It could happen sooner than you think. Then again, maybe it won't.
Our pal Damien over at the volunteering portal Timebank posted on their blog about the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NVCO) Manifesto calling for all companies to give 5 days off to their staff each year.
My thoughts:
V interesting. More than anything 5 days sends an unequivocal signal to working Britain that volunteering should be front of mind. The immediate next question is "Sounds interesting, any ideas about what to do for 5 days!?" That's where the problem comes in.
If Simple were a suburb on a map, the village of Volunteering would be on the other side of the planet. They aren't even remotely close to each other. So how can we expect hard-working and busy Britains to find something to do for not one, but five days? A 6-8 week process to complete your Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check, difficult to schedule orientation meetings and long-term time commitments make volunteering harder than sussing out a Rubik's Cube.
Rant over. Deep breath.
We couldn't agree more about wanting more people doing more good. It's good for individuals. It's good for Society. But it's GOT TO BE more simple, more about the fun, less hassle.
We've posted some more here on our blog about a new wave of volunteering.
Thanks for the post Damien and let's keep thinking about simplifying doing good NVCO.
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On 11:51 on Thursday 11 March 2010, wrote
It is indeed a strong message of the value of volunteering
I do agree that it is not as easy as it could be and often takes too long, we touched on this in a previous blog post <a target='_new' href='http://blog.timebank.org.uk/2010/02/how-long-does-it-take/'>http://blog.timebank.org.uk/2010/02/how-long-does-it-take/</a>
Having great experiences is also important, not all volunteering can be fun all the time but I do believe it should always be rewarding.
Leap is the home of doing good, having fun and getting rewarded.
With the help of our 350+ charity partners, we search night and day to find and recommend fun, hassle-free charity events and volunteering activities in your area, for you to attend, support and enjoy.
So how does it work? Like this: Just pick an event you’d like to attend, invite friends to join you (via Facebook and Twitter), keep an eye on what causes your friends are supporting, and get rewarded multitudinously for doing good.
Do good; feel amazing – it’s the Leap effect.
On 11:54 on Thursday 11 March 2010, wrote
Lets all keep working on trying to make it easier and thinking how to design volunteer opportunities better. This is essential if volunteering is to become part of the fabric of everyday life and a rewarding experience for everyone involved. Keep up the good work Malcolm!