Volunteers to receive Freedom of County
VOLUNTEERISM is the backbone of communities and South Dublin Community Volunteers receiving the Honorary Freedom of South Dublin County shows that.
This Friday, volunteers that served on the frontline throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to help Ukrainian refugees who have fled the war will be honoured in a special ceremony at County Hall.
A delegation from South Dublin Community Volunteers, which has around 300 members, will be attending the ceremony.
“For the last two years, the South Dublin Community Volunteers under the South Dublin Volunteer Centre have gone above and beyond for the people in our communities,” Mayor of South Dublin, Cllr Peter Kavanagh tells The Echo.
“Firstly, they assisted in the running of the Covid testing centre at Tallaght Stadium and then with the vaccine roll-out.
“They went viral with the piano playing in the centre as people were getting their vaccines and they really made people feel at ease.
“As that was winding down, the Ukrainian refugee crises happened, and they jumped back into action.
“Every single time that Ireland has asked, the South Dublin Volunteer Centre answered the call.
“All of the community groups, Tidy Towns, volunteers, are what make the areas of South Dublin County what it is.
“The people in our communities make South Dublin what it is and I feel like the South Dublin Community Volunteers embodied that spirit like no other.”
The group is based out of Citywest in the South Dublin Volunteer Centre.
Fiona Sweeney started volunteering with the volunteer centre in early March 2020 at the Tallaght Stadium testing site and has overseen the groups activity as the Community Volunteers Manager.
Operations Manager in the volunteer centre, Mike Randall, believes that people give up their time for different reasons.
“Volunteering means something different to each person. People do it for such individual reasons,” Mike says to The Echo.
“Maybe you could have people coming to the end of their professional career or are entering retirement and are looking to keep their hands-in, doing something regular.
“Maybe, particularly during Covid, you could have people feeling isolated looking to help their community seeing different friendly faces.
“At the moment, we have a few Ukrainians involved looking to help their community. “Volunteering could be giving some people something to be getting up for and you’re being productive then with your day.”
The Honorary Freedom of the County is the highest civic honour that can be bestowed upon an individual by South Dublin County Council.
The honour is reserved for those who have made exceptional or unique contributions to the common good or to persons who have made outstanding contributions to South Dublin County.
“We really are so honoured that the Mayor has seen fit to recognise the work that has been done by the volunteers,” Mike continues.
“Nobody puts their name down to volunteer thinking they’re going to be up in County Hall receiving the Freedom of South Dublin County, but it is such a huge honour.
“And that’s on the behalf of everybody, including the volunteers themselves and all the people working away in the background on things within the community.”
Those interested in giving up their time to volunteer can visit i-vol.ie website or the South Dublin Volunteer Centre HERE.
