Confessions of a Recovering Volunteer (Part 1)
N.B. No individuals have been named in this blog.
When you are familiarised to a particular culture or environment, there are certain trends, expressions and ways of thinking you become accustomed to. Over the years, as an almost veteran in the circuit of youth volunteering (or social action), the term ‘usual suspects’ was mildly banded about. Like certain words, they can be ill-defined or subject to a myriad of interpretations. In essence, it means someone or a cohort who are over-exposed and are too frequently present when they risk taking too much room on the stage.
While it was never appropriate to directly tarnish those who suit this ignoble title, I was slow to conclude there could be a select number who might just apply this description to me. I would hasten to say there is nobody who has stated anything to this effect, but when around for such a length of time, your instincts begin to concede it might be yourself that is the problem. In politics, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown noted that after seven years, the public begin to tire of you and begin to search for something new, no matter the credibility you have built up.
There can be very little comparison to the national political stage and the volunteering world, though one finds the latter to be a very small one when given examination. Added to that, in no sense do I believe it is remotely justified to compare yourself to the stature of one of the most senior politicians from the last decade. However, there is a valid takeaway from this. Being on a certain stage for a period of time that is longer than expected marks uncharted territory. When doing this in the capacity of youth participation, or whatever is the preferred label, it can be equally puzzling to some for those who came with staying power.
You might say, the only reason a person is motivated do be volunteering is for polishing their CV, right? Well, in my case, and others similar, I could almost say it became a way of life.
Whether my account will be of any interest or resonate with the readers is another matter entirely. For whatever were the downsides, there are just as equally many moments that gave enjoyment and satisfaction (not just actual awards). After a decade, let’s reflect on what made the Good, the Bad and the Frustrating…
Good
By its own virtue, the inherent qualities from volunteering have been personally reached. To broaden my own social environment and establish friendships from diverse backgrounds, skill development and gaining opportunities that go far beyond what can be offered from employment alone. My starting point comes from a place that I was not the same person who has aged and matured (which might be debatable) over the years. In fact, my very early days were never marked with a sudden or natural enthusiasm to partake in any kind of social action — at the age of 16, I would take a couple of hours each Saturday to stock bookshelves at the local Age Concern. Like certain other autistic people, we were content to keep socialising at a minimum and feel safe in the comfort of the great indoors.
Fast forward to my A-Levels at college, I rather half-heartedly applied to join a vaguely titled programme, ‘Dorset V’*, overseen by Dorset Youth Association (DYA). Although ‘V’ was to come to a sad, abrupt close when new government priorities took precedent, two successive heritage lottery projects were to prove more significant than first envisaged. Our first, to mount a museum exhibition designed by young people, and the other saw me dress up in a soldier’s uniform, for the first and last time! The formula, as I noticed, itself:
· An inclusive environment — disabled young people working alongside their non-disabled peers.
· An effective youth worker and adults who supported volunteers who needed it, but not to take over themselves. A solid rapport was built up.
· Safe and welcoming for those who had personal troubles at home, but could flourish with the appropriate activities and responsibilities.
For myself, it was not an entirely straightforward picture. Much of this took place during the hectic period of an undergraduate degree and moving to a new temporary home, where for that first year I had withdrawn again apart from my studies once again. Needless to say on reflection, I was less than a fully formed adult which independent living demands. The socialising concept was never (and still remains) my strong suit, where I would sometimes let my ‘smart mouth’ run ahead of processing how others might react.
The blunt sense of humour never always sat well and I was rightly admonished when it did cross a certain line. This from somebody who was a largely well behaved at school! On occasion, when feeling overwhelmed I would ‘close down’ without any warning and leave others nonplussed as to what was exactly wrong. In a workplace — unacceptable, but in an inclusive and patient space, you work through to identify and address your weak spots. I could find a place of belonging, not having found a similar niche at college or university at the early phase.
The general message I want to get across is many of us came from a place when our behaviour was less than ‘inspiring’ (a jaded and oversimplified expression). There were some volunteers who openly raised their voices, push back and eventually storm out of the building. There are very few eureka moments in the best practice of youth volunteering — just hard graft and investing more attention to the good over the bad. Ultimately, it would provide the gateway to the national arena of the same sector and open doors to parliament, government departments and eventually Buckingham Palace.
I am inclined to also look fondly at the work I did with Fixers, where my project’s focus on inclusive heritage spanned years later into promoting autism access and inclusion at a deeper, societal level. All incidentally inspired by the work at DYA. Ultimately, I would focus and commit much of my interest to advocating the interests and voices of autistic people, in tandem with learning disabilities, to bring as many of those prepared to listen closer towards a more accepting mindset, rather than one that is just aware.
The Youth Council at Ambitious about Autism takes a participation model where autistic young people fully encompass the membership makeup and where we can embrace our own eccentricities that confuse some neurotypicals. Despite not being inclusive in the sense of bringing those non-autistics or inadvertently representing a narrow segment of the population before, there is value for often excluded and misunderstood groups who require a unique style of engagement than what is just a standard framework. Such exclusive projects operate also when it comes to mental health, women and other disability characteristics.
More latterly, I have become a champion for the potential and benefits from coproduction. Our Know Your Normal research at AaA was just an example of how we could bring meaningful projects that went further than seeking ideas or prompting a ‘lightbulb moment’ for the adults in the room. Our views and contributions had equal weight and we were given the confidence to provide informed comments or suggestions, rather than just appearing as window dressing to give undeserved credit for those in authority. A less overt advantage is that a project, and therefore by extension an organisation, is more open to accountability and to be challenged when needed. Coproduction is worthy objective that many continue to aspire towards, where the ambition so often fall short, as the skill and time required to make it a reality are harder to match.
* Dorset V was funded from the original v pilot scheme, with the national charity later rebranding as vInspired.
To read the next part of this blog, click here.
