HOW ABOUT BEING A PAID VOLUNTEER?

We hear a lot about volunteering these days and how inspiring and rewarding it is for people who have retired. Just think of the experience and knowledge that you can bring to organisations who desperately need some support and advice to survive in these difficult times.

There's no doubt that people get a lot of satisfaction from doing voluntary work as well as reaping some benefits. You meet new people, extend your interests and in a lot of cases there are some important health benefits. Now that already sounds a bit like spin from a Government organisation! It's a message which can flatter the golden oldies and make them feel WANTED!

But if the senior citizens of this country have so much to offer - then why not pay them for passing on the skills and experience that we are told are greatly valued. A lot of people would like to see some financial reward for what is, in effect, doing a job.

The volunteer has been hi-jacked by some organisations who want something for nothing. The person who use to give his or her services for free is now being exploited. Standing on a windy street corner selling stickers for a child support charity or making tea at the community centre every Tuesday morning is what what most of us would recognise as a charitable and voluntary act - and we do it because it helps others and is rewarding in other ways.

Now volunteering is seen as an alternative to paid employment - or that's how it seems. One example is the role of the School Governor.

If you choose to be a School Governor and believe all the publicity and information which education authorities hand out, then very soon you will realise that this is a responsible role which demands a lot of time and some decision-making. You have to attend regular meetings, need to be security checked, attend specialist training courses on a whole range of education issues, visit your school regularly and sometimes lend a hand at functions and outings as well as understanding the complexity of school budgets that can often run into seven figures.

How many people volunteer to do that kind of work without getting paid? Not many. Up and down the country there are vacancies at hundreds of schools for Community Governors and Local Authority Governors. Some of the people best suited for this kind of work are those who have retired and can now decide what they want to do with their lives.

If education is so important - and it is - then the Government should appreciate that being a School Governor is more than a voluntary job. They should set a pay scale for this work. Every Governing Body is crucial to the effective running of a school; they can be held accountable for a failing school and in some ways can be considered like the Board of Directors running a small company.

The word 'volunteer' should not be attached to the position of Community or Local Authority School Governor. It should be a paid position so that there is commitment on both sides. There are plenty of retired people who would welcome the challenge - and many schools would like to have them 'on board'.

WE'RE OFF - BUT NOT RUNNING!

So what's this all about then? It's not a blog selling anything or buying anything. We don't have any free offers or home hints. There's nothing dodgy about the content and no-one is expecting you to log on and tell the world your intimate secrets.

This is for those who have reached the age of 70 and don't mind admitting it. A few - and it is a few - may be able to play tennis or even run a Marathon but the majority of us who have reached the age of three score years and ten now fall asleep in front of the TV at nine o'clock in the evening.

But hold on a minute. If you thought this was a blog for grumpies and bores then think again. It's going to be about celebrating 70 and letting the rest of the world know that although we may be grey, bald, a bit deaf, saggy in places and occasionally dribble, we still have a great deal to offer.

Watch this space!

David