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70% of those affected by downturn are more likely to volunteer
September 6th, 2011: People across the country were today rallied to get involved in the National Day of Volunteering which takes place on Friday, September 30th.
Last year more than 8,000 volunteers participated in hundreds of charity and community projects across the country – and an even bigger number is anticipated this year.
Research carried out by Volunteer Ireland in advance of the National Day of Volunteering has found that being affected by the economic downturn makes people more likely to volunteer.
Among respondents who were either not working or working less as a result of the recession, almost 70% (69.2%) said that the change in their employment had made them more likely to volunteer.
The research also found that what people most wanted from the organisation they volunteered for was to ‘be accepted as a valuable team member’ (48%), followed by receiving ‘feedback about their contribution’ (19%). Only 1% of the 500 respondents said they wanted public acknowledgement of the volunteering work they did.
Almost half of respondents had third level qualifications (47%) and of those the most common field of study for volunteers was Arts and Social Sciences at 35%, followed by 20% from Business, 9% from Marketing & PR, 8% from IT and 7% from science. Interestingly, the majority of those surveyed responded that they were not volunteering in an area related to their studies (62%).
Volunteer Ireland CEO Dr. Yvonne McKenna said that the survey was reflective of a growing particpiation in volunteering in Ireland and she highlighted the National Day of Volunteering as an opportunity for more people to try something different, have good fun and bring benefit to the community.
Join a world record attempt
The flagship event of this year’s NDV is a national ‘Kint-a-thon’ which will see hundreds of knitters across the country attempt to break the world record for the most number of people knitting simultaneously.
Dr. McKenna said: “the theme of this year’s campaign is to ‘stick to your knitting’ – that we harness our most natural resourse, the instinct to give time to others. To register to take part in the knitathon, to find an event in your area, or to register your own event, log on to www.volunteer.ie.”
This year’s event marks the 5th annual National Day of Volunteering and is being supported by Pfizer, Irish Rail and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.
2011 is the European Year of Volunteering which included the recent volunteering roadshow in the RDS. These events have also helped incease the awareness and particpitation in volunteering.
Notes to Editor:
About Volunteer Ireland:
Volunteer Ireland is the national volunteer development agency and a representative body for all local Volunteer Centres in Ireland. Volunteer Ireland’s vision is for an Irish society in which everyone who wants to, has access to meaningful volunteering opportunities and where the contribution of volunteering is valued and recognised as an intrinsic component of active citizenship.Volunteer Ireland work to inspire, promote, support and celebrate voluntary activity in Ireland and abroad and is the national co-ordinating body for European Year of Volunteering.
About European Year of Volunteering
The EU has designated 2011 as the “European Year of Volunteering” in order to draw public attention to volunteering. Volunteer Ireland is the national co-ordinating body for EYV2011 in Ireland. The Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland is also represented on the steering group at an all Ireland level. The importance of volunteering has long been acknowledged by the EU and now the EYV 2011 aims to inform the general public about the benefits of volunteering. The year will foster an understanding for the importance of volunteering in creating a more democratic, caring and responsible society.
PRESS RELEASE: Friday 8th January 2010: Volunteers Check-in on Older People as Cold Spell set to Continue
VOLUNTEER CENTRES IRELAND has again urged members of the public to reach out to their older neighbours during the cold spell to make sure that they are OK.
MET Éireann has issued additional warnings today (6 JANUARY) saying that sub-zero temperatures are set to continue into next week.
Many older people have become trapped in their own homes as the icy conditions and snow are preventing them from venturing outside or from picking up much needed groceries.
Dr. Yvonne McKenna, CEO of Volunteer Centres Ireland said: ‘You don’t have to be affiliated with a voluntary organisation to help older people at Christmas. Just ring your neighbours doorbell to check that they are mobile - perhaps offer to fetch their groceries.’
Meanwhile Ireland’s network of volunteer centres has seen a surge of interest in volunteering opportunities as a result of the cold snap.
“Much like the floods in 2009, this spell of bad weather is bringing out the best in local communities around Ireland,” said Dr McKenna.
Anyone interested in some festive volunteering should contact their local volunteer centre or visit www.volunteer.ie
PRESS RELEASE: Wednesday 6th January 2010:More Irish Women Volunteering than their Male Counterparts!
PRESS RELEASE: Wednesday 28th January : Volunteer Centres Ireland offer some good news to the Joint Oireachtas Committee
Representatives from Volunteer Centres Ireland (VCI) will meet with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs later today to discuss the growth and progress of volunteering infrastructure in Ireland since the committee launched its report “Volunteers and Volunteering in Ireland” in January 2005
The 2005 report recommended the expansion of ‘volunteering infrastructure’ and Chairperson Tricia Nolan and CEO Yvonne McKenna will today highlight how Volunteer Centres Ireland has grown from a group of eight centres to a strong network of twenty volunteer centres located across the nation with a database of nearly 17,000 volunteers.
Yvonne McKenna, said of the meeting, “ We are delighted to have the opportunity to update the Joint Oireachtas Committee and impress upon them the value of volunteering, especially in today’s economic climate. Our Volunteer Centres have seen a 65% increase in the numbers of volunteers registering in January of this year compared to last year. With more and more people citing unemployment as a motivation to volunteer, that number is likely to increase even further.
Volunteer Centres Ireland hope to drive home the positive image of volunteering in Ireland that they are capturing and the value of volunteering as a worthwhile endeavor. Volunteering, especially in these times, gives people an opportunity to make a difference, pull together, improve and learn new skills and keep active if they are temporarily unemployed.
In 2008 more than 7,500 individuals registered to volunteer and over 3000 of them were placed in some of the 2,400 organisations registered with the centres. Of those 7,500 volunteers 33% were not Irish nationals and 56% of volunteers had never volunteered before. Young people were very actively engaged with 69% of them under 35 and 50% of the aged between 16 and 25. 200,136 hours of volunteering were generated (equivalent to 114 full-time employees).
PRESS RELEASE: Friday 5th September : Volunteers Centres Ireland with the help of European MEP Marian Harkin attempted to inspire Dublin commuters to volunteer!
Volunteers Centres Ireland with the help of European MEP Marian Harkin attempted to inspire Dublin commuters this week when they took to Connolly and Heuston Stations to sign up volunteers for the forthcoming national day of volunteering, Give It A Swirl Day, which is happening on Friday, September 26th.
Give It A Swirl Day is an nationwide initiative managed by Volunteer Centres Ireland, sponsored and supported by Wyeth which will bring together a wide range of individual charity and community projects under one umbrella.
The recruitment campaign was one of several on street drives to inform the public of the national volunteer initiative which aims to treble the number of volunteers, treble the time committed to volunteering, and double the number of projects that people can help with this year.
Organisations already signed up to participate in the day’s events include principal sponsor Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, the Irish Cancer Society, The Hope Foundation, Irish Blood Transfusion Service, and many local community and Tidy Town organisations from around the country.
The European MEP Marian Harkin, who recently annouced the astounding success of the Written Declaration to the Commission to make 2011 the European Year of Volunteering was eager to share the volunteering message and lend her had to make Give It A Swirl Day a great success.
Speaking at the drive she added, "This is an opportunity for hands on volunteering. Many people want to volunteer but they need to be given an opportunity and this is the perfect chance. ’Give it a Swirl’ - says it all. In other words - give it a go, try it out! I am convinced that many of those who ’Give it a Swirl’ will continue to volunteer afterwards.”
“We are on a count down at this stage with two weeks to go until Give It A Swirl Day. All our centres are on the ground recruiting volunteers and promoting the volunteer opportunities”, said Yvonne McKenna, CEO Volunteer Centres Ireland.
There are in total 130 projects seeking just 3,300 volunteers across our 17 centres nationwide at this point in time and we are still taking in projects every day. However we do need more people willing to give one hour or one day for one cause. I would appeal to the Irish public to get online or go to your local volunteer centre, find a project that appeals to you and register to Give It A Swirl on Friday 26th September”, she added.
PRESS RELEASE: Tuesday 2nd September Miriam O’Callaghan helps launch the 2nd Annual Day of Volunteering, Give it a Swirl Day
The initiative, managed by Volunteer Centres Ireland, will bring together a wide range of individual charity and community projects under one umbrella on Friday September 26th. Its aim is to encourage businesses and individuals to adopt a ‘volunteer spirit’.
Organisations already signed up to participate in the day’s events include principal sponsor Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, the Irish Cancer Society, The Hope Foundation, Irish Blood Transfusion Service, and many local community and Tidy Town organisations from around the country.
Miriam O’Callaghan who is the patron of Give It A Swirl Day for the first time this year was signing up shoppers and lunch time passers-by to get involved in hands on volunteering opportunities across the country along with the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Eibhlin Byrne, John Curran T.D. Minister of State with responsibility for Community Affairs, Emmet Browne of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Mickey Joe Harte.
“Volunteering is such a big part of who we are as Irish Citizens, it is a pleasure to be involved with the national volunteer day,” she said. “I would ask people to get involved at any level be it helping out at the local crèche or rolling up your sleeves in a community clean up. Effort is all that is needed to make Give It A Swirl Day a real success for the entire country”.
“Give It A Swirl Day was such a great success last year, people really got what it was about, just giving one hour or one day to something that matters to them,” said Yvonne McKenna of Volunteer Centres Ireland.
