A typical day out

The Task Leader

Each task has a Task Leader, who is an experienced volunteer who liaises with the client and directs the work to make sure we are doing what they want. The most important role of the Leader, however, is to make sure that all the volunteers have a safe and enjoyable time and it is the Task Leader who will help you out with any queries you have on your first task.

How your day will start

Once you have met up with us, if you are a new volunteer, the Task Leader will ask you to fill in your details on one of our new volunteer forms. By filling in the new volunteer form you become a member of LCV and are then covered by our insurance. If you are not a new volunteer then we will just ask you to make a note of your name on our task sheet.

Once we have everyone together (usually 8-12 people) we will let you know where you are going and how long the trip will take. We will then drive you to the work site in our minibus.

On arrival at the work site

When we get to the work site we will tell you when and where to get out of the bus and whether it will make sense for you to leave your bag behind (though usually it won't).

If we are meeting our client on site then we will try to get them to tell you a bit about the site and why we will be doing what we will be doing. If we aren't meeting with a client, then we'll try to give you this information ourselves but if you feel that you'd like to know anything more then don't hesitate to ask. We don't always remember to say everything.

There will be a task briefing and safety talk where the Task Leader will explain how we will be doing the planned work and tell you how to carry, store and use any necessary tools. We will highlight any sources of risk and make suggestions to enable you to minimize these. Safety is our priority and so that we can keep you safe you must listen carefully to this briefing and follow the instructions given. If there is anything you are not sure about then just ask. Finally, we will make sure that you know who the first aiders in the group are and, hopefully, remember to tell you what time lunch will happen.

When everyone is clear about what's happening we will go and get started. Our work is quite varied; you can see some examples of the work we do on this website. Pictures from more recent tasks are sometimes posted on Instagram or Facebook

Breaks

We always stop for lunch, and usually for a mid-afternoon break, but if you feel you need to take extra breaks then don't hesitate to do so. We supply free tea, coffee and biscuits.

At the end of your trip

At the end of your trip we will ask you to help us tidy up the site and clean the tools and we will then drive you back to central Edinburgh. We aim to be back by 5.30 p.m. but this can vary a bit depending on when we manage to get away from the site. The final drop-off will be in the vicinity of Princes Street but the precise location is dependent on traffic conditions (Edinburgh can be very busy even on Sundays) and therefore is at the discretion of the driver on the day.

Want to know more?
« How to book | Residential tasks »