Spotlight on Josh

June 29, 2016

Josh became a guardian with us in early 2015 and has moved between 3 different properties in this time. His volunteering experience ranges from fundraising for WarChild at a festival to responding to emails from people with drug-related concerns with DrugScience. Here he talks about his latest venture:

ZSL Volunteering close to your home isn’t just convenient; it helps you feel connected to your neighbourhood. I can hop on my bike and within 10 minutes be elbow-deep in compost, planting veg in the Lincoln Community Garden. It takes the same amount of time to arrive at Bow Locks (where Limehouse Cut meets the River Lea), where I put on a life-jacket and get stuck in to one of the more unusual volunteering activities I’ve tried: Eel Monitoring.

It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. Eels escaping London’s waterways and entering the sewerage system need monitoring due to an unexplained 400% surge in toilet-emergence incidents. Their instinct to migrate upstream is unstoppable. I try to grab them as they enter the sewer overflow pipe but they are strong and slippery and I can only wrestle 4 or 5 at once.

In reality, I meet up with another eel monitoring volunteer and we record the sizes and numbers of elvers (baby eels, transparent and about finger-length) that come through Bow Locks as they migrate to find homes upstream. The project is run by the Zoological Society of London, with volunteers coordinated by Thames 21.

eels1 Eels are the giant pandas of East London. They’re critically endangered, having plummeted 95% of the way to extinction in a couple of decades. I could probably struggle on in a pandaless world, but it’d be tragic to lose the European eel. They are incredible. Each elver I measure hatched in the Sargasso sea and swam from the West Atlantic to the East End. After our encounter, they head on upstream, and could be as old as I am before they return through Bow Locks as metre-long adults. They’ll head back to the Sargasso sea, breed, and die.

Dot Dot Dot helps people like me hang on in London, it’s satisfying to help eels do the same.

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This week’s top 5 volunteering opportunities

May 30, 2016

The 1st-10th June is National Volunteers’ Week. Here are some opportunities to get you started:

1.Trust Thamesmead

Where: Various
When: Friday 3^rd June
Category: Gardening, Arts, Befriending, Sports
Commitment Level: Ad Hoc

Volunteer at one of four local Thamesmead opportunities in gardening, arts and crafts, befriending and sports. Contact Sarah Feleppa for more information and to pick up a volunteer pass. Email: Sarah.feleppa@peabody.org.uk or call 020 3828 4936.

2. The Wildlife Trusts

Where: Various
When: Various
Category: Conservation, Protection, Wildlife
Commitment Level: Ad Hoc

The Wildlife Trust are looking for people to help them to protect local wildlife. They have a variety of volunteering options around the UK which range from community gardening to species surveying. To find out more and to register your interest, click here.

3. Kith and Kids

Where: Tottenham (then Camp is residential)
When: Camp is 21st to 28th August
Category: Disabilities, Learning Difficulties, Camp
Commitment Level: High

Kith and Kids are looking for volunteers to support their members who have learning disabilities to take part in fun activities on their residential camp. To find out more about this opportunity, see here.

4.Heather Lodge

Where: Tower Hamlets
When: Various
Category: Befriending, Mental Health
Commitment Level: Ongoing

Heather Lodge is a supported accommodation service for adults with Mental Health problems. They are looking for a volunteer befriender to offer emotional support to a service user through weekly visits. If this is something that appeals to you, find out more here.

5. The Streets

Where: Various
When: Various
Category: Music, Community, Events
Commitment Level: Ad Hoc

The Streets is a dynamic programme aimed at bringing high quality music and performance to the boroughs of London. They are looking for a team of volunteers to engage in the local community through working in the boroughs involved in the activity. For more information and to register your interest, see here.

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Dot Dot Dot stands for property guardianship done well

We are a social enterprise which houses people in buildings that would otherwise be empty

We respect our guardians, selecting only the very best while supporting them to further the interests of their neighbourhood and to provide a high level of service to the property’s owner. This is a win-win-win for property guardians, owners and communities.

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Testimonials

“Living in a Dot Dot Dot property has enabled me to do much more volunteering and reduce my hours at my day job.”
David, Croydon
“I saw the advert for Dot Dot Dot and was intrigued to find out more. Initially it was the low cost that attracted me but I also thought the social enterprise side of the business was really cool. I liked the fact that being a guardian with Dot Dot Dot encouraged me to give back and make me do something good with my free time.”
Heba, High Barnet
“I was drawn to property guardianship because I wanted to live affordably in London which is pretty hard to do – and the volunteering aspect of guardianship with Dot Dot Dot really appealed to me as a way of giving back to the community.”
Carl, High Barnet
“It’s great because I often work from home. Because it’s a huge building you have you’re own space, but if you want to hang out with other guardians you can.”
Sarah, Whitechapel
“Being a guardian gives me the freedom to do good, invest time in work I believe in and be part of a fascinating community. It’s a no-brainer.”
Sam, Thamesmead
“As a property guardian with Dot Dot Dot I save £450 per month compared with what I used to pay on rent – that’s a significant difference.”
Josh, Poplar
Local people have been very positive. They like the fact an empty building in their neighbourhood is being used again and is being maintained.
Conor, Shoreham-by-Sea
“I love the idea that you are part of a community in such a large city. I like the fact we are allowed to be creative with the decoration of the flat and getting involved with local charities is something which I have missed doing over the last few years.”
Jasmine, Peckham
“It’s a really cool place – I can use it to work in like an office, and there’s already a great community.”
Pete, Whitechapel
“Being a property guardian with Dot Dot Dot means you do more than simply live somewhere. Instead, because you volunteer you really become part of the community. The best bit is knowing you’ve made a difference and have had a positive impact on those around you.”
Tim, High Wycombe