Volunteers to clean up the island

[Moghrey Mie]

I am pleased to hear this.

I hope they will pull the weeds and paint some of the bus shelters.

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/plans-for-volunteer-group-to-help-with-maintenance-issues-on-the-island/

[TheTeapot]

They might get a better response if people didnt feel like they were being shat on. 

[manxman1980]

26 minutes ago, Moghrey Mie said:

I am pleased to hear this.

I hope they will pull the weeds and paint some of the bus shelters.

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/plans-for-volunteer-group-to-help-with-maintenance-issues-on-the-island/

Will you be volunteering then?

[FANDL]

28 minutes ago, Moghrey Mie said:

I am pleased to hear this.

I hope they will pull the weeds and paint some of the bus shelters.

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/plans-for-volunteer-group-to-help-with-maintenance-issues-on-the-island/

These are services that very highly paid people in a government that we can’t afford anymore are already paid to provide surely? Painting infrastructure, cutting hedges, basic maintenance of infrastructure. The sort of stuff we managed to do in the 1970s when we had absolutely no money. If volunteers are now being sought to do this work as the people paid to do it are failing to do so despite being a huge drain on the public purse where will it end?

Maybe we could take the Bill Dale model one step further and form “Government Buddies” a volunteer civil service that would do all the other things civil servants are paid to do but which they are miserably incompetent at delivering at the weekend for free? Then they could have even more paid time off pretending to do their jobs? 

[x-in-man]

Great!   A refund on the rates we pay for this sort of stuff to get done .. that doesn't.  

[2112]

Will Ranald and his highly paid civil servants be donning overalls and equipping themselves with Triggers broom? I doubt it somehow!

This sounds like typical IOMG doing it on the cheap, and taking advantage of peoples good nature and desire to do good things within the community.

It’s sad that they are also aping Beach Buddies. 

Edited Sunday at 10:34 AM by 2112

[Thefella]

14 minutes ago, FANDL said:

Maybe we could take the Bill Dale model one step further and form “Government Buddies” a volunteer civil service that would do all the other things civil servants are paid to do but which they are miserably incompetent at delivering at the weekend for free? Then they could have even more paid time off pretending to do their jobs? 

I’d take the volunteer role of Mr Ralph’s at the weekend certainly. Because it would just involve sitting in a chair pondering whether my desk looks big enough or whether I should order a new one. I’d happily donate my time to that sort of important strategic work if it helped the Island out. 

[Jarndyce]

16 minutes ago, 2112 said:

It’s sad that they are also aping Beach Buddies

Why?  Specifically?   The whole premise is inappropriate - but why is this bit “sad”?

Edited Sunday at 10:49 AM by Jarndyce
Clarity

[Two-lane]

What is the cost of running the Destination First board?

[CATHYJAY]

I don't know about trimming hedges. But if these "essentials" are to be carried out by volunteers, presumably, there will be trimming of rates and funding for those departments responsible usually for these essential services??

[2112]

32 minutes ago, Jarndyce said:

Why?  Specifically?   The whole premise is inappropriate - but why is this bit “sad”?

Sad - it is riding on the backs of other people’s good work. It also says to me, that some people - namely highly paid civil servants quangocrats are totally devoid of original ideas, and also are blind to the problems of which this island is suffering. These people will set up a volunteer body, with direct involvement and approval of IOMG. 
 

If you look at Beach Buddies, when they get volunteers for beach/countryside litter cleaning, they normally take an hour to hour and a half to clean. I would say that some of the work which our quangocrats would be focusing on would take a longer period of time. 
 

No doubt IOMG would expect volunteers to provide their own tools? What about insurance? 

Edited Sunday at 11:12 AM by 2112

[asitis]

It will be great until Elf and safety get involved !

A prime example of the bloat that taxpayers are funding, and it's still incapable of carrying out basic services.

Edited Sunday at 11:13 AM by asitis

[Derek Flint]

I think that fundamentally this is a good thing. I used to cut the street verges outside my house on Grove Mount. Over here, I've just cleared two bin bags of detritus from our street. It looks better, and it serves to make a point. It's been easier to engage the councils and councillors in respect of addressing the wider matters, such as key repairs.

 

Some of those points made above are in respect of whether money is expended in the right places? That's an ongoing one, but in the meantime, the use of community service, and prison work parties seems like a positive move. And can these  schemes be used to create a wider sense of civic pride by engaging and motivating Communities? 

Back in my day as Inspector at Ramsey, there was a chap called Barry Butler-Smith. He corraled a lot of people into doing stuff around town, even painting shop fronts for people. He was great, and it made a difference. Communities really benefit from that sort of leadership but it's sustainability is key. 

Over time, it can change culture.

[Passing Time]

3 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

I think that fundamentally this is a good thing. I used to cut the street verges outside my house on Grove Mount. Over here, I've just cleared two bin bags of detritus from our street. It looks better, and it serves to make a point. It's been easier to engage the councils and councillors in respect of addressing the wider matters, such as key repairs.

 

Some of those points made above are in respect of whether money is expended in the right places? That's an ongoing one, but in the meantime, the use of community service, and prison work parties seems like a positive move. And can these  schemes be used to create a wider sense of civic pride by engaging and motivating Communities? 

Back in my day as Inspector at Ramsey, there was a chap called Barry Butler-Smith. He corraled a lot of people into doing stuff around town, even painting shop fronts for people. He was great, and it made a difference. Communities really benefit from that sort of leadership but it's sustainability is key. 

Over time, it can change culture.

Some would rather exhibit their negativity on here…

[Albert Tatlock]

Volunteers? What? ...they can't burn money fast enough?