Surge in volunteer spirit amid jobs crisis

PEOPLE whose job situation has been affected by the recession are becoming increasingly likely to volunteer, according to research.

The study, carried out by Volunteer Ireland in advance of the National Day of Volunteering on September 30, found that, among people who are either not working or working less now, almost 70% said the change in their employment had made them more likely to volunteer.

The research also found that what people most wanted from the organisation they volunteered for was to ‘be accepted as a valuable team member’ (48%), followed by receiving ‘feedback about their contribution’ (19%).

Only 1% of the 500 respondents said they wanted public acknowledgement of the volunteering work they did.

Almost half of those surveyed had third-level qualifications (47%) and, of those, the most common field of study for volunteers was arts and social sciences at 35%, followed by 20% from business, 9% from marketing and PR, 8% from IT and 7% from science.

Interestingly, the majority of those surveyed responded that they were not volunteering in an area related to their studies (62%).

Commenting on the survey, Volunteer Ireland CEO Dr Yvonne McKenna said that it was reflective of a growing participation in volunteering in Ireland and highlighted the National Day of Volunteering as an opportunity for more people to try something different, have good fun and bring benefit to the community.

The flagship event of this year’s National Day of Volunteering is a national knit-a-thon which will see hundreds of knitters across the country attempt to break the world record for the most number of people knitting simultaneously.

“The theme of this year’s campaign is to ‘stick to your knitting’ — that we harness our most natural resource, the instinct to give time to others,” said Dr McKenna.

To register to take part in the knit-a-thon, to find an event in your area, or to register your own event, log on to www.volunteer.ie.

This year’s event marks the fifth annual National Day of Volunteering and is being supported by Pfizer, Irish Rail and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

This year is also the European Year of Volunteering, which included the recent volunteering roadshow in the RDS in Dublin.