Volunteer Centres Ireland

Irish Charities missing great opportunity by not tapping into a huge and highly educated, willing and able, Irish volunteer pool

Eva Goussot — 2010-09-02T11:04:22Z

Contrary to common perception today's challenge is not finding volunteers, it's about creating suitable, interesting and engaging roles for them...

01 September 2010…Volunteer Centres Ireland and minister Pat Carey today launch a new online toolkit at Wood Quay, Civic Buildings, Dublin to address the fact that there is a shortage of interesting and relevant volunteer roles.

50,000 volunteers are registered with Volunteers Centres Ireland national online recruitment platform, But Charitable organisations are missing a chance, they are not creating relevant and suitable roles to tap into the demand that exists.Charitable organisations need help. Volunteer Centres Ireland new online toolkit is designed specifically to assist charitable organisations get strategic and creative and to help them create new, engaging and relevant volunteer roles that will, in turn, help them build capacity, develop themselves as organisations and most importantly extend their services in the communities they serve.

Dr Yvonne McKenna, CEO of Volunteer Centres Ireland said "Organisations need support and educational tools to inspire them as to the myriad ways in which they can engage volunteers with business skills. It's highly unusual for a non-profit to possess all the business skills they need under one roof and they rarely have budget to recruit or outsource what's missing. Today's volunteer is dynamic, impactful, educated and experienced and is very keen to fit volunteering into their busy schedule. Today's volunteers can work virtually, in short bursts or on longer term projects. Charitable organisations must meet the needs of today's volunteer and learn to benefit from the resources at their disposal. This new toolkit helps them do exactly that. Volunteer Centres Ireland works with over 6,000 organisations all over Ireland - we are very excited about sharing these tools: video stories, role descriptions, volunteer profiles, FAQs and case studies, and helping charitable organisations take volunteering to the next level”.

This new online toolkit was develop by Fiona Sexton and is a result of funding received by her winning the Vodafone World of Difference Competition.

Check out www.volunteer.ie/involving-volunteers/

About Volunteer Centres Ireland

Volunteer Centres Ireland (VCI) is the national organisation with responsibility for development of volunteering nationally and locally, a mandate approved and supported by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. VCI is a membership organisation, comprising of 22 local Volunteer Centres that exist to improve the extent, range and quality of volunteering. They do so by advertising and sourcing volunteers via Ireland's only national online volunteer recruitment platform and by providing guidance and support to anyone wishing to volunteer and to any non profit organisation involving volunteers in their work. Today there are 50,000 volunteers registered online, 4,000 opportunities are currently being advertised, and 6,000 charitable organisation avail of Volunteer Centres Irelands services on a daily basis.

I want to commit a random act of volunteering!

Eva Goussot — 2010-08-31T12:54:05Z

I want to register my own project!

Eva Goussot — 2010-08-31T12:47:23Z

Easy Ways to Thank Your Volunteers

Eva Goussot — 2010-08-31T11:16:27Z

Why not take the opportunity of the National Day of Volunteering to say a simple thank you to the volunteers in your organisation. Here are some simple, cost effective ways to thank your volunteers and let them know how much they mean to you!

Fill out our online Thank You form so that your volunteers appear in our annual National Volunteer Roll of Honour. It's a simple but meaningful way to acknowledge the fantastic and incredibly important contribution to Irish society by volunteers.

Are your volunteers the backbone of your organisation? Is there one person who holds your organisation together, one person who shows unmatched commitment and dedication. Why not nominate your volunteers for a reward! There are dozens of national and local awards schemes in Ireland recognising the value of volunteers. So nominate a volunteer today!

Host a thank you lunch for volunteers. It doesn't have to cost the earth! Why not organise a Pot Luck Lunch or organise a cake. Just taking the time to sit down with your volunteers over a cup of tea- is a great way to show them that you value them and what they are doing.

Host your own award ceremony! It doesn't just have to be about the best volunteer but you can also create awards for the longest serving volunteers, the best humoured volunteers – indeed you could manage it so everyone gets one!

Write a hand written Thank You Cards. Nothing beats a hand written card with a meaningful message.

Tweet your thanks your host your own roll of honour on your website.

Launch a Volunteer of the Month Scheme whereby each month different volunteers are profiled on your website. This shows that not only are the volunteers featured important to you but that involving volunteers is important as well.

Get Involved

Eva Goussot — 2010-08-30T15:28:03Z

The National Day of Volunteering belongs to everyone and everyone can get involved! Why get involved? Because Volunteering benefits everyone and makes us stronger. Volunteering has a proven positive impact on volunteers, those they volunteer with and society in general. Together we can build stronger neighbourhoods, stronger communities, a stronger Ireland!

Now in its fourth year, we want the National Day of Volunteering 2010 to be bigger and better than ever before so read on to find out how you can get involved.

If you are a community and voluntary or non-profit organisation, why not create a volunteering project yourself? It's a great way to give profile to your organisation, meet new volunteers or say thank you to the great volunteers you have already! Register your project here.
If you want to volunteer, check out all the projects that have been registered on our interactive map here. Or be inspired to create your own!
If you've identified something that needs doing in your community, why not register it as a project yourself here? Whether you're looking for volunteers or not, let us know what it is so we can count you in!
It's really easy to commit a ‘random act of volunteering' – pick up a piece of litter, drop into a neighbour to see if they need anything, bring clothes you don't wear to a charity shop, register to give blood and so on and so on! If you plan to commit a random act of volunteering, let us know here so we can count you in!
Say thank you to someone you know who volunteers here. It doesn't matter if their volunteering directly benefits you or not. After all, volunteering benefits us all!
If you are a business and want to get involved, let us know what you have to offer here and we'll try and match you with an organisation that needs your help!

If you're looking for ideas or inspiration, don't forget to check out our ‘Get Informed' section where you'll find a host of FAQs and Guides to help you on your way!

Volunteer Roll of Honour!

Eva Goussot — 2010-08-30T14:48:20Z

Imagine how different Ireland would be if there were no volunteers: no befrienders visiting elderly people living alone or bringing them meals on wheels, no stewarts at matches or concerts, no summer festivals for which Ireland is so well known. Scary thought, wouldn't you say? Even if we don't feel directly affected by the work of volunteers, in fact, their decision to give time for others benefits us all and makes Ireland a better place to be. And there's an awful lot of volunteers in Ireland! The 2006 census estimated that 1 in 6 of us volunteer regularly. That's a lot of volunteering!

 Why not take the opportunity of the National Day of Volunteering to say a simple thank you to someone you know who volunteers? We'll add them to our roll call of honour and proudly scroll it on our website. If you'd prefer not to give us their full name or just let us know the organisation they volunteer with, that's fine too.

To thank your volunteers just fill in our easy to use Volunteer Thank You form!

Thank a Volunteer Form

Eva Goussot — 2010-08-30T13:19:40Z

Volunteer Management Training

Eva Goussot — 2010-08-13T12:58:25Z

Volunteer Management Training

Welcome to the National Volunteer Management Training page. Your local Volunteer Centre staff have been trained - accredited through Open College Network Northern Ireland (OCNNI) - to deliver the VCI National Volunteer Management Training Programme. The programme consists of four half-day modules delivered in a hands-on, participative style and is designed to provide you with a Best Practice Volunteer Management Framework for involving volunteers in your organisation.

Topics Include:

Module 1: Planning for Volunteer Involvement and Developing Volunteer Role Descriptions
Module 2: Volunteer Recruitment, Selection and Induction
Module 3: Volunteer Support and Supervision
Module 4: Designing and Implementing a Volunteer Policy

The training is offered at a low cost to participants. It is expected that participants will attend all four modules as they are designed as part of a continuum. Please check the calendar below to find a training offered in your local area (training dates are listed alphabetically by the name of the volunteer centre). If you find a suitable date and location please contact the Volunteer Centre who is providing that particular training.

Quote: ” We would love to have training in this field for two other members of staff, the training was so beneficial and practical I feel every organisation working with volunteers would benefit greatly from this training.”

2010 Training Dates

Carlow Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 13th April, 2010
Module 2: 13th April, 2010
Module 3: 14th April, 2010
Module 4: 14th April, 2010
Time: 9:30am - 4pm
•Venue: Unum Offices, Shamrock Plaza, Carlow

Contact: Fiona Cunnane at Carlow Volunteer Centre at 059 917 3033 or email: fiona@volunteercarlow.ie

Clare Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 11th February, 2010
Module 2: 18th February, 2010
Module 3: 25th February, 2010
Module 4: 4th March, 2010
Time: 9:30am - 1pm
Venue: Clare Local Development Company Offices, Ennis

Contact: Clare Volunteer Centre at 061 36 11 44 or email info@volunteerclare.ie

Drogheda Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 15th February, 2010
Module 2: 16th February, 2010
Module 3: 22nd February, 2010
Module 4: 23rd February, 2010
Time: 9am-1pm
Venue: Drogheda Volunteer Centre, Fitzwilliam Business Centre, Laurence Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth

Contact: Drogheda Volunteer Centre at 041 980 6900 or email info@volunteerdrogheda.ie

Dublin City North Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 18th August, 2010
Module 2: 25th August, 2010
Module 3: 1st September 2010
Module 4: 8th September, 2010
Time: 10:00am - 2:00pm
Venue: Irish Aid Volunteer and Information Centre, 27-31 Upper O'Connell St., Dublin 1

Contact: Dublin City North Volunteer Centre at 01 872 2622 or email meng@volunteeringireland.ie

Dublin City South Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 8th April, 2010
Module 2: 15th April, 2010
Module 3: 22nd April, 2010
Module 4: 29th April, 2010
Time: 9:30am - 1:00pm
Venue: St. Andrew's Resource Centre, Dublin 2

Contact: Dublin City South Volunteer Centre at 01 473 7482 or email edwina@volunteerdublin.ie or sacha@volunteerdublin.ie

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 10th May
Module 2: 17th May
Module 3: 24th May
Module 4: 31st May
Time: 9:30am - 1:00pm
Venue: Southside Partnership Offices, Blackrock, Co. Dublin

Contact: Karen or Sarah at 01 209 0630 or email at karen@volunteerdlr.ie or sarah@volunteerdlr.ie

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 13th October
Module 2: 20th October
Module 3: 27th October
Module 4: 3rd November
Time: 9:30am - 1:00pm
Venue: Southside Partnership Offices, Blackrock, Co.Dublin

Contact: Karen or Sarah at 01 209 0630 or email at karen@volunteerdlr.ie or sarah@volunteerdlr.ie

South Dublin County Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 23rd March, 2010
Module 2: 23rd March, 2010
Module 3: 30th March, 2010
Module 4: 30th March, 2010
Time: 9:30am - 4:30pm
Venue: Aras Chronain Cultural Centre, Orchards Lane, Clondalkin, Dublin 22

Contact: Deirdre at South Dublin County Volunteer Centre at 01 462 8558 or email deirdre@volunteersouthdublin.ie

Kildare Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 13th April
Module 2: 20th April
Module 3: 27th April
Module 4: 4th May
Time: 9:15am-1pm
Venue: Kildare Volunteer Centre, Edward St., Cutlery St., Newbridge, Co.Kildare

Contact: Mick or Michelle Kildare Volunteer Centre at 045 449156 or email michelle@volunteerkildare.ie or mick@volunteerkildare.ie

Kildare Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 21st September
Module 2: 28th September
Module 3: 5th October
Module 4: 12th October
Time: 9:15am-1pm
Venue: Kildare Volunteer Centre, Edward St., Cutlery St., Newbridge, Co.Kildare

Contact: Mick or Michelle at Kildare Volunteer Centre at 045 449156 or email michelle@volunteerkildare.ie or mick@volunteerkildare.ie

Laois

Module 1: 13th January, 2010
Module 2: 20th January, 2010
Module 3: 27th January, 2010
Module 4: 3rd February, 2010
Time: 10am-1:30pm
Venue: Mountmellick Museum, Mountmellick, Co. Laois

Contact: Catherine Cowap, LCDP Manager, Laois Partnership at 057 866 2736 or email: ccowap_pcap@eircom.net

Longford Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 25th January, 2010
Module 2: 26th January, 2010
Module 3: 27th January, 2010
Module 4: 28th January, 2010
Time: 9am-1pm
Venue: EDI Centre, Longford

Contact: Longford Volunteer Centre at 043 334 5555 or email volunteering@lcrl.ie

Mayo Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 19th April, 2010
Module 2: 19th April, 2010
Module 3: 26th April, 2010
Module 4: 26th April, 2010
Time: 9:30am - 1:00pm and 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Venue: Kennedy Glasglow House, The Quay, Ballina, Co.Mayo

Contact: Marie or Colleen at the Mayo Volunteer Centre at 096 71444 or 087 7555 899 or email marie@volunteermayo.ie

Monaghan Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 24th March, 2010
Module 2: 31st March, 2010
Module 3: 7th April, 2010
Module 4: 14th April, 2010
Time: 9:30am - 1:00pm
Venue: Local Employment Service Office, North Road, Monaghan

Contact: Audrey at Monaghan Volunteer Centre at 042 975 4551 or email audrey@volunteermonaghan.ie

Monaghan Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 6th October, 2010
Module 2: 13th October, 2010
Module 3: 20th October, 2010
Module 4: 27th October, 2010
Time: TBD
Venue: TBD

Contact: Audrey at Monaghan Volunteer Centre at 042 975 4551 or email audrey@volunteermonaghan.ie

Offaly Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 30th March, 2010
Module 2: 6th April, 2010
Module 3: 13th April, 2010
Module 4: 20th April, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Venue: OLDC Offices, Millenium House, Tullamore, Co. Offaly

Contact: Mary Brady, Offaly Volunteer Centre at 057 935 2467 or email mbrady@offalyldc.ie

Sligo Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 4thMarch, 2010
Module 2: 11th March, 2010
Module 3: 18th March, 2010
Module 4: 25th March, 2010
Time: 9:15am - 1:15pm
Venue: Springboard House, Cranmore, Sligo

Contact: Paula Naughton at Sligo Volunteer Centre at 071 911 1044 or email paula@volunteersligo.ie

Westmeath Volunteer Centre - Mullingar

Module1: 13th May
Module 2: 20th May
Module 3: 27th May
Module 4: 3rd June
Time: 2pm-5pm
Venue: Westmeath Volunteer Centre, Enterprise Technology and Inovation Centre, Clonmore Industrial Estate, Mullingar

Contact: Bernadette O'Shea at Westmeath Volunteer Centre at 044 934 8571 or email bernadette@volunteerwestmeath.ie

Westmeath Volunteer Centre - Athlone

Module 1: 11th May
Module 2: 18th May
Module 3: 25th May
Module 4: 1st June
Time: 10am-1pm
Venue: Business Development Centre, Ball Alley Lane, Athlone

Contact: Bernadette O'Shea at Westmeath Volunteer Centre at 044 934 8571 or email bernadette@volunteerwestmeath.ie

Wexford

Module 1: 18th February
Module 2: 25th February
Module 3: 4th March
Module 4: 11th March
Time: 7:30pm-10:30pm
Venue: Riverside park Hotel, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

Contact: Billy Murphy at Wexford Local Development Company at 053 915 5864 or email billy@wld.ie

Wicklow Volunteer Centre

Module 1: 9th March, 2010
Module 2: 16th March, 2010
Module 3: 23rd March, 2010
Module 4: 30th March, 2010
Time: 9:30am - 1:00pm
Venue: The County Wicklow Volunteer Centre, South Quay, Wicklow Town

Contact: Yvonne at the County Wicklow Volunteer Centre at 01 204 0885 or email info@volunteerwicklow.ie

National Day of Volunteering

Eva Goussot — 2010-08-09T08:55:28Z

Call for Volunteer Coordinator for Dublin Culture Night, Friday September 24th

Eva Goussot — 2010-08-06T15:26:13Z

6 August 2010

Dublin Culture Night is one night in the year when organisations open their doors until late with an impressive programme of indoor and outdoor events taking place all over the city designed to ensure that people of all ages and from all backgrounds will have every opportunity to participate in and experience the exhilaration of live performances, workshops, tours, talks and a whole range of other creative activities all for FREE!

Temple Bar Cultural Trust are looking for applicants for the role of Volunteer Coordinator who will manage, coordinate and lead a vibrant team of volunteers on the run-up to Culture Night and on the night itself.

Duties & Responsibilities of Volunteer Coordinator:

Prior to Culture Night:

Enrolment and management of over 100 volunteers to work on Culture Night 2010
Point of contact for incoming Curriculum Vitae's and queries from potential volunteers
Induction / meet and greet of enrolled volunteers one evening prior to Culture Night with staff of Temple Bar Cultural Trust. Induction will give overview of Culture Night; outline duties and areas of responsibility as a volunteer
Coordinate, assign and time-table all volunteers according to the different tasks and areas of responsibility from 3pm – 11pm on Culture Night as well as breaks throughout the night
Direct liaison with volunteers during the lead-up to Culture Night

On Culture Night, 24th September:

Meet & greet all volunteers on the afternoon of September 24th and distribute ‘volunteer pack'
Managing per diems and break times throughout the night
Point of contact and direct liaison with volunteers throughout Culture Night
Visit volunteers in different areas of responsibility throughout Culture Night be it outdoor events, buses and bus stops or Information Points.
Direct liaison between volunteers and Temple Bar Cultural Trust staff.
Be available to work until after midnight on Friday September 24th

Wrap-up Party & follow-up:

Co-ordination of wrap-up party for volunteers beginning at 11pm on Culture Night
Direct liaison with venue (Venue TBC) in relation to DJ hire / refreshments / access to venue and closing time of venue
Management of access to wrap-up party / guest list and issuing of stamps/wrist-bands
Follow-up email to all volunteers to express gratitude for working on the night and offering their free time.

Please send your application to Eimear Chaomhanach at Temple Bar Cultural Trust by Wednesday 18th August at echaomhanach@templebar.ie.