Dublin Volunteers Give Support to National Volunteering Week

Volunteers across Dublin will begin week long campaign of organised community events and acts of charity, as National Volunteering Week gets underway from 14th - 20th May.

Launching the week, Volunteer Ireland Chief Executive Officer Dr. Yvonne McKenna said it’s not too late to get involved and encouraged people to take the opportunity to support their communities.

“Events are continuing until next Sunday so there is still time to join in, or register a project. People can log on to www.volunteer.ie, or contact your local Volunteer Centre to find out what’s on locally.” The campaign is being coordinated through Dublin City North, Dublin City South, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin County Volunteer Centres.

Volunteer Ireland, which is co-ordinating the campaign nationally, announced details of a survey it carried out in advance of National Volunteering Week.

In the survey of more than 500 active volunteers, 43% said that ‘personal belief for a cause’ was the most important part of their decision to volunteer, followed by the ‘organisation’s values and principles’ (24%) and the ‘experience people will gain’ (21%).

76% of participants said that volunteering was either ‘essential’ or ‘very important’ for the future of their community. The survey also found that being involved in volunteering brings positive benefits to people themselves with 98% responding that ‘volunteering makes them a happier person’.

For the past five years volunteers have participated in charity and community projects on National Day of Volunteering with 10,000 people taking part last year. This year the campaign has been expanded to a week, making it easier for volunteers, organisations and companies to get involved.

National Volunteering Week is being co-ordinated nationally by Volunteer Ireland and delivered locally through the 22 local Volunteer Centres. The flagship project for 2012 is a National Inland Waterways Clean up.

National Volunteering Week is supported by Irish Rail. More at www.volunteer.ie.

Further Information

Dublin City South Volunteer Centre, Manager, Edwina Dewart: (01) 473 7483.

Dublin City North Volunteer Centre, Manager, John Cottrell: (01) 872 2622.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Volunteer Centre, Manager, Karen Johnson: (01) 209 0630

Fingal Volunteer Centre, Manager, Stuart Garland: (01) 820 9550

South Dublin County Volunteer Centre, Manager, Tricia Nolan, 01 462 8558.

Ronan Cavanagh, Cavanagh Communications: (086) 317 9731 

Phil Boughton, Volunteer Ireland: (085) 742 7017.

About Volunteer Ireland

Volunteer Ireland is the national volunteer development agency and a representative body for all local Volunteer Centres in Ireland. Volunteer Ireland’s vision is for an Irish society in which everyone who wants to has access to meaningful volunteering opportunities