West Somerset Railway General Discussion

That's a very odd way of looking at things. What the volunteer is doing may actually incur costs but in any event the paybill is part of what it takes to deliver the charitable purposes in the same way as the electricity bill. The thinking behind that comment is a good example of the damaging us and them attitude. Employees are just as integral to achievement of the charitable purposes as the volunteers.

 

And 99% of people would regard your attitude to volunteers as demeaning, insulting and negative.
How’s your policy of lots of paid staff working out for the NYMR?

 

Volunteers are vital to the success of most heritage railways but it’s not demeaning, insulting or negative to recognise that the same is true of their paid staff. Both should be valued for the contributions they make.

 

Volunteers don't get paid, not because they're worthless, but because they're priceless.

 

In general, paying staff is not the purpose of the charity but a means to the end. If that end can be met using volunteers, it will generally be possible to achieve more towards those purposes than if the same work has to be paid for.

As with everything else, there will be exceptions where continuity or skills require paid staff. My own trustee experience is that these are limited and, where resources are limited, the best value is achieved in hiring enablers rather than doers.