Why Volunteer

Why Volunteer?
The benefits of volunteering are enormous to you, and your local and international communities.

You can give:

• Your free time to do something you care about and enjoy
• Something back to your local, student, and international communities
• Your skills, enthusiasm, and expertise to help other people or the environment
• Your energy to make a positive contribution to society
• Inspiration to others with your enthusiasm and commitment

You can gain:

• A platform for meeting new people and developing long-lasting friendships
• An opportunity to do something you love and enjoy
• Key transferable skills such as communication,
  leadership, initiative-taking, teamwork, creativity and
  time management to name but a few!
• Work experience, training, and skills that will improve your CV and future career perspectives
• Satisfaction from giving back to your community and making a real difference to people’s lives
• Academic credits in assignments and modules e.g. Uaneen
• Contributions towards the DCU Engage Award which recognises students extra- extracurricular activities

Create new connections & new skills:

• Develop confidence and attributes that employers admire
• Explore new communities
• Increase your social circle
• Learn new skills
• Get the feel-good factor
• Gain academic credits with the Uaneen Module www.dcu.ie/uaneen
• Build communication skills, patience, teamwork & creativity 
• Leadership: Take active and key roles in organisations
• Creativity: Stretch yourself intellectually
• Enterprise: Develop and demonstrate initiative
• Commitment: Prove your reliability and sticking power
• Effective communication: Improve key communication and social skills
• Continuous learning: Share skills and knowledge, learn from others
• Problem-solving ability: Become solution and action-focused
• Engagement: Listen, understand, empathise and contribute
• Flexibility: Develop transferable skills and responsiveness
• Responsibility: Develop autonomy, personal responsibility Cultural and ethical awareness:
• Engage: with and learn from diverse groups
• Employability: Embrace challenges for personal and professional development

Many organisations, charities and local community groups would not exist without the skills and enthusiasm volunteers bring. DCU actively encourages students to graduate with a rounded set of skills and experience as well as their degree.

Volunteering is promoted by an increasing number of employers. They see the benefits it brings to their localities, reputation, staff bonding and training opportunities. Where companies used to donate cash, now they often donate their time and skills. This is the real value-added aspect is in terms of corporate social responsibility.