LOOKING to make your mark this January? Why not make 2016 the year you put your new resolutions to work and do something that benefits more than just your waistline or your bank balance.
Here in the Kerry Volunteer Centre we know just what a difference your time, company and expertise can make to local causes and activities; we also know from experience the benefits it can bring to YOUR life.
Volunteering is the ideal way of getting out to meet new people, and what better inspiration for the New Year than capturing the enthusiasm and optimism of young people.
There are countless opportunities to get involved: the Killarney No Name Club is currently looking for an Adult Leader.
The Club, which provides a fun space away from the pressures of alcohol or other drugs, is run by and for young people aged from 15 to 18 years and meet every Saturday night between September and May. Volunteers are asked to help out just one or two Saturdays per month and all they ask is someone who is willing to engage and have a good laugh.
Spending time in the company of young people is guaranteed to give you a new lease of life, and volunteering is also a great way of boosting your employment prospects. It looks good to prospective employers on your CV especially when it’s linked to your area of profession or study.
Across Kerry STEPS, Engineers Ireland are seeking ‘Role Models‘ to go into Primary Schools. These engineers or engineering students visit classrooms to raise children’s awareness of engineering in their everyday lives.
The aim of the programme, which asks just one hour per primary school visit, is to increase the number of young people interested in a studying and eventually a career in the area.
When it comes to careers volunteering is a great way of testing the water. If you have IT skills you are not using and an interest in teaching then an opportunity in Killarney for a Coder Dojo Mentor could be just the thing.
The free volunteer coding club allows young people learn to code, hack, and develop websites, apps and games. It meets every Tuesday from 6.15 to 7.30pm and all that is needed is knowledge of computers/ coding, and an hour a week.
Often teaching other people is a great way of revitalising your own interests. The Listowel Family Resource Centre is currently looking for a Woodwork/ Carpentry/ DIY Skills Tutor.
Volunteers are required on Friday mornings from 10.00 to midday to teach and facilitate basic DIY and woodwork skills, and give advice on wood projects that the Men’s Shed group may wish to take on.
In Balloonagh your green fingers could make a real difference to the lives of older people. The Baile Mhuire Nursing Home needs someone with gardening experience to work with clients and young people from the Leaving Cert Applied Programme under the KDYS to plan and maintain an inter generational garden.
If hands on volunteering appeals then you might be interested in offering your time and expertise to the Recovery Haven in Tralee. The cancer support service is seeking ‘Complementary Therapists‘ qualified in the areas of massage, reflexology and or Energy Therapy/ reiki to volunteer for just three hours per week.
Volunteering is not only a great way of sharing existing skills it can also be a fantastic way to learn new ones. Have you ever thought you’d like to work in the retail sector and fancy giving it a try?
Why not gain experience by volunteering in the Enable Ireland Shop? Enable Ireland is seeking a ‘Retail Support Volunteer‘ and if needed can offer full training on every aspect of the work from stock preparation to cash desk duties.
Projects like this are an opportunity to develop social and interpersonal skills, and studies have shown the benefits to emotional and mental health.
In modern life we are all under time constraints but volunteering doesn’t have to be a lifelong commitment. In fact it can be a once off giving up just an hour or two.
Why not consider joining the team of volunteers from around Kerry supporting the Oesophageal Cancer Fund Lollipop Day for two hours on February 26th/27th?
Discovering a new passion for volunteering doesn’t need to be a sacrifice. There is a volunteering opportunity to suit everyone, regardless of your skill set or your time constraints.
Volunteering is great way of making the community you live in a better, brighter place to be, and it can also be great fun!
If you think 2016 could be the year to volunteer then why not check out our database of Volunteer Opportunities.
Written by Mary Murphy.
