Douglas Bader once said, “Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of the wise.” I don’t believe this applies to Covid-19 and restrictions are in place for good reason. There are two in particular that affect volunteering; going to work and gatherings or activities.

Government advice remains that employees should work from home if they can. Those that must go to their place of work for essential roles may do so and employers will need to prepare a suitable risk assessment. It is true that when volunteering face to face the charity becomes the employee’s place of work for that day. But arguing this is essential is a little trickier. Going to Work Guidance

At the time of writing people should not gather outdoors in a group of more than six people from different households; gatherings larger than 6 should only take place if everyone is from just two households. Groups of six should not interact socially with anyone outside the group they are attending the place with. Splitting a team of twelve into two groups of six with different tasks taking place in different parts of a conservation area could be technically compliant but I wonder whether this would be considered wise or foolish. Gatherings Guidance

With so many excellent virtual team opportunities and even more fascinating opportunities for individuals we are advising teams to collaborate online until the restrictions ease. This has added benefits that colleagues from different parts of the UK or the world can work together towards a common goal. It is possible that restrictions on gatherings may lift when schools return in September, but they may be in place for some time. Ironically the more obedient we are, the quicker restrictions will be eased; that does not sound foolish to me.