The Daily Echo 5 December 2007

Written by Sandra Gidley MP on Thu 6th Dec 2007

Last week we had AIDS awareness day. There were events at the House of Commons but the subject does not appear to be as high profile as it has been previously and whilst those connected with the subject wore red ribbons it was quite noticeable that, compared with a few years ago, few members of the public were sporting a red ribbon.

It could be that we now have ribbon fatigue because there is a new ribbon or badge to wear every week. In my office I have a white ribbon for domestic violence, pink for breast cancer and a blue one for testicular cancer. When Madaleine McCann went missing we were all exhorted to wear yellow ribbons.

As well as the ribbons I have a fine collection of badges and flowers, each one supporting a worthy cause. In many cases the sales of the badges create a useful income stream for the charity concerned but their usefulness in raising awareness of any particular good cause is diminishing rapidly. But could the plethora of ribbons and badges also be covering up for the fact that fewer people are becoming engaged in charity work? It is easy to buy a badge and salve ones conscience than to commit a regular period of time on behalf of a particular cause.

A nice aspect of my job is visiting voluntary organisations and charities. I am constantly amazed by people who have worked quietly for such organisations for years with no thought of reward. There is another theme emerging which gives cause for concern. Many older volunteers tell me that they feel that they cannot give up what they do because the younger people are not coming forward to fill the gaps. Many women work and have less free time to devote to volunteering and the pressures of the work place put added stress on all those who are keen to keep their jobs. The combined effect is that people feel they have no spare time to give to others.

This phenomenon is particularly worrying as society is increasingly reliant on the voluntary sector (I'm old fashioned - I don't like the politically correct term "Third Sector") to provide support services.

I have done a lot of voluntary work and I have never understood the reluctance to get involved as the personal rewards are great. So, next time you salve your conscience by reaching into your wallet to buy a charity badge, think how you might be able to donate something more precious. Your time.

Published with kind permission of the Daily Echo