Hello and welcome to the Summer edition of Volunteering Matters!

Every day we hear stories of volunteers who make a difference, and what better way to thank them than to nominate them for a Volunteer Ireland Award! 

Nominations for the Volunteer Ireland Awards are open!

The Volunteer Ireland Awards are the major annual initiative to celebrate volunteers in Ireland. The awards shine a light on the remarkable achievements of volunteers around the country by honoring them at a national level.

 

There are no limits on how long someone has volunteered, type of volunteering, or age so nominate anyone you think is an asset to the community.

 

Nominations of individuals or duos are accepted in the following categories:

• Arts, Culture & Festivals
• Campaigning & Activism
• Children & Youth
• Environmental & Animal Care
• Health & Wellbeing
• Safety & Emergency Services
• Social Inclusion & Community Support
• Sports & Recreation

There are also categories for groups of volunteers!

Each and every nominee will be thanked!

We're grateful for all volunteers, so we will post a thank you card to every nominee submitted for the Volunteer Ireland Awards. It's a lovely way to make someone know how appreciated they are!

There were more than 550 nominations in 2023 leading to tears and smiles all around for our judging panel. 

 

Want to know how to make your nomination stand out? 

• Be specific! Give examples of the times this volunteer went above and beyond.
• Tell a story! Set the scene and tell us what the stakes are if this volunteer didn't help out. 
• Make it personal! The best nominations are heartfelt and honest about how much this volunteer means to their organisation or community. 
• Share accomplishments! Maybe this volunteer started in one role and grew into another, or they started shy and nervous but became a confident leader.

Thank you, volunteers of Global Action Plan!

This year we launched the 2024 Volunteer Ireland Awards in Ballymun at the Glas Community Garden, run by Global Action Plan volunteers. Serving the community since 2011, the garden is used as a space of learning and social inclusion. It is used on a weekly basis by a diverse range of groups of all ages and abilities. The space hosts workshops about the practical things people can do for the benefit of the whole planet. 

And lastly,

Does your organisation engage volunteers, or do you work as a Volunteer Manager? Then don't miss our upcoming training sessions!

Coffee, Chat & Connect

Fri 6 Sept

Grab a cuppa and join your fellow Leaders of Volunteers for our monthly digital give-and-get. Join us to take a coffee break and informally chat about all things volunteering. 

Volunteer Wellbeing

 

Fri 13 Sept

 

Learn how to support volunteers to manage stress and encourage them to mind their mental health and wellbeing. 

Measuring the impact of your volunteering

Thurs 26 Sept

Measuring the impact of volunteering activities is important and we can help with the tools to do this!

www.volunteer.ie