Volunteering
Depaul Ireland takes a holistic approach to working with each of our service users. This involves providing emotional support in addition to physical and practical services. It is within this structure of support that the work of our volunteer programme is vital.
The volunteer programme was established to enable individuals to become involved in the work of the organisation. The programme aims to develop the skills of the volunteer whilst simultaneously enabling Depaul Ireland to offer a more multifaceted approach to our service.
Additionally, we have developed further roles for 'More than Change' volunteers, who are invited to share skills and talents with Depaul to develop community awareness and fundraising capacity.
There are three different types of volunteers within Depaul Ireland (click on the links below to learn more about each type);
Check out our European Year of the Volunteer (EYV2011) Volunteer Blog for real-life stories from Depaul Ireland volunteers!
BECOME A VOLUNTEER TODAY!
The volunteer programme in each juristiction (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) is lead by the Volunteer Coordinator who, with the support of project-based staff and managers, organises the recruitment, training and support of the Depaul Ireland volunteer team.
Our first recruitment round for 2012 in Dublin closes on Thursday 1st March with inductions beginning on 5th March 2012.
NEED
Depaul Ireland employs a dedicated staff team to look after the day to day operations of our services including: accommodation, training and outreach. Staff are responsible for maintaining a professional service, managing everything from referrals, resettlement, training to health and safety.
Volunteers add to the opportunities that we can offer our service users, through providing a listening ear, a chat over coffee or by organising trips to a local places of interest.
PROJECT AIMS
- To ensure that our services meet the multifaceted needs of our service users
- To provide new skills and perspectives to service users and volunteers alike
- To enable volunteers to develop and contribute to all areas of our work
- To increase contact with the local communities within which we work and which we serve
- To maintain an independent public presence within our community to help ensure our accountability to the wider community
IMPACT & INVOLVEMENT
Depaul Ireland currently hosts a cumulative total of over 200 fulltime and part-time volunteers across all of the projects in Dublin, Belfast and Dungannon. That's a monumental amount of volunteer hours given each year!
Our hope is, that over the next few years, we will be able to increase the number of volunteers involved in our services to a ratio of 1:3. The volunteer programme provides opportunities for local and international volunteers to become involved in our services. It also promotes volunteering to our service users, so that they may in turn experience the benefits of volunteering in Ireland and abroad.
Depaul Ireland Volunteer Coordinators
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ORLA MCANDREWVolunteer Coordinator-ROI |
JENNY GROVESVolunteer Coordinator- NI |
LISA BYRNEVolunteer Coordinator-Rendu |
MEMBERSHIPS AND LINKS
Depaul Ireland is a member of Volunteering Ireland, PAVMI and Volunteer Now. In relation to EVS volunteers, we work closely with Léargas and The British Council.
