2.2 ‘Is this right for me?’

Individuals who are considering volunteering need to decide whether an opportunity or an activity is going to be right for them, which is about choice. Choices are often based on a complex mix of practical concerns and more complex personal choices associated with our beliefs and values (as discussed in Section 2.1).

For potential volunteers, practical expectations might include understanding what is expected of them in terms of a time commitment and whether an opportunity is flexible, or it could be about the provision of expenses. For others, who might see volunteering as a progression route, the expectations might relate to the opportunities for training and progression.

You can make real choices if you have a clear understanding of what is expected of you, and what you can expect in return. Imagine you are thinking about volunteering – how would you find out what is expected of you? You would probably look for information, perhaps online, or you could talk to someone who is connected to the group or organisation.

What we know about volunteering is that, while the information that organisations and groups produce is important in raising awareness, most people learn about opportunities from others through word of mouth.

In this video, Randi at LGBT Youth Scotland outlines how he found out about the organisation and reflects on his own expectations.

Download this video clip.Video player: Randi, Volunteer, LGBT Youth Scotland. All rights reserved.

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Transcript: Randi, Volunteer, LGBT Youth Scotland. All rights reserved.

Randi

So, I guess it’s not really a funny story, but I was actually at the Regent Bar here and there was a flyer for LGBT Youth Scotland and I was like, ‘Oh, this looks like a fascinating organization’ and so I looked it up and decided to send an email and learn more about the volunteering opportunity and how I could get involved. I figured it would be something enriching for my experience here in Edinburgh besides going to university and yeah, just sending a simple email lead me to here.I don’t know if I really had any expectations. I think I was driven by wanting the experience of actually being involved with an LGBT organization because I didn’t have much experience in the States. I was maybe involved in student organizations but never really volunteer work. And it was just something exciting for me and I guess maybe the expectation was learning how to work with this population and engaging with people who are LGBT that are younger than me. And wondering you know, what are the issues that they face and what are some of the circumstances that that they go through. And kind of like learning about, you know, the differences between their experiences and my experiences of being an LGBT youth.

End transcript: Randi, Volunteer, LGBT Youth Scotland. All rights reserved.

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Randi, Volunteer, LGBT Youth Scotland. All rights reserved.

Rebecca’s experience was a little more informal, as she heard about GALE through word of mouth and didn’t have clear expectations.

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Transcript: Rebecca, Volunteer, GALE. All rights reserved.

Rebecca

I found out through word of mouth really, through friends and I saw an opportunity where I could help. I didn’t really have expectations because it’s all about learning and working within the group and just seeing what comes out of it and whether you’re a good match. So I just joined and became part of the wee community and learned from that and hoped that what I could do was as valuable as what I got from it.

End transcript: Rebecca, Volunteer, GALE. All rights reserved.

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Rebecca, Volunteer, GALE. All rights reserved.

So, while you will need to understand what potential volunteers might expect from you, it is also important to be clear about the opportunities or activities on offer and what you expect from volunteers once they start. In the previous activity you were asked to consider your reasons for involving volunteers and what roles volunteers might carry out, which was the start of defining your expectations of volunteers.

Lisa at the Community Garden talks about what they do to help people decide if their group is the right choice for individuals considering volunteering. This work includes involving the local volunteer coordinator in promoting the Community Garden’s opportunities.

Download this video clip.Video player: Lisa, Co-convenor, Polbeth and West Calder Community Garden. All rights reserved.

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Transcript: Lisa, Co-convenor, Polbeth and West Calder Community Garden. All rights reserved.

Lisa

So we let volunteers know what opportunities there are at the garden, what is available for them to do, what is on offer by opening up the garden numerous times through the year. We have events, we encourage people to come and see the garden, to visit. We then will get talking to people about the kind of people that are involved already, the kind of groups that operate, the kind of skills and knowledge that those groups have or need. We also have access to a volunteer coordinator for 4 hours a week. She is out in the community promoting what the garden is about, promoting volunteering opportunities, and meeting with people and finding out what they’re interested in and matching them to a range of organizations, one of which is ourselves.

End transcript: Lisa, Co-convenor, Polbeth and West Calder Community Garden. All rights reserved.

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Lisa, Co-convenor, Polbeth and West Calder Community Garden. All rights reserved.