BW Volunteer

[fuzzyduck]

And a swagger stick. (actually strike that I can supply my own)

 

Edit ---

 

I note there is a BW Volunteers group on Farcebook ...

 

Think they'd accept me volunteering to replace Robin Evans?

Edited June 16, 2011 by fuzzyduck

[the grinch]

 

Think they'd accept me volunteering to replace Robin Evans?

 

now that is funny!!

[Pluto]

Just to add to Hamsterfan's comments, even now BW have a problem with volunteers. One canal society in the north east quadrant of the waterways approached BW regarding this and found that BW tried to take over (from a senior management level). They also went through a spell advertising volunteer "jobs" and clearly lacking the knowledge that volunteering doesn't work like that. It usually takes a number of part time volunteers to replace one full time post, you don't usually get a volunteer cafe assistant working six days a week, you get twelve of them covering half day each

It does highlight one problem, and that is that at the moment there is no consistency across BW in the way it treats volunteers. Some members here seem to have no problem, whilst others are being put off. There are certainly individuals at management level who don't understand volunteering, as MP mentions above, whilst Laurence shows that some areas of BW are working well with volunteers. What has concerned me, is that there has not been a concerted effort by BW to bring local canal societies on board with regard to helping them with volunteering. The BW attitude seems to have been that the voluntary sector should contact them to coordinate efforts. That's certainly the opinion I get from contact with Waterscape. They don't seem to realise that developing contacts is most effectively done by a professional, and that volunteers feel they have better things to get on with, things which give them satisfaction from their unpaid work. BW need to be much more pro-active in their relationship with volunteers. Of course, the major problem is that BW's finances are in such poor condition, that its staff just don't have the time to develop such links. Yesterday, whilst passing the BW office in Wigan with Kennet, the L&LCS heritage boat, we stopped in order to show staff what we had to offer in the way of promoting BW's work to the wider community, and perhaps discuss how we could add value to what BW were doing. There were certainly positive comments, and it is always good to meet some of the more backroom workers, but I did get the impression that they were under too much pressure to be able to develop linkages between the L&LCS and BW, certainly in the short term.

[sueb]

It does highlight one problem, and that is that at the moment there is no consistency across BW in the way it treats volunteers. Some members here seem to have no problem, whilst others are being put off. There are certainly individuals at management level who don't understand volunteering, as MP mentions above, whilst Laurence shows that some areas of BW are working well with volunteers. What has concerned me, is that there has not been a concerted effort by BW to bring local canal societies on board with regard to helping them with volunteering. The BW attitude seems to have been that the voluntary sector should contact them to coordinate efforts. That's certainly the opinion I get from contact with Waterscape. They don't seem to realise that developing contacts is most effectively done by a professional, and that volunteers feel they have better things to get on with, things which give them satisfaction from their unpaid work. BW need to be much more pro-active in their relationship with volunteers. Of course, the major problem is that BW's finances are in such poor condition, that its staff just don't have the time to develop such links. Yesterday, whilst passing the BW office in Wigan with Kennet, the L&LCS heritage boat, we stopped in order to show staff what we had to offer in the way of promoting BW's work to the wider community, and perhaps discuss how we could add value to what BW were doing. There were certainly positive comments, and it is always good to meet some of the more backroom workers, but I did get the impression that they were under too much pressure to be able to develop linkages between the L&LCS and BW, certainly in the short term.

What are the paid volunteer organisers doing? Isn't that their job?

Sue

[Pluto]

What are the paid volunteer organisers doing? Isn't that their job?

Sue

I'm not too sure as I am uncertain about their exact role. Perhaps that says it all, their message is just not getting through. Up on the L&LC, they seem to be more concerned with generating new volunteering opportunities, rather than working with established volunteers. Whilst realising that getting to new volunteers is important, ensuring that those who are already volunteering are happy with what they are achieving is probably more so. It all comes down to management: it is cheaper to keep an employee by ensuring that they are committed to their role, than to replace them.

[heyjude999]

I am a volunteer manager for a national charity and I would not be able to deliver the service without my wonderful volunteers, every minute they spend working unpaid for us is a blessing for those who have been victims of crime. Our volunteers are well trained and dedicated.

 

Personally I find it amazing that the BW volunteer managers have come from a management restructure more than likely with no experience of how to engage volunteers in the best way possible to make volunteering beneficial to all parties after all it's a two way street and volunteers must feel valued.

 

These are challenging times and there will be those who do and those who don't, many of us might be grateful to those who do...........me I will sit on the fence and if an opportunity arises locally look at it as it when it does.

[Smelly]

Can anyone link to the Judgement? The underlined bits seem to be simply that.

 

I know I'm running off topic but I struggle to believe CAB would not honour their obligations to vollys and there's a long line of case law that's been hacked to pieces here.

[Mick and Maggie]

I know I'm running off topic but I struggle to believe CAB would not honour their obligations to vollys and there's a long line of case law that's been hacked to pieces here.

 

 

The Volunteer Rights Inquiry was set up in November 2009 following a number of high profile reports of serious breaches of trust between volunteers and the organisations they volunteered for. In the light of these, some volunteers began calling for an external means of complaints redress and defined volunteer rights.

 

There is a long list of organisations who have signed up to 3R. You may find one or two are conspicuous by their absence.

[Albert Smith]

In my experience of volunteering, there's always a 'clique' within the organisation that cannot accept others. Usually from those that are regular volunteers, in my case I would be working away (Merchant Navy) for anything up to 2 years at a time. So in answer to the OP's question, no I wouldn't do voluntary nowadays.

 

Albert.

[Lady Muck]

In my experience of volunteering, there's always a 'clique' within the organisation that cannot accept others.

 

Ref the old Salvation Army charity shop in my hometown. Power struggles! Affairs! Bullying! It would've made a great Acorn Antiques style fly on the wall documentary!

 

RE. volunteering, I already do lots elsewhere, I don't have the time.

[Chris Pink]

Ref the old Salvation Army charity shop in my hometown. Power struggles! Affairs! Bullying!

 

 

Affairs? Now I'm tempted.

[Phoenix_V]

My volunteering is for my boat club, happy with that, pay a licence fee to use the canals so dont feel I need to help anyhow being ordered round by some BW/CART bod would feel just like being at work where I get paid, if I did volunteer to work on canals it would be for WRG or one of the local societies were I would feel part of the organisation, an organisation that is better run than BW/CART too.

[carlt]

BW/C&RT will need volunteers because of its inefficiencies and because it pays contractors over the odds for services that volunteers cannot provide.

 

I volunteer for a small organisation where, if I didn't do it, the work wouldn't be done and, like Phoenix, I feel part of the organisation and can directly influence its operation, with my input and suggestions.

[jonathanA]

would I volunteer ?

 

yes I am willing to - but wouldn't know where to start with BW direct.

 

Its really hard managing volunteers and takes effort, like a number of others on here I'm not sure BW have the first clue about how to encourage and work with volunteers.

 

I'll give you a simple example, BW north west recently announced a volunteer open day and thankyou to be held this week (20th dec) between 1-4PM at the rosegrove depot, Burnley. I would have liked to have gone along but would I take half a day off work to go? not really an option ! and I suspect many others are in the same position ! If it had been on a saturday or in the evening that would make more sense for volunteers but of course not good for 9-5 BW managers...

 

I don't know if anyone on here went, but I'm guessing BW will be 'disappointed' at the lack of response - I only saw becuase it was pinned up on a notice board at the marina. don't know if it was advertised on waterscrape or anywhere else but I didn't see it...

 

jon

 

I

[Giggetty]

I volunteered for BW restoration work on the Droitwich Canal two years ago. My experience since then and that of others on my team has been entirely satisfactory. We have been well led by a newly recruited supervisor who has been trained for the task, and have ourselves received good safety, navigation and workshop training. To see work completed of the sort that we have done has been immensely satisfying, and to me, as a boater, a cause for much optimism.

 

The existing BW professionals have made us welcome and recognise, I think, that our presence has released them from much mundane work, leaving them free to concentrate on major work and that requiring a higher level of expertise.

 

Any large organisation takes time to adjust to such cultural and economic change as BW has had to endure since the change of government. I believe that we should recognise that past events and attitudes may not apply to the future course of CaRT and so, if we can, personally contribute to its success.

[carlt]

Any large organisation takes time to adjust to such cultural and economic change as BW has had to endure since the change of government. I believe that we should recognise that past events and attitudes may not apply to the future course of CaRT and so, if we can, personally contribute to its success.

Have a greenie.

[roggie]

As someone who's passion is cycling - both commuter and recreational. I chair our local cycle campaign group (in Lewisham SE London) as well as being a Sustrans ranger for many years. A little while ago I offered my services to BW to act as a sort of towpath ranger - the London area has someone who's job is to look after the towpaths inside the M25 and he is seeking volunteers to help him do this - a extension to the Sustrans rangers. I see this role as offering my 'expertise' and trying to get cyclists (and all towpath users) to act responsibly - otherwise I can see cycling banned at certain locations and if that happens it will only penalise the responsible ones. No real idea of the history in the past with BW and volunteers but with a ever changing organisation people have to move on - that must include all levels of management inside BW/CART. Certainly the support of the volunteers has been good so far and I think BW are aware that you can't take vols for granted. Many organisations rely on vols and one of the biggest areas to manage is the concerns of paid employees that they will be out of a job. That often comes about due to poor internal communications and a lack of trust inside the organisation. I'm also a school governor so are involved in a fair amount of volunteering - much is really useful in my full time job as well.

[Higgs]

I have something of a new venture to deal with in my own life and won't be able to offer any time for physical help, but it might be possible to raise funds.