Why volunteer?

I read an article on the Guardian website recently that discussed volunteering and how those who volunteer are somehow playing into the hands of David Cameron and his 'big society', even though we may not necessarily agree with the man or his policies. It's typical that I can find plenty of articles on said newspaper website that discuss volunteering except the one that I want so I am unable to reference it. My dissertation advisor would have a cow. This highlights the fact that we're still not nearly as clever as we think we are when it comes to searching data but that's another story.

So why volunteer? I can only speak from personal experience here. But I can hazard a guess that all those who do volunteer at the moment - be it in a charity shop on the high street, or coaching a youth sports team or anything equally applaudable - will be a bit miffed if Mr. Cameron starts taking credit for the way in which they invest their time. I too am a volunteer because I want to be, not because I am responding to the call of the Conservative government. My motivation is probably a little more mercenary than most; I know that being able to show a future employer that I can work on interesting projects outside of my day job is a good thing. My MSc certainly shows this and so does my volunteer work with the International Thai Foundation. Maybe 90 out of 100 people applying for the same job as me can't show this on their CV's which at least gets me on the interview list. Once you're at that stage it's a bit of a lottery (one or more of the panel might not like you) but create enough chances and one will go your way.

So credit where it's due please. It was my idea to volunteer, and my efforts that got me the right volunteering opportunity putting my skills to good use (and learning some new ones too). Nothing at all to do with the Prime Minister.

So you want to offer your IT skills as a volunteer?

So you want to offer your IT skills as a volunteer? Kudos to you. Here are a few things to think about. They are all based on my own experience and I hope they will help others avoid making the same mistakes I did.

1. How much time can you realistically devote?

Time is the scarcest resource of all. The internet is now chock full of open source and / or free to use software packages, programming resources and APIs. There are answers to pretty much any problem out there. Unfortunately there is only one of you, and you only have one pair of hands. It's better to invest a couple of hours a week in something that you can deliver on rather than waste a couple of hours a week on a project you won't finish because it's too big. Are your family members 'onside'? Before you tell me to mind my own business it's much easier if your family know what you are doing and are supportive.

2. What do you want to get out of volunteering?

So, what's your motivation. Volunteering shouldn't all be one way traffic - there should be something in it for you too. Have this clear from the start, and make sure the people you're volunteering with know it too. If you just want to help then great, but I saw volunteering as the chance to make my CV look more impressive than the hundred plus other people I will be competing for my next job with. One mistake I made was to start blogging about working with an organisation before I had OK'd it with them. They weren't happy at being used 'as a reference' and asked me to take all the posts down. They will tell you what their aims are - make sure you tell them what yours are too.

3. Get organised

When are you going to be able to do the work you have volunteered? If you (like me) are only going to be available in the evening and at weekends then a volunteering gig that needs you to be in someone's office at 10am once a week isn't right for you. It's also important to devote all the time you have set aside to doing what needs doing. So make sure you have all your resources (equipment, data, specifications) to hand before making a start.

4. Build a relationship

It's essential to have a good working relationship with the charity or community group that you are representing. So ditch the emailing back and forward, get on the phone, get on Skype or go and meet them face to face. Not only are you showing a more personal and professional approach you also have the opportunity to find out if you are going to be able to get along with the people you are meeting. This isn't like your day job where you're forced to interact with people you're not too keen on; it's your free time you are giving up. If your instincts tell you that it won't work then end the relationship and look for something else. And if you really like each other then you have made an important contact. To LinkedIn!

5. Keep records of what you are doing

This doesn't have to be onerous. I agreed with the charity I am working for to post text files containing updates of progress into a shared area. If you're setting up administrative passwords on applications, databases or servers don't just write them on the pad of paper next to your desk and then throw them away next time your tidy it up. Put them somewhere the organisation is going to be able to read them. This will help you in the long term - if, for some reason in the future you can't continue to volunteer then the last thing you want is being hassled for important information.

6. Enjoy it

For me, volunteering is a chance to do something I am not able to do at work. I can run my own project and make my own decisions. That for me is intellectually stimulating. Find an opportunity that is going to let you try something new, or do something a different way and use the experience for personal development. Don't do something that bores you because you won't stick at it and neither side of the volunteering arrangement profits. Have fun!

If you read this and would like any more help or advice then email me mark dot p3rry at gmail dot com.

IT4Communities

Just over a week ago I started having a conversation (via the wonders of electronic mail) with Anne Stafford. Anne is the Programme Manager for IT4Communities, an organisation that works on "Introducing Volunteer IT Professionals to Charities Needing IT Help". I have mentioned IT4Communities briefly in a recent post and was critical of the charities that advertised through it and whom I made contact with - they either ignored me or didn't follow through. The IT4Communities website and service are both excellent though - it's very easy to register and start finding people and groups that need skilled IT help.

Anne made a couple of very interesting points. The first is that there is generally a mismatch between the number of volunteers and projects for them to work on - the former is larger than the latter. I experienced this when browsing the IT4Communities database looking for volunteering opportunities. There was nothing in my geographic area (the North West of England) that I thought I could assist with and ended up writing to organisations based in Bradford and Seacroft. But this is probably to be expected. I know from working with community groups in the past that time is the most precious commodity of all and there is generally none spare to invest in training or finding someone who might be able to help them out. So engagement from volunteers is the key - I received a staggering response from one email stating that I was offering my services as a volunteer.

The second point that Anne made was about the sort of volunteer help that is out there. I have thought that a good use of my time might actually be to set up some sort of matching service that places volunteers in the Warrington area with projects that would best suit them. On this subject Anne says "companies seem keener to
respond to team challenges not skills based work". It is quite often the case that companies only have access to a limited pool of skills too and these are off limits because they're busy doing what they're employed to do. This is a shame because community groups need skills too. IT4Communities find that "SMEs are
really responsive but the larger the company the harder it is to release
staff time". As a team leader in a largish company I would agree 100% with this statement - any organisation approaching me for a 'loan' of a member of staff would be flat refused because we don't have the capacity, especially following recent budget cuts. So SMEs are the way to go - and I think the spirit of entrepreneurship and individuality that small IT companies have suit community groups best.

If you're a volunteer or a group looking for help then IT4Communities is a route you should consider following. Here's their website - and Anne is happy to answer any questions you might have.

Using Wordpress as a Content Management System (2)

I got in touch with the Ridgway Ramblers and asked about their experience of using Wordpress as a CMS. Got a nice reply from them:

"I find wordpress quite easy to use as I have no background in this kind of thing. Loading photos etc basically work on the same basis as microsoft word so is very easy. I actually use the very minimum of the tools available on wordpress as I am so inexperienced. I am sure someone with more computer skills could do a lot more with the site than me."

This gives a bit more weight to my argument - it is possible for someone with a basic level of skills to use Wordpress as a CMS and develop an attractive and detailed website.

Volunteering with Community Groups (3)

I have had a pretty overwhelming response. After receiving little to no interest from organisations advertising on the IT4Communities website my mailshot has brought at least a dozen different requests for help. The work ranges from some simple IT support (uploading a YouTube video and installing Publisher) to improving website design or rankings to teaching some ASP.NET skills.

The response has shown there is a real appetite amongst community groups for IT support that they simply can't afford to buy in. I'm thinking about whether my time might be better spent trying to develop some sort of local network that hooks in IT companies in the area and increases the number of hours available. But maybe that's a step too far.

Using Wordpress as a Content Management System?

I was contacted by the North and Mid - Cheshire Ramblers Association after my name was forwarded to them by one of the community groups included in my original mail shot last month. They have already have a pretty good site but are concerned about keeping it running; the vast majority of the work has been done by one person and they don't want to end up with a single point of failure.

One of the common themes I noticed when I was having a look through the list of organisations seeking volunteers in the IT4Communities database was that a good percentage were all looking for help with Content Management Systems. This would either involve guidance on choosing the right one to use, or implementing one they have chosen, or making some changes to an content created through an existing CMS. I don't have much experience working with these types of packages and it's definitely something I want to explore further. But my initial thought was this: 'why not use Wordpress'.

After all, many modern sites are centered around blogs and everything else is arranged around the edges. And Wordpress is the biggest (and maybe even the best) blogging tool around. Because it's built on PHP / MySQL it's free, it's simple to install (hey, even a PHP novice like me can set it up). Many web hosting packages already have the option to install Wordpress onto a domain that you register (this is an option available to the NMCRA).

It comes with everything you need to create content out of the box - all the admin forms and security controls. Wordpress has thousands of themes that will make a site look professional, modern, stylish and colourful straight away. Lots of people use it so help is pretty much only a forum post away. And I'm sure with a bit of tinkering (either through widgets, or through some manual coding) one could modify the blog to include any other content necessary.

It looks like the Ridgway Ramblers in South Africa have taken this approach and developed a useful site chock full of photos and information. Hopefully NMCRA can achieve something similar - and maybe other community groups that are looking for a suitable content management system will consider this as a solution too.

Volunteering with Community Groups (2)

The 'mailshot' that I sent out on Boxing Day has received a lot of interest. I have already been contacted by half a dozen different organisations in the local area who are interested in getting some help. This probably means that I won't be able to get to them all straight away but I'm thinking about some other ways in which I could still help without devoting time to design / development work.

Volunteering with Community Groups

Today I sent an email to around 60 community groups based in Warrington to ask if they would like any help from me on a volunteer basis. I have tried looking for volunteer work before through the IT4Communities website but not had any takers.

I understand from working with community groups and small businesses on the Knowsley Community Tradenet project that time is the scarcest resource for the people who run these organisations and I hope that by offering my time and skills I can maybe help one or two IT - based projects get off the ground.

I took a list of contacts from the Warrington Community Information Directory.