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VOLUNTEER Registrations up 46% in 2008

08/02/08

Young people more willing than ever to volunteer!

Volunteer Centres Ireland has recorded a 46% increase in the number of volunteers registered to volunteer in volunteer centres around the country, in comparison with the same month last year. Furthermore, over 60% of volunteers are thirty five and under.

 

Yvonne McKenna, CEO says “These figures are fantastic! Especially when set against the 2006 Census. The Census showed that one in four of all volunteers were in their forties, while those in their early twenties were least likely to volunteer. It's great to see that young people do want to get involved in their communities through volunteering and, more so, that Volunteer Centres are appealing to them as a means of finding volunteering opportunities.“

 

An overwhelming number of volunteers cited “giving something back” as the reason they wanted to volunteer, followed by “wanting to do something in my community’ and “free-time”. ‘

 

Over 4,000 volunteers registered with volunteer centres last year and the number is set to grow even more as new volunteer centres open their doors across the country. Volunteers placed by centres contributed an estimated 143,508 volunteer hours in 2007, or the equivalent of 70 full time staff over one year.