Louth Volunteer Centre to celebrate National Volunteering Week

Louth Volunteer Centre (LVC) are hosting a week-long series of local events to celebrate all things volunteering in Louth this May.

National Volunteering Week takes place annually during the third week of May and is dedicated to showcasing the enormous contribution of volunteers and their impact on our Louth community.

Kicking off the celebrations on Monday 19th May, LVC will host their annual AGM, and all are welcome to attend. You can learn about the work of the Centre, its impact, their new 2025 projects and much more. It takes place at 12 midday at the new Louth County Council Buildings at Fair St, Drogheda and all are welcome.

On Tuesday 20th, at 10am-1pm in the Market House, Dunleer, LVC hosts the Annual Volunteer Leadership Seminar. This event is for all Volunteer Leaders. Anyone who manages volunteers in the course of their work, be that paid or voluntary in nature, is welcome to attend. The attendees will hear from two expert speakers. Simply register with the Centre at the contact details below. There will be two key speakers.  Geraldine Johnston, of Boyne Communications will bring her 25 years of expertise and is a strategic communications expert, mentor, and facilitator. Geraldine will discuss the Essentials of Communication, helping to share your organisation’s message to volunteers, other stakeholders and the wider community.  

Stuart Garland, Learning and Capacity Building Manager at Volunteer Ireland, manages the National Volunteer Management & Leadership Training Programme, working to build the capacity of organisations to run quality volunteer programmes. Stuart will look at The Volunteer Charter - who it’s for, the benefits of adopting it and how it can be applied to your organisation. A complementary networking lunch will follow, offering the opportunity to connect in-person with other volunteer leaders from across the county.

On Thursday 22nd of May, LVC will be hosting open coffee mornings in 3 locations across Louth from 10 to 11am. These are informal drop-in sessions, and everyone is encouraged to pop-in to one of 3 open venues: their Drogheda office at Bolton Street, their Dundalk office at County Hall, Alphonsus Road and the Ardee Library. This event is open to people already volunteering in the community, as well as people who are curious to learn more about volunteering in Louth and anyone from a community or voluntary group who is currently, or simply considering, involving volunteers.  You can chat over a complementary cuppa and pastries, to members of the LVC team about what they do, what support services are on offer to both volunteers and organisations. If you are already a volunteer, you need volunteers, are interested in volunteering or simply curious about what LVC offer, this is a welcoming space to connect with others in a relaxed setting. Like all events during the week, it is free to attend, so why not come along, in fact why not bring a friend for a cup of coffee, some treats, and a chance to learn more about volunteering in your community. 

As part of the celebrations,  Dundalk FM will be hosting their annual live outside broadcast from the open morning at the Dundalk Office, so even if you can’t join us in person, everyone in the wider community is invited to tune in. The broadcasting will give people an insight into the different volunteering opportunities available in Louth, and the positive impact that volunteering has on individuals, communities, and society. 

In collaboration with Volunteer Ireland, the theme of the week is “Building Community Together”, with a special focus on the social opportunities, which volunteering offers such as meeting new people, making friends and connecting with your community.

Kayleigh Mulligan, Manager of LVC told us, “Outside of home and work, volunteering is the ‘third space’ for many people where we connect, empathise, laugh and nurture. The bonds we build through volunteering, strengthen our communities and unite us. National Volunteering Week is an opportunity for all of Louth to celebrate how countless instances of volunteers supporting our community, connects us into a huge network of care.”

To start the week, LVC are hosting celebrations of some of their very own volunteers. On Saturday 17th May, they will mark the contributions of the Centre’s English Language Tutors, celebrating the contribution, time and skills these volunteers give at weekly sessions. Here, they support new arrivals to Louth in developing their language skills, thus facilitating genuine integration and connections in the community.

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Throughout the week, LVC team members will also be attending volunteer celebration events right across the County. This year, LVC awarded Recognition Grants to six Louth voluntary and community groups, to support them in hosting their own Volunteer Appreciation Events as part of the week’s celebrations. In collaboration with Louth Public Participation Network, a LVC team member will attend and personally present the groups’ volunteers with Certificates of Recognition.

If you would like to let LVC know how you are celebrating National Volunteering Week in your organisation, you are invited to tag them on social media or get in touch with your local office in Drogheda or Dundalk. 

For more information about volunteering in Louth, or how you can get involved in a way that works for you, please contact Louth Volunteer Centre at info@volunteerlouth.ie, visit their website at www.volunteerlouth.ie , drop in to your local office or phone them in Drogheda 041 9809008 or Dundalk 042 9392934.

Louth Volunteer Centre is a non-profit organisation that aims to promote and support volunteering in the County Louth. The centre provides a matching service between individuals and organisations seeking volunteers and offers a wide range of training and support services both for volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations.