Dear Managers of Volunteers,

We are delighted to bring you the latest edition of our newsletter, designed especially for volunteer-involving organisations across Fingal. This issue is packed with updates on upcoming training opportunities and resources to help you support and strengthen your organisations.

Whether you’re a long-established group or a newly formed initiative, there is something here to help you grow, connect, and thrive.

Stay informed, stay inspired — and thank you for the incredible work you do in our communities.

All of Fingal Volunteer Expo 2025

Fingal Volunteer Centre is kicking off National Volunteering Week (19th-25th May) in style and inviting everyone to the Fingal Volunteer Expo 2025 – a vibrant celebration of community, connection, and the powerful impact of volunteering.

We do not have extra space to allow more organisations at the Expo however we will be promoting I-VOL so make sure to have your upcoming roles posted on time as we foresee more traffic on I-VOL this month.

Can you please help us promoting the Expo by:

• Sharing our poster on your social media (or share our FVC Facebook page)
• Posting the poster in local Social Media groups and community networks
• Displaying it on your organisation’s noticeboard (some of your clients might be interested in volunteering with another organisation).

Let’s come together to celebrate volunteering and inspire even more people to get involved!

This Summer, Take Volunteering Outdoors! 

As the brighter days of summer approach, it is the perfect time to invite your community to get involved in outdoor volunteering!

Whether it is through Local events. Tidy Towns projects, canal or beach cleanups, community gardening…, outdoor roles offer a great way for people to give back while enjoying the sunshine.

We encourage all the organisations registered with Fingal Volunteer Centre to reactivate existing volunteer roles or create new volunteer roles that make the most of the season. These kinds of activities are not only rewarding but are especially appealing to volunteers during the summer months.

If you are planning to host summer camps with Children and are recruiting extra volunteers or staff, make sure to be compliant with your Children Protection policies and allow extra time for Garda Vetting.

Volunteer Wellbeing Survey 2025

In partnership with the other Dublin Volunteer Centres, we have prepared a survey designed to learn more about the well-being benefits of volunteering.

Can you please help us get more responses by sharing this quick survey with your volunteers?Results of the survey will be shared later in the year.

Online session: Getting Started with EU Partnerships

Join the Wheel online for a free session and discover practical steps for developing and maintaining strong EU partnerships.

Whether you are new to EU partnerships or have some experience, this session will equip you with the tools to find the right partners, build trust, and strengthen long-term cooperation. Plus: Get your questions answered during a live Q&A!

*This session is organised by The Wheel. Fingal Volunteer Centre has no input in it. The above is for information only. 

Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training 

HSE Mental Health Services is now accepting bookings for a series of upcoming Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training programmes. These free sessions are open to anyone aged 18 and over.

The training offerings cover a range of topics related to suicide awareness, prevention, and response, including:

• Let’s Talk About Suicide: 60 mins online self-directed learning programme https://traininghub.nosp.ie/
• safeTALK: Half Day in-person workshop
• Understanding Self-Harm: 1 day in-person workshop
• ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training): 2 day in-person workshop
• Suicide Bereavement for Professionals: 1 day in-person workshop

The Volunteer Charter Discovery May Session

Take part in the upcoming Volunteer Charter Discovery Session and explore how your organisation can become a proud signatory.

 Date: 16th May 2025
 Time: 11am to 12 pm
Location: online via Zoom

The Volunteer Charter is a thoughtfully developed two-way guide that outlines the shared expectations between volunteers and the volunteers involving organisations they support.

By adopting the Charter, you’re not only setting clear standards—you’re also nurturing a culture of trust, respect, and meaningful collaboration at the heart of your volunteer efforts.

IAVE Survey 

The UN General Assembly has officially designated 2026 as the International Year for Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY 2026) – a unique opportunity to showcase the transformative impact of volunteering in building a more just, resilient, and sustainable world.

In preparation, the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE), in collaboration with global partners, is conducting a Global Survey to collect insights from volunteers, organisations, governments, and other stakeholders.

The survey is brief and is open to anyone involved in volunteering, whether at the local, national, or global level.

The survey will be open until 25 June 2025.

Feel free to answer it yourself and share with your colleagues and volunteers.