Volunteering - A good sign of the times

Volunteering Ireland tells us that a range of people worked for more than 420,000 hours of work last year — worth nearly €10m — for various causes.

The figures were released to mark National Volunteering Week and are a far better weather vane than some of the dispiriting metrics we impose on ourselves. Of course that figure, if all of those who work in sports or community organisations were included, would be much higher.

That Volunteer Ireland has seen a 100% increase in the number of people prepared to offer their services voluntarily since the recession began points to the very resolve and humanity that will rebuild this society.