5 Years of Volunteer Lockies
- Thread starter boatone
- Start date
oldgit
Well-Known Member
nice to see that the efforts of all the volunteers is being noted by the EA.Despite the odd hitch,things are mostly going on as usual and that real efforts are being made to keep things going despite some dark clouds heading in the direction of the EA.
Cuts to the DEFRA budget was mentioned on R4 last week.
Suspect the fun has only just started.
Cuts to the DEFRA budget was mentioned on R4 last week.
Suspect the fun has only just started.
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TrueBlue
Well-Known Member
Anything positive to do with raising the public profile of the Thames is A Good Thing as far as I am concerned.
Getting boats currently in marinas to actually use the River would be a start and attracting more users - including boaters is the next.
'Our' unique lock keeper service should be acknowledged and use as a visitor attraction alike to the Beefeaters at the Tower....
Getting boats currently in marinas to actually use the River would be a start and attracting more users - including boaters is the next.
'Our' unique lock keeper service should be acknowledged and use as a visitor attraction alike to the Beefeaters at the Tower....
prof pat pending
Well-Known Member
A few like this would draw the crowds
https://www.facebook.com/stephen.scottfawcett/videos/10202818791585281/
oldgit
Well-Known Member
You would need to install giant electro magnets at all canal entry points.
One tin slug firmly attached to each would be enough to jam the system.
bumperdump
N/A
Good on them.
Actionmat
Well-Known Member
I'd like to see the volunteers rewarded with the minimum wage, wether they want it or not. Definitely not all(some are useless IMHO), but some are absolute stars. There's an old boy at Abingdon with a Somerset(apologies to him if he's from somewhere else)accent and he is everything you'd want in a volunteer and more.
He even put a smile on my recently bereaved MIL's face and that was no mean feat.
He even put a smile on my recently bereaved MIL's face and that was no mean feat.
prof pat pending
Well-Known Member
He's a bloody star :encouragement: thought he was local though
(Some of us talk like proper bumpkins)
(Some of us talk like proper bumpkins)
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boatone
Well-Known Member
Slight problem with this
Unpaid = Volunteer.... Paid = Employee - i.e. no longer a volunteer. Don't think Mr Osbourne would be too impressed by EA adding an extra 2 or 3 hundred bodies to the government payroll !
Volunteers don't come at nil cost anyway - expenses, clothing, training etc all have a direct impact on the EA budget for the river.
And where would you expect the extra funding to come from ? Not enough cash in kitty to pay for everything that needs doing - including full time lock staff salaries.
Agree that volunteers come in several flavours but they are all volunteers and most of them, at least in my book, are stars. This summer I have made a point of personally thanking them for being a volunteer and was warmly thanked for doing so.
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oldgit
Well-Known Member
........add to this EA contributions to employee enrolment in pensions schemes etc.Slight problem with this
Unpaid = Volunteer.... Paid = Employee - i.e. no longer a volunteer.
How ever much you may wish to show an appreciation for what the volunteers do,unfortunately cash is not one of them.
Considering they are ALL volunteers, carping about the performance of one or two has already started to creep in.
Start to whinge after your name has been put on the volunteer list and you have done your bit, perhaps ?
Actionmat
Well-Known Member
Start to whinge after your name has been put on the volunteer list and you have done your bit, perhaps ?
Do F.O OG. It's hard enough to get good staff when you pay for them, some volunteers are clearly volunteering for the wrong job. I heard that from a Lockie by the way. Pay peanuts, get monkeys, pay nothing and....?
Chris_d
Well-Known Member
I think they have done a good job and I thank them for their time, they presumably love the river and want to see the river survive like the rest of us.
Of course there will be different abilities but the volunteers are easily identified so expectations can be adjusted.
Its the "experts" you have to watch for, I dread to think what it would be like if some members of this forum volunteered!
Of course there will be different abilities but the volunteers are easily identified so expectations can be adjusted.
Its the "experts" you have to watch for, I dread to think what it would be like if some members of this forum volunteered!
prof pat pending
Well-Known Member
Its the "experts" you have to watch for, I dread to think what it would be like if some members of this forum volunteered!
There really should be a like button on here
oldgit
Well-Known Member
Actionmat
Well-Known Member
May I refer you to post #12
oldgit
Well-Known Member
boatone
Well-Known Member
A bit insulting to all concerned, dontcha think?
Actionmat
Well-Known Member
Not at all. I referred to one superstar volunteer in an earlier post, so I think that mentioning one particularly bad one is fair enough. It's worth mentioning that the Lockies have no control over which volunteers they get as recruitment is centralised. As I also said, I got that info from a Lockie while on holiday, so it was straight from the horses mouth and not a whinge from the sidelines.
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Gavi
Well-Known Member
SWMBO loves volunteer lock keeping and really enjoyed the event today. It has given her a wonderful insight into the river and a different perspective to the one you get from boating. We are not all a pleasant crowd 
but the majority of us are fun
She'll be back again next year.
but the majority of us are fun She'll be back again next year.
Riverleak
Well-Known Member
Personally I think all the volunteers do a great job. On the whole they are helpful and polite and willing to give their time to help us enjoy ours. Why criticise ?
