This article is from page 4 of the 2012-01-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
THE voluntary spirit is alive and well in Clare as new figures show that more than 239 people registered with the Clare Volunteer Centre (CVC) in 2011.
According to the centre, volunteers worked over 9,342 hours in 2011. Using the average industrial wage, the centre estimates that this work equates to a value of more than € 204,000.
Of the volunteers who signed up in 2011, the most popular areas of interest were health and disability and youth/children. The most popular reasons for wanting to volunteer were free time and a desire to give something back. Sixty per cent of the volunteers who signed up with the volunteer centre last year had never volunteered before. Over 100 organisations are now registered with Clare Volunteer Centre. Last year, 34 new organisations registered with the centre.
Commenting on the success of 2011, Sharon Meaney said, “2011 was the European Year of Volunteering so we were delighted to help 239 Clare residents to start volunteering. It’s remarkable to see that the work of Clare volunteers in 2011 amounted to a value of over € 204,000 but, really, the difference volunteers make to our community is immeasurable.”
She continued, “The Volunteer Discount Card, which was launched in conjunction with the Ennis Chamber, Clare County Council and Clare Lo- cal Development Company to celebrate the European Year of Volunteering, was very well received with over 2,000 cards being distributed county-wide. We were delighted to work with many organisations across the county during 2011, supporting them in developing practices to ensure that volunteers are recognised and valued for their contribution.”
Clare Volunteer Centre is a free service aimed at encouraging more people to become involved in volunteering across the county.