Another Thames Volunteer request!

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miket

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I see that on the front of the IPC website there is a prompt from presumably EA now asking for "volunteer boatmen". " ..... must commit to specific days .....".

Perhaps we could have the whole river staffed by volunteers? Would we then be able to issue free licences?
Ah, silly me. We would still need an entire H&S and Training team to ensure volunteers are fit for purpose. Not forgetting HR to ensure all are properly selected and fully qualified. An Accounts department to administer/ pay all the staff who are administering the volunteers.

I didn't miss April 1st did I?
 
miket said:
I see that on the front of the IPC website there is a prompt from presumably EA now asking for "volunteer boatmen". " ..... must commit to specific days .....".

Perhaps we could have the whole river staffed by volunteers? Would we then be able to issue free licences?
Ah, silly me. We would still need an entire H&S and Training team to ensure volunteers are fit for purpose. Not forgetting HR to ensure all are properly selected and fully qualified. An Accounts department to administer/ pay all the staff who are administering the volunteers.

I didn't miss April 1st did I?
Click to expand...

See also the thread entitled: " 'ello, 'ello, 'ello; what's goin' on 'ere then "

:D
 
Thanks, Paul.

I hadn't read the other and not associated the theme from the title.

Despite B1's defence of EA, which is laudible, I don't agree.
Yes, they are underfunded and yes, they have been for years, but this is not the answer. Proper funding is.

Incidentally, I thought all but a very small nucleas of the Inspectors launches had been sold, so what are all these volunteer helms"people" going to helm?
 
miket said:
Incidentally, I thought all but a very small nucleas of the Inspectors launches had been sold, so what are all these volunteer helms"people" going to helm?
Click to expand...

The EA still own more than enough launches to patrol the river - staffing is the problem. I don't think they are looking for a large number of 'boatmen' volunteers as there are not that many employed enforcement staff to accompany them. Also, it is unlikely that all volunteers will be out at the same time.
 
boatone said:
The EA still own more than enough launches to patrol the river - staffing is the problem. I don't think they are looking for a large number of 'boatmen' volunteers as there are not that many employed enforcement staff to accompany them. Also, it is unlikely that all volunteers will be out at the same time.
Click to expand...

All the current boatmen have just been trained and will soon hold a Level 2 warrant.

Coupled with the current enforcement officers , i would imagine that there will be a pool of 25ish trained staff. They won't all be rota'd on at the same time though.
 
No answer

boatone Quote:
Originally Posted by miket
Yes, they are underfunded and yes, they have been for years, but this is not the answer. Proper funding is.

So where should this "proper funding" come from?
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Not claiming to know all the answers to all the problems of the Thames, I am happy to leave that to those who have access to ALL the information from which a sensible decision can be taken. Rather like any commercial decision taken by any commercial body.

The whole volunteer thing smacks of "fingers in dykes!"
 
miket said:
boatone Quote:
Originally Posted by miket
Yes, they are underfunded and yes, they have been for years, but this is not the answer. Proper funding is.

So where should this "proper funding" come from?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not claiming to know all the answers to all the problems of the Thames, I am happy to leave that to those who have access to ALL the information from which a sensible decision can be taken. Rather like any commercial decision taken by any commercial body.

The whole volunteer thing smacks of "fingers in dykes!"
Click to expand...



As B1 has said elsewhere, EA is constrained by government dictat where and where not they can raise extra cash. In essence that means there are virtually no channels other than from existing licencees.

Given that a takeover by a horseless CART is highly likely, EA are perhaps starting the trend by filling vacances with volunteers.


It's a crying shame, but if paying users sit on their hands as they do at the moment then CART will come in and sink up to it's axles (provided that there's any water)
 
More than meets the eye

I understand that the EA claims that by using volunteers it will save £80,000 on costs of summer assistants. What isn't quite so well known is they will have spent £150,000 on the recruitment, management, training etc of volunteers. A loss of £75,000! Like the freezing of Resident posts and renting of lock houses, this is all to do with CART and nothing to do with savings.
 
Incidentally, I thought all but a very small nucleas of the Inspectors launches had been sold, so what are all these volunteer helms"people" going to helm?[/QUOTE]

Perhaps, cycles and megaphones like the rowing nazis.:D
 
Have to agree with Honest John, very easy for the E.A. to quote cost
savings, but they never show the managing costs. I expect they don't
want to blow a hole in their management skills.
 
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