IT skills most in demand from volunteers
Fingal Volunteer Centre is calling on people in Fingal to get involved in National Volunteering Week which takes place from May 12-18. Members of the public can find ways to take part by browsing the volunteering database I-VOL at www.volunteer.ie, or by contacting the Fingal Volunteer Centre.
An analysis in advance of volunteering week of 500 organisations who are currently seeking volunteers, found that IT ‘know how’ is the technical expertise most in demand from volunteers. Other professional skills that are in demand from charities and community groups include event management, education and training, and experience of working with young people.
Fingal Volunteer Centre Manager, Stuart Garland, said that while computer skills were the most required in terms of technical expertise, good ‘people skills’ are always highly valued by organisations. “If you are a good people person, or have other soft or hard skills to share, see how you can connect with your community and volunteer this National Volunteering Week.
Over 5,000 volunteers have engaged with I-VOL and local Volunteer Centres so far in 2014 and these volunteers have clocked up an incredible 150,000 hours of volunteering. One in three of these volunteers are volunteering to develop skills or to assist employment prospects.
This year, as part of National Volunteering Week, Volunteer Ireland will be launching new features and upgrades to I-VOL, which will enable not-for-profit organisations to search for available volunteers by skills and expertise. In 2013 over 14,900 volunteers registered through volunteer.ie and local Volunteer Centres. These volunteers clocked up over 500,000 hours of voluntary work. This work has an equivalent economic value of over €10 million.
Photograph shows Mayor of Fingal, Cllr. Kieran Dennison with Event Volunteers at the launch of National Volunteering Week at Springbreak D15 in Blanchardstown. Photograph: Leah Carroll
Further Information
Ronan Cavanagh, Cavanagh Communications: (086) 317 9731.
Stuart Garland: Fingal Volunteer Centre Manager: (087) 696 4020.
Phil Boughton: Volunteer Ireland: (085) 742 7017.
About Volunteer Ireland
Volunteer Ireland is the national volunteer development agency and a support body for all local Volunteer Centres in Ireland. Our vision is every person connected to and participating in their communities to build a better Irish society. Volunteer Ireland works to increase awareness of, access to and quality in volunteering in Ireland.
