Welcome to our latest online newsletter.

South Dublin County Volunteer Centre is delighted to announce that we have been successful in sourcing 2 new streams of funding in the last number of weeks. We have been awarded Dormant Accounts funding to employ a supported volunteering officer. This position is being created in order to support people with disabilities or special support needs to volunteer in their local community. We have also been awarded community linkage funding. We will be employing an outreach officer who will promote participation and volunteering in the RAPID areas of Tallaght. We look forward to these exciting new developments in the near future.

  Our local training program will begin in October 2004. Our first courses will include modules such as developing a volunteer policy, involving refugees and non-Irish nationals in volunteering, attracting employer supported volunteers and recruitment of volunteers. More information to follow soon.

  Publications - in conjunction with our training program, SDCVC is launching a new series of Step by Step guides. If you want a copy of any of these guides, which include Thinking of Volunteering - a step by step guide, Volunteer Policy development, Non Nationals and volunteering, employee volunteering and family volunteering please contact us here in the Volunteer Bureau. These guides are also available to download from our website at www.volunteersouthdublin.ie.

  Best wishes to our training officer, Clodagh Gorman, whose wedding occurs on 18th September. We wish her and John all the best for a long and happy life together.

  And finally? December 5th is UN International Volunteers Day. Why not start planning your celebrations now. We?d be delighted to give you advice, support and ideas!!

Who would be a volunteer?

When my children were at school, I did the usual things to help in the school; fundraising, help with school concerts, mini marathons, using the car as a bus to bring the kids to football, basketball, camogie, swimming etc. You name it I was roped into it.

But this you did helping your children?s school. It was something expected of you, whether you liked it or not. The kids are all grown up now and rearing their own, so I am finished with school.

I was asked would I like to be a volunteer in the hospital, as part of the Pastoral Care team. This I did for some time but I was no good at it. It takes a person with a special quality, which I do not possess to do this work. I am a good listener but I run out of conversation very quickly. I felt I was doing the patient more harm than good. I think they were glad to see the back of me.
Volunteers work in many parts of the hospital such as Pastoral Care (as I have mentioned), fundraising, library, coffee shop and the mobile library.

? Ah the coffee shop, that would suit me! Haven?t I spent most of my life on one side of a counter or the other?.
To me the coffee shop is a happy place, but also a sad place. You see people who are visiting friends or relatives who are in for minor ailments, laughing and joking.
? You are looking very well?
? Would you like a cup of coffee??
When are you going home??

But others are not so fortunate. People with no-one to visit them, people from the country, people who feel abandoned, looking for someone to talk to but not able to bridge that gap. This is where a volunteer becomes a shining light.

Volunteers go out on the floor to clear the tables. This gives them a great opportunity to mix and meet with people, look out for the lonely and have a little chat with them, offer a cup of tea, maybe guide someone over to their table. Sometimes the best medicine is company.

Volunteers range in age from fifteen (transition year students) to people my age?..! People from all walks of life choose to be a volunteer.

What qualifications do you require? None. Just a love of people and a desire to help others and a big smile always helps, and an ability to be a good listener. If you could cheer someone up you would make a good volunteer.

Don?t mind what they say about being rewarded in heaven. The rewards are here and now, an inner sense of satisfaction and a feeling of achievement, of being useful, of being able to say to oneself, ?this day was a meaningful day?.

A Volunteer - Tallaght Hospital

? If you find it in your heart to care for someone else, you will have succeeded.
? Maya Angelou


? We are what we repeatedly do.
? Aristotle

? If you want one year of prosperity,
grow grain.
If you want ten years of prosperity,
grow trees.
If you want one hundred years of prosperity,
grow people."
? Chinese Proverb

? The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not the hate them, but to be indifferent to them. That's the essence of inhumanity.
? George Bernard Shaw

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 Centre. If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone us at 462 8558

Amnesty International Irish Section
(Refs 82/04 - 85/04 inclusive)
Amnesty International's vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. Amnesty are currently looking for volunteers for the following roles; Receptionist, Conference Organising Assistant, Arts Administration and Production Intern and Executive Administration Assistant. For more information on these opportunities contact the Volunteer Bureau or view these opportunities on our website www.volunteersouthdublin.ie

Home-Start Lucan
(Ref 86/04)
Home-Start is a voluntary organisation in which volunteers offer regular support, friendship and practical help to families with young children in their own homes. Home-start is available for any family with at least one child under five. Home-Start are looking for volunteers to get involved with their programme, to visit families in their own homes offering support, friendship and practical help. Ideally, volunteers would be parents themselves or have parenting experience. For more information on this opportunity contact the Volunteer Bureau or view this opportunity onour website www.volunteersouthdublin.ie

Club 23 Foroige Youth Club
(Refs 09/04 and 70/04)
Club 23 are a local youth club based in Ballycragh. Club 23 are looking for a male youth leader to work with young people on various programmes including sports, arts and crafts and personal development.
They are also looking for an After schools tutor. This would be a volunteer who could 'coach' good study skills and habits on Wednesday evenings. For more information on these opportunities contact the Volunteer Bureau or view these opportunities on our website www.volunteersouthdublin.ie

Parentline
(Ref 11/00)
Parentline are looking for volunteers to man their confidential Parent Support Helpline. Could you spare three hours a week just to lend a sympathetic ear and to support stressed parents with the problems they encounter. If so, full training will be provided. For more information please contact the volunteer Centre.

Ever thought of Mental Health and volunteering?

A good practice checklist for organisations involving volunteers who are living with mental ill health

Check that the person wants to do voluntary work, and has realistic expectations about what it can offer.

Carry out a careful assessment to gain understanding of a person?s particular needs, especially any implications the person?s condition may have on their work.

Create a structure, develop a clear role description, starting with a small commitment, then build on this. Task-centred work with clear goals can be very rewarding. A strong project identity can give a volunteer a much needed sense of belonging.

Agree the level of flexibility and write out in the form of clear guidelines at the beginning.

Ensure you give volunteers the correct information about volunteering and welfare benefits.

Check if the volunteer is able to travel independently, and provide volunteer expenses to support travel costs.

Acknowledge and confront any feelings or fears you may have around mental illness, and provide training to other staff and volunteers to raise their awareness of the issues. Make use of volunteers? specialised knowledge of mental health issues.

Know your limits - if you can?t offer a suitable placement, then don?t.

Be aware of striking a balance between the volunteers and the needs of the rest of the group.

Follow an agreed trial period - this gives both volunteer and organisation a chance to ?try things out?.

Provide regular reviews with ongoing support, refering back to the individual?s goals - this can be helpful in inspiring confidence. Problems can be addressed at this time.

Reprinted with permission of
The Volunteer Development Agency

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

Manager: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Placement Officer: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Training Officer: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.