National Volunteering Week a real success at Mayo Volunteer Centre

MAYO Volunteer Centre has reported significant engagement from the public during National Volunteering Week, which took place from May 20 to 26.

The focus was on highlighting the importance of volunteers and their contribution to their communities and on encouraging both volunteers and community organisations needing volunteers to make contact.

Mayo Volunteer Centre is the one-stop shop for volunteering in Mayo, providing services for individuals and organisations within the county.

Under the guiding hand of manager Lesley Moore, the centre ran a series of promotional events, including an open morning, a live radio broadcast and social media videos.

“During the open morning we welcomed people who wanted to find out more about what we do and see if volunteering might be for them. We’re looking forward to them taking up volunteer roles soon,” explained Lesley.

“We’re located right beside the cathedral in Ballina so we’re easy to find. People are welcome to drop in and chat about volunteering - there’s always someone in the centre on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Otherwise people can call us on (096) 71444 any weekday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to set up an appointment.”

Mayo Volunteer Centre also runs outreach events in other towns around Mayo as they are active everywhere in the county.

Social media is a good place to find out more about the types of volunteering opportunities available. There is also an online database on www.i-vol.ie. It can be anything from helping in a charity shop, working in a community garden and volunteering on a local committee, to simply spending time with older people or marshalling at community events. Volunteers come from all age groups and backgrounds.

Community or not-for-profit organisations can access groups of trained volunteers through Mayo Volunteer Centre. This might be for festivals or sporting events where marshals or registration volunteers are needed. The Community Volunteers Programme provides full training.

Last week Mayo Volunteer Centre launched the Culture Club Programme in the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life at Turlough House & Gardens. This is a programme of activities aiming to bring people together to explore the riches of Mayo’s heritage led by volunteers. It will include visits to popular destinations and hidden gems - the next one is to the Céide Fields. Everyone is welcome to get involved.

Beach cleaning is another area where volunteers make a real difference. Mayo Volunteer Centre has been working in coordination with Clean Coasts Mayo and during National Volunteering Week, some community volunteers carried out a beach clean in Belmullet in conjunction with Belmullet Tidy Towns.

More beach cleans are planned throughout the year and groups are invited to contact the centre if they need volunteers.

Whether you are a volunteer, are thinking about volunteering or need volunteers, to find out more, please contact Mayo Volunteer Centre on (096) 71444 or check out the website https://volunteermayo.ie/ or social media.