Cheer for a Volunteer

My post titles are definitely getting worse. Hmm. Need to do something about that.

So, a few weeks ago I was bored. Very bored. Despite living in one of the most exciting cities in the world (as I am constantly told by people who don't live here and say they never want to) I had nothing to do with myself and, more unhelpfully, no money.



It was during an afternoon of this sustained boredom that I found a few sites asking for volunteers. Seeing more and more adverts for volunteers and "stewarding opportunities" it occurred to me that this would be great. I could meet new people, see some cool stuff and do something more valuable with my time than stalking people on Twitter and wishing they were my real-life friends. With nothing to lose I signed up to steward at the Secret Cinema and the Southwark Playhouse, generally help with Brixton's Oxjam (a day festival for Oxfam where bands will be taking over different venues in Brixton) and organise the South London Free Film Festival, which I have written about before.

What is immediately obvious from the above is that I was exceptionally bored and had momentarily lost my mind. How the hell was I going to help with all these events? I have a lot of spare time, but this was ridiculous.

In my defence I didn't think everyone would want me to help. I was hedging my bets. What I forgot was that if people are asking for volunteers they generally want all the help they can get. Shit.

So first piece of advice if you want to volunteer- be selective!

I went along to a meeting for the Peckham and Nunhead Free Film Festival (FFF), which was, slightly bizarrely, in the Centre for Wildlife and Gardening in Peckham. It was every bit as odd as it sounds. Nice, but odd. After talking to the lovely (and exceptionally organised) people at the FFF, I opted to steward at their events in September. One down three to go.

The Secret Cinema has been going on for about a month now and was just asking volunteers to do as many shifts as they could. I have wanted to go to the Secret Cinema since I heard about it last year, but couldn't bring myself to pay the required £20+. So, last week I did three evening shifts, stewarding while dressed in a boiler suit. I won't give away any details because there is still another week left, but it is very impressive. So that was completed in 72 hours meaning I could tick another one off the list.

I have done a trial shift at the Southwark Playhouse and am going to keep volunteering for them. They seemed to like me, which suggests if you smile enough and don't make smartarse comments anyone will hire you. Who knew? I can do a few shifts a month and get to see some amazing theatre. I feel like I'm getting the better deal out of this.

Brixton Oxjam were looking for help with marketing and publicity, which means you lucky people will be hearing a lot more about them running up to their takeover in Brixton in October. It mainly gives me an excuse to talk to lots of people on twitter about music and Brixton, which I like doing anyway.

I have done my fair share of work experience placements, but this is different. I happen to enjoy learning about arts organisations, but the main benefit is getting to experience these events from the inside and for free. One could argue I was also contributing to society etc but meh. That is neither here nor there. At our age I think, if you have the time, it is a great thing to do so get moving!

I have added links to all the aforementioned organisations that are always looking for volunteers, but here are a few other websites that list more varied opportunities-

Team London

Do-It

Greater London Volunteering

Volunteering England

And an old favourite, Gumtree (where I found Secret Cinema advert)

If you need more convincing to get up and do something, volunteering can be good when people ask if you have any hobbies. I haven't had hobbies since I was 14 and gave up the piano, but suddenly people seem to want to know what my "hobbies" are. I now have something other to say than "Um...see friends. Um...reading" which makes me sound like an eedjit.

Would you Adam and Eve it? A Bowl of Chalk that's Meryl Streep!

I would ask you to read the title aloud in a BBC Newsreader voice (not Hugh Edwards), and you get an idea of how funny it can be for me to use Cockney Rhyming slang.


In the Queen's English the title roughly translates as-

"By Jove! A jaunt you can partake in for less than the Earl of Bumpford's annual earnings!"

Or in simpleton terms (i.e. mine)-

"Would you believe it? A walk that's cheap".

This little tangent brings me to this week's offering courtesy of Bowl of Chalk, a guided tour, which promises to be like no other. Bowl of Chalk is Cockney Rhyming slang for "Walk", just in case that wasn't made clear in the previous ramblings.

The walks are a one man operation run by Jonnie Fielding who started the tours after "half-heartedly" looking for a job, but realised that what he enjoyed doing most was walking around London and talking to people about his city. So that's what he's done.

I should mention at this point that he has also got rave reviews from people like Time Out and isn't just one crazy man leading you down alleyway. None of us need pay for that. He has also, very kindly, supplemented information for this post.

The tours take place during the last three weekends of every month. There are three tours each weekend starting with one on Saturday morning at 10.30am going from Trafalgar Square to St. Pauls, then one in the afternoon starting at 2.30pm leading from St. Pauls to Monument. On Sundays there is a tour around East London starting at the more reasonable time of 11am and meeting at Old Street.

The walks are all-weather, last about three hours and you are simply required to email Jonnie in advance to book your place (do so here). This is just so he doesn't leave without you.

What is evident from his website is that Jonnie is not only enthusiastic about London and all its history, but the weird and wonderful stories that are hidden in its side streets and under its statues. He also promises that no two walks will ever be the same.

The majority of walkers are, according to our guide, Londoners, which (joyously) means there will be fewer tourists. There are some things everyone in London joins to complain about one is TFL the other is tourists.

I have been on pay-what-you-think walks before and I always then feel a little awkward at the end when I do have to pay. The reason Jonnie chose to run his operation like this is so that it is open to more people and anyone can go. He said that people have given him anywhere between £5-30 so it really is quite open.

So do your Barnet Fair, give your China Plate a ring on the Dog and Bone and go for a Jane Fonda along the Kermits of our fair Bobby Brown and maybe meet for a Ruby Murray at the end.

If you care to decipher the above then please go to the website "Cockney Rhyming Slang". Hours of fun I can assure you.

As you can tell I favour the words that use names. They just conjure up the best images.

Well I should be making Basement Jaxx (I actually can't stop) so see you me old mucker (that's not even Cockney. Oh just hush).