South Dublin County Volunteer centre is pleased to announce that our  parent body, Volunteer Centres Ireland 's bid for European Funding for the European Year of Volunteering flagship project has been successful. VCI’s application was made in partnership with three other organisations: Business in the Community Ireland, Focus Ireland and the National Standards Authority of Ireland to develop a national quality standard for involving volunteers.

As part of the project we will research, design, pilot and implement a quality standard framework for volunteer-involving organisations in Ireland appropriate to the community and voluntary sector here, which will be a model for other EU countries without a standard to learn from and adapt or adopt accordingly. The framework, incorporating policy, procedures and practices will serve as a benchmark for organisations to achieve best practice in involving volunteers and an award system to allow for public display of commitment to quality.

Our partners, Business In The Community and The National Standard Authority in Ireland will undertake the design of the quality framework, including the most appropriate and accessible format for volunteer-involving organisations to engage with it. It will be piloted in Focus Ireland, nother partner, and then it will be rolled out nationwide, providing a standard that we hope all not-profit volunteer-involving organisations in Ireland will aspire to achieve. The result will be more effective volunteer-involving organisations and a culture of best practice in volunteering in Ireland: a more enabling environment for volunteering!

If you would like more information about the Award, please contact Yvonne McKenna, CEO of Volunteer Centres Ireland.

European Year of Volunteering Awards 
Business in the Community Ireland is currently accepting entries for the European Employee Volunteering Awards - Ireland, aimed at rewarding companies of all sizes that have developed employee volunteering schemes. One of the first European-wide Awards schemes of its kind, the Awards are co-funded by the European Commission and the programme of activities will be closely aligned to the European Year of Volunteering 2011.

We are now inviting nominations for the best companies in Ireland in two categories Large or Small company. Judges will also award an Irish Innovation winner and Newcomer winner. The winners will then proceed to a European Wide Judging Panel. Closing date for entries is 5pm on December 6th 2010. 
Visit our website for more information and application form

European Year of Volunteering

Volunteer Centres Ireland and your local Volunteer Centre are looking forward to joining with millions of individual volunteers and organisations all across Europe in celebrating European Year of Volunteering 2011.

Working together, the European Year of Volunteering hopes to:

1. Work towards an enabling and facilitating environment for volunteering in the EU;
2. Empower volunteer organisations and improve the quality of volunteering
3. Reward and recognise volunteering activities
4. Raise awareness of the value and importance of volunteering.

But what does this mean to you?

The European Year of Volunteering is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the many volunteers who dedicate their time and skills to make a positive contribution to your local community. It is also an opportunity for organisations that have not yet embraced volunteering to create and develop a volunteer programme within your own organisation.

Your local Volunteer Centre will be working on individual initiatives to mark the year, but we would also love to hear if you are planning anything to celebrate European Year of Volunteering in your own organisation or community. You can keep an eye on your local Volunteer Centre’s website as well as www.volunteer.ie for more information on the different events running throughout the year.

Now more than ever we need to recognise and encourage the individual contributions volunteers make to communities. It is a challenge for all of us during European Year of Volunteering that we build on our strong volunteering culture at a local level and ensure communities as well as individual volunteers continue to feel the positive benefits of volunteering for years to come.

Volunteer Centres Ireland and your local Volunteer Centre

Carlow Volunteer Centre
Clare Volunteer Centre
Cork Volunteer Centre
Donegal Volunteer Centre
Dublin City North Volunteer Centre
Dublin City South Volunteer Centre
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Volunteer Centre
Fingal Volunteer Centre
Galway Volunteer Centre
Kerry Volunteer Centre
Kildare Volunteer Centre
Limerick Volunteer Centre
Longford Volunteer Centre
Louth Volunteer Centre
Mayo Volunteer Centre
Meath Volunteer Centre
Monaghan Volunteer Centre
Sligo Volunteer Centre
South Tipperary Volunteer Centre
South Dublin County Volunteer Centre
Westmeath Volunteer Centre
Wicklow Volunteer Centre
www.volunteer.ie