Volunteering
 

Have you ever been a volunteer in any capacity.

It seems that our present government is trying to make many of us volunteer which is all well and good, and quite honestly in fields especially welfare system-- there could be collapse.
I personally do not like volunteers where they replace someones job.
I have a feeling this is what Cameron and Clegg are aiming for in this country.

I believe many volunteers work in hospitals etc.


My japanese friend once told me that Volunteering in Japan was not a normal thing to do. she said that often volunteers would be expected to work as hard as they would have done in a real work situation.


Have you volunteered at all? and did you enjoy the experience and did you learn from it?


I was a volunteer editor for the children's socety here in UK for five years.

I used to be a meals on wheels lady-- I have a feeling that has stopped now.

It can be really good fun to be a volunteer and can make a difference in other peoples lives.

I had blind people stay for holidays or escorted them to special places they wished to go to.


Is volunteering a good idea?

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HI robin

sounds as though you did a very good job there. I have often considered helping children learn to read== I am sure you will have made a big difference to their lives and potential.

Have you not heard of the BIG SOCIETY? that is based on volunteering. Libraries are at risk of closing-- volunteers needed.

I will not rattle on here about the latest government plans--my husband is furious with Cameron in particular. But I assure you this government is hell bent on getting more people to volunteer.
One of my friends volunteers in the local hospital-- but has had grief from some of those she is working with. They resent her working for free.

Re working with blind or visually impaired people.

I used to visit elderly who had recently lost their sight-- Awful thing to deal with. I had been trained to help them learn how to have home skills such as coping with making tea-- there is a vibrator one can use to measure liquids, spreading butter etc..

Mostly I escorted them out and befriended them but I had many stay here for holidays. The majority of those had been either born blind or visually impaired.

Some had stayed in specific Schools for the Blind--such as Hereford or Worcester.


I loved to go to the literary events-- classical literature-- where an expert would discuss books such as Thomas Hardy's Return of the Native. One person I escorted to YORK for several years-- the Early Music Festival.

These people were such fun-- and because many had been taught piano at RNIB schools they were brilliant musicians. Many of them were very clever also and knew how to have a good time. They have a very close culture rather like deaf culture where brought up in specific schools for either deaf or blind. Now with integration-- good in some ways but not in others.


sometimes I looked after the Guide dogs. Those dogs are wonderful I think and so very patient. usually I took them for walks onthe nearby downland.


I loved sitting in the evening listening to the banter of the friends. Most of them had known each other for many years

I could tell you a lot about various adventures but maybe another time.

talking about volunteers. In some of the Childrens Homes I was in, there would be volunteer AUNTIES. People from the outside who would visit a child some weekends. Maybe take them out for a meal or treat or even take them to their home.

That was quite a nice idea. Some children remained in touch with their volunteers Aunties for many years.

As far as volunteering, I'd usually just go and tutor kids at the school and stuff. I'd also help decorate things for any staff members with where I was. There's also beach clean-ups and helping out at animal shelters. To be honest, I'd rather people volunteer more to help clean up and all. Seriously, it pisses me off to see so much trash everywhere.

*plooka plooka*

Hi Rinai

that seems very good. Its apity that so much rubbish or litter is left around.


That is something that really gets me cross when I see people dropping litter.

there are supposed to be fines for it here in UK but its a case of catching them.

when I was a youngster I could go around on one of London's commons picking up empty bottles---and I received twopence for each one.

It is disgraceful for any of us to leave litter around. I have spent many a saturday morning pickin gup broken bottles where drunken youths have smashed them in our local park.

During my university days I became very involved in human rights issues, especially those associated with Tibet. I became the president of the Tibet Support Group at the university and was the media officer for the Australia Tibet Council. I also helped organise the Melbourne leg of the Dalai Lamas tour of Australia in 1992 and got to meet him personally.

My wife and I have always been very interested in environmental issues and we helped start the Friends of Kororoit Creek group in Melbourne. There are a number of Friends groups around Melbourne and other areas in Australia where local people volunteer to maintain and rehabilitate creeks rivers, coastlines or other areas of environmental importance that may have become neglected. I was president and my wife the treasurer of the group. In conjunction with the local council and donations from local industry we organised many days weeding, planting, clearing rubbish and generally improving the local environment along the main watercourse in the area we lived. We also got local schools, church groups and businesses to come along and help from time to time. We ended up planting 10's of thousands of trees and shrubs. I look forward to heading back one day to see how it's all turned out.

its fantastic to hear how you have done so much. wonderful.

I could do with you to help me with things like Photshop and a host of other technical things.


Sounds as if you enjoyed your volunteering too. Good for You.

My grand son tries to help me but my memory is bad so too often I forget what he has shown me.

I am sure alot of silver surfers could also do with voluntary help with learning how to use computers and the internet.

Young people know so much about it and its new to many of the older generation. some of us started writng on slates LOL.

HI GN-- that sounds fantastic what you and your wife have been involved in.


I know little about australia but as they say great oaks from little acorns grow.

It is a brilliant scheme.


I am so sorry for all those floods happening in australia just now. so often its FIRE that we hear about-- now its floods. Is nature going awry?

I have a dvd about TIBET and it is heartbreaking for the Tibetans. I remember when the present Dalai Lama was expelled to INDIA.


there is a local branch in aid of the Tibetans also. I have two wonderful portraits of two tibetan Nomad women-- painted by a chinese artist-- he followed some of the Tibetans around and did wonderful sketches of them.

It is terrible when a Nation is not allowed to fly its own flag or speak its own language.

I have volunteered in a primary school a couple of times, for weeks or months at a time, both as a teaching assistant and an I.T technician to help them out when their only I.T guy went MIA!
It was when I was considering retraining to be a teacher (I still might in the future, when I save up some money to make it easier to go back to being a student) It was great experience, working with children was far more rewarding than I ever imagined. Especially finding ways to work with children who are new to the country and having difficulties with language and culture.
It was also quite shocking to see the amount of bullying between pre-teen girls!

I also did some voluntary work in a upper school as part of a module at Uni, where I assessed the teaching of I.T to some English as an Additional Language students. I was shocked to find a History teacher who could barely turn a PC on, teaching a GCSE level vocational course. Examples such as using powerpoint to write essays and make spreadsheet like tables by drawing boxes will scar me forever.

How can we equip the future generations for rewarding careers without teaching them decent IT skills? Not many jobs now function without use of a computer, in the future even less jobs will exist for those who can't adapt to technology well.

I also spent a morning helping out at a Japanese parents and toddlers group.

Oh and I have helped my local community centre with I.T issues a few times as a favour. As a return favour they paid me onto a Child Safeguarding course learning about protecting children from the different and often seen as more subtle types of abuse and the damaging consequences overlooking such things have. Makes me think people should need a license (or at least a psychology degree or similar) to become parents all the things people don't realise are not acceptable, such as teaching children intolerance, smothering them and hindering their independence, feeding them a poor diet etc.

Volunteering opens your eyes to a lot of things if you do it with an active mind I feel.

I like volunteering, they seem to be far more interesting jobs than ones you can get paid for. It is strange that I can volunteer and do well as I.T technician, play group worker, teaching assistant, etc. Yet when it comes to applying for jobs like these I am not experienced enough to be given a chance.

I believe that our government is aiming to get everyone using the internet.

family history is very popular nowadays with so many records actually on LIne makes it easier.

Sometimes Volunteering can be a way to get into certain jobs or careers.


all sounds great on here from what you have told us.

I've volunteered over 150 hours at a hospital, ~30 hours at a local SPCA and some days with a nurse to bring a patient to another hospital by airplane. It's a fun experience and it's also good on a resume. ;)

I've also tutored a few people (including my brother and ex), but I don't think you can actually call that volunteering. Even if I did help them for free. haha

that sure is good to know. thank you for being there for others.

Yup I am volunteering at my old middle school. Its for a program where you help kids who come from bad areas I guess. And right now im actualy waiting for the bus to get hereas we are going on a field trip to a university, supposed to motivate them I guess.

that sounds like a really great scheme. wonderful.

julius, i note you cruising old threads in order to advertise european river cruises.


volunteering is being encouraged here in uk---but many jobs also being lost.

i do not see a cruise for old father thames.