‘Thanks for your efforts’
THEY might be shouting words of encouragement from the sidelines, getting down and dirty cleaning up a filthy street or teaching tiny tots how to surf, but all of these people have one thing in common, they are all volunteers.
Last week was a chance for them to share their experiences of helping others on a European stage, as a large Sligo contingent attended the EU Parliament for a Volunteering/Sligo Cultural Exhibition and Seminar in Brussels.
Everyone was excited to be there. Security was tight. This was evident from the moment we touched down in Brussels. Khaki coloured soldiers armed with Kalashnikovs paraded the arrivals hall. In the streets of the Belgian capital too, they patrolled with watchful eyes while other groups of armed personnel guarded tourist hotspots like the historic and ornate Grand Place in the city centre. This is where Sligo Mayor Hubert Keaney wearing his Wild Atlantic Way jacket handed out key rings and information to passing tourists. He was ‘doing his bit’ he told me, ‘ to bring Sligo to a wider audience.’
“It was amazing the number of people who came up to us who knew about the Wild Atlantic Way. It is fantastic for us in Sligo as it has placed us on a level playing field with Kerry for example,” said Councillor Keaney.
At the parliament itself, all personal items had to pass through security while passports were also obligatory to enter.
“It’s like going on a flight again,” joked one guest. Brussels - the heart of the EU political institutions - was struck by terror last year. The aftermath of the devastating ISIS attack on the airport and metro is a somewhat changed city.
But the volunteers, guests of MEP Marian Harkin were delighted to be visiting the Belgian capital; indeed many were there for the first time.
Mayor Hubert Keaney thanked MEP Marion Harkin for ‘graciously facilitating us to bring all of the recipients of the Cathaoirleach’s Awards to Brussels and to the EU Parliament to see what it is all about.’
Those who travelled were suitably impressed with the corridors of power where so many decisions on policy that effect our daily lives are made. The oldest member of the group was volunteer Tom Harran. At 87-years-old, the Grange man was ‘wary about coming.’
He said: “The last time I was on a plane was 10 years ago. I wasn’t going to accept the invite as I feared I wouldn’t have the energy but I brought my niece Anne Barron as my guide. It is a wonderful idea and a great opportunity for volunteers to recognise the useful work that we do. We are not looking for reward but it is wonderful all the same. I’ve never been to the EU Parliament before. I never thought I’d get here!”
Tom has been a volunteer for about 70 years, dedicating much of his free time to his community in Grange, most notably to his beloved GAA and the North Sligo Agricultural Show.
“I’m a jack of all trades,” he joked.