Tag Archives: Kerry Volunteer Centre

News

Kerry Centre Organises Online Events For National Volunteering Week

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NATIONAL Volunteering Week starts this coming Monday and a number of online events are being organised by the Kerry Volunteer Centre based in Tralee.

This is an annual event where they celebrate all things volunteering and was postponed from May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It will now take place from Monday, September 21 to Sunday, September 27 with the dual focus of thanking volunteers and organisations for everything they have done this year and encouraging them to focus on their own health and well-being.

The first online event is ”Meditation & Mindfulness’ with Susan Barrett Mindfulness
on Monday  from 2pm to 3.15pm on Zoom.

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On Tuesday, from 11am to 12pm, there’s an opportunity for Volunteer Managers to meet for a virtual cuppa and informal chat, hosted by Geraldine O’Sullivan Manager at Kerry Volunteer Centre.

The third event on Wednesday is ‘Unlocking your Potential’ – how to energize and reframe your thinking with Dee Keogh from Newkd, from 10.15am to 12pm. Places are limited.

On Thursday from 2pm to 4pm there’ll be another inspiring session from Dee Keogh called ‘Motivation and Setting Goals’ to boost your self confidence and achieve your dreams. Again, places are limited so book early.

On Friday, Siobhan Johnston of Kerry Volunteer Centre will deliver ‘The Wellbeing Benefits of Volunteering’ from 11am to 12pm.  Hear about how volunteering is good for your health and wellbeing.

Finally, on Saturday, a relaxing Yoga session will take place at the County Kerry Cricket Club
at the Spa. The session will take place from 10.45am to 12pm and will be facilitated by Yoga with Paula Casey. All levels welcome, own mat required.

Remember booking is essential for all the events, so volunteers can book their place on all the above online events, email at siobhan@volunteerkerry.ie or by phone on 066 7117966.

News, WHAT'S ON

Kerry Volunteer Centre’s ‘Do Good, Feel Good’ Workshop At Manor West Hotel

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THE first ever Health and Wellbeing Week in Kerry is taking place over the coming week featuring dozens of free events including workshops, seminars, coffee mornings, film screenings and sports events.

One of the first events in Tralee is in Manor West Hotel on Monday, where Kerry Volunteer Centre invites you to join their ‘Do Good, Feel Good’ workshop exploring how volunteering can enhance your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, building bonds and creating friends in your local community.

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This event will be held in Manor West Hotel, Rathass, from 11am to 12.30pm.  Tea, coffee and biscuits shall be provided. If you are interested in joining this event please email directly and confirm your attendance.

At the event they will discuss the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’ which are simple actions you can do in your everyday life to feel good and function well, and are accessible and achievable for everyone; ‘Connect’, ‘Be Active’, ‘Take Notice’, ‘Keep Learning’ and ‘Give’. Registration required. Contact Siobhan Johnston: 0667117966 siobhankvc@gmail.com

News

Mary And George Win National Volunteer Ireland Award

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Mary and George Sugrue with their Volunteer Ireland award in the ‘Social Work & Social Inclusion’ category.

A COUPLE from just outside Tralee won a Volunteer Ireland Award at a ceremony held  to celebrate the country’s unsung heroes at a special ceremony in Sligo, the 2017 European Volunteering Capital on Friday night.

From 27 exceptional volunteers, nine winners were selected for this year’s Volunteer Ireland Awards including George and Mary Sugrue from Ballyseedy who won the ‘Social Work & Social Inclusion’ category.

George and Mary have been volunteering with Chernobyl Children International for over 20 years. Through their advocacy and hard work they founded and single-handedly run the Chernobyl Children International Dental Programme.

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Each year they drive over 3,000kms to provide high standard dental care to children who have been abandoned to Children’s Mental Asylums.

This year, they have expanded their programme with a mobile dental unit which is used to treat terminally ill children on CCI’s Hospice and Palliative Care Programme reaching almost 200 children with life-limiting illnesses. 2017 marked their 21st and 19th convoy respectively that they have been involved with for CCI.

Commenting on the shortlist for the Volunteer Ireland Awards, the Kerry Volunteer Centre Manager, Geraldine O’Sullivan, said “Volunteers are the backbone of communities across Kerry and Ireland. George and Mary are fantastic examples of the strong culture of volunteering we have in Kerry. Volunteers are often unseen but the contribution they make locally and to Irish society is immense. These awards enable the public to say thank you and celebrate the difference volunteers make every day.”

Ms O’Sulivan explained that ‘the awards aim to celebrate the extraordinary dedication that nominees have shown to help others, often taking time away from family and friends to give back. They give Ireland a chance to say thank you and celebrate and value Volunteers achievements’.

This year marked an extremely special year for the Volunteer Ireland Awards. Not only were they celebrating their tenth year, they also formed part of the prestigious closing ceremony of Sligo’s designation as European Volunteering Capital.

Entertainment, News

Kerry Volunteer Centre Looks For Nominations For National Awards

 

All aboard for the Volunteer Ireland Awards: Previous winners Jim Kavanagh, Volunteer with the Chernobyl Children’s Foundation and Stephen O’Gara, Volunteer with the Irish Coast Guard launch this year’s Volunteer Ireland Awards which are open for nominations until 16th October. See www.volunteer.ie for more info. ***NO REPRO FEE***
Photography: Conor Healy Photography
Previous winners Jim Kavanagh, Volunteer with the Chernobyl Children’s Foundation and Stephen O’Hara, Volunteer with the Irish Coast Guard launch this year’s Volunteer Ireland Awards which are open for nominations until 16th October.

THE Kerry Volunteer Centre is calling for the public for local nominations for the eighth annual Volunteer Ireland Awards.

The Volunteer Ireland Awards are open to volunteers of all ages working in any part of Ireland and there are ten different award categories, along with the prestigious Christine Buckley Volunteer of the Year award.

Last year saw a member of the Tralee Irish Red Cross branch was honoured with Lixnaw native Majella Forde receiving an award in the Health and Disability category.

She wasn’t the only recipient last year as 91 year old Michael O’Sullivan from Listowel also received a special award for being the oldest nominee, while Louise Quill from Ashgrove was also nominated in the International Development Category.

“Volunteers are one of Ireland’s most valuable resources. The most recent figures, for 2013, show that over 1 million people volunteered their time. These volunteers clocked up an incredible 230 million hours of volunteering which equates to a value of over €5 billion to the economy,” said Geraldine Sheehan, manager of the Kerry Volunteer Centre.

“Of the current volunteers registered with Volunteer Centres and I-VOL (Volunteer Ireland’s national database and smartphone app), almost 30% say one of the reasons they volunteer is to help improve their skills and develop their employment prospects. The value of volunteering can never be overlooked but in current times where unemployment remains high and the job market has become increasingly competitive, volunteering is a great opportunity to give back while developing your skills.”

“If you’ve ever attended a sporting event, had fun at a festival or even adopted an animal, chances are you’ve experienced first hand the importance of volunteers. We’re calling on members of the public now to take this opportunity to say thank you to their local volunteers, and to nominate an outstanding volunteer they know.”

Anyone can nominate a volunteer and the ten categories with the ten categories being:

• Arts, Culture and Media
• Animals and Environment
• Campaigning and Awareness Raising
• Children and Young People
• Community
• Education and Training
• Health and Disability
• International Development
• Social Work
• Sports and Recreation

Nominations close at midnight on Friday 16th October and can be done so through the nomination form HERE.

The Christine Buckley Volunteer of the Year award along with the 10 category winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony Wednesday, 2nd December in City Hall, Dublin with all shortlisted nominees along with their guests will be invited to the ceremony to enjoy a deserved night of celebration.

News

Kerry People Called Upon To Help Out For Volunteer Week

 

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National Volunteering Week is taking place in Kerry this week.

KERRY Volunteer Centre (KVC) are calling upon all locals to consider giving up some of their free time during ‘National Volunteer Week’.

The week takes place from May 11 to May 17 where there will be opportunities and events for everyone to get involved, be it through the many non-profit organisations in your area, helping to clean up your local area with a group of friends or just generally getting involved with the local community in other ways.

It is easy to get involved in NVW, there is no cost to participate and the benefits are many. Kerry Volunteer Centre has lots of supports and ideas available to help you get involved in NVW. To avail of free advice and support contact Paula at Kerry Volunteer Centre on 066 7117966.

Schools, individuals and volunteer organisations are being encouraged to get up and out there and do their own little bit for the community.

Schools can get both their staff and pupils involved through organising a clean up or planting ceremony, it is hoped that this will promote the benefits of volunteering to the pupils.

With the week starting today, Monday May 11, the KVC is a hive of activity, with the centre also set to hold a party of sorts on Wednesday May 13 in the Tralee Bay Wetlands from 11am-12pm as they will look to celebrate the hard work done by the volunteers over the week.

There will information sessions held throughout the county and in Manor West Retail Park here in town during the week:
• Tuesday, May 12th – Údarás na Gaeltachta, Páirc Ghnó an Daingin, Baile an Mhuilinn, An Daingean from 11am-12:30pm.
• Thursday, May 14th – Listowel Supervalu from 12-4pm
• Sunday, May 17th – Manor West Retail Park from 12-4pm.

News

Newsletter On All Things Volunteer-Related To Be Launched

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Editor of ‘Volunteering Matters’, Paula Casey.

KERRY Volunteer Centre will be launching the first edition of ‘Volunteering Matters’ on ‘International Volunteer Day’ this Friday.

Volunteering Matters is a monthly electronic newsletter for all things pertaining to the voluntary sector in Kerry.

The newsletter will be directly distributed to the circa 3,000 individual volunteers and 600 plus groups registered with Kerry Volunteer Centre.

It was conceived to bridge the information gap between volunteer organisations and the public. Paula Casey of Kerry Volunteer Centre designed and edited the newsletter, to provide an up-to-date sector based local electronic newsletter.

“We choose ‘International Volunteer Day’ for the launch as it is a day for volunteers, and volunteer organisations, to raise awareness and gain understanding for the contribution they make to their communities,” said Paula Casey.

On Thursday, Kerry Volunteer Centre will co-host the 2014 Volunteer Fair organised in conjunction with, IT Tralee, from 11am-2pm at the  North Campus.

Later that evening, IT Tralee, will be keeping a close eye on proceedings at the Volunteer Ireland Awards ceremony in Dublin, where three Kerry Volunteers are shortlisted for a Volunteer Ireland Award.

Volunteering Matters is online at www.volunteerkerry.ie It will also be distributed to the circa 3,000 individual volunteers and 600 plus groups registered with Kerry Volunteer Centre.

News

Majella And 93-Year-Old Micheál Nominated For National Volunteer Awards

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93-year-old Micheál O’Sullivan who has been nominated for a National Volunteer Award.

EARLIER this month we brought you the story of Louise Quill from Ashgrove (click here) who has been nominated for a National Volunteer Ireland Awards.

But there are two more Kerry people, one of whom is 93 year old man, who have also made the shortlist of 30 from over 500 nominations nationwide.

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Majella Forde and Micheál O’Sullivan, volunteers with Irish Red Cross and Ard Cúram Day Care Centre respectively, have also been shortlisted for the awards.

Majella Forde volunteers as an Area Director of Community Services with the Irish Red Cross Tralee Branch.

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Majella Forde who has been nominated for a National Volunteer Award.

In the space of 18 months Majella clocked up nearly 900 hours of voluntary duty with the Red Cross ambulance as an Emergency First Responder.

Majella has also taught 200 people first aid at various levels. Every Thursday night Majella volunteers to train a group of 20-40 youths, aged from 12-18.

Micheál O’Sullivan from Listowel volunteered as Chairman of his local Active Retirement Group in 2006 and started a campaign to build a dedicated day care centre for the elderly of the North Kerry region.

Micheál formed a committee and since then has played a pivotal role in fundraising, identifying potential sites and securing grant aid for the project.

Micheál, who is 93 years young, was the driving force and now, thanks the hard work of Micheál and the committee of volunteers, the Centre is under construction.

The Volunteer Ireland Awards is the national campaign to recognise Ireland’s volunteers. 30 shortlisted volunteers and their friends and family will attend a gala Volunteer Ireland Awards ceremony on December 4 in Dublin City Hall in celebration of International Volunteer Day. 10 Category Awardees will be announced at the event.

Geraldine Sheehan, Manager of Kerry Volunteer Centre said; “We are thrilled that Majella, Micheál and Louise have received national recognition for their incredible work. Volunteering is the lifeblood of hundreds of charities, sports clubs and community groups in Kerry. The Volunteer Ireland Awards is all about shining a light on the unsung heroes in our community. Well done to all the shortlisted volunteers and to everyone that volunteers week in week out to help make Kerry a better place to live.”

For more information on the Volunteer Ireland Awards 2014 or to read the inspiring stories of the 30 shortlisted volunteers, visit www.volunteerkerry.ie

News

Tralee Woman Shortlisted For National Volunteer Award

 

Louise Quill
Louise Quill.

A TRALEE woman is one of the 30 shortlisted nominees for the Volunteer Ireland Awards 2014.

Louise Quill from Ashgrove, is nominated in the International Development Category, for her work and commitment with setting up the Tir na nOg Orphanage in Tanzania.

Louise founded the Tir na nOg Orphanage for orphaned and abandoned children in Tanzania in 2007.

Through the hard work and dedication of Louise and the team of volunteers the orphanage has purchased a farm, and built a school of four classrooms.

Two of the children that the orphanage is supporting began Secondary School in January 2014 with 4 more starting in January 2015.

Louise, who is herself a Primary School teacher took a career break last year and went to Tanzania to get the school up and running.

Maureen Murphy, who nominated Louise for a Volunteer Ireland Award said: “I am nominating Louise because I think she is the most selfless, caring person I know. She spends endless hours fundraising for these children to try and ensure that they have a comfortable standard of living and educated to the highest possible standard, so that hopefully they will be able to pass on those skills and education to other children.”

Ten Category Winners will be announced at the gala Volunteer Ireland Awards Ceremony on December 4 at Dublin City Hall, in celebration of International Volunteer Day.

One shortlisted volunteer will be the first recipient of the annual Christine Buckley Volunteer of the Year Award.

News

Nominate Someone You Know For A National Volunteer Award

 

Fatima Speight, Linda Clifford, Placement Officer with the Kerry Volunteer Centre and Thandie Dike at the Tralee Wetlands on Friday morning. Photo by Dermot Crean
Fatima Speight, Linda Clifford, Placement Officer with the Kerry Volunteer Centre and Thandie Dike at a celebration of Kerry Volunteers at the Tralee Wetlands earlier this year. Photo by Dermot Crean

THE Kerry Volunteer Centre is encouraging all of the county to start nominating people for the national Volunteer Ireland Awards.

Nominating is free and can be done online on www.volunteerkerry.ie. The deadline for nominations is Friday, October  24 so there is still time to nominate someone you know.

The Volunteer Ireland awards are the national awards to celebrate local volunteering in Ireland. The Awards now in their 7th Year aim to celebrate and recognise the thousands of people across Ireland who give their energy and time to benefit others.

Every Kerry Volunteer nominated for a Volunteer Ireland Award will receive a special Thank You card from Volunteer Ireland acknowledging their contribution.

Kerry Volunteer Centre is calling on the public, local community organisations, voluntary groups, charities, sporting clubs, schools and resource centres to make time thank their volunteers by nominating them for an award in one the ten categories listed below.

• Arts, Culture & Media

• Health & Disability

• Children & Young People

• Campaigning & Awareness Raising

• Community

• Education & Training

• Social Work

• Animals & Environment

• International Development

• Sports & Recreation

This year Volunteer Ireland have announced that the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award will, from 2014 onwards, be named in memory of Christine Buckley.

As co-founder of The Aislinn Centre, Christine campaigned tirelessly on behalf of victims of institutional abuse for more than 25 years. Christine was Ireland’s Volunteer of the Year in 2009 and went on to be presented with the award for ‘European Volunteer of the Year’ at the European Parliament in Strasbourg the same year. Christine sadly passed away in March this year.

The Awards are open to volunteers of all ages in Kerry working with Irish volunteer involving organisations.

Nominations received will be shortlisted down to 30 Volunteers who will be invited to attend a gala award ceremony in Dublin on December 4th, the eve of International Volunteering Day.

There will be an award for every category as well as the overall ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award. Anyone can nominate, the only requirement is that the nominee must be a volunteer.