Do have a cuppa vs bog off and make it yourself

I've never worked anywhere where there was more than one coffee/tea break in the morning, ditto in the afternoon!

With all these variations of refreshments they are taking advantage of a volunteer. You're not there to attend to their whims - perhaps one break with tea, coffee or water.

Who is funding all these variations of drinks four times per morning - do they bring in their own or does it all come out of charity funds?

It would not seem to be best use of your time nor of theirs, especially if they are paid, not volunteers.

The more I hear about how some charities are run, the more sceptical I become about the paid employees.

I’m afraid I wouldn’t put up with that, I’d be off, you volunteered As an admin person and not a tea lady!

I can remember many years ago when one of the men in the office I worked had a visitor and I was told ‘get us tea’. I smiled as sweetly as I could whilst seething, made the tea and took to them on a tray and gave a cup to the visitor and held the other cup and saucer just out of reach and asked if he wanted to drink it or wear it! His face was a picture, I then packed my stuff up and left the job. He was doing the same job as me, almost certainly paid more being male back then. He was always rude, sometimes crude and That day I had just had enough.

Volunteers are the backbone of Charity shops and the sooner paid staff realise this the more plesent working conditions will be.
I managed a well known Charity shop first as a volunteer and then as a manager my staff where very important to the running of the store.
When we opened every morning I put the kettle on and whilst we opened up the store we discussed what tasks we where doing that day and enjoyed our cuppa,after that staff where allowed to boil the kettle when they wanted.

I worked in an office where they expected tea on tap and me to make it! Was young and shy but dug my heels in and refused to make more than my fair share.

I have volunteered in a charity shop now almost 16 years, and as soon as we arrive and begin our ‘shift’, the manageress makes us a cup of tea/ coffee. Then again at 3 pm, we get another. I do wash up, if there is any to do, but it is my own choice, I have never been asked to do it.
We all have a lovely working relationship with each other, and many have become real friends. What a shame that some paid staff do not value their volunteers.

I volunteer for the Alzheimer's society and my team leader always asks me if I'd like a drink I as soon as I walk in. I know they are often looking for admin volunteers!

I think if I was to spend so much time making tea, I'd rather be doing it in a care home, for the residents.

Tell them

( I give up)

if there was no tea available

I can't see how making tea for the regular staff helps a charity. Would they really be unable to do their jobs if there was tea available.

Let them make their own tea. Telling you are doing admin. Nothing more. You are not a servant.

All I can think is that four cups in a morning is excessive!
I just hope that their was more than one toilet...

If its in the job description, which presumably you saw when you joined, then you should just do it. If that's beneath your dignity then find another voluntary job.

If it's in the office procedures I don't suppose there's much you could do about it although 4 times in a morning seems excessive.

Is it possible to have a chat regarding the amount of time you spend doing this on an average morning ?

If tea lady / office work is the job title and you still want to do the work then lovely, but if not, I would politely explain that it's not best use of your skills and their resources.

1 person taking avg 5 minutes x 4 occasions per morning vs
1 person taking avg 20 minutes x 4 occasions per morning.
Not counting the time spent collecting cups and washing up of course.

If they can't see it from your point then perhaps you need to find somewhere else to volunteer.

I worked as a volunteer in a charity shop. I had worked in a bank for 19 years so the manageress was happy to leave me in charge of the till. She always used to bring me a cup of tea and I know I was valued.

I think if one of the reasons for taking on a volunteer is to provide this tea service, then it is a valid thing for you to do. Maybe the managers prefer you to do it so that the others remain at their desks and get on with work.

?? Just how I feel nannarose
Having said that I m lucky as my manager makes my cuppa as often as I make hers We just all muck in and although she is about 45 year my junior she does everything everyone else does and yes I feel very valued
Lucky eh

Personally, I would be quite happy to make drinks if I thought it helped everyone else get on and do their work better. However, sounds as if that's not what you signed on for.
I think that if you are committed to the cause and / or otherwise like the people and the office, then talk to the manager and say that you are offering specific office skills, and if they can't make use of them, then you'll go elsewhere. otherwise, I'd just leave and look for something else.
At the moment, I only volunteer in all-volunteer settings.

Another one here who gave up a voluntary job as I felt like nobody.
They were all professionals and boy did they know it.
One of my jobs before I left was to ring up other people who had volunteered to ask them to come in for an interview.
I am not being snobby when I say some of them wouldn't last two minutes and if I , a confident, educated person felt talked down to and unworthy, I don't know how some of them would fare.

About 15 years ago part of my role was to supervise volunteers who were welcomed, valued and always included as an equal part of the team. None were ever expected to make drinks. As they settled in people would offer to take a turn at making a drink along with the rest of us. Very different to a requirement. I’m saddened that there are organisations who treat volunteers poorly.

Beckett I always felt volunteers should be appreciated and feel valued but my experience and yours shows that’s not always the case. What a shame.

I assume there is a manager - have a word, tell them you signed on to do admin, not make tea. I volunteered in a charity shop and found those actually employed treated me as if I was of no importance, unless they wanted to nip out for some shopping in which case I was often left alone in the shop, using an electronic till which I had not been trained on.

Use " crap-a-lot " tea bags, courtesy of the joke shop. Senna pods in the coffee for extra taste.

I did a day every week in an Age UK day centre for nearly a year before I gave up. I was the only volunteer and the paid staff only ever spoke to me when issuing orders.
Had looked forward to being treated as one of the team and valued as a volunteer. I felt I was treated as a skivvy by all of them.
When I left I told the least hostile member of staff why I was not coming back. She agreed with me and said she had another job and was also leaving.
No one ever contacted me to ask why, or perhaps even to thank me. Very disappointing experience.
Having learned my lesson, I would definitely not do the teas.

Never worked like this we all make for each other or for ourselves if no one else wants one However I guess perhaps it’s always been the volunteers job in that place of work you are now working in
When I volunteer I expect to be asked to do whatever they want me to do whether it’s sweeping up, making tea, or doing what the paid staff do
Nothing wrong with making cups of tea,it’s an important job keep the staff happy ...you are Maggie or Alice now ??

If I had to make tea for ten people four times during a morning I would never get any work done! In your shoes I would be saying to the appropriate person that you need another volunteer to come in just to do the tea/coffee round as you are unable to get on with the work you volunteered to do. It sounds completely daft to me.