New drive to get people to lend a helping hand

A new drive to get people to enlist as volunteers with charities and community organisations will be launched this weekend

The Galway City Volunteer Recruitment Fair is being held on Sunday, January 29 in the Clybaun Hotel, Knocknacarra between 2 and 5pm for members of the public who are interested in volunteering.

BY CAOIMHE KILLEEN

The event is being organised by Volunteer Galway, and over 30 charities and community organisations from across the city – such as Pieta House, Croi and Enable Ireland – will be present at the fair, explaining about the work they do and the volunteer roles they are trying to fill.

“There will be a wide variety of volunteer roles available to suit people’s busy schedules,” said Donnacha Foley, Development Manager of Volunteer Galway.

“We would encourage people to come along and speak to the charities, find out about the great work they are doing, and how they can get involved”, he said, adding that it was a unique opportunity for members of the public to find out what volunteer roles are available in the community and how to get involved.

Local councillor and organiser of the event, Niall Mc Nelis said that there was a fantastic range of charities and community organisations in Galway City. “Volunteering can be a great way to learn new skills and make new friends, while also making a contribution to the valuable work that these organisations do throughout the year,” he said.

Volunteer Galway (Galway Volunteer Centre) was set up in 2006, and they help people to choose volunteer roles based on their interests and availability.

Mr. Foley pointed out that they have a list of over 150 roles on their website that change on a daily basis.

Mr. Foley said that he is “always amazed by the number of people who come to us with a desire to do something to help others.” In the past 10 years, over 11,000 people have used the service, and over 2,500 roles for over 500 originations based in Galway City have been filled through the service.