Volunteering is ‘intrinsic part of the community’
MORE than 730 new volunteers registered with the South Dublin County Volunteer Centre last year, 68 per cent of whom were under 35 years.
Ahead of National Volunteering Week 2019, people are encouraged to engage with the local volunteer service here in South Dublin County – which placed 370 volunteers into community roles in 2018.
Between them, the 370 volunteers generated more than 28,000 volunteer hours.
As part of National Volunteering Week 2019, information stands on volunteering locally will this May be staged in public venues across Tallaght and Clondalkin – with people encouraged to think about how volunteering impacts their community.
Between May 13 and 19, events will take place across the country to celebrate volunteers – and to show others how they can get involved.
According to Tricia Nolan, Manager of the South Dublin County Volunteer Centre: “Volunteering is an intrinsic part of Irish life.
“It affects us all whether or not we are volunteers ourselves.
“National Volunteering Week aims to showcase the scale of volunteering in Ireland and inspire people to volunteer but this year we want to go even deeper.
“We want to get to the heart of communities across South Dublin County and hear from volunteers and the organisations that involve them.
“Why do people volunteer and what can we do to ensure people who want to volunteer can volunteer well into the future?”
For those ready to get involved, volunteer centres and information services nationwide will host events including open days and information sessions, where people can find out about volunteering and learn about what goes on in their community.
The South Dublin County Volunteer Centre will be available in The Square shopping centre on Tuesday, May 14, from 10am to 2pm, The Mill shopping centre in Clondalkin on Wednesday, May 15, from 10am to 1pm and Tallaght Library on Thursday, May 16, from 10am to 1.30pm.
According to Ms Nolan: “We are also encouraging organisations and community groups to host their own events during the week whether it’s a thank you celebration or a simple coffee and chat with their volunteers.
“National Volunteering Week is the perfect chance to thank volunteers, share their stories and recognise the impact they have on organisations and communities across Ireland.”
With offices in Tallaght and Clondalkin, the South Dublin County Volunteer Centre was established in 1999, and provides a free volunteer placement service alongside a range of professional support, training and advice services.
Volunteer Ireland is the national volunteer development organisation and a support body for all local volunteer services and information services.
For further details visit www.volunteersouthdublin.ie or www.volunteer.ie.
