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REGISTRATIONS WITH COUNTY WICKLOW VOLUNTEER CENTRE UP 50 PER CENT AS COMMUNITY RALLIES TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER DURING COVID-19 CRISIS
THERE has been a surge in volunteer registrations with the County Wicklow Volunteer Centre as local communities band together to support one another during the coronavirus situation,
Leah Kinsella of the County Wicklow Volunteer Centre said they were ‘delighted’ with the increase of over 50 per cent in new volunteer registrations this month.
‘At the moment the situation both nationally and locally regarding volunteering is evolving, with most volunteer-involving organisations ( VIOs) closing, curtailing, or changing the way they deliver their services. Others are beginning to ramp up the number of volunteers they might need, but are in the planning process on how best to screen and manage new volunteers.
‘ There are programmes such as the HSE Be On Call of Ireland, and the development of grass-roots local organisations in response to Covid–19 but as most volunteering opportunities are only being defined and there is a lot of risk assessment and re-thinking going on, it is important that the people who have put their hands up to volunteer understand that they will not get placed immediately,’ Ms Kinsella said.
The County Wicklow Volunteer Centre has also shared advice for those who wish to volunteer in response to coronavirus.
‘Before considering volunteering ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?
‘Your safety and limiting the spread of the coronavirus being the main priority, County Wicklow Volunteer Centre continue to encourage you to adhere to HSE instructions on how best to avoid Covid-19, both in the work environment and at home.
‘If you are well enough and wish to volunteer there are two mains ways which you may be able to help
The first way is by contacting and registering with County Wicklow Volunteer Centre by email on yvonne@volunteerwicklow.ie, by phone on 085 862 2152 or 086 325 8803. Or by registering online at www. volunteerwicklow.ie.
The network of Volunteer Centres across Ireland are expecting many Covid-19 related roles registering on our database www.i-vol.ie in the coming days and some roles will be directly related to Covid-19 support.
Other roles for volunteers may be related to helping community organisations to keep normal services running.
‘ The second way to help is by doing so informally in your own community.
‘If you know people in your community who may be vulnerable and can contact them safely (e.g. phone call, Whatsapp, drop note into door), just let them know that you are available and can assist with shopping etc.
‘Do not assume that someone needs help or call directly to someone’s house unannounced, as some people may be very anxious about making face to face contact, particularly if they have a medical condition or are living alone.’
If someone asks a volunteer to do something they can’t actually do, they suggest asking the person to contact the County Wicklow Volunteer Centre as they may be able to help them find a solution.
‘It’s really important to note that not all volunteers who contact us will be assigned to a role. We are dealing with a large volume of volunteer registrations from people interested in helping,
‘Ireland is a great country that really pulls together in times of crisis, so not all offers of help will be facilitated as the supply may be more than the demand.
‘Also – if you don’t hear back from us in the next few days, don’t worry – we know that we will need support over the next few weeks – not necessarily the next few days.’
The organisation also shared some tips for organisations looked to recruit volunteers to support them at this time.
If you registered with us you can advertise volunteer roles on the national database I-VOL.
You should contact County Wicklow Volunteer Centre to let us know the role is in response to Covid-19 and we will prioritise promotion of this role. Please call 085 8622152, 086 3258803 or email fiona@ volunteerwicklow.ie.
If the role requires Garda vetting, this will be prioritised. For further information, people are asked to contact Leah on 085 862 2051, email leah@ volunteerwicklow.ie. If you are not registered with your local Volunteer Centre, then it’s very simple to do so. Simply find the details of your local Volunteer Centre here, contact them and they will register you. You can then advertise roles as above.
County Wicklow Volunteer Centre is working with Volunteer Ireland and the network of volunteer centres to develop further guidance for voluntary organisations which will be available shortly on www.volunteerwicklow.ie.
It is also looking issues including risk and insurance as ‘it is important the VIOs recognise and assess risk and know if their insurance covers the current situation, changes in how they deliver services etc,’ said Ms Kinsella.