Volunteering in Changing Times - 2009
In response to repeated concerns about reduced volunteering in sports clubs in the Midlands, the Sports Partnerships in Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath came together to produce a new resource.
Entitled “Volunteering in Changing Times”, this booklet set out to take a fresh look at how to identify, recruit and retain volunteers.
To coincide with the launch of the booklet, two workshops on the theme of volunteerism were held in the Midlands last week; one on the 10th June in the Killeshin Hotel Portlaoise, and the second one on the 11th June in Belvedere House and Gardens Mullingar. The event in Portlaoise was organised by the Sports Partnerships in Laois and Offaly, and was attended by over 50 people representing 30 clubs.
Speakers on the night included Miriam O’Callaghan, Chairperson Offaly Sports Partnership and former President of Cumann Camogaíochta na nGael; Niamh Dowler, Offaly Community Forum Support Worker; and Pat Ryan, Portlaoise Boxing Club.
Ms. O’Callaghan who acted as MC congratulated everyone involved in putting together the publication. She noted that its purpose was to help to reactivate volunteerism in groups and clubs, and that it contained a lot of fresh thinking. She added that the value of volunteering in sports clubs across Ireland is currently likely to exceed €300million per annum, and that without this voluntary effort participation opportunities would be substantially reduced.
Niamh Dowler spoke of the growth of volunteering centres across Ireland in the past eight years, and outlined plans for a volunteer matching service in Offaly. She also explained that affiliates of Volunteer Centres of Ireland can provide a free Garda clearance service for its members. Ms. Dowler said that the current value of volunteer placements organised through the 17 volunteer centres across Ireland exceeds €3million.
Pat Ryan of the Portlaoise Boxing Club gave an impassioned talk on his personal experiences in sport and as a sports volunteer. He spoke of the commitment of the volunteers that helped him as a juvenile boxer. He also outlined how he and others had to reactivate the club in the late 1960s, and how it is now one of the leading boxing clubs in the country. Mr. Ryan paid tribute to his wife and family for supporting him in his volunteering.
The publication, “Volunteering in Changing Times”, will be distributed to sports clubs in the coming weeks, and is available to download from the website (www.offalysports.ie) of the Offaly Sports Partnership.