Volunteering



Making the Thames Accessible

Volunteering Opportunities Volunteers crew the boat, help in the office, assist with fundraising events, boat maintenance and our Company Secretary is a volunteer. Between them in 2005 they gave 450 days of their time to the Project after undergoing training before the start of the season. We are essentially a volunteer organisation and without our volunteers we could not function. Our thanks go to each one of them for their time and devotion.
On board as crew


Fairs, Events & Open Days

Maintenance

In the office

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	A Volunteer’s Day on the Richmond Venturer
i	Arrival, 0900, cheery greetings from the skipper, mate and other crew. Time to stow gear from the foc’s’le and help prepare the Venturer for her passengers.
i	Decks to drench, cobwebs to clear, gas on, fridge and kettle on.
i	Clean towels? Clean tea-towels? Toilet rolls? Soap? Furniture appropriately arranged? Check that all is there for the clients’ comfort. Note anything that needs replacing.
i	Life-saving equipment placed prominently around the deck, ropes readied, gang-plank deployed and crew hand-book scanned again for reminders on fire safety and evacuation drill.
i	Orders from the mate, bow or stern rope handling today?
i	Together we’ve prepared the Venturer. She is ready to cruise. Together we enjoy a hot drink and await arrival of the lucky passengers.
i	Welcome aboard! Meet, greet, assist, help people to feel at ease. Perhaps operate the lift or guide passengers down the companionway.
i	Time for all to gather for introductions and the mate’s safety briefing to passengers in the saloon.
i	Clients make themselves comfortable, stow their lunch, get used to the galley, have tea and coffee and meanwhile, the Venturer slips out of her berth, all hands on deck. The trip has begun. The ribbon river opens up for us all.
i	Make tea for the skipper.
i	Assist the passengers on deck or to the wheelhouse.
i	Weather? Comfort? There are umbrellas to shade, rugs to warm, cushions to soften the hard seats, binoculars and books and leaflets, bird identification sheets. We are here to help.
i	Stories, so many stories and so much wisdom the adult clients have to share. Tongues loosened by the sights, scents, the gentle pace of the vessel, the sense of well-being. We listen, we learn.
i	And the children, bright faced and excited by the experience. What is this? What is that? Can I steer? Perhaps you may. Ask the skipper.
i	The locks loom. Skip’s view obscured? Passengers safe? Stand by the ropes ready to respond to directions. A smooth team effort.
i	If not, make tea for the skipper.
i	Time for lunch. Time to lasso a tree or take a bollard. No heroics. The ship settles, engine off, all assisted below for victuals. Or the table manoeuvred above, for the sun. A sociable time - sometimes lunches provided and shared by the clients excel. It’s a hard life.
i	Assist with the clearing. No obligation to wash up, but, well, there’s a desire to make this a special day for carers as well. It’s hard to resist.
i	Make tea for the skipper. Just to see the smile.
i	A gentle cruise back. The locks, rope handling, the satisfaction of skills in use. Chats with fellow crew members as the glittering river slips by. The Venturer belongs now to the passengers, familiar now with her companionways, lift, crew and facilities. They look relaxed, there’s a lot of laughter.
i	Into the dock, warps secure, gangplank deployed, assist the departure of the passengers.
i	Time for some tea…….. especially for the skipper.
i	Then swiftly, efficiently, clean below decks, stow ropes, fenders, life-rings and other equipment. A tidy ship, a tired, happy crew. Cheery farewells. Another dreamy day on the river.
	Sally Woodward, Volunteer
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Crew Training
Training is an important part of our work. It is largely undertaken by Miranda Jaggers, our Project Manager, with the help of specialist instructors for particular topics. We devoted nine days to crew training at the beginning of the 2005 season. This covered the running of the boat, safety and action in emergencies, and how best to look after our clients on board. In the spring 2006 staff and volunteers went to the National Sea Training College, Gravesend for Sea Survival and Fire Awareness training. On board the Venturer we also ran a series of certificated courses in First Aid, VHF Radio and Food Hygiene. In the spring of 2006 these were followed by a series of Disability Awareness workshops and our regular crew training programme.
Training on board

At Gravesend

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River Thames Boat Project Company No.: 3953201. Registered Charity No.: 1080281

Volunteering Opportunities

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Crew Training

Training on board

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