Happy volunteers

In his article on Underbelly’s scheme to recruit up to 300 voluntary ‘Hogmany Ambassadors’ (Scotsman, 4 December), Brian Ferguson referred to the pilot volunteering programme run by Festivals Edinburgh and Volunteer Edinburgh during August this year.

As one of the 40 festival city volunteers, I can assure the critics that at no time did we feel we were being exploited. The group of 40 were drawn from a wide range of ages and abilities and motivation for volunteering was similarly varied.

As a group, we found fourhour shifts on the streets and in Visit Scotland’s Information Centre to be long enough both physically and mentally as we dealt with the many requests from visitors.

We were clear about our role as festival ambassadors welcoming people to the city and providing basic information and directions for the festivals and historic sites

We were not there to provide detailed tourist information or to act as stewards in pedestrian areas. There were paid staff employed to fulfil these roles.

Personally I found the experience of volunteering to be positive and enhancing. Several of our group have continued to volunteer at other events through the autumn.

It would be unfortunate if the recent negative media coverage results in detracting from the development of an expanded team of festival ambassadors for next summer’s festivals.

DONALD MILLAR Lussielaw Road, Edinburgh