Not in gainful employment? Actually I'm a citizen volunteer, Mr Brown.

28/10/2007

I was looking at an article issued by our government the other day about unemployment figures. It interested me as it had a paragraph on white males over 55 years old. Apparently this is now a group that has a very high unemployment level. But to fiddle the figures it has been split up into ‘unemployed’, and ‘not in gainful employment’. I assumed this meant those who were not in a job - but was very annoyed to see that as I will not be 65 until 2012 it included people such as myself!

I am classed as ‘Not in Gainful Employment’ because I retired at 56. The fact I worked hard from the age of 15, which included serving my country in the RAF for 22 years, then serving the public of Bedfordshire as a police officer for 15 years, and paying 14% of my income (the maximum then permitted) into a pension fund does not count.

I currently ‘work’ as a ‘volunteer’ on many projects - the main one being the Leighton Buzzard Railway. There I look after and cut nearly six miles of hedges, sweep platforms, assist in the shop, café and ticket office, help maintain the station buildings, painting and repairing vandalism. I am one of the uniformed guards you will see on the trains looking after the 25,000 annual visitors safety, where both the train service and training has to comply with the same rules as main-line railways.

Look carefully at Father Christmas as it might be me. I am a researcher for the Bedfordshire Museums Trust, where I carry out recordings of oral history of our local sand industry employees (before they all fall off their perches.) I am on three ‘Classic Car’ club committees (all MG models) where I am an ‘expert’ in charge of giving technical advice via the internet web sites to owners all over the world. I write technical articles for vintage and classic car and motorcycle club magazines, and answer queries.

I cycle and am a SUSTRANS assistant ranger looking after the cycle path (route 6) through the Sewell Greenway cutting, clearing the pathway, cutting back vegetation and removing rubbish. On top of this I carry out handyman jobs for my large number of relatives, decorating, tiling, loft insulation, fence painting, etc. whose ages range from my 26 year old daughter to my father-in-law at 93. As relaxation I garden and maintain and service my collection of old motorcycles and cars, and my wife’s Rover Metro - as well as being a member of my local U3A and all they offer.

But, as I do not pay any income tax on earned income (other than my pensions) I am classed as “Not in Gainful Employment” until I am 65. This is blatant ‘pigeon holing’ as I think there should be another classification as ‘Citizen Volunteer’. This would include all of us who are very gainfully employed AS UNPAID VOLUNTEERS in supporting all this countries thousands of charities, tourist attractions and the like. I am certainly not ‘unemployed’ but am in very ‘gainful employment’ contributing towards the wealth, entertainment, education and well being of my fellow citizens.

How many of you are "unpaid volunteers" whom the government has written off as useless?

Neil Cairns, Leighton Buzzard