Mary Rice – Volunteer with ISPCC Childline

Mary Rice volunteers with ISPCC Childline in Castlebar, Co. Mayo. This National Volunteering Week she tells us why she volunteers, what it’s like and why she’d recommend it to everyone.

Mary began volunteering with Childline in 2012 following the passing of her husband. With two children in college, she wanted to do something for herself and to set an example they could follow. Eight years later and Mary hasn’t looked back! In fact, she’s already talking about giving more time once she retires.

Mary spends 4 hours a week (6pm – 10pm every Saturday) with Childline’s phone service. Mary’s role is to listen to any children that contact the service online, by phone or by text and give them a safe space to talk. The aim of the service isn’t to give advice but rather to listen to children, to support them, empower them and work to strengthen their resilience to help them cope with challenges they may face. Children don’t need to have a problem to call, they can simply ring up for a chat if they like. According to Mary, it can be something as simple as sharing the news that they got a new pet – it’s all about creating the space to talk.

One of the first things Mary points out when we chat is that she gets just as much out of it as she gives. “I absolutely love it; I find it very fulfilling. It so quickly became a part of my life”.

Mary also acts as a mentor to new volunteers, supporting them and helping them get used to the role. “We have such a fantastic team in Castlebar. I’m in my early sixties and volunteer with people in their late teens and early twenties. It’s such a great mix of people and we all get on so well”.

Finally, I asked Mary what she would say to other people thinking of volunteering. “There are so many opportunities for people to get involved and you really do get a lot more out of it than you give. Giving back to the community is a wonderful thing to do; I’d recommend it to anyone”.

Anyone interested in volunteering with the Childline service can find out more at ISPCC.ie.

2020 Advocacy – A year in review

 

 

Ireland’s Public Affairs Officer, Heber Rowan, takes a look back at the last year and how our advocacy efforts strengthened and evolved throughout the year. 

2020 was a year unlike any other. It was a year that showed the value of volunteering to Irish society and how important our work is for volunteers and organisations that involve volunteers.   

With the COVID-19 restrictions in place, Volunteer Centres supported frontline efforts to combat COVID-19 as part of the Community Call initiative.  

The pandemic’s restrictions on Irish society resulted in a huge upswelling of public support for volunteering with almost 23,000 people signing up to the national volunteering database I-VOL for COVID-19 related roles since March 

What we did this year 

Like everyonewith the onset of the COVID-19 restrictions we had to make changes to the way we worked and how we continued to deliver on our advocacy objectives 

With the conclusion of the February 2020 general election leading to a coalition government in June, we were delighted to welcome the appointment of the first ever Minister of State for Community Development and Charities, Joe O’Brien TD 

With the COVID-19 restrictions having a massive impact on the fundraising efforts of Irish charities and community groups, we supported the efforts of the Wheel, the Charities Institute and others to advocate for a stability fund. This fund was a welcome relief to many volunteer involving organisations facing difficult times. 

To highlight the range of personal stories involved in the COVID-19 response we developed a collection of stories, How Irish communities stepped up to the mark – Stories of Irish Volunteering during COVID-19. Working with the network of Volunteer Centres, we highlighted inspiring stories of the breadth and diversity of volunteering in the midst of the summer lockdown. It was also distributed to a range of public representatives to highlight the work and also to provide a longer term record of the change that occurred in Irish volunteering this year. 

Additionally, we launched our prebudget submission which requested appropriate funding for the national volunteering strategy,  I-VOL, eight new volunteer centres nationally and an overall request for 10% extra funding for the network of Volunteer CentresTo drive this forward, we lobbied a range of government and opposition spokespeople to consolidate our message and highlight our concerns for the sector as a whole.  

This year we were unable to undertake our normal in person meeting with Oireachtas members broadly though we were glad to get a virtual meeting with Minister Joe O’Brien. It was wonderful to have the Minister’s support and understanding of our work throughout our conversations.  

In Budget 2021, an increase of 45% from €3.5 million to €5.1 million was allocated towards supporting the voluntary sector. 

In October, the Department of Rural and Community development published its call for its statement of strategy and we presented our views on behalf of the sector.  

Crucially, the Department published the first ever National Volunteering Strategy in December after extensive public consultations. Volunteer Ireland and the network of Volunteer Centres have been advocating for a national volunteering strategy for many years. We are delighted to have played an important role in its development and look forward to seeing the exciting new initiatives contained within to diversify, strengthen and broaden the scope of volunteering across Ireland.  

What we learned

We learned that even in the most extraordinary of circumstances, communities will  continue to help those in need. It reminded us of the necessity to take a dynamic and creative approach to supporting volunteers. With the new national volunteering strategy in place, we relish the opportunities ahead to do just that.  

What’s next for 2021? 

With seven new Volunteer Centres opening in 2021, we intend to support their advocacy efforts by providing a range of training and materials for them. We will continue to support the network of Volunteer Centres with an updated advocacy resource toolkit. 

With the many deliverables ahead of us from the national volunteering strategy we have our work cut out for us and we’re very much looking forward to it! Thank you for your support this year and next.  

75% of population volunteered during pandemic

According to new Ipsos MRBI statistics commissioned by Volunteer Ireland, three-quarters of the population volunteered their time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March this year.

The most popular activities were grocery shopping (40%), befriending someone who was lonely (31%) and collecting prescriptions (29%).

According to Nina Arwitz, Volunteer Ireland CEO, the high level of volunteering is no surprise. “As a society we have always been very good at giving back and this pandemic has been no different. What’s really interesting about these statistics is that the most common form of volunteering was at a very local level, in people’s communities, helping someone in need. The pandemic has seen a huge rise in informal volunteering whereby people see a need in their community and come together to help.”

Other popular activities included doing someone’s cleaning or gardening (24%) and walking someone’s dog or helping with a pet (12%). Many people also did more than one type of activity, with over half of respondents (57%) doing three activities.

A significant statistic is the fact that 62% of respondents intend to volunteer post COVID-19, with 40% of those saying they would like to do so with an organisation. According to Ms Arwitz this presents a great opportunity for organisations.

“The current pandemic has demonstrated the good will and generosity of people across the country. Many people may have volunteered for the first time during COVID-19 because they saw a need and felt compelled to act, and in many cases because people had free time that they didn’t have before. This outpouring of goodwill represents a unique opportunity for organisations that engage volunteers to look at how they can harness this and attract new people who were so drawn to giving back during the pandemic.”

“Looking towards 2021, this is a great time for organisations to see how they can enhance their volunteering programmes and engage new volunteers. I’d encourage any organisation thinking about this to contact their local Volunteer Centre for support or check out volunteer.ie for a host of resources and upcoming training courses.”

The full research can be viewed here.

About the Ipsos MRBI Statistics

The overall objective of this research was to measure the impact of COVID-19 on volunteer participation in Ireland. A telephone (CATI) survey was conducted via Ipsos MRBI’s Omnipoll service on behalf of Volunteer Ireland. 1,000 interviews were conducted among a nationally representative sample of individuals aged 15+. Fieldwork was conducted from the 16th to 30th September 2020. At the analysis stage, the data was weighted in line with the latest CSO estimates of the population.

Volunteer Ireland Welcomes Ireland’s First National Volunteering Strategy

National Volunteering Strategy 2020 - 2025

Volunteer Ireland has welcomed the publication of Ireland’s first National Volunteering Strategy, launched by Minister Joe O’Brien On December 5th 2020. The five year strategy lays out a comprehensive plan to foster and support volunteering well into the future.

The strategy is the culmination of years of hard work and collaboration between Volunteer Ireland, Volunteer Centres and Government. Ireland is known across the globe for our generosity in giving time and lending a hand, currently sitting at number one in Europe and number ten in the world for volunteering time.

According to Volunteer Ireland CEO Nina Arwitz, our high levels of volunteering make the strategy all the more important. “Ireland already has a strong culture of volunteering with over a quarter of the country giving their time each year. This strategy is about grounding and supporting that culture so that it exists well into the future and has the chance to grow. This year in particular has shown us the importance of volunteering to our communities and the positive impact volunteering has on society.”

“Volunteering is constantly evolving – how organisations engage volunteers is changing and how people want to give their time is changing. This strategy aims to enhance existing supports and structures to ensure that volunteers and organisations continue to flourish and we can continue to meet their changing needs.”

On Volunteer Ireland’s role in delivering the strategy, Arwitz added “Along with the network of Volunteer Centre across the country, we have represented the views of volunteers and organisations throughout the process to ensure a robust and focused strategy. The key now will be ensuring there are adequate resources to deliver the actions within the strategy and that an implementation group is convened without delay.”

“As the national volunteer development organisation, we look forward to delivering many elements of the strategy in partnership with Government and other stakeholders in the sector. Ireland has always been a leader in volunteering and volunteer management; this strategy gives us the chance to embrace that role and pave a way forward.”

Download the National Volunteering Strategy 2021  – 2025

Find out about the scoping exercise and submissions.

Volunteer Ireland Achieves Investing in Volunteers Quality Standard

Volunteer Ireland is delighted to announce that we have achieved Investing in Volunteers (IiV), the international quality standard for excellence in volunteer management.

We are proud to join the growing number of volunteer involving organisations in Ireland to achieve the standard, and as the only volunteer development organisation in the UK or Ireland to achieve it this is a huge milestone.

According to Nina Arwitz, Volunteer Ireland CEO, “As the national volunteer development organisation it was important for us to lead by example in this area. We involve volunteers in many areas of our work including our corporate programme, public affairs, communications, design and office admin; as well as our Event Volunteers programme which has 581 volunteers. We are immensely proud of the high standards we have set for volunteer involvement and management. It’s our priority to make sure all volunteers have an excellent experience with us and that we set a high standard within our own organisation.”

Diversity is a cornerstone of our volunteer programme with over 76 nationalities represented across our Event Volunteers team alone.

Clodagh Scott, an Event Volunteer, felt immense pride at the achievement: “I am excited that Volunteer Ireland has achieved IiV, it’s a fantastic organisation and my favourite group to volunteer with.  I love volunteering with them due to the open and safe space they create, this is a group that gives me a sense of belonging and acceptance.”

More information on the Investing in Volunteers Quality Standard can be found here.

New 50-company study reveals radical changes in Employee Community Engagement

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated enormous pressures and new needs in society. It has created new demands on community organisations and businesses who are committed to positive social and environmental impact. It has also raised new challenges and added complexity to the relationships between community organisations and businesses and how they work together. July through September 2020, Volunteer Ireland, in collaboration with Volunteer Canada, undertook a study with 50 Canadian and Irish companies to create a snapshot of the effects of the pandemic on employee community engagement. Volunteer Canada’s Elizabeth Dove gives us a taste of what to expect from the report.

Employee community engagement is defined as company-supported activities undertaken by employees to make a positive impact on social or environmental issues.  Examples include volunteering, donating, learning activities, civic action, use of social media, responsible purchasing or waste disposal. At some companies, employee community engagement is part of a larger corporate community engagement programme which engages other company stakeholders, such as retirees, employee family members, vendors, suppliers, contractors, clients or customers.

Findings indicate that companies are looking for creative solutions to continue their employee community engagement activities during the pandemic. Along with assisting the cause being supported, these activities also benefit employee well-being. With a priority on the health and safety of employees, there is a high demand for virtual volunteering opportunities however, at the moment, community organisations struggle to meet the demand for these virtual opportunities. There has an increased emphasis on employee-led activities, yet at the same time some companies struggle to engage employees , while others are having trouble getting a clear picture of how employees are giving back. Looking ahead, companies are planning to increase emphasis on skills-based volunteering and on opportunities for employees to learn about community issues and the non-profits addressing them as part of their community engagement program offering.

Read the full report – Effects of The Pandemic on Employee Community Engagement.

Martina Brennan, Coordinator of Friendly Call Service, Co. Sligo

Martina Brennan is the Coordinator of the Friendly Call Service in Moylough, Co. Sligo. This National Volunteering Week, we chatted to Martina about the importance of the service, what she gets out of it and why volunteers are so important.

Martina has been the Coordinator of the Friendly Call Service since it was established in 2011. The service provides regular ‘friendly calls’ to elderly people living alone or in isolation in the local area. Although Martina is employed by Sligo Leader, she volunteers even more hours beyond her contract to make sure no-one is left behind.

According to Martina, the service is vital for those that use it. “For some people, the phone call might be the only interaction they have all week.” The service was originally set up with the idea of making calls to people once a week but since the onset of COVID-19 that has all changed.

“As soon as the pandemic began, I asked people if they’d like to be called more often than once a week. Now I phone 25 people each day. We talk about whatever they want – the weather, television, even the pandemic”. The most important aspect, Martina points out, is that it’s only a chat – she doesn’t ask any personal questions or give any advice.

I ask Martina what she gets out of it and the answer was clear – quite a lot! “I’m a really sociable person and I like talking to people. Some days you can wake up in a bad mood but making these calls always cheers me up – it does you the world of good! Older people have lots to give and it’s wonderful to hear their stories, especially about the history of the local area”.

Martina will be retiring in November but hopes to still give some time volunteering to the service. Sligo Volunteer Centre are currently recruiting volunteers to support the service here.

Guest Blog: Living with Shattering- Five Actions for Volunteer Managers

Martin J Cowling is a knowledgeable and popular international trainer based in Canberra, Australia. He possesses over 20 years of management experience with organizations including UNICEF, AFS Intercultural Programs, The Smith Family, and Victorian Relief. Today he gives is the five actions volunteer managers need to do right now.

Today, as one of the members of our household took out the recycling, one of the glass bottles slipped from their grip and hit the tiled floor shattering and sending shards everywhere. There are now tiny glass segments scattered across five metres. After many minutes of sweeping, it is still risky to walk barefoot in that area. For many of us, 2020 has been like this. Everything we have been used to, has been shattered and we are living with trying to reorder the world and avoid getting cut by a shattered piece.

Through volunteering, people have always been helping fixed shattered lives, shattered individuals and shattered communities. From Food Banks to animal rescue organisations to Civil Defence to literacy to Samaritans, volunteers have always faced fractured situations and provided advice, support, clean up and repair. In this current crisis, many volunteers continue to serve in some way.

Managers of volunteers have always had multi functional roles. Through COVID-19, this role has to shift into a new space, whether our volunteers are mobilised or furloughed. COVID-19 is proving to be a test case for effective leadership as managers of volunteers shine by leading in new ways.

There are five actions for volunteer managers:

1. Look after yourself. Acknowledge that this is not normal and that we may never see the same world again. I have been scheduling 2 to 3 virtual face time or zoom coffees a week with inspiring people I respect.

2. Develop a clear, hierarchical list of priorities for your organisation, yourself and your volunteers. Focus on what is really important right now. You could not do everything before the virus emerged and you cannot do it now. What will most make a difference?

3. Communicate calmly, honestly and be empathetic to your volunteers and clients. It is very rare for people to over communicate in a crisis. Say the same thing in different ways repeatedly. Remind volunteers that they are important, give them affirmations and statements about what the organisation and volunteers are doing.

4. Encourage innovation to deliver crucial services. This will be the time people will learn to Skype, to face time. Volunteers can do many things from their homes using phones, computers and even drones. Let them suggest new ways to do their work.

5. Write down and document your stories and learnings from this.

We cannot fix that shattered bottle but our actions can help us live through the shattering.

COVID-19 Volunteering: Looking at the numbers

Volunteer Ireland CEO Nina Arwitz takes a look at the numbers around COVID-19 and examines a phenomenon seen in Ireland and many countries around the world – that there are more people signing up to volunteer than there are available volunteer roles. 

We have seen a huge outpouring of support from people across Ireland wanting to offer their help to others in response to COVID-19. Thousands of people have signed up to the national volunteering database, I-VOL, over the last 2 months. Given the large number of people willing to volunteer we haven’t been able to find a role for everyone and that can understandably cause frustration. People want to help but sometimes there is nothing for them to do. But why is that?

The main reason is actually a pretty great one. Ireland already has a really strong culture of volunteerism. On average, over 1 million people in Ireland volunteer their time for others each year. We’re in the top 10 in the world for volunteering! This means that a lot of organisations already have a full complement of volunteers and were able to respond to COVID-19 immediately. This is really good news for our communities and our most vulnerable friends and neighbours.

Along with us, the network of Volunteer Centres and Volunteering Information Services, work with organisations and volunteers all year round – supporting them, advising them and matching them. Thanks to this vital service, many organisations had an existing support system in place.

Unfortunately, the onset of COVID-19 meant that many organisations had to suspend their services until restrictions are lifted meaning that the requirement for volunteers has been much lower than normal. It’s important to remember that as we move to the ‘new normal’, many organisations will once again be in need of volunteers to support their services, which will be in demand more than ever.

One piece of comfort is that we are not alone. Having spoken to colleagues across Europe and as far off as North and South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand – they are all in the same boat: more people want to volunteer than are needed right now. While it can be very frustrating if you want to volunteer and there is no role for you, it’s good to remember that this is actually a positive thing – that so many people are willing to help!

Gaisce at home with Orla Leahy

Orla Leahy is a student from Cork who is currently going for her Gaisce Gold Award. Here she tells us how COVID-19 has affected her, how she has adapted her Gaisce challenges and how she’s been volunteering from home.

What’s been the hardest thing about the current situation?

The toughest thing right now is not being able to see my friends and extended family, especially my grandparents. I would have visited my grandparents regularly. I think the biggest thing we all probably miss is our freedom. I had just passed my driving test before the current restrictions were put in place. I was extremely lucky to be able to do my test, and to pass, but it’s been a bit anticlimactic not being able to drive anywhere. It’s such a rite of passage to learn to drive in the first place. I was hoping to drive to the gym and swimming pool to undertake the Physical Recreation challenge area for Gaisce, but now I’m confined to doing all my Gaisce at home. You really have to get creative!

How are you spending your time?

I’m currently studying for my Leaving Cert which is taking up a lot of time of course, but I’m making sure I’m taking lots of breaks. My family created two raised beds in the garden where we’re growing things like onions, courgettes and herbs. We’ve also built a greenhouse which has been very a very exciting project as we’ll be able to grow things from seed.

I’m making sure I keep up with other things I love too like my GAA skills. Before the outbreak, I used to train the local U12 girls football team, which I miss doing an awful lot.

How is doing Gaisce helping?

I find doing Gaisce has been a welcome distraction as it’s something else to focus on other than the Leaving Cert and the current restrictions. It’s hard when you’re at home all the time to stay positive, but I’m finding working towards my Gold Award keeps me motivated and gives me something to look forward to. Gaisce for me is a way of promoting positive mental health and I think it’s bringing an air of normality to daily life which I welcome wholeheartedly!

I’ve had to change two of my Challenge Areas due to the current restrictions, my Community Involvement and my Physical Recreation. For my Community Involvement I was training the local U12 girls in Gaelic football, but now I’m knitting for the Innocent Big Knit for Age Action Ireland. My mom has been knitting too, so it’s something we can do together. My nana taught both of us how to knit which is nice as it brings her closer to us even though we can’t see each other.

I’ve had to change my Physical Recreation from gym work and swimming to Joe Wicks classes. They’re easy to follow along with and my family join in too which is good, because we’re not able to do our usual exercise.

Luckily, I’ve been able to keep up my Photography for my personal skill. I’ve been editing photos I’ve taken on my laptop, which is very relaxing and another way I can unwind these days.

What’s your best advice for other young people coping in this situation?

Three friends and I had been planning our Gold Adventure Journey for this summer in the South of England. Unfortunately, it’s very unlikely that that will go ahead, but we’re adamant we make alternatives. It may be next year or going on an Adventure in Ireland instead, but having something to look forward to beyond the Leaving Cert and Covid 19 restrictions is of huge benefit to all of us.

Otherwise, I recommend that everyone tries to stick to a routine, I’m certainly finding the routine of Gaisce beneficial. Plan what you’re going to do for the week and try to stick to it as best you can.

If you want to learn more about Gaisce at Home, check it out here.