Member Article

UK volunteers asked for their views on regulations

Volunteers from across the country are being urged to speak out against uncaring officialdom, but also to give credit where credit is due if someone has been really helpful.

The Government is urging anyone involved in volunteering, from a jumble sale to organising a Jubilee party, to a three-peaks challenge, can feed their experiences, good and bad, of dealing with local authorities and other regulators as part of the Focus on Enforcement campaign.

Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk said: “Volunteers are the unsung heroes of communities in this country. But dealing with the way rules are enforced can sometimes be more of a problem than the red tape itself – no one volunteers to be a bureaucrat.

“So, whether it’s an inspection by someone who won’t listen or having to fill in the same form twice – we want to hear about it. I urge you to go to the Focus on Enforcement website and let us know your views so that we can take action.

“We know there are good regulators out there, so we also want you to tell us on the website about the heroes – people who give really good guidance and help your event to happen well and safely. This is your chance to make a real difference to the way regulations are enforced.”

Comments can be posted anonymously, and some of the questions the campaign aims to address include: do you want to do something locally but you daren’t because you might be breaking the rules and regulations? What sort of advice would help you run your event without worrying about whether it meets health and safety? If you already organise a volunteer event, do you get useful help, and if so where from, or do you keep quiet and hope no one knows?

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .