Voluntarily despondent!

beyond the blue

beyond the blue

Messages
1,942
Name
Neil
Edit My Images
Yes
I retire in a few weeks time ( skilled engineer) and have been looking forward to doing some unpaid voluntary work, ideally working in conservation, nature, or similar. Unfortunately it appears that the large organisations are oversubscribed with volunteers. I realise that if I was lucky enough to find a suitable position I would need to start at the bottom like you do until you can prove your worth, and that's fine by me. I have spent the last couple of weeks trawling through all the "so called opportunities" and evading all the scams out there and my best 3 options to date are....

1 Shaking a collection bucket outside supermarkets.
2 Working in a gift shop at local attractions, one even states that "even though this is unpaid work you will be working alongside paid workers and you may be expected to attain the same sales targets"
3 Turning up at the town hall at 9.30 am where you will be picked up in a mini bus, taken to areas of the borough that need attention, work may include working with "community payback" and may include the removal of street litter and graffiti.

Not exactly what I had in mind, but I'll keep trying.
 
beyond the blue said:
I retire in a few weeks time ( skilled engineer) and have been looking forward to doing some unpaid voluntary work, ideally working in conservation, nature, or similar. Unfortunately it appears that the large organisations are oversubscribed with volunteers.
Click to expand...
Ever has it been so.. my ideas of using my degree in Ecology in conservation twenty years ago were quickly quashed when I realised every entry-level position was filled by well-meaning volunteers. Some of whom even pay for the privilege of volunteering.

Try asking about community project schemes with the Woodland Trust, these won't necessarily be "official" volunteering but they have many community woodlands that are maintained by local volunteer groups (mostly litter picking,junk clearing, some occasional coppicing).
 
Not sure how easy this would be (red tape) but maybe ask local sheltered housing places if you could visit people. Would need a crb check at least.

When my nan was in her bungalow she often complained about being lonely as often these people are on their own for the first time ever after 50-60 years marriage or family. While she did go to the local community centre and bingo, evenings would often be lonely and having someone round for an hour or 2 to have a cuppa with or chat, or even to take shopping would have been most welcome.
 
Or, depending on where you live I could do with some gardening and garage clearing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nod
beyond the blue said:
I retire in a few weeks time ( skilled engineer) and have been looking forward to doing some unpaid voluntary work, ideally working in conservation, nature, or similar. Unfortunately it appears that the large organisations are oversubscribed with volunteers. I realise that if I was lucky enough to find a suitable position I would need to start at the bottom like you do until you can prove your worth, and that's fine by me. I have spent the last couple of weeks trawling through all the "so called opportunities" and evading all the scams out there and my best 3 options to date are....

1 Shaking a collection bucket outside supermarkets.
2 Working in a gift shop at local attractions, one even states that "even though this is unpaid work you will be working alongside paid workers and you may be expected to attain the same sales targets"
3 Turning up at the town hall at 9.30 am where you will be picked up in a mini bus, taken to areas of the borough that need attention, work may include working with "community payback" and may include the removal of street litter and graffiti.

Not exactly what I had in mind, but I'll keep trying.
Click to expand...

Edinburgh zoo employs volunteers.
Is there a zoo near you? Outdoors, conservation, nature...
 
cambsno said:
Not sure how easy this would be (red tape) but maybe ask local sheltered housing places if you could visit people. Would need a crb check at least.

When my nan was in her bungalow she often complained about being lonely as often these people are on their own for the first time ever after 50-60 years marriage or family. While she did go to the local community centre and bingo, evenings would often be lonely and having someone round for an hour or 2 to have a cuppa with or chat, or even to take shopping would have been most welcome.
Click to expand...
They'd be even more depressed after I'd been.
 
Not exactly nature, but could you offer to do the photography for your local rescue kennel? I had my hand bitten off (not literally!) when I offered this to my local rescue, and I have been doing it for about four years now. It is incredibly rewarding as having decent photos makes such a difference to homes being found. I was just over there this afternoon photographing four cats and three dogs.
 
kendo1 said:
Edinburgh zoo employs volunteers.
Is there a zoo near you? Outdoors, conservation, nature...
Click to expand...

This.
Rescue centre, wildlife centre etc.
I guess it depends how "animally" you are. :)
 
Why not just enjoy your freedom from work ,it soon becomes easy to lay on the settee all day ,watching t.v with one eye while winding people on here up on your I.pad .. It actually works well that viv 1969 usually bites hard at most comments :help: :wave:
 
beyond the blue said:
I just fancy things like repairing footpaths in nature reserves, clearing canals, fence erecting, towpath restorations that sort of thing.
Click to expand...
Whereabouts are you Neil?
 
beyond the blue said:
Not really interested in that side. I just fancy things like repairing footpaths in nature reserves, clearing canals, fence erecting, towpath restorations that sort of thing.
Click to expand...

Volunteer for National Trust, English Heritage or Rivers Authority?
Must also be some conservator orgs Manchester area with all those canals?
 
beyond the blue said:
Radcliffe, north Manchester.
Click to expand...
Several local societies you can join that do exactly the sort of volunteer work you're looking for, two from a very quick search..
  • Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Society
  • Wildlife Trust for Lancashire
 
B1ts said:
Volunteer for National Trust, English Heritage or Rivers Authority?
Must also be some conservator orgs Manchester area with all those canals?
Click to expand...
Most are oversubscribed. I had one offer from a park ranger who said they didn't need any volunteers for the park but they did need volunteers with cars to run the other volunteers to the park.:rolleyes:
 
R S P B always looking for volunteers. But don't expect to start at the top. Remember that a lot of the volunteers have been doing so for a long time.
 
Alastair said:
Several local societies you can join that do exactly the sort of volunteer work you're looking for, two from a very quick search..
  • Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Society
  • Wildlife Trust for Lancashire
Click to expand...
I contacted the Canal Society this afternoon, just waiting for a reply. The canal runs at the bottom of my street and my god does it need some work doing on it.
 
Maybe form some sort of group to look after your section of canal? I'm sure British Waterways (or whatever name they go by these days - waterways trust?) would bite your hand off.

EDIT: Canal & River trust - and they have a section on volunteering on their website
 
Last edited by a moderator:
the black fox said:
Why not just enjoy your freedom from work ,it soon becomes easy to lay on the settee all day ,watching t.v with one eye while winding people on here up on your I.pad .. It actually works well that viv 1969 usually bites hard at most comments posted by d******ds :help: :wave:
Click to expand...

FTFY :p
 
beyond the blue said:
Not really interested in that side. I just fancy things like repairing footpaths in nature reserves, clearing canals, fence erecting, towpath restorations that sort of thing.
Click to expand...

My local wildlife trust is always looking out for volunteers. A chap tried to recruit me while I was running through one of their woods. You get to play with chainsaws and stuff.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top