Volunteering difficulties

Just a brief note on volunteering.

I always had it in my mind that it would be ridiculously easy to add some voluntary experience to my CV. This is actually far from true.

Most voluntary positions, rightly, need a period of training in order to begin the post. They may also need application forms, interviews, CRB checks etc.

I started sometime last year deciding I wanted to do some voluntary work, this was before I had decided to do the SW MA.

I went along to the Samaritans information session and discussed Childline with a few people but decided that it wasn’t quite for me. I then found out about child mentoring and after completing an application form, was invited to interview. However, the only interview times they could offer were in the middle of the afternoon – and would need 3 hours out of the office including travel time. So I’d need to take a half day holiday just for the interview.

I eventually found another child mentoring organisation who kindly met me at 8.30am to interview me before work and get the CRB process in swing.

I then needed to attend four two and a half hour training sessions on weeknights at 6pm, requiring me to leave work bang on time, something that rarely happens. The very first session I was unable to attend so I missed that group of training and waited two months for the next lot, which fortunately I was able to attend. Since that time I have not yet been matched to a mentee, something we were told to expect to happen as of course it depends on what the mentee needs, even down to whether they would prefer a boy, or someone with specific hobbies etc.

So I thought about another opportunity and found a role in a new homelessness pilot project run by a group called No Second Night Out. I filled in the application form and went along to the interview and was told the next day I had got the role, which was great news. But then I needed to start the CRB process, which involved another trip to meet them, leaving work on time to get forms signed off, and then the reference process, which in this case, took my referees some time to complete. In fact, they finished today (my interview was about 3-4 weeks ago).

So I’m now waiting to get a time for my first shift.

I’m really looking forward to it, but it does show that its taken me about 9 months to start some actual voluntary work – assuming I start soon!

I do run my own charity, but nothing to do with social equality (it raises money and awareness for Crohn’s Disease) and have been a youth leader and Hebrew teacher for years too – so I do have some experience but not as relevant as I’d like.

Rant over!