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.
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.
