NYCI calls on people to volunteer, following 64% drop in volunteers during pandemic
Emma Brennan, from Mallow, has told of the personal fulfillment she has gained from working with young people through volunteering with local groups in her area. Her story about the benefits of volunteering is part of a new National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) campaign, urging people in Cork, and across the country, to consider volunteering with their local youth work groups, following a sharp decline in volunteer numbers as a result of the pandemic.
Emma is a volunteer with the youth work organisations Cloyne Diocesan Youth Services (CDYS) and The Big Blue Cube, which provide a range of activities for young people in the Mallow area.
Speaking about her experience of volunteering, Emma noted the personal rewards of working with young people.
“I finished up a volunteer placement doing homework club with a group of young people and went in to say goodbye. I feel it’s very important to say goodbye and close off your time with them, because with a lot of these young people, people walk in and walk out of their lives. And that’s really difficult for them.
“And this one girl, who was just a very misunderstood kid and often had a bit of an attitude, she came up to me and said, ‘Do you have to leave? I really want you to stay.’ And I was like, ‘What?!’ I never would have guessed that she liked me and that she cared. I told her I’d still be involved in some other parts of the youth group and would see her there. Sometimes, they can really surprise you, with what they’ve taken away from your time with them.”
‘COMMUNITY IS YOU’
The NYCI is urging people across the country to consider volunteering with their local youth work groups. The call comes in response to research figures published in its recent report ‘Youth Work and Covid19’ which found youth work volunteer numbers across the country dropped by 64%, as a result of the pandemic, due to public health restrictions, personal health concerns and people not being in a position to work online.
The national volunteer recruitment campaign ‘Community is You’ aims to inspire and encourage people to get involved with local youth work groups, and ultimately restore youth work volunteer numbers to pre-pandemic levels.
GIVING BACK
Commenting on the campaign, Mary Cunningham, CEO of NYCI, said: “Local youth groups play an essential role in communities across Ireland, and volunteers are the backbone of these services. As a result of the pandemic, we’ve had a major decline in volunteer numbers in youth groups in every corner of the country and we would love to see these volunteers return, but equally we would love new people to get involved.
“We know many people have seen the true value of their local community over the past two years and perhaps they may be thinking about giving back and becoming a volunteer. It’s clear from the stories of volunteers the great sense of purpose that volunteering offers and we hope this campaign inspires people to take action and get involved so that we can rebuild our safe and secure spaces for young people.”
NYCI is calling for people (aged 18 years and older) with all kinds of experience and skills to sign up and get involved with volunteering for their local youth groups. To find out more about youth work volunteering and opportunities, visit www.youth.ie/community-is-you