Mr. John Cotterell:

I am the manager of Louth Volunteer Centre. I want to give members an example of how one of their constituents might avail of the services of the centre. This is very pertinent to Deputy Nash, who is based in Louth.

William, who is mentioned in the case study, ran a jewellery business for years but unfortunately had to give up because he suffered a bout of depression. He was referred to the volunteer centre by the HSE. In this regard, we are linked to the occupational support therapists. When we met William at the volunteer centre, he told us he did not know there was an opportunity to volunteer. When we sat down with him, we listened to his story as to where he was coming from and his skills and interests. The key role of the volunteer centre is to make it easier for people to volunteer. We connect people with opportunities based on what is suitable for them.

William did not want to make a long-term commitment. Therefore, when he was starting off, we got him to volunteer as part of an opportunity that arose for us called the Lens A Hand photography exhibition. Basically, it is capturing the spirit of volunteering in Louth. We had many photographs of different people in Louth volunteering. We showed them in different shopping centres to get people to think about volunteering. The hope was that seeing smiles would inspire people to do something themselves.

A key part of the centre's function is selling volunteering. People ask what is in it for them. As members will know from their constituents, many people who are unemployed, retired or not feeling part of the community need to be sold the concept of volunteering by us. It is a key role of the centre.

Since William's volunteering went so well, we ended up connecting him to Action Against Addiction. Deputy Nash is probably familiar with this. It supports young people who suffer from addiction. The organisation has a shop and recycles. William is now teaching young people the skill of jewellery-making, which was his business before he had to give it up.

William told me just last week that volunteering gives him a sense of worth despite his having been out of work for so long. He is able to give something by passing on his skills. Furthermore, he is keeping busy and learning himself. Since he does not have much involvement with people, this is a great way for him to meet people and have a bit of a laugh. The key to volunteering is feeling connected to one's community.

What I have described is the perspective of the volunteer but one must also consider the impact of volunteers such as William on the community. For example, an older person might look forward to receiving a weekly visit, and a young child might get a boost of confidence from earning a badge in the Scouts. The various organisations and community groups cannot exist without volunteers. This is why the critical role of the volunteer centres and Volunteer Ireland is associated with offering support and letting people know what is available and what is going on. We support the organisations to ensure each volunteer feels his time is valued. Thus, volunteers stay with their organisation and continue volunteering.