The world turns, 2023 fades and 2024 moves into February.

This month has been cold but comforting. A gradual ease into a variety of different small projects has allowed me a little time to move out of my winter cocoon. I don't know if other people do this, but I find myself living and working in a smaller and smaller space in the house during the cold weather. Brighter days and a little time provide an opportunity to redress this, to return to some of the different places in my life that I enjoy.

I have new music released. The Fractals album track Resonance came out on the 26th of January. You can listen to all the released tracks here with the full album due in April.

A little bit of bad news on the music front. This week, one of my computers died. Fortunately, no material has been lost. I'm just waiting on a new (old) motherboard to replace the broken one. 

One matter that has been a constant throughout the last few years, and that has remained constant over the last few weeks has been my work for the British Science Fiction Association. As chair, there are always a selection of different projects and initiatives that I find myself involved in. We are a volunteer organisation, and as such rely on the goodwill and enthusiasm of those who wish to give us their time and energy.

I became chair of the BSFA in 2019 and am very proud of how the last four years gone. We've worked hard to build the membership numbers and revise some of the issues that were present back at the start. Under the constitution, authorised in 2020, I have until 2025 before I am required to step down as chair. Six years, two terms, is the maximum permitted for one person to lead the Association, and by that point I will certainly have done my time.

Volunteering for any organisation is a matter of personal motivation. Over the years I have assisted a variety of different initiatives, working with live role-playing organisations, church preservation organisations, canal heritage organisations, the girl guides, scouts, and many others, including the British Fantasy Society and the British Scene Fiction Association. I have enjoyed each experience, and learn something about the nature volunteering from the interactions with others of a similarly supportive mind.

My partner, Karen, is well versed and experienced in the management of volunteers. This is something she did as a profession for many years.

One thing that I have observed, is that the decision to be a volunteer demonstrates a commitment that can be stronger than a professional arrangement. I have worked professionally for organisations where I have also been a fan. However, it is important to note that the motivation of someone who is not paid for their time is a gift. It should never be confused with a professional, contractual arrangement. To do so denigrates the professionals who are in such a situation and also (arguably more importantly) diminishes the role of the volunteer.

Language when communicating with volunteers is incredibly important. It is easy to confuse some terms at times. Volunteers are not staff, they are not employees, and so on. Again this choice of language should not diminish their role or their given responsibility, but it should always be remembered.

Additionally, over the years I have seen many different organisations work with volunteers in a variety of different ways. Cultures are established by those that find themselves in leadership positions. The way in which we work with people determines our attitude and approach to the work that needs to be done. Positive communities focus around the positive results and the communal nature of volunteering. Individuals are not isolated, they feel connected and the day-to-day business of the organisation is communicated with an air of informal respect. Sure, being a leader gives an individual responsibility to make a decision, but that does not mean that responsibility needs to be impressed on the rest of the group.

Also, there is nothing wrong with volunteering to achieve something or gain something. It is perfectly acceptable for a voluntary position to be transactional. Suppose you want to learn something about a particular process, perhaps with the British Science Fiction Association that might be how to write reviews, or how to make magazines, or something else. A volunteer organisation can provide a really good starting point for gaining this kind of experience. It should be valued by a potential employer and provide a talking point in interviews or other assessments for new career roles.

Organisations that are run by volunteers aspire to provide a service or user experience that is comparable to what we call "professional". Applying this term can be a bit of an oxymoron. Some of the worst "services" I've ever received come from organisations that consider themselves to be professional. However, I know what is meant. By professional, we mean good.

Occasionally, people forget that organisations are run by volunteers. In my experience, when this happens, it is a good idea to politely remind them. This is particularly true in the world of genre fiction literature. Many conventions are run and organised by volunteers. Even the "chairs" or event organisers are essentially administrators, providing their services free and trying to keep the ticket prices as low as possible so as to ensure the event business pays for itself. 

In those situations, it is important to recognise the value of what you are getting compared to what you might get if the whole experience was paid for at every level. We all want to make events accessible and available to as many people as possible. UK events like Fantasycon or Lavecon would see ticket or membership prices rise by 300 or 400% to try and accommodate the necessary wages. I'm sure every organiser would love to be able to pay people well for everything they do for an event. But attendees just wouldn't come. A massive price rise would see whole communities destroyed.

When I volunteer, I give my time because I support something. I support its existence, and I want to spend some of my life working to further that existence and the values expressed by the thing that I support. To all you volunteers out there, I want to say that I get it. I see you and I want to value everything you do in your volunteering.

Being a healthy writerThis week I have tried to ensure I up my activity. The bright but cold weather has helped, in that I have spent quite a lot of time rebuilding, reorganising, and rediscovering many of the half abandoned projects of the last few years.
As the weather improves in February, I hope to get back into the summerhouse and continue the building project I started back in 2021. For those of you that don't know about this, I started work on a little house in the garden during lock down, and over the last few years have gradually built this into a cosy little place that I can exercise, work, rest and play in.
Pictured here is the space as it looked in May 2021, and below that how it looks this morning (28/01/2024)

My plan is to clad the exterior walls this year and do a couple of other fixes, but the space is ready and usable. Although, it currently gets used as storage.It has a solar powered electric set up with a battery and lighting as well. Last year I built a desk, put in a sofa bed and other furniture, including a little wood burning stove.Basically, it was built as a little house to get away from the usual surroundings without actually going very far. Out garden has a lovely little woodland, so you can sit at the desk and look out into that as you write.During lock down, I found working on the summerhouse was an escape from laptops and screens, which I sorely needed at the time. I could make something tangible and lasting that would add to my life. I guess there is a connection between that and volunteering. In both senses, you can feel a sense of tangible achievement.
In February, I am hoping to get the exercise bike in the summer house working again and to begin building the strength in my left shoulder. The muscle injury I had over the winter period has now healed sufficiently for me to start on this, so this next week will be a gradual process of trying to exercise and build muscle in this particular area.