Charity

When you are pounced on by a charity collector asking for money, or a donation to some worthy cause, it can be difficult to say 'No'. At least, for most people it is difficult to say no without feeling pretty damn selfish.

Then there are those who strike a deal with the supermarket, and perch on their seats in the foyer or entrance with their little tables covered with leaflets about how this child or that animal may die if you don't help them raise £50,000 to help the needy.

You walk in, and no-one says anything. You walk through the first door, fix your gaze on the second door, thinking this somehow makes you invisible, or at the very least, the fact that you haven't acknowledged their existence means it's not that you are a right stingy bugger, you just didn't see them!

Why should anyone have to feel guilty in that way? If you gave to every charity that asked or suggested that you should, or that your donation alone would make such a huge difference, you would be in need of charity yourself. It is not possible to donate to them all. I, myself, tend to reserve my donations for children's charities.

This said, I still try the 'I'll just pretend I haven't seen you' technique with the rest.

Last week, whilst exiting the supermarket with a loaded trolley, barely able to steer it with the use of both hands, I was approached, asked if I would like a leaflet, and before I had time to answer, the leaflet had been unceremoniously stuffed into my 'still clutching trolley' right hand.

Cheeky bugger, I thought, but hey, I had it in my hand now, I may as well read it right.

To my surprise, it didn't involve giving money to anyone. What they wanted was time. They were on a recruitment drive for volunteers.

This caught my interest. I have been considering trying to get involved in some sort of voluntary work for a couple of years, but have never been able to determine what kind of work I could fully ccommit to and give 110% to without pay. Working directly with the elderly just doesn't appeal to me, rightly or wrongly, it's really not my cup of tea, and I couldn't bear the thought of assisting in a charity shop for several hours at a time. So this leaflet was appealing.

What was it I hear you ask?

It was for the County Search and Rescue (Lowland) team. A voluntary organisation, that is mobilised via the coast guard, RAF and police forces with in the county to assist with the searching for missing, vulnerable people.

Just up my street. Interesting and challenging and helping to hopefully minimise distress caused to victims and their families at difficult times. Search and Rescue training together with general first aid training has to be completed before you can become operational, if you are accepted as a volunteer. I realise that sometimes, the SAR team have to deal with the not so pleasant results of a missing person, but life is all about balance, and I feel sure that the good results will far outweigh the bad.

Anyway, I decided to check out their website and then emailed the coordinator to see if working full time meant I would not be of sufficient use. Turns out, it's fine. So I have filled in all the relevant application, medical and vetting forms, which I put in the post today.

Fingers crossed.