I’ve tried that one before, but as far as HMRC are concerned for each source of PAYE income you have a separate normal place of work and commute. I’ve tried arguing that the stations I visit are, by default, temporary as they change with each posting or promotion, but they have a completely different interpretation of permanence to that of any native speaker of the English language.
It’s not a place of work or a commute, its travel for volunteering 
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Definitely this one for me.
Duty starts as soon as present at the same plavebthe Cadets will be or in the case f shootomg moving OME at arrival/departure of main gate of parent station
Back in the day i wpuld do a 12 hour day forbwing shooting.
Leave my house
30 minutes commute to station
(Now.on duty)
Pick up MT
Pick up OME
Travel to long range location
Take part in the days shoot.
Leave range
Return OME
Return MY
Depart parent station
(Now off duty)
Travel home
Arrive home
There was one hour of travel in the day and about an hour either end of the day for MT and OME (30mins each)
Plus an 1 hour total travel to/from the range. Of the “9-5” range day (ie 8 hour day) i claimed the full 12 hours.
Yet as you aren’t commuting, car insurance companies will normally require business cover for journeys to / from home / military (or cadet) unit.
On motor insurance policies, commuting is only to a single place of work. Any travel to another office / branch / location is business travel. My civilian employer covers us on their insurance when on business travel, so we don’t need business insurance, but I have to have it anyway because of the MOD.
Different insurance companies have different interpretations so it’s always best to check with your company.
Last thing you want is that you have an accident & find your insurance company withdraws cover as it doesn’t fit their definition of commuting or social/domestic
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Similarly, when I’ve explained to some insurers what the business insurance is for, they’ve said I don’t need it.
abiguidevolunteerdrivingmotorinsurancecommitment2025.pdf https://share.google/isb0wduKZMHJYSPSo
I post this each time the topic comes up.
Most (the vast majority) indicate that volunteers do not need business mileage included on their policy for volunteer driving
The MOD ask for it to cover themselves but talk to your insurer about it and they’ll highlight its not required
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Electronic VA claims.
Ace.
That is all.
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Agreed. I was very impressed by how easy it was and I’m very grateful to whom ever took the time to do it.
Classy move actually putting positive stuff on VoV!
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Glad to hear HTD and 1771 is on the way too! That’s what I’m more looking forward to!
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I think it’s really important that I’m consistent with both what I challenge and what I praise.
And it’s not performative either. I really mean it. They’ve done an awesome job with it.
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Whilst VA is a peculiarity of a type of CFAV service, don’t forget that a multitude of international companies have been using expense software / apps such as Concur for donkey’s years - RAFAC & others are just playing catch up.
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Not sure if any are better than the others, but had to use Concur extensively for previous aviation company & CAA - pretty simple once you had the basics sorted.
I love the way you can just photograph receipts and it reads and categorises them. Ours is also linked to our corporate credit cards and matches claims to card transactions.
I’ve just joined St John Ambulance - 3 weeks after start date I went on a weekend course, put in my expenses for travel (45p per mile) and approved on the same day. We are defintely playing catch up.
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You’re lucky.
I called time on leading my SJA unit in Hull because I was so frustrated by the organisation not doing anything to help but putting so many barriers in place.
They’ve made it so difficult to transfer to the youth unit as a youth helper that I think I’ve lost interest now.
I was hoping to take my kid when he’s old enough but I think we’ll be finding something else to do together!