Upright Citizens

[classic33]

Local Bikeability classes are held on the streets near to my house. I respect the work that the instructors do, but it looks a bit stressful at times! I see some of the children struggling with riding one-handed to signal and/or looking over their shoulders while moving. They wobble alarmingly. Most motorists give them enough time and space but the odd d**khead just blasts past and it makes me shudder ... So, I don't think I would be cut out for that kind of thing - I am too much of a worrier!

If I lived somewhere less hilly then I would organise easier forum rides to encourage adults to get out on bikes. I have managed to get quite a few forum members to tackle rides which were harder than they thought they could cope with. It was good to see the look on their faces when they succeeded.

Actually, my forum rides have been getting longer and harder and I have noticed a big drop off in interest. Perhaps it is time to start doing some shorter ones again? In fact, I think I will start a thread now to see if that is the case!

I liked the comment posted about how someone found the hills on one of your rides. "They didn't find the hills, the hills found them. They just appeared round every corner".

 

[ozboz]

I do not actually volunteer , but I have been collecting unwanted bikes and bike related items for a Charity , they do em up and sell them on to raise funds , when ive got a van load ill take them up to Stratford u Avon ,

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Too worn out from work to add voluntary work into the mix too. But it's very much on the list for when I'm retired.

 

[Deleted member 23692]

I was the catalyst for the setting up of a volunteer conversation group in 1998 which I then ran the practical side of for 6 years until moving elsewhere. This subsequently led to the designation of two local nature reserves. The best part for me is that the group is still going strong after 18 years with 8 consecutive Green Flag awards in the bag. I am the community enabler!

i'm 200 miles away now, but am still involed creating and running their website

 

[CanucksTraveller]

While still in the RAF and based in West London, I volunteered as an Emergency Responder on the "First Response" scheme. It involved training as an EMT grade 3, and you were expected to man an LAS fast response car at least twice a month to attend grade 1 calls, usually heart attack and stroke victims but also trauma calls, the idea being that you could arrive on scene quickly enough to intervene and hopefully stop the clock on cardiac arrests, allowing a better chance of survival.

I did that for over a year before I had to retire from the RAF and move on further north. I believe it's now called the Volunteer Responder Group. Good gang, and a tough job. I couldn't do medic work full time, an 8 hour shift with an average 8 calls would wipe me out emotionally for a few days.... paramedics and technicians are not paid nearly enough.

 

[postman]

I used to help out at a toddlers group.Set up take down equipment.Prepare fruit and drinks for the children.Wash up afterwards.Sit in the reading corner with a hand puppet a massive Monkey cos i can't spell Orangotan.I would read to any child who wandered over.
But over the months,the twisting bending turning while setting up and taking down,my knee started up.Arthritis again.On Doctors orders i had to stop.I did the knee went back to normal.It was sad leaving.
Years later i helped out at a pensioners dinner club,washing up.prepping veg general tidying up.Packed that in because tired all the time afterwards,i think the prostate was just beginning.Waking up three or more times during the night,going out on the bike and not finishing the rides.Then last year the Prostate started bleeding,the rest you know.Now just pottering.I have had my seasons.

 

[Andy_R]

Local Bikeability classes are held on the streets near to my house. I respect the work that the instructors do, but it looks a bit stressful at times! I see some of the children struggling with riding one-handed to signal and/or looking over their shoulders while moving. They wobble alarmingly.

That's quite alarming, as national standards decree that children should not be allowed to progress to Level 2 (short journeys on quiet roads) if they are not competent at Level 1(basic bike control in an off road situation, including controlling the bike with one hand and looking all around without losing control). Someone is not doing their job properly and is putting the children at risk. Next time you see it, try to find out which Bikeability scheme the instructors work for.

 

[classic33]

Used to do six nights a week as a scout leader, various groups and the weekend as Warden at the local site. For sixteen years.

Seen many groups fold in that time, and nearly always for the same reasons. Internal power struggles(district & group level). Cheap babysitting service, with often no help from the parents, were the two main causes.

As Warden, I still hold the record for the most weekends in one year. My own group folded due to lack of interest from the parents. And claims we were getting expensive, as a whole.

Piece of history for you:
I was a leader at the same group as Christie(The Acid Bath Murderer) was!

 

[marinyork]

Used to do six nights a week as a scout leader, various groups and the weekend as Warden at the local site. For sixteen years.

I'm fascinated what motivates people to do things for such long periods of time, where you have said there was a huge amount of change in those years?

 

[Tim Hall]

Scout leader for the past 10 years or so. Manage to steer clear of the power struggle stuff (or give a good ignoring to) and still enjoy the whole thing. Off to a meeting in twenty minutes...

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I'm the treasurer for our local scout group, being doing it for five or six years. Our group leader is in his mid 40's and has been involved with the group since he was a kid, proper dedication that is.

 

[EltonFrog]

I used to love being in the Scouts, I was a useless scout but I thought it was FAB, (1st Chertsey since you ask) . I often thought about volunteering for a group locally but never did anything about it.

I'm absolutely convinced that being the Scouts and the leaders of 1st Chertsey in particular kept me out of real trouble.

 

[classic33]

I'm fascinated what motivates people to do things for such long periods of time, where you have said there was a huge amount of change in those years?

Started out with just the local group, and grew from there.

Things have changed. I'm left wondering if it's for the better though.

There was a feeling that you were helping. Maybe not much, but you were actually trying to, what ever you did.

Going to a different group each night meant seeing more of the district. You've had me counting, there were 10 plus my own group, over those 16 years.

Fridays were at a group, then down to the campsite for the weekend. I've added to the campfire stories told. Many imitataions, but only one genuine one, me.

 

[classic33]

I used to love being in the Scouts, I was a useless scout but I thought it was FAB, (1st Chertsey since you ask) . I often thought about volunteering for a group locally but never did anything about it.

I'm absolutely convinced that being the Scouts and the leaders of in particular kept me out of real trouble.

It'd have been one of the first then.

 

[EltonFrog]

It'd have been one of the first then.

It was an old group even in the 70's