Big Society's Big Mouth Powered by v

Well, firstly, goodbye. I'm not 25 for much longer. I know this site is pretty much abandoned but I'm not sure where else to post this and don't really use Facebook any more.

Weirdly, I don't actually do much volunteering anymore. Anyone else found that? The lack of funding has made things almost impossible. A lot of groups and organisations don't appear to be mentioning this at all really, which seems weird. Has the effect not kicked in for others yet or are people trying to put a positive spin on things or what?

If anyone's still around it would be interesting to know what the world of volunteering is like for people right now.

Volunteering over the years has been interesting. Mostly fun. And I have had some unusual things happen through it - I met the Prime Minister, I won a holiday, I appeared on TV (I'm not saying what, it's embarrassing...) And one project I did involved me failing miserably in front of 100,000 people. It's been bizarre.

I'm not sure how it's changed my life. Various fluffy statements are thrown around about the benefits of volunteering, but it tends to be a bit simplified.

Volunteering hasn't helped me find a job, and probably won't.
It has helped my health improve. Although sometimes made it worse, due to the stress. And I've been hit in the face while volunteering (by a volunteer age over 25 btw), insulted a few times and treated like an idiot lots of times, and none of that helps.
It helped with my agoraphobia; weirdly it was the holiday I won from a volunteering website that helped in the most dramatic way, and that was quite a random thing. I hadn't been on holiday for 10 years and probably never would have gone abroad if it wasn't for winning that.
It helped me feel like a useful human being. Unemployment tends to destroy all self esteem. And I'm freakishly clever (if you don't blow your own trumpet no one else will...), but too ill to go to university or get a job, so had pretty much nothing at all to do with my brain was several years, and it's frustrating. Volunteering gave me something to work on. Although I think it's very hard for someone to make full use of their skills through volunteering: I didn't. Too many people just want volunteers to simple tasks like litter picking.
I wouldn't say volunteering made me any new friends either. Some acquaintances though, and I spent more time with people I already knew.
Did it give me a warm happy feeling inside? I'm not sure...

Have I missed any great volunteering cliches?

I'd kinda like to write a book about volunteering. Anyone else considering that? But I'm not sure, because I suspect it would be the bits that went wrong that would make the most entertaining read!

I think people often have quite a boring view of volunteering. Volunteering gets presented as "nice", and nice is bland. The world of volunteering is fascinating and bizarre and crazy and funny. It involves rewriting Black Sabbath songs and everything. And yes, sometimes being hit in the face by a pensioner, or crying all the way home from Birmingham to Leeds. Definitely not just endless tales of going to volunteer at the pet shelter and finding it "so rewarding".

Currently, the only place I volunteer is at an amateur rugby league team as a statistician and sometimes (unconventional) fundraiser. It involves rugby players; they're unique. And sometimes free chocolate. And often naked bums. I'm not as fond of that part. But I'd recommend it. Read less

I think it's already been mentioned somewhere on BSBM but the Government is enshrining into law that 0.7% of our GDP must go towards international aid. With many public services being slashed and council budgets being squeezed, is this right or should we be spending money at closer to home?
Personally, I think it's not only a moral duty but a fundamental right to give a percentage of our national income to those who are in the most need - I wouldn't want to see people die or being trapped in impoverishment as a result of cutting Department for International Development funding but it could be better targeted.  Read less

The Government has unveiled new Big Society plans to make it easier and more attractive to give time and money to good causes. Apparently people giving time/money has flat-lined, so the Cabinet Office has published the “Giving White Paper” to kick start our “culture of philanthropy”. It looks at how they can work with charities and businesses to support new ways for us to fit our contributions into our busy lives.

There’s a link to the full report below, which in a nutshell includes:

• A £10million Social Action Fund to support the most promising ideas for growing giving in priority areas in England and boosting levels of engagement over the next two years – including new schemes for people to volunteer a little when it suits them or match funding school philanthropy projects
• Challenge Prizes, of up to £100,000 for the best solutions to volunteer challenges
• A £30 million fund to improve the effectiveness of infrastructure organisations that support front line organisations
• £1 million to support Youthnet which runs the volunteering website www.do-it.org.uk and which will share its data more freely with organisations. Facebook have said that they will make this data accessible through them
• £700,000 to support Philanthropy UK connecting wealthy people with charities that need their support
• £400,000 support from Government and NESTA to trial ‘Spice’ in England which gives volunteers ‘thank yous’ like vouchers or discounts with local businesses when they do good things for the community
• Establishing a new honours committee to ensure people are recognised and celebrated for exceptional and sustained philanthropy
• Trial charity promotions on the public service website Directgov that gets around 4.5 million visits per week
• Open up government buildings to charities and voluntary groups
• Hold a Giving Summit in the Autumn to bring together charities, philanthropists, businesses, technologists and financiers to set the course for the future of giving
• All Ministers have agreed to a one day volunteering challenge

What do you think? Will these initiatives increase volunteering and financial donations?
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