Volunteering is supposed to be a partnership, a shared effort where time, skills and goodwill come together to serve the community. At its best, it’s deeply rewarding. But when communication breaks down and transparency is overlooked, even the most generous of efforts can be left feeling taken for granted.
That’s the position we find ourselves in today, after offering significant time and expertise to support a local initiative to revive a much-loved community cinema space since April 2024. What began with enthusiasm and shared purpose, following a colleague’s conversation with the then outgoing mayor, eventually left a sour taste, not because things didn’t go to plan, but because of how decisions were made and communicated.
From the outset, we brought in wide-ranging business experience. Meetings were held, site visits took place, recommendations to get more than one quote for supply of equipment were made, options explored. We even queried a price of over £900 for the supply of wireless software for an overhead projector. We gave our time freely, believing we were shaping something with and for the community. But then following many series of radio silences and email prompts from our side, we were informed that the project was now being taken forward internally by staff who “wanted to give it a go themselves”.
It’s important to clarify: none of us has a problem with council staff exploring the project. But the way the handover happened was deeply disappointing. There was no conversation, no proper thank you, no acknowledgment of the hours already spent. Just a polite sidestep: thanks, but we’ve got it from here.
This isn’t about bitterness or territorialism. It’s about basic professional values: particularly transparency and respect. If plans change, that’s life. But volunteers aren’t passive extras. They’re stakeholders too, and should be treated as such. A simple, honest conversation would have gone a long way.
It raises wider questions. Why invite community involvement if decisions are made behind closed doors? Why present something as collaborative if the goal was always to internalise it? Transparency isn’t just about formal reports; it’s about how people are included, informed, and respected throughout a process.
The irony is, this could have been a real success story of community and council working hand-in-hand. Instead, it’s become an example of how easy it is to lose goodwill through avoidable missteps.
We genuinely hope the project goes well because local people deserve it. But we also hope, next time, the value of transparency won’t be treated as optional. Because if you want people to keep showing up and offering their time, trust needs to be built, not taken for granted.
Photo by Roman Synkevych
