payment in kind and of sufficient value to be a "consideration". Is this not an overt contract as the work is in exchange for the tickets which is clearly expressed and acknowledged by RockCorps? Legislation and good practice is different in the US and wonder if this model needs adapting for the UK.

Kind regards,

Sean Cobley

Director, AVM

Third Sector wrote this week about the Conservatives proposal for school-leavers to take part in a six-week 'national citizen service' volunteering programme. Apparently you can comment on these ideas put together by Paul Oginsky, David Cameron's Youth Policy Advisor.

Ok, here's a shameless plug: just wanted to flag up a service we have on TheSite.org, do-it.org.uk's sister website, called askTheSite.

You can ask questions online and in confidence and for free on a whole range of issues. We have a brand new section called Work and Study where we're happy to field any questions on volunteering- in particular where you or the people you work with are looking to see how volunteering can get them the experience/skills they're after :-)

For more:
http://www.thesite.org/community/askthesite

What do people think of this news from Government on volunteering? 

CABINET OFFICE News Release (CAB/074/07) issued by The Government News Network on 5 September 2007

The Commission on the Future of Volunteering is calling for evidence. AVM has put together an initial draft response to the Commission which is attached. If members wish to feed into the AVM response with their own thoughts and views please respond by Thursday 26th July.

The deadlines for submissions is Tuesday 31st July. For further information about the Commission go to www.volcomm.org.uk

Technical enthusiasts, aka 'geeks' as they are affectionately known, have for many many years led the way in volunteering. As with many other examples of volunteering- these voluntary workers are very often unseen and unheard by most of us.

Recruitment database for volunteers and paid staff.

An organisation that recruits people with specific business, professional, managerial or technical career experience

Recruitment database for volunteers and paid staff.

eVolunteer.co.uk is the FREE online resource for recruiting volunteers internationally!

do-it.org.uk was launched in 2001 with the first, and still the only, national database of volunteering opportunities in the UK.

As they say on their website: "Introducing Volunteer IT Professionals to Charities Needing IT Help"

The Bar Pro Bono Unit puts advice agencies and members of the public in touch with barristers who can give advice, provide representation and assist with mediation free of charge.

UK youth charity dedicated to providing frank and unbiased information to enable young people to make informed choices.