I do a lot of work for charity but I don’t like to talk about it. Actually, I don’t do a LOT of work for charity, but I try to do a bit. My problem is charity doesn’t want me.
Let me explain. For nine years I’ve been a volunteer for a well-know charity that I won’t identify. Charities do fantastic things and I don’t want to bash them. I just want to talk about my own experiences.
For the first seven years, not much happened. I was signed up to work in my local area, visiting people in need. Once in a blue moon I’d get a call from someone to say they were the new volunteer co-ordinator. Each time I’d say, “Oh I never get called so I thought I’d slipped off the list,” and they'd answer, “Everyone says the same.”
After seven years the role, which I’d signed up for but had never put into practice, changed and it was no longer relevant to me. “Would I,” asked a nice person from the charity,” like to do something else?” I said yes so I was encouraged to keep an eye out on the ‘volunteers needed’ section of the website and sign up to whatever took my fancy. Great.
By this time the Tories had come in and were messing up the country. The charity wanted volunteers to act as stewards for ‘The Hardest Hit’ march, at which people with disabilities took to the streets and headed up to Parliament to protest about the cuts. Would I like to do that? Hell, yeah!
So I signed up and took a day off work. I was told someone would be in touch. But when the day came and I’d heard nothing, I contacted the charity again and said I was disappointed not to have been utilised and assumed it was because they were over-subscribed. I was told someone would be in touch. Six days later, after hearing nothing, I tried again and eventually someone got back to me to say there had been a communication breakdown and that the charity was in desperate need of volunteers. I was assured it would not happen again.
I know this in detail because it did happen again and so I wrote an email entitled ‘Why Volunteers Give Up’ and sent it to everyone I’d dealt with and copied it to the chief executive. Someone called me up, insisted we meet for a coffee, apologised profusely, suggested a million things I could do to help, but nothing came of it and after a while I never heard from them again.
Now, it’s not all bad. Last year, I worked on behalf of the charity at the Paralympics. It was amazing and I am very proud and pleased to have done that. However, over the years, during which the charity has put me through countless CRBs, sent me literature, certificates, key-rings and all sorts of things that cost money, I don’t think it has got the best out of me at all. And for that I feel bad.
So, earlier this month, I received an email. The charity was looking for volunteers to shake a bucket at a daytime theatre event in London. I thought why not? After all, my workload isn’t too heavy (I am for hire: reasonable rates apply). I emailed and received a call back. Then there was a flurry of emails none of which confirmed anything. Last week I chased it up to be told someone or other would be in touch. But as yesterday dawned, which was the day I’d signed up for, I still hadn’t heard anything. In the afternoon I sent an email, once again voicing my disappointment and I was called immediately by a woman who was apologetic. Guess what? There had been a breakdown of communication yah de yah de yah. I told her I’d heard all this before. She had, she said, been brought in to rehaul the department as the previous team was chaotic. I didn’t point out that this team was obviously as equally chaotic.
I then said something that shocked her. I said I advised my friends not to give money to this charity. She sounded wounded. But what can I say? For nine years, I’ve offered my time to this charity and it has used me only once. I can only assume its need as not as great as I thought.
So now I don’t know what to do. She wants to meet me for a coffee, but I am beginning to think my time, energy and goodwill have been stretched to the limit. Maybe I should offer my services elsewhere.
Look into my eyes, you’re going under. Teacher, author, journalist – these are words I need to use for SEO reasons OK? Boom. You’re back in the room.
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