From a comment thread about work ;

"When doing volunteer work at Juniper Communities York in the '80s, working with learning disabled men , they were called mentally handicapped then , I got paid in kind with meals and some beer money thrown in . They offered straight cash sometimes but I couldn't take money from a charity. Went busking instead for readyolas. Two old friends from the Dales working at the unemployment office used to sign me on. In Richmond 70s to 80s some people working when signing on was sort of accepted because people got jobs done cheaply and well. I saw my work at Juniper , when signed on as "work" and so did they. I told the dole office exactly what I was doing. Good times. I miss the learning disabled men sometimes and they taught me how to love and were a big influence for raising my lads in an organised way . Maximising human potential and having a good time as well . Thats what its all about !"

" The above got me thinking at the time " Why doesn't society pay me directly for doing what was a full time job" . I got lots of pats on the head from the Juniper Management Committee folk and was given big responsibilities for the men like taking them out on a river cruise boat for a week, just me and three of the guys up the River Ouse , locking into the Ripon Canal and back. No supervision , no risk assessment but a lot of fun . I still disagree with volunteering . Everyone should be paid because that is proper work. It will come ."