Welcome to our latest online newsletter.

? South Dublin County Volunteer Centre is delighted to announce that we have been successful in sourcing funding for a new training officer. Clodagh Gorman will begin work with SDCVC at the end of March 2004. If you are a volunteer involving group in the Dublin 24 area and are registered with SDCVC, Clodagh will be contacting you in the near future regarding your training needs.

? Best of luck to Maria Keogh (Youth Officer) and Denise Laird (Placement Officer) who begin their maternity leave this March. If you have any questions regarding volunteers or volunteering you can contact Alan Reigh This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )'; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text93230 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , who is replacing them during their leave.

? Publications - SDCVC has just launched its annual report for 2003 plus its? strategic plan for 2004 - 2006. Copies of these reports are available from our website (www.volunteersouthdublin.ie) or you can get a copy on request from the office of SDCVC at 462 8558.

? Thanks in part to funding for DCRGA, TVB have presentation equipment available for Tallaght volunteer-involving organisations to borrow, free of charge including:
* Digital Projector (for PowerPoint, video etc)
* Front projection screen - pop up
* Portable OHP

Contact the office at 462 8558 or e-mail us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you wish to borrow any of these items and for a small demonstration.

? SDCVC has recently launched its? new website - check it out at www.volunteersouthdublin.ie

? The Tallaght Environmental action group is looking for volunteers to get involved in various tree-planting and clean-up projects in Tallaght.

Contact Tracey or Owen at 01 4623222 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

Tallaght Environmental Action Group

Background: About 6 months ago a group of people working in community development in Tallaght began to look at environmental issues in the area to see if it would be possible to start some type of local organisation. We examined and considered several possible ways of initiating such an organisation. We thought that local people should be given the support to become involved in actions, which they believe need to be addressed. We then had a look around to see what was happening in other areas of Dublin.

We then formed contacts with GAP (Global Action Plan). It is an organisation, which is involved in facilitating environmental action groups around the world. They run a program in Ballymun, which has been very successful to date. We decided this was a good idea and we would try to facilitate starting similar types of actions in Tallaght and as a result organised the creative morning for local people to attend.

A good mixture of volunteers, volunteer involving organisations plus public representatives attended on what turned out to be a very productive day. The end result of the day was that 3 working groups/action teams were formed that would continue to meet in the future and drive forward various programs.

The 3 groups are:
Action team 1: Set up to involve residents/volunteers in 2 local clean ups, tree-planting plus starting a tree nursery and if these actions are successful to become involved in new actions or try to maintain the areas involved in the clean up.

Action team 2: Set up to lobby local government/county council into making their services more accessible / user friendly. Particularly in training staff about services available in order to direct clients to the right services / personnel for their queries.

Action team 3: Campaign for the setting up of bigger re-cycling bring centres, which cater for all recyclable waste, which are better managed and maintained plus more recycling drop points and also an awareness campaign to educate people who have green wheelie bins on how to use them and what to put in them.

Thanks to everybody who participated in the day and we wish them success in their action teams. The groups will organise on-going meetings and another meeting of the whole group will be organised at a later date so that action teams can feed back to the group as a whole. If anybody has any queries or wants to get involved in one of the action teams, they can contact either Owen or Tracey in the SPLTU Tallaght at 01 4623222

You have not lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.

It is better to shoot for the moon and miss, than shoot for nothing and hit it.

There is only one thing worse than training your volunteers and having them leave - and that's not training them, and having them stay.

It is in giving oneself that one receives."
- Francis of Assisi

Below are some of our newest volunteering opportunities to give you a flavour of some of the types of voluntary work that are available through the Volunteer Bureau. If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact Kevin or phone us at 462 8558

The Fettercairn Horse Project
(Ref 32/04)
The Fettercairn Horse Project is situated on a seven acres area of disused land in Fettercairn, Tallaght and provides stables and grazing for up to 20 horses from the area. They aim to help channel youths? interest and respect for horses into a constructive community activity, which would provide them with opportunities to develop personal, social and vocational skills. They are currently looking for a volunteer who would be able to teach horse-riding skills to participants of the course. Previous experience in working with horses, particularly experience in teaching equine skills, is required for this position. For more information on this opportunity, contact South Dublin County Volunteer Centre.

South Dublin County Volunteer Centre (Ref 33/04)
The South Dublin County Volunteer Centre provides a service of recruitment and placement of volunteers in Dublin 24. We are currently looking for a volunteer who would sit as a member on the Bureau?s management committee, which meets every six weeks. For more information on this opportunity, contact the South Dublin County Volunteer Centre.

Knockadoon Summer Project
(Ref 34/04)
Knockadoon Summer Project provides low cost holidays in Cork to young people in need. They are currently looking for volunteers who would assist in the organisation of fundraising events in Tallaght. This opportunity can be conducted from the home. For more information on this opportunity, contact South Dublin County Volunteer Centre.

Irish Seal Sanctuary
(Ref 21/04)
The Irish Seal Sanctuary's aim is to rescue, rehabilitate and release sick/distressed marine mammals, especially seals, back to their natural environment. They are currently looking for a Volunteer Co-ordinator to liaise with the Director who is currently trying to perform this task. Responsibilities would include organising monthly meetings with volunteers, assigning tasks to volunteers at these meetings, forming small working committees, supporting the volunteers, maintaining volunteers interest and using their skills to the best advantage for the work of the ISS. For more information on this opportunity, contact South Dublin County Volunteer Centre.

Ever Thought of Older People and Volunteering?

A Practical Checklist for organisations involving older people as volunteers

Have fully operational equal opportunities policies which encourage older people to volunteer and to be involved more effectively.

Try not to adopt a narrow view of what activities are suitable for older volunteers. A choice of volunteering roles, including those which are physically and mentally taxing, should be offered.

Build flexibility into the volunteering role to allow older people to carry on with other things going on in their lives.

Support older volunteers well - do not throw them in at the deep end, or ask them to put in more time than they can spare.

Follow good practice in the management of volunteers in all instances, e.g volunteer policy, recruitment and selection, induction, training, supportand supervision.

Try to offer older volunteers something new and different from what they have been doing all their lives.

Offer training - the opportunity to learn should be given in a variety of formats to suit various preferred methods of learning.

Make your volunteers feel empowered and consult and involve them in the development of their volunteering

Be creative, and consider if there are tasks within the organisation which individual older volunteers or a group would be able to undertake and run as their own project, with back-up support.

Match older people to tasks based on their interests, abilities and skills.

Market volunteering to older people as something which could meet their needs and provide a new, exciting, even enjoyable, leisure activity.

Follow good practice in management of volunteers in all instances e.g. volunteer policy, recruitment and selection, induction, training, support and supervision.

Overcome obstacles, such as lack of transport or expenses - this will make it easier for older people to volunteer.

Reprinted with permission of
The Volunteer Development Agency

Tallaght Volunteer Bureau
512 Main Street
Tallaght
Dublin 24
Tel: +353 1 4628558
Fax: +353 1 4628384
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Web page: www.volunteersouthdublin.ie

Manager: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Placement Officer: Kevin Clancy

Training Officer: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it