Before the weekend a four things happen:

FRIDAY NIGHT

Finish any of the remaining food shopping and get to the basecamp as early as you can. Make sure you contact the warden if you have arranged to do so, and be ready to greet the volunteers. Please do introduce yourself to new volunteers and talk to them making them welcome - don't just ignore them. If you don't stay at the basecamp when you have opened up leave a clear notice of where you have gone, with directions of how to find it and a time when you will be back. NEVER leave the basecamp unattended and unlocked. We often meet at a nearby pub or once all at the basecamp head off to a pub. If any volunteer fails to arrive, try to find out what has happened to them.

Try not to leave people (or lunch!) behind and don't forget to lock the basecamp when you leave. If there is a minibus, the driver is responsible for checking that it is roadworthy. If not satisfied with the vehicle's condition do not use it, and explain politely to the warden why it is not roadworthy.

SATURDAY - WORKING

Get the warden to outline the task(s) to be done and why you are doing them. Once at the worksite there should be a tools demonstration and safety talk, usually given by the warden. Count the tools so you know what needs to be returned. Check where the First Aid Kit(s) is/are and ensure you know where the nearest (open) casualty department is. Accidents should be reported to the warden.

Try to mix experienced volunteers with those who are newer, and enable people to swap around if they want to, especially if you have to do one or two jobs that are more physically demanding than the rest.

Aim to have squash breaks at about 11am and 3pm and call lunch by 1pm, although do not stick rigidly to set times but base them as the work allows. In the winter we often have a slightly late luch and no afternoon bereak as we finish about 3 - 3:30pm depending on the light and temperature. Try to keep lunch to within an hour and tea breaks to within 20 minutes. You should aim to work to 4:30 - 5:00pm (or whatever the warden requires of you) to finish the job.

On leaving the worksite check all the tools and first aid kit(s) back in and leave everything safe e.g. turning bonfires in, clearing debris from footpaths.

SATURDAY - EVENING

On return to the basecamp, get the evening meal started and organise other domestic duties. After the meal, ensure that the washing up is done before people wander off to the pub. Remember that everyone joins in with domestic duties, so recruit people to help out. Remember that there are alternatives to the pubs, so do not expect everyone to go along. Some of these cost money so be sure the volunteers can and want to pay extra before you go ahead.

Now is the best time to ask for any outstanding money. Other expenses (e.g. electricity meters, minibus fuel) may need to be paid, and other income (e.g. membership fees) may need to be collected. Any volunteers who have booked late will have to pay you at the weekend (currently £8); as any credit held in the system cannot be used to cover late bookings.

SUNDAY

Adopt the same procedures as Saturday until lunchtime, and agree a packing up time with the warden which will allow everyone to get home by 6 to 7pm, more important when we are working further afield. Where possible, try to get the job finished to a definite stage by lunchtime. Don't forget to check the tools and first aid kit(s) - playing hunt the missing tool is not much fun but necessary - and leave everything safe. Do thank the warden, and hopefully he will thank us.

Back at the basecamp, Have a quick lunch, usually based on the leftovers of lunch ingredients or the previous evenings meal. Make sure everything is left cleaner than you found it. Get everyone to help.

If not done on Saturday don't forget to ask for any outstanding money before people start to leave. Also check that all passengers have got a lift back, as sometimes the arrangements for arriving on Friday are not the same as leaving on Sunday.

Pack up any spare non-perishable food items, such as sugar, teabags, coffee etc and make arrangements to pass them on to the leader of a forthcoming weekend. If another volunteer will be taking the food directly to the weekend, ensure that the leader receives a list of what to expect.

Thank everyone for coming and make sure they all get away alright.

Return the basecamp keys etc. as necessary.

Leading a day task is easier than leading a weekend, mainly because there is no food to organise - except, of course, your own supplies. Additionally, many day task leaders buy biscuits to help things go more smoothly.

Generally the other elements described in the manual apply to leading day tasks. New volunteers need an especial effort as there is less 'social' time. Please still return all the paperwork as noted above, as it is needed for Group records.

Send the completed Accounts Sheets, with receipts, to the Treasurer using the SAE provided, as soon as possible after the weekend. Please make a note if there were any problems with the Accounts or any outstanding amounts. Return any unspent funds (cheque or postal order) - or make a note if you are owed money. Remember to include late bookings and cancellations, and anyone turning up for part of the weekend.

GOOD COMMUNICATION between you and the other volunteers, warden etc. is the single most important attribute you need. Over the weekend it's important that we leave a good impression:

• with Trust staff by working well and happily,
• with the general public: upsetting visitors, neighbours or tenants of the Trust can do more damage than the whole of the weekend's good work was worth,
• with all the volunteers on the weekend: for instance if people want to sleep, do respect their wishes (especially after midnight).

NEW VOLUNTEERS are vital to the continuing success of L&WM NTV, and when they come on their first task it is important that they are not put off. They should be left with a good impression:

• That they were made to feel welcome on the weekend
• That they got to know people on the weekend and weren't left out
• That the weekend was well organised and they achieved something
• That they got a turn at all the different jobs on the worksite
• That they were involved in the social organisation (cooking etc.) of the weekend

Please do your best to help new volunteers feel involved. There will, of course, be a number of new recruits who find that we do not offer what they wanted and there will be those who are unsuited to the Group (and should be discouraged) and there will be those occasions where circumstances are beyond your control.

If you have any useful comments, whether they are constructive criticisms or new ideas, please pass them on to the committee. Thank you for leading and we hope that you will be leading again soon.

Last Revision: Febuary 2005