This programme builds on lessons learned during COVID-19. During the pandemic, Volunteer Ireland (VI) saw a clear need for community groups to engage interviewed and trained volunteers at short notice. Additionally, VI saw a significant increase in the number of people who registered to volunteer and who expressed a clear interest in supporting their communities during this time of need. To capitalise on this interest in volunteering, this pilot has been developed over the past year to explore ways that a trained body of volunteers can support their local community, particularly at local events where financial and human resources may be lacking.

The potential volunteers who will participate in this pilot are members of the public. Some may currently be registered on I-VOL (the national volunteering database). Others may be new to volunteering and may be interested in episodic volunteering. These individuals are based across Roscommon County, are from diverse backgrounds, and have varied skill sets. Only those aged 18+ will be contacted to register their interest in becoming a Community Volunteer. Some people may have prior experience of volunteering, whilst volunteering might be a new endeavour to others.

Formal volunteering often takes place when an individual regularly dedicates their time to a specific community organisation. They may do so because they have an interest in that organisation’s work, have free time to give, know people in the organisation, or wish to develop skills.

The Community Volunteers initiative is different from traditional volunteering in the following ways:

• It is designed to engage volunteers who want to get involved in their community but don’t have much time. Participants can get involved as often or as little as they like and according to what suits their schedule. 
• The Community Volunteer pilot is designed to offer flexibility to volunteers so that they can select a variety of events and organisations they’d like to support on an ad hoc
• Participants will not be ‘tied’ to a particular organisation. Their primary link will be with Roscommon Volunteer Centre and they are not expected to support a specific community organisation on a continuous basis.
• Community Volunteers will receive tailored training in providing support at events. This free training is standardised and will be provided by Volunteer Ireland. It is expected that over time, participants who regularly engage with the Community Volunteers project will develop significant skills in event management and will develop the capacity to quickly and effectively organise and respond to local needs.

Participants for the Community Volunteer Pilot will be required to undergo standardised training provided by Volunteer Ireland. A training schedule is currently being developed and will be available in the summer of 2022.

The training is designed to help volunteers understand their roles at events such as festivals. Community Volunteers will understand the importance of communication, compassion, confidentiality, manging risks and minding their own wellbeing when volunteering.  Some areas covered include:

• Volunteer Role and Volunteer Safety
• Volunteer Responsibilities and Expectations
• Dealing with Challenging Situations
• Supporting and Communicating with the Public
• Problem-Solving Volunteering Scenarios

The Community Volunteers programme values diversity and aims to engage a broad base of volunteers representing all of our community.  

A dedicated section to Volunteer Ireland’s website has been developed for individuals interested in learning more about the Community Volunteer pilot. There is a four-step process for officially becoming a Community Volunteer. This includes:

1. Completing an application form;
2. Attending an introductory webinar to learn more about the pilot and to get the opportunity to ask questions about the pilot;
3. Meeting the staff at Roscommon Volunteer Centre and learning about local initiatives;
4. Attending online training.

Roscommon Volunteer Centre believes the Community Volunteers Programme would work very well as a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative. This is an excellent programme for a company to provide opportunities for their employees to become involved with their community where opportunities to do so would otherwise be limited. Research in volunteering has shown us that participants who engage in volunteer activities report higher levels of happiness, well-being, personal satisfaction, are more sociable, and have better physical health.

The Community Volunteers Programme would allow employees to choose which social activity they’d like to support thereby accommodating their personal schedule and work and family commitments. Employees can select which activity suits their interest (e.g., painting, a clean up, building a fence, stewarding at a festival, etc.) and can put themselves forward for just these opportunities. Their hours are tracked by Roscommon Volunteer Centre and can be reported back to the company who may wish to formally recognise the employee’s contribution as a representative of the company and/or a resident of that locality. There is also potential to explore the possibility of a company sponsoring an event by providing their team as the primary human resource for that event.

As we ease out of COVID-19 restrictions, this initiative is a great way to encourage employees to reforge strong social ties. Furthermore, from a company’s perspective, volunteering may be a great team-building exercise for employees, may boost morale and may reenergise and revitalise the workforce. It would also tie in with Ireland’s National Plan on Corporate Social Responsibility which aims to ‘maximise the creation of shared value through collaboration with all stakeholders and ensures that the interests of enterprises and the interests of wider society are mutually supportive.’

Roscommon Volunteer Centre will assist the local authority, community organisations and other relevant stakeholders who wish to organise events by:

• Recruiting volunteers;
• Assessing the skills and suitability of the volunteers;
• Interviewing the volunteers;
• Ensuring that the volunteer receives training in event volunteering;
• Helping the community organisation develop a role profile for volunteers which includes outlining the specific tasks the volunteer will be expected to undertake;
• Matching volunteers to specific and appropriate roles;
• Recruiting volunteers in targeted areas across Roscommon County;
• Preparing volunteers for Garda Vetting where appropriate;
• Establishing a volunteer management protocol for the event.

It is important to underscore that the Community Volunteers programme is a pilot project. For this pilot to be a success, it is important that all stakeholders have realistic expectations about the pilot and communicate clearly with each other.

Community organisations wishing to participate in the pilot should convey to RVC:

• The kind of event they’re planning;
• The size and duration of the event;
• The number of volunteers they wish to support the event;
• The different kinds of activities volunteers will engage in;
• Any tools/goods that will be provided to the volunteer so they can carry out their role (e.g., paint, paint brushes, etc. if volunteers are asked to engage in a painting project);
• The name of a volunteer manager/contact person who will be able to provide support to the volunteer and who will be able to clarify questions/issues around the event when the arise;
• Orientation information, event brief, debrief, maps, role descriptions, etc. for the volunteer;
• Protocols and procedures for the event targeted at the volunteer;
• Expectations of RVC and of the volunteer;
• Information on how they plan to thank the volunteer after the event is complete.

As this is a new programme being launched by the Roscommon Volunteer Centre, we want to make sure all the necessary details are given consideration to in the planning process. Therefore, we recommend being contacted a minimum of six weeks before an event is due to take place. If you are planning a large project requiring 10+ volunteers, we would appreciate a longer lead time. This will allow us enough time to contact volunteers, ensure they have gone through the training and screening process, and will allow them to become more familiar with the role. 

Any not-for-profit organisation wishing to engage Community Volunteers can do so at no cost. There is no charge for this programme.  However, community groups are expected to have insurance in place to facilitate the activities the volunteers engage in to support events. Additionally, community groups may wish to provide certain goods to volunteers which include: badges, safety vests, radios, etc., which will ensure the public can quickly identify the volunteer for support. Groups are also encouraged to provide comfort items to volunteers at events such as tea/water, snacks/food (for day-long events), umbrella, suntan lotion, etc., as this will ensure that the volunteer has enough energy for the entire duration of the event.

If you are interested in having your event being supported by Community Volunteers, or have any questions about the pilot, please contact Shannette Budhai, Manager, Roscommon Volunteer Centre. She can be reached by email at manager@volunteerroscommon.ie or by phone at 089-219-9930.

The programme is primarily funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development with co-funding coming from local authorities. The pilot is coordinated by Volunteer Ireland and follows a model implemented by the network of Volunteer Centres across Ireland.