Volunteer

DCU Volunteer Expo 2012

DCU is offering a unique opportunity for staff and students to meet with local, national and international volunteer organisations to learn first hand how they can make a difference through volunteering.

Features of the day include:

• An opportunity to meet face to face with representatives from over 50 voluntary organisations.
• Learn from current volunteers how rewarding life as a volunteer can be.
• Gain valuable tips on how volunteering can help you develop the confidence and skills which are increasingly in demand by employers.

Organisations attending the 2012 DCU Volunteering Expo

• Act to prevent Trafficking (APT)
• www.aptireland.org

• APT is a faith-based group working against trafficking of persons in Ireland. The members first met in 2005. We are concerned about the growing reality of worldwide trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation. We have a wide network of international contacts through colleagues working in the countries of trafficked people. APT welcomes collaborators and resource people who are willing to share its work on a short-term or long-term basis.

• Aisling Project
• www.aislingproject.com

• The Aisling Project - an after-school initiative working in Ballymun - was set up in 1997. Currently four projects, in four areas of Ballymun, work with 80 young people aged from 8-to-13 years. The Aisling Project, based here in The Reco, was established in May 2006, and takes place Monday to Thursday, from 2.30 to 5.30pm, during the school year, with a full two-week Summer Project during the month of July.

• Amnesty International Ireland
• www.amnesty.ie

• Amnesty International Ireland is the country's largest human rights organisation with over 15,000 members and supporters. We are part of a global movement of more than 3.2 million people working in more than 150 countries around the world. We are independent of any political ideology, economic interest or religion. We do not support or oppose any government or political system. Our sole concern is the protection of the fundamental human rights guaranteed to each one of us by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

• A-Z Children's Charity
• www.azkids.ie

• The mission of A-Z Children's Charity is to nurture the physical and psychological growth of vulnerable children in Uganda by providing healthcare, education, emotional support and guidance. A-Z specialises in three-week volunteer programmes in Uganda, during July and August of each year. We have tailored placements for primary school teachers and nurses, and we also offer general skills placements which are open to anyone over 20 with an enthusiastic, flexible and motivated attitude.

• Ballymun Initiative for Third Level Education (B.I.T.E)
• www.biteballymun.com
• BITE aims to facilitate young people who are attending post primary education in Ballymun to have equality of access, opportunity and outcome in third level education. It aims to do this by raising awareness and aspirations among these students about education opportunities available to them and to support them in acquiring the skills and self-belief to participate fully in these opportunities. Ballymun Initiative for Third level Education supports second level students attending Trinity Comprehensive School to reach their highest academic potential through a range of activities including subject tuition and study clubs. We need volunteers to help out in these clubs and provide tuition and study support to both Junior and Senior cycle students. The commitment is one hour per week over selected weeks of the school year. We hope to start tuition once your timetable is finalised and you have settled into college. Trinity Comprehensive School is approximately a ten minute walk from the DCU campus. If you are interested or would like to apply please contact Michelle on (087)9814452 or email bitemail@eircom.net. You can also get more details from Joe or Susan in the Inter-Faith Centre. Thank you.
• Barretstown
• www.barretstown.org

• At our magical castle in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland, children with cancer and other serious illnesses come for come serious fun. The children and their families, from Ireland and 22 European countries, take part in a unique programme recognised by the medical world as playing an important part in their recovery from serious illness. Each year we seek over 600 “Volunteer Caras” who accompany the children in their activities here at camp such as arts and crafts, canoeing, archery and much more. As a Volunteer Cara you help, support and encourage each child to participate fully in camp and afterwards to reflect upon their achievements while also looking after their daytime and night time needs.

• Bizworld Ireland
• www.bizworld.ie

• BizWorld Ireland has as its mission to challenge and engage children (10 - 14 years of age) through learning programmes that teach the basics of business, entrepreneurship and money management. The workshops are hands-on and promote critical thinking, leadership and teamwork in the classroom. The students take on roles based on their strengths and skills. BizWorld's programmes allow students across the cultural and economic spectrum to not only understand how business works but also enables them to experience it first-hand.

• BRYR
• www.bryr.ie

• Ballymun Regional Youth Resource (BRYR) is a youth work organisation working for the welfare and development of 10-21 year-olds in Ballymun. We have 7 work programmes, including outreach youth work, advocacy, managing The Reco, our central youth facility, our targeted centre-based groups and our open activities in areas such as sport, IT, art and music. As a volunteer, there is a support package in place including induction, regular training options, individual supervision and recognition. BRYR is also a sending and hosting agency for the European Volunteer Service- a fabulous opportunity for 18-30 year-olds to spend from a few weeks to a year as a volunteer in another country.

• Camara Education
• www.camara.ie

• Camara is an International organisation dedicated to using technology to improve education and livelihood skills in disadvantaged communities around the world. With better education we expect these communities to break the cycle of poverty they find themselves in. Founded seven years ago in Dublin, Ireland the organisation has built a proven model of 'education delivery' that is both sustainable and highly scalable. Some 340,000 children in poor communities have been made digitally literate by Camara over this period. Volunteers bring passion, commitment, and new perspectives to Camara, which is vital for the development of the organisation and Camara gains enormous benefit from the contributions of supporters.

• Care Local
• www.carelocal.ie

• Since 1975 Care Local has been providing a diverse range of befriending and support services to older people living in Dublin, relying significantly on hundreds of trained volunteers so that a person centred approach to caring could be achieved. As Mother Teresa so meaningfully stated, “The most terrible poverty is loneliness.'' This statement reflects the primary aim of Care Local's staff and volunteers; to create a programme in which the older people of Dublin will be less lonely, more secure, more independent and healthier through the integrated services that Care Local offers. Through our befriending service, Plate Pals, the League and our intergenerational projects and activities, the most socially isolated members of our society are living healthier and more satisfying lives. In 2012 Care Local became a service of Crosscare.

• CASA (Caring and Sharing)
• www.casa.ie

• Casa is a voluntary organisation supporting people with disabilities throughout Ireland. Casa organises social activities, respite breaks and pilgrimages to Lourdes.

• Christian Aid
• www.christianaid.ie

• Christian Aid is a Christian organisation that insists the world can and must be swiftly changed to one where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty. We work globally for profound change that eradicates the causes of poverty, striving to achieve equality, dignity and freedom for all, regardless of faith or nationality. We are part of a wider movement for social justice. We provide urgent, practical and effective assistance where need is great, tackling the effects of poverty as well as its root causes.

• Crosscare
• www.crosscare.ie

• Crosscare is the social care agency of the Dublin Archdiocese. Since 1941 Crosscare has been delivering services to those who need them most within the greater Dublin area. We offer a range of programmes based on innovative approaches to meet new and emerging needs. These services are currently run from more than 30 locations throughout the Dublin Diocese. Our services can be broken into three main categories:

  • Those affected by homelessness
  • The needs of young people
  • The development of community driven services

• Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland
• www.cfireland.ie

• The Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland (CFAI) is a voluntary, non-profitable, charitable organisation. It was set up in 1963 to increase knowledge and awareness of CF and to give advice and support to people with Cystic Fibrosis and their families. There are currently 22 branches of the Association throughout the country, with approximately 1,500 members nationally.

• DCU Access
• www.dcu.ie/student/access/

• Dublin City University's Access Service co-ordinates a range of courses aimed at increasing participation in higher education by students who for a variety of financial or social reasons do not view going to university as a viable or attractive option.

• Down Syndrome Ireland
• www.downsyndrome.ie

• DSI is dedicated to being the primary source of information and support to people with Down Syndrome, their families and the professional community. We are working towards an improved quality of life for our members along with a respect and acceptance of people with Down Syndrome as valued members of Irish Society. DSI provides a nationally recognised voice for people with Down Syndrome and their families. DSI provides information and advice, influences policy, raises public awareness and works towards the improvement of education and services for children and adults with Down syndrome. We are constantly looking for volunteers to help with our events/charity shop and we are very grateful for this opportunity in the DCU Volunteer Expo to try and recruit volunteer support

• Dublin City North Volunteer Centre
• Email

• Dublin City North Volunteer Centre is a local service of Volunteer Ireland, promoting local volunteering and offering a range of supports and services to volunteers, volunteer involving organisations, and companies at a local level in Dublin City North. We provide a placement service to assist available volunteers to find with meaningful opportunities to volunteer in their local area. We believe that volunteering is essential in developing and maintaining strong communities and we aim to inspire everyone to become involved and make the best contribution that they can through volunteering!

• Dublin Diocese Vocations Office
• www.priest.ie

• Trying to understand where we are being called in life is an exciting adventure. Being called to be a priest today is a calling that fulfils the deepest desires in the human heart to both serve the Lord and our brothers and sisters. It takes time and courage to discern a vocation to priesthood. Understanding where God is calling you is about unearthing a treasure that the Lord has placed in your heart. You don't have to be on your own as you discern a vocation to priesthood. We are here to help you.

• Dublin Simon Community
• www.dubsimon.ie

• We have an extensive Full-Time volunteering programme here in the Dublin Simon Community. Currently the Dublin Simon Community have up to 30 full-time volunteer placements throughout our Housing, Specialist and Support services. The approach to Full-Time volunteering has an emphasis on reflective practice and both formal and non-formal learning. Many people choose to undertake a Full Time Volunteering Placement to gain essential practical experience in the field of social care & addictions, so as to further develop a career in this area. Others undertake the placement to finally make that career change. There are also limited placements available which do not require a social care background.

• Fighting Blindness
• www.fightingblindness.ie

• 'Fighting Blindness is an Irish, patient-led organisation funding research into treatments and cures for blindness. We also provide a unique professional counselling service for people and families affected by sight loss. Our vision is to cure blindness, support those experiencing sight loss and empower patients.' - Avril Daly, CEO of Fighting Blindness

• Fighting Words
• www.fightingwords.ie

• Fighting Words offers free story-writing workshops for primary school students in the mornings, creative writing tutoring for secondary students in the afternoons and occasional workshops and seminars for adults in the evenings and at weekends. All our programmes are run by teams of volunteers who enjoy working with children and young people in a creative environment.

• Fingal Community and Voluntary Forum
• www.fcvf.ie

• Our mission is to represent vigorously the concerns, interests and aspirations of its countywide membership. The Forum has a clear purpose and vision for the future of its member organisations throughout Fingal.

• Foroige Clubs
• www.foroige.ie

• Foroige is the leading youth organisation in Ireland, working with approximately 64,000 young people aged 10-18 every year through volunteer-led clubs and staff-led youth projects. Founded in 1952, Foroige currently operates in 26 counties in Ireland, with 531 Foroige clubs, 125 youth projects, the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programme and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. Foroige works with all young people through our general services and also works with vulnerable young people who require additional support through a full range of targeted services. General services such as Foroige clubs, special interest groups, volunteer-led youth cafes, feeder clubs and youth fora, encourage young people to take responsibility and be part of shaping the world around them while developing their talents, skills and character.

• Global Brigades Ireland
• www.globalbrigades.org

• Global Brigades is the world's largest student led global health and sustainable development organisation. As a secular, international non-profit organisation we mobilize student volunteers and professionals to empower communities in developing countries with programs that improve quality of life while respecting local culture and improving the environment. Between 2008 and 2009, more than 4,000 volunteers from 80 GB University chapters in the U.S., Canada and U.K travelled to provide health and economic development solutions to more than 50,000 beneficiaries through our teams in Panama and Honduras.

• Gorta
• www.gorta.org

• Gorta is an independent, international development NGO and the Irish partner of the FAO. We are a not-for-profit organisation working to the highest professional, business and ethical standards. Our intention is to contribute powerfully to the eradication of the causes of hunger and extreme thirst in the world. We are not an emergency relief organisation. Our approach to long term development is holistic, multi-disciplinary and creative. We encourage integrated solutions recognising the inter-dependent relationship that exists between food and water security, health, education and social enterprise Programmes and projects supported by Gorta are located predominantly in Sub-Saharan Africa, primarily in our five priority countries of Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

• Green Sod Ireland
• www.greensodlandtrust.ie

• If you wish to get involved in environmental protection, volunteer for Green Sod Ireland. Current volunteers are working in areas as varied as biodiversity studies, website design, advocacy, creative work, fundraising events, PR, etc. We welcome diverse skills and experience. We ask only that you possess a passion for the environment and its protection. Volunteering is a great way to meet people with similar interests, to gain experience, and to have fun, whilst giving back to the community.

• Irish Wheelchair Association
• www.iwa.ie

• The Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) was founded in 1960 by a small group of wheelchair users committed to improving the lives of people with physical disabilities in Ireland. IWA has gone on to become an important provider of quality services to people with limited mobility throughout the country. Today, our association is made up of a vibrant network of 20,000 members and 2,000 staff, as well as many dedicated volunteers. Together we work to achieve greater independence, freedom and choice for people living with a disability.v

• Magis Ireland
• www.magisireland.com

• Magis Ireland is a Jesuit organisation involved in local and overseas volunteering. We are currently recruiting volunteers for a project in South Africa for July/August 2013. The project will build on many years of work in the Eastern Cape, a very rural area where we partner with another Irish NGO, Friends in Ireland. The project supports children and communities that are affected by HIV/AIDS, through the provision of nutrition, education and some renovation work to orphan cluster homes. Visit our stand at the expo, or our website http://www.magisireland.com for more details, or contact Debbie Moore at debbie.moore@magisireland.com or 01-8943165.

• Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
• www.mscvocations.com

• We are a group of priests and brothers trying to be and bring the message of God's love to the world in the life we lead and the work we do. This love is something real and alive - not just a nice idea - the way Jesus makes it real and alive across the pages of the Gospel in the way he treats each person he meets. As an MSC you could be working and ministering in many different ways. You could be serving the people of a parish, teaching at university or school, sitting with the sick or their family as hospital chaplain, running a youth club, at development work in a mission country, guiding people through a retreat, lending a listening ear as a counsellor, helping people through the high of their wedding day or the low of a bereavement, and many other things in between.

• Outreach Moldova
• www.outreachmoldova.org

• Outreach Moldova (ORM) is an Irish charity working with children that have been orphaned or abandoned, children with special needs and children with terminal illnesses in the Republic of Moldova.

• Oxfam Ireland
• www.oxfamireland.org

• Oxfam Ireland is a member of Oxfam International, a confederation of 17 organisations, working together to achieve greater impact. We are an independent, secular, not-for-profit organisation, committed to working with people to overcome poverty and injustice worldwide.

  • Our vision: a just world without poverty.
  • Our mission: to increase the numbers of people in developing countries having a sustainable livelihood, access to essential services, equal rights and status, and physical security.
  • Our belief: at Oxfam, we believe that in a world rich of resources, poverty is neither natural nor inevitable. We believe that human beings have rights to a home, enough to eat, clean water, a way to make a living, education, healthcare, freedom from violence, a voice, and an identity.

• Progressio Ireland
• www.progressio.ie

• Progressio Ireland is an independent Irish international development organisation that is part of the Progressio family. Through our skill-sharing and development worker programme we work in partnership with local organisations in 11 countries to facilitate people's active participation in their own development. Contributing to structural policy change at a global level is fundamental to our work. For more information please visit www.progressio.ie; email us (info@progressio.ie) or call 01 6144966.

• Rainbow Youth Club
• www.rainbow13plus.org

• The Rainbow 13+ Arch club is a social club for young people with an intellectual disability. The club was set up nearly 4 years ago by parents to provide a social outlet for their young teenagers, who were becoming increasingly isolated as their siblings and peers moved on. Our members are young people from all over north Dublin city and county, from Finglas, Santry, Glasnevin, Drumcondra, Ballymun to Clontarf, Raheny, Malahide and Swords. They attend schools all over north Dublin, both mainstream and special schools. They are a wonderful group of young people and really enjoy the club. We provide a wide range of activities from, dance, music workshops, sports skills, arts and crafts, yoga and many more on Saturday afternoons. The club is affiliated to Foroige and the National Federation of Arch clubs.

• RNLI
• www.rnli.org

• The RNLI is committed to educating children and to motivating a new generation of potential supporters and lifesavers. We are looking to recruit new Volunteer Education Presenters in Ireland who are enthusiastic and have experience or an interest in giving presentations and working with young people aged between 3 to 18 years in schools and youth organisations. You will be required to deliver educational presentations about sea/beach safety as well as nurturing young people's understanding of the RNLI and the role it plays within our communities. To apply please go directly to our website following this link: https://volunteering.rnli.org.uk and find this volunteering opportunities in 'Our current volunteer vacancies' section. Alternatively you can email an expression of interest to Education@rnli.org.uk.

• SERVE
• www.serve.ie

• SERVE is a development and volunteering organisation committed to tackling poverty in the developing world. SERVE strive to do this by working in solidarity, service and partnership with marginalised and oppressed communities, empowering them to tackle the root causes of poverty and injustice. SERVE volunteers become part of a lively and pro-active team dedicated to several community initiatives such as house-building in Brazil and the Philippines; working on education projects in Thailand, helping in construction work in a HIV/AIDS clinic in South Africa; working with a Leprosy Programme and Slum Projects in India, and working on youth empowerment and skills training in Zambia and Mozambique. For more information visit http://www.serve.ie/volunteering/; email: info@serve.ie

• The Volunteer Projects
• www.TheVolunteerProjects.com

• TVP (The Volunteer Projects) is an Irish charity and Development NGO that recruits and trains volunteers from Irish colleges for short-term overseas work Placements in partner projects in Tanzania. Skilled and unskilled volunteers are needed to work in schools, orphanages and other centres in areas of education, social care, sport, gender equality, conservation, construction and music. TVP provides training, support and fundraising assistance for all our volunteers with a dedicated in-country team. TVP also funds, manages and implements human rights / development initiatives in our partner projects to increase sustainability and self-sufficiency. Placements are available for individuals and groups. We also work with lecturer/student groups who want to utilise their skills and training in a practical way that is beneficial to the volunteers and the host project. Placements start at €565 and include accommodation, meals and much more. See www.TheVolunteerProjects.com for more information.

Why Volunteer?

Volunteering is good for your physical and mental health - http://www.volunteerclare.ie/index.php/news/latest-news/47-volunteering-is-good-for-you.

Volunteering builds the kinds of graduate attributes that employers are looking for - http://www4.dcu.ie/students/access/ethnic.shtml.