Ireland gives more proportionally than any other European state, we were voted second globally and first in Europe as the most charitable country. No wonder then that we as a nation are also extremely fond of volunteering. Volunteering is in our blood; Samuel Beckett himself was a volunteer of sorts working for free as James Joyce’s PA way back in the golden era of modern Irish writing, though Beckett was banned from the Joycean family home for fear his intentions on Joyce’s daughter would come to fruition.
Our very own National Theatre was built, in part, on the volunteering spirit of one Lady Annie Horniman who volunteered to be a seamstress on a Yeats play. At the same time she met with the founders and actors of the era ultimately leading to her sponsoring the lease and renovation on a building on Marlborough Street to re-open as the Abbey Theatre in 1904.
Charity for those at risk in society is perhaps the most obvious place to volunteer. Given the high standard of services provided by the Samaritans, Oxfam Ireland, Aids Alliance, St. Vincent De Paul, etc demand is such that applicants will likely be required to join a waiting list to contribute, and then, should you make it through, you will need to be trained-up. And indeed in other cases, where you might be working with particularly sensitive situations (such as with children) strict Garda vetting is also required.
But volunteerism comes in many forms and is not only restricted to simply to working those on the margins of society. There is the variety where one contributes to support cultural endeavours that they see as worthwhile: see the efforts contributed to making Granby Park happen or volunteers at the Dublin Theatre Festival who ensure the calibre of the festival is maintained via their efforts. Elsewhere, we lend out time to get some free training. Students and graduates can gain work experience in their future profession and the skills learned on these situations are often invaluable: meeting people who could eventually hire you, seeing how things are done in practise rather than in the ethically sound and financially perfect setting of a lecture hall. And yet it is here in these trainee schemes that the ugliest face of volunteering is also to be found, where the expectations on free labour go on far too long.
Though internships can lead to great and greater things, in these times of never ending recession there are perils to be observed. Incentives like Job Bridge can lead to work and are often set up like a six-month interview where people on the dole can claim benefits plus a bonus few knicker (€50) while preening for employment. Some companies commit to these programmes with integrity and it all works out splendidly. Some however decide to hire an intern and pay them little or nothing to save on actually hiring a qualified professional. It is not only during recession that such exploitation exists it is just more common place. Recent graduates, say in journalism or psychology, are instructed to never work for free so as not to undervalue the work they provide but then how do you crack into a market or get known if you do not for at least a time do exactly that, work for free and work very hard indeed.
Volunteering is not as easy as the initial notion may seem but it is an excellent way to meet like-minded people and if managed correctly by both volunteers and organisations alike it can improve situations for all involved. The Web Summit, The Special Olympics, The Rose of Tralee, and many other treasures in Irish society could not exist without the free time generously volunteered by our most charitable of people. The best thing to do is to go with a pre existing programme and balance your volunteer time with you ‘me time’ fairly.
START HERE:
Whether you want to spend your volunteering time walking dogs, cleaning parks or visiting seniors you will need to register with Volunteer Ireland. It means you are registered and can quickly offer your help to where it’s needed. Over 13,500 have registered so far this year already clocking up almost €1,000,000 worth of free labour.
Activelink is an online network for non profit organisations, it enables professionals to offer their time and services freely. They provide information on jobs, volunteering events, fundraising and so on.
An arts collective community centre. Committed to creativity, ideas and action, the temple bar based premises is open to all, non profit, volunteer only and alcohol free. You can turn up and attend a class, start your own project or volunteer to help run the place. It is an excellent place to start.
Words: Joe Kearney / Illustration: Fuchsia MacAree
