What’s going on in the voluntary sector?

Is there something amiss in the voluntary sector?

I ask because of the attitude of some involved in this increasingly important part of our society. And I don’t mean other volunteers or the voluntees (ED: is that a correct word?)

I mean the people who run some charities and voluntary organisations.

A while back I called a local “umbrella” volunteer group to express my interest in helping in any (well, almost any) way. After all, a man cannot survive on golf and Angry Birds alone.

I was duly asked to pop into the office for an interview and that seemed to go well – I explained what I was interested in, they explained what they needed, we discussed my skills and all seemed a perfect fit. With plenty of positive noises from my interviewer, I felt useful.

Except I never heard from them again. To my knowledge, I have no criminal record (subsequent Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced checks bore this out) so it couldn’t have been any criminal tendencies.

And I wasn’t reeking of booze and Old Shag, for a change, so presumably it wasn’t that either.

I concluded that they did not know where to fit me under their umbrella and, while slightly peeved, decided not to let it get to me. After all, SWMBO assured me I had plenty to offer other people and told me not to worry. Not that she’s at all biased.

So I didn’t. And despite the set-back, I persevered. Next stop was the local branch of a national charity. Same basic procedure – pop in for an interview, get on well, sort out their computer problems while there, hear loads of positive comments etc. go home and wait for the phone to ring.

Apart from one call asking if I would stand outside a supermarket on a Saturday morning to shake a tin, I never had contact again.

Now I know there are many marvellous charities and volunteer groups out there but my overall view has been soured somewhat.

I could have accepted a straightforward call to say I was not needed or not suitable but were they just overly worried that I would sue them? Or upset me? Me, upset?

Or, as I think is more likely, were they just run by salaried people with their own interests foremost in their minds?

I should add that I now volunteer successfully (?) for one local charity, one national organisation and have even started editing my local parish magazine.

So, some of the more disappointing experiences I have encountered can’t be all down to me.

Discuss.