News Stories

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 volunteer 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.

PRESS RELEASE: Tuesday 26th August Wyeth Pharamcueticals have once more teamed up with Volunteer Centres Ireland to sponsor Give it a Swirl Day 2008.

Emmet Browne, the General Manager of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals gives Miriam O'Callaghan a Swirl at the Launch of Give it a Swirl 2008

Wyeth has teamed up again with Volunteer Centres Ireland to sponsor the second annual Give It A Swirl Day, Ireland’s national day of volunteering, which takes place around the country on Friday, September 26th.

The global pharmaceutical company is once again the lead sponsor of this national event. In addition Wyeth staff will participate in a range of community projects throughout Ireland.

Managed by Volunteer Centres Ireland, Give It A Swirl Day will once again bring together a wide range of individual charity and community projects under one umbrella. Events are coordinated through each of the 17 Volunteer Centres throughout the country.  Those wishing to register projects or to volunteer themselves to give some time back to their local community can do so through www.volunteer.ie.

Speaking before the announcement, Yvonne McKenna, Chief Executive of Volunteer Centres Ireland, said:  “We are delighted that Wyeth has agreed to sponsor Give It A Swirl Day for the second year in succession. “Wyeth staff really put a great deal of personal effort into Give It A Swirl Day last year.  Their enthusiasm sends out a strong message to the corporate world that volunteering is fun, rewarding and good for business and employees”, Ms McKenna added.

"Wyeth believes community involvement is much more than writing a cheque.  We are part of the communities in which we work and live, and therefore we want to give back to our neighbours, and do our part.  Give It A Swirl Day is the perfect opportunity for our employees to become involved in a range of volunteering activities. I believe it will be an exciting and rewarding day for everyone who participates", said Matt Corcoran, Managing Director Wyeth Biotech.

PRESS RELEASE: Volunteer Centres Ireland announce 35% increase in non-Irish nationals registering to volunteer in 2008

 

Monday, 26th May 2008: Volunteer Centres Ireland announce 35% increase in non-Irish volunteers in 2008. Recruitment campaign launched to build on success

Over a quarter of volunteers registered with Volunteers Centres Ireland are non-Irish nationals, a new study has revealed this week. VCI, the national body for volunteering in Ireland, says that there has been a 35% increase in the number of non-Irish nationals on their books since 2007.

The report, which identifies Nigerians as the leading ethnic group after Irish volunteers, comes as Dublin Volunteer Week celebrates multiculturalism. To mark the week - and to highlight the contribution that non-Irish nationals have made to volunteering in Ireland - VCI have chosen three representatives from the non-Irish national community to become the faces of Volunteer Centres Ireland for 2008.

The French, Nigerian and Malawian volunteers will spearhead VCI’s campaign to increase the number of non-Irish nationals volunteering throughout Ireland.  The nationwide recruitment plan will be managed through the 17 regional centres and will be driven online through VCI national and local websites and facebook and bebo pages. The strategy will include profiles and case studies of non-Irish nationals across the country, while there will also be information for potential volunteers.  The VCI study showed that one in every three volunteers that joined VCI this year were non-Irish nationals.

“Volunteering is an ideal introduction into the community; it allows non-Irish nationals to adapt to the Irish culture, work with locals in the community and use their skills to become a part of something which will benefit everyone,”

said Yvonne McKenna, CEO of Volunteer Centres Ireland.

“It is great to have such a substantial increase in the number of non-Irish nationals volunteering in Ireland, but we want to maintain this momentum and actively attract new recruits based on the great experiences our current non-Irishnationals are getting. As Volunteer Centres Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation, our funds are very limited so being able to use the internet as an effective and cost efficient tool to communicate with the non-Irish audience has been invaluable,’

she added.

Nigerian Ojo Kayode is one of the volunteers selected by VCI to take part in their recruitment drive.

“It is a great honour to be selected by Volunteer Centres Ireland, I love living in Ireland and I love learning many new things through my volunteering,”

he said.  

“I get to help others and help myself become more confident.  It is enlightening and I would recommend all Nigerians and non-Irish to get involved.”

The three representatives volunteer at centres in Carlow, Sligo and Dublin City South and their profiles and experiences are available online at www.volunteer.ie

End

Thursday May 1st: Make 2011 the European Year of Volunteering - IRISH VOLUNTEERS URGED TO SUPPORT EURO CAMPAIGN

Volunteers around Ireland are being called on by Volunteer Centres Ireland (VCI) to email their local MEP in support of an initiative to establish a European Year of Volunteering in 2011.  Marian Harkin, MEP for the North-West region is one of the sponsors of a motion before the European Parliament which would mark the tenth anniversary of the United Nations International Year of Volunteering.

The campaign is now at the “Written Declaration” phase and requires the support of 340 MEPs before it can be adopted by the Parliament. The signatures have to be in before the 9th of July and Volunteer Centres Ireland is adding its weight to the campaign by listing the email addresses for each of Ireland’s 13 MEPs on its website at www.volunteer.ie

“Declaring 2011 the European Year on Volunteering would be a crucial step towards real recognition of volunteers in Ireland and the European Union,”

said, Dr. Yvonne McKenna, CEO, Volunteer Centres Ireland. 

“It would help us in our work to establish volunteering legislation in Ireland, and would be a great boost to all those who give freely of their time in contributing to a better society.”

Note for Editor:

Volunteer Centres Ireland (VCI) is the national organisation with responsibility for developing volunteering nationally and locally, a mandate approved and supported by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. We are a membership organisation, established by volunteer centres to co-operate and network on any issue relating to volunteer centres and volunteering in Ireland.

There are now 17 volunteer centres across the country, with more set to open throughout 2008.

The VCI are currently working in partnership with the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to draft Ireland’s first ever policy on volunteering, this is expected to be announced in June.

VCI celebrate European Neighbour’s Day

Issued on behalf of Volunteer Centres Ireland

Tuesday, 27th May 2008

Photo Caption:

Volunteer Centres Ireland celebrated European Neighbour’s Day by hosting a tea party with children from the Connolly & Liberty crèches on Dublin’s Thomas St. The Dublin City South Volunteer Centre have just opened a new office on Thomas St and were happy to practice what they preached in getting to know their neighbour’s by hosting the tea party.