Volunteer - Entitled to some expenses?

Gemmzie

In the title really, are volunteers entitled to travel expenses or any other expenses being covered?

dmg24

This would be at the discretion of the organisation that you are volunteering for. Some will provide for transport costs, some will provide a refreshments allowance, and some won't provide anything! x

wishiwasarichgirl

I thought the point of volunteering was that you are doing it out of the goodness of your heart? (ie for free! )

Bongedone

Yes I think it is discretionary. We have volunteers at my work place and they get a travel and food allowance.

Gemmzie

Hmm does working for LA make any difference?

ecoelle

Hi there, when i volunteered i got paid through an organisation called CVS don't know if they exist outside the midlands but i volunteered for an environemental charity and CVS paid my travel costs (petrol or bus fare) and also gave me an allowance for a first aid course and clothing i needed to buy for working outdoors
Don't know where you live but if you google CVS Volunteer it brings up the different cities where they have centres. Hope this helps

dmg24

Gemmzie wrote: »

Hmm does working for LA make any difference?

Only if they pay expenses for you doing voluntary work on your days off.

Some companies do ... x

Savvy_Sue

I work for a small charity, and we will pay expenses actually incurred by our volunteers. Some ask for it, most don't. But we don't want anyone to be unable to volunteer because they can't afford the travel expenses, the childcare, the supplies we ask them to bring for our clients (sandwiches and cakes).

We tell our volunteers this up-front, but it wouldn't surprise me if some weren't aware that they could claim expenses. However I can imagine that some voluntary organisations would either NOT tell volunteers that they could claim in order to discourage them from doing so, and others would assume that it was obvious that volunteers could claim expenses actually incurred.

I think that paying an allowance which does not reflect expenses actually incurred has caused some charities problems in the past, which is why a daily payment would not normally be an automatic part of volunteering.

Gemmzie

Thanks guys, that's pretty much what I thought, I just feel a bit shafted at the moment. I'm working between 0 - 12 hours a week in a volunteer role, going to meetings all over (between 10 and 60 miles away!) and not even getting travel expenses.
I love the job and the experience I'm getting but it's leaving me massively out of pocket with petrol etc.

LittleVoice

So are you going to say that - that you love what you are doing as a volunteer and happily give of your time but that you can't continue at the level you are doing unless they make at least some contribution to your expenses?

Savvy_Sue

Agree with LittleVoice, they can say "No we can't afford to pay expenses to volunteers" in which case you and they may need to part company soon, or they may be surprised that no-one had already told you you could claim, or they may need to go away and check the situation. But please don't just carry on feeling aggrieved!