Remember this post where I told you about a meeting I had with the Chief Executive of a performing arts academy who was interested in having me there as a volunteer? And then, remember this post where I described my first day and how I had to complete a full marketing audit? Two weeks later and I was still hard at work being given tasks and various bits & pieces to complete – it wasn’t all that bad. I liked Chiefy – she chatted to me about her family, and seemed a very nice boss. And then I received an e-mail off her a couple of weeks ago which simply said…

I’ve decided not to work at **** beyond my initial contract which finishes shortly.

“What a shame!” I replied, before continuing on to wish her well and all the best for the future. She told me I needed to report to the deputy manager who hadn’t given me the warmest of welcomes when I’d first started. It didn’t matter though, surely it’d be fine? Cue me at 11am this morning screaming down the phone to my mother – a conversation which involved lots of expletives and even more furious sighs and various other animal noises.

You see, I walked into Deputy Managers office this morning with my laptop and notes all ready to go and she simply said, “Can I help you?” She looked at me as if she had no idea who I was, and I told myself it was because I hadn’t been there for 4 weeks, she probably forgot. No, it was more of a, “Why-are-you-here-you’re-not-meant-to-be” sort of look. You see, Deputy Manager had no idea Chiefy had told me to report to her. She thought that because Chiefy had left, so had I. Well, just a case of bad communication then – it’s fine, I’ll sort it.

Five minutes later I was walking out of the building with no placement, and absolutely zero respect for that woman. She told me, in the nicest harshest possible way, that they didn’t have time for me and that I was partly to blame for Chiefy’s contract not being renewed. Woah woah, hang on a second. I’m not Donald Trump, this isn’t The Apprentice – I’m here as a volunteer, not an office politician. Apparently none of the other employees had agreed with Chiefy when she suggested they take me on and I, basically, wasn’t wanted anymore. I actually felt like I had been sacked, like I was in the wrong.

And she chose to dispose of me on the morning that a local funder e-mailed me telling me that he was very interested in giving £20,000 to the Academy to help provide disabled access. What’s that? You want me back? Sorry, I just declined the offer.