Volunteer Guide

What is it?

Volunteering is the practice of willingly giving your time and energy in the best interest of people, animals, the environment, or causes, without financial or material compensation.

Whether formal or informal, organised or spontaneous, volunteering is about civic engagement and active participation in shaping the society we want to live in. Volunteers are active citizens, civic anchors, and champions for causes that they believe in.

Volunteering with volunteer-involving organisations (VIOs) is a fantastic way to use your free time to make a positive influence on society.

 A person who gives up some of their time to volunteer can enjoy numerous benefits to their lives, as well as making a meaningful contribution to both local and international communities. 

Volunteering is beneficial to many areas of life:

Social

• A platform for meeting new people and developing long lasting friendships.
• An opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds, and socialise.

Career

• Gain key transferable skills such as communication, leadership, teamwork, creativity, and time management.
• Gain work experience and training which will improve your CV and future career perspectives.
• Use the skills and knowledge you already have to help others.

Academic

• An opportunity to gain academic credits in assignments and modules (e.g. Uaneen).
• Contributes towards the DCU Engage Award which recognises students’ extra-curricular activities.

Personal

• A chance for you to give your free time to something you care about.
• An opportunity to give back to your local, student, national and international communities and make a real difference to people’s lives.

At DCU, there are a number of ways in which you can start volunteering, depending on your interests, time and skills.

Before you begin volunteering, you should consider the following:

Your motivation

Think about why you want to volunteer, what you would like to do and what causes you are passionate about that you wish to support.

The best way to volunteer is to select a non-profit, community group or charity whose mission complements your interests.

Your time

You need to think about how much time you want to spend volunteering and how long you are able to commit for, as some organisations require a minimum time commitment for specific roles. However, volunteers are always in demand and there are multiple routes available to you.

Garda vetting

If your role will involve regular contact with children or vulnerable persons (e.g., older persons or people with disabilities), you will need to be Garda Vetted before you start. 

Garda Vetting, now an online e-vetting process by an Garda Síochána Vetting Office, gives a statement on whether a person has any convictions, pending or completed, recorded against their name.

Your VIO will arrange your Garda Vetting for you. Contact them directly to confirm if your role requires vetting or not.

As a volunteer, you are entitled to the following principles being upheld by the volunteer-involving organisation (VIO) that you are committing your time to:

• Diversity: To be made feel that you are welcome and are being treated equally, that your background and experiences are acknowledged.
• Flexibility: To be provided with opportunities that are accessible to you with regards to your time commitments, etc.
• Role description: To be provided with a role description that clearly explains the roles and responsibilities, to allow you to contribute effectively to the mission and objectives of the organisation.
• Training: To be offered appropriate training. This makes sure that you know exactly how to carry out their role and has the skills and knowledge to fulfil their roles and responsibilities.
• Support: To feel supported in their role. Knowing who your main contact is within the VIO, and having the ability to share experiences and knowledge with fellow volunteers is essential.
• Communication: To have regular contact between volunteers and VIOs, so everyone is kept up to date with any changes that relate to their roles.
• Regular check-ins: To participate in regular check-ins, providing an opportunity to discuss progress, address concerns, and ensure a positive and collaborative working relationship are essential.
• Wellbeing: To have your wellbeing protected, through measures to keep you safe and prevent burnout.
• Recognition and appreciation: To be informed on how the work you do makes a difference to the organisation, and show appreciation for the time you give.
• Expenses: To be informed of whether the VIO pays for your travel and food while volunteering. It is important that VIOs are transparent about all costs and reimburse expenses if possible.
• Feedback: To be told how you are doing and discuss any problems or suggestions you have.

As a volunteer, you are also responsible for the following principles to be upheld:

• Commitment: To be committed and honest in all of your dealings with the organisation.
• Understanding the role: To complete your tasks and tell the VIO if you don't understand something.
• Reliable: To respect the time commitment and be punctual.
• Communication: To respond to all relevant communication from the VIO and to notify them as soon as possible if you can't volunteer or if issues arise.
• Inclusivity: To promote inclusivity, fostering an environment where all participants feel welcome and valued, irrespective of background or identity.
• Flexibility: To demonstrate  flexibility, adapting to changing circumstances and understanding the diverse needs and constraints of the volunteer community.
• Initiative: To take initiative in addressing challenges, identifying opportunities, and contributing to the continuous improvement of the volunteer services.
• Policy and confidentiality: To familiarise yourself and comply with all relevant policies and procedures, and to treat all information given at the time of volunteering as confidential.
• Time and exit: To give as notice as soon as possible to the VIO and to complete a short exit interview/survey if and when the volunteer role no longer suits you.

This information has been adapted from Volunteer Ireland's Volunteer Charter

Check out the following volunteering opportunities:

DCU Charitable and Civic Societies:

Raising and Giving (RAG): The DCU Raising and Giving Society empowers students to volunteer in their local community and get stuck in! Throughout the year, RAG aims to raise as much funds as possible through a variety of fun events for social projects. 

FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centres): The DCU FLAC Society is a student branch of the independent FLAC Ireland organisation that is dedicated to the promotion and access to justice for all. FLAC aims to provide a service akin to that of national FLAC, by providing the student body as well as the wider public with free legal advice on the DCU campus.

HeadstARTS: HeardstARTS is a student society that provides dance, drama, music and art classes for individuals with intellectual disabilities. HeadstARTS runs weekly two-hour classes during the academic year, giving their members the opportunity to relax in a peaceful and guided art or music environment, or engage in an interactive dance and drama class.

Locally:

iVOL: iVOL is the national volunteering database, where you can explore volunteering opportunities all across Ireland.

You can also find out about the VIOs that attended DCU Volunteer Fair 2024, who are seeking volunteers, here.