European Year of Volunteering 2011

2011 is European Year of Volunteering, so why not get involved in your local community. Tired of all the talk of banks and finance, fed-up with politicians and empty promises, feel powerless? Then why not join the large group of people who make a real difference?  Volunteers are people who start movements and save forests, fight social injustice and recognise the importance of people.  Ask yourself what do the following organisations have in common the GAA, and the Credit Union, Medicine Sans Frontier and the Red Cross, Tidy Towns and Macra na Feirme, the ICA and Special Olympics. Answer: they were all started by volunteers and continue to involve volunteers in their operations. Look around your local community and see the number of activities that would not exist  without volunteers - community games and football clubs, guide and scouts and youth clubs, older peoples networks and meals on wheels, cancer support centres and citizen advice centres. Chances are your town is tidier because of a local group, your local school can offer more activites because of volunteer parents, your church, chapel or meeting house would not exist without volunteers. You can sail, water ski, or kayak knowing that the RNLI will be there if you get into difficulty, and climb Lugnaquila knowing that the local mountain rescue team is always on hand. If you find a stray dog or cat you know that the Wicklow Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will be willing to give it a home and you know that you can turn to the Irish Seal Sanctuary, Birdwatch or a myriad of other organisations if you need information on the local environment. Volunteers - they're everywhere, often unsung, often recognised but powering all that is good. So get the lead out and get involved. You have so much to contribute and that contribution is so needed. Call us on 01 2040885, 0404 25430 or 0402 91519 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it