A PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW
I took on the role of Volunteering Officer because I fundamentally believed that Naturism is beneficial to all and there was so much more that could be done, if only we had the volunteers that could make things happen.
I have recently been looking back over the last 60 years of BN for an article to be published in the summer issue of the BN Magazine. It has been an interesting voyage of discovery with so many great initiatives started and so many volunteers involved. But I also got a strong sense that we had not achieved our full potential. Over the years we have had so many good initiatives started but not completed because of changes of direction, lack of resources, and a failure to prioritise. During that time many willing volunteers have become overloaded with work and been unable to carry on.
This is common in many volunteer-involving organisations and hopefully we have learned the lessons. Creating less demanding roles can help – such as having Regional Events Officers responsible for different types of events (garden visits, naked dining etc.) and creating Teams. Teams are important. They enable people to work together, share ideas and responsibilities, and support one another. This approach is working and we have more volunteers than we have had in a long while.
As I journeyed through the last 60 years, I could not help but reflect on the commitment of all these people who had given their time, skills and energy for the future of Naturism in Britain; many of them whilst still managing a job and family life. Many of the contributors to the magazine articles I read were active in the organisation and some of those volunteers are no longer with us. But we should remember them and value their contribution to getting BN to where it is today. They were the ones making history.
You can help make history by volunteering with British Naturism and contributing in some small way to the next 60 years of BN’s history. Don’t leave it to others to make that happen – if you can help in anyway, please do volunteer and lend a hand.
BECOMING A VOLUNTEER
Want to volunteer but don’t know where to start? Volunteers’ Week is a great time to find out more.
There are all kinds of volunteering roles and short term or micro volunteering assignments you could do.
To find out more about British Naturism’s volunteering programme see the volunteering pages on our website.
To register as a BN volunteer, or to register your interest in volunteering with British Naturism, visit our Volunteer Connect platform, which is part of the BN website (Members Area > Volunteering > My Volunteering Profile). Alternatively, use the direct link.
It will take you less than two minutes to create your own volunteering profile (perhaps a little longer if you want to add content to the text-free boxes). Once you have completed and saved this you are registered as a BN volunteer.
When you use our Volunteer Connect platform you will be able to access guidance on becoming a volunteer (if you are new to volunteering), view our volunteering opportunities and apply for them online, manage your own contact details, download guidance, read our latest volunteering news and share your views through the BN Forum.