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Welcome Pack Content:
Contents A note from the Derek Fanning, manager of the Tipperary Volunteer Centre…. ............................... 3 A note from Volunteer Support Officers Tina and Sara… .................................................................... 4 Mission Statement: ................................................................................................................................. 5 Vision Statement: .................................................................................................................................... 6 List of Key Contacts and Resources ......................................................................................................... 7 Tipperary Volunteer Centre: ............................................................................................................... 7 Government Agencies: ........................................................................................................................ 7 The Na�onal Volunteering Strategy .................................................................................................... 7 Volunteer Ireland: ............................................................................................................................... 7 Your next steps ........................................................................................................................................ 8 Browse by loca�on .............................................................................................................................. 8 Browse by availability:......................................................................................................................... 8 Browse by ac�vity type: ...................................................................................................................... 9 Browse by category: ............................................................................................................................ 9 What are you passionate about? ...................................................................................................... 11 How much �me can you spare? ........................................................................................................ 12 How will my data be used by Tipperary Volunteer Centre & I-Vol?...................................................... 14 Use of your data ................................................................................................................................ 14 Will my informa�on be shared with anyone else? ........................................................................... 14 How is your data used? ..................................................................................................................... 14 What are my rights? .......................................................................................................................... 14 How long do you keep my informa�on for? ..................................................................................... 14 What if I am under 18? ..................................................................................................................... 15 What do I do if I’m not happy with how my informa�on is being handled? .................................... 15 What else should I know? ................................................................................................................. 15
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A note from the Derek Fanning, manager of the Tipperary Volunteer Centre…. On behalf of The Tipperary Volunteer Centre and our affiliates, I’m delighted to welcome you. I hope that your volunteering experience, will be an enjoyable and rewarding one. I appreciate your �me is important to you and would like to sincerely thank you for choosing to volunteer. Volunteers are ordinary people like you who, by giving freely of their �me make an extraordinary impact across County Tipperary. So, if you already volunteer, we say, “Thank You” and if you are considering it, we ask “What can we do for you?”. I would encourage you to look at volunteering as an “Exchange” rather than doing something for free. Volunteering is a Win-Win situa�on, you get more back than you give. More importantly though, you are not alone; the free services of Tipperary Volunteer Centre are here to assist you in any way we can. Hopefully you will find all the informa�on you require either in this Welcome Pack or on the Tipperary Volunteer website, www.�pperaryvoluntercentre.ie . Alterna�vely, just drop us an email or give us a call. You will find our contact details under the “Key contacts and Resources” sec�on below. As a Volunteer Centre our aim is to provide a placement service between you, the volunteer, and organisa�ons that are seeking to involve volunteers. We are here to offer advice and support through a range of services that include informa�on provision, consulta�on, training, and Garda Ve�ng. We believe passionately in the value of volunteering and view it as a vital component in progressive community development, by volunteering, you are contribu�ng to that vision, making it a reality. Once again, welcome, I look forward to you volunteering with us.
Yours sincerely,
Derek Manager Tipperary Volunteer Centre
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A note from Volunteer Support Officers Tina and Sara… To reiterate what Derek has said above, you are very welcome and thank you for registering to volunteer with us. As volunteer support officers it is our job to facilitate the placement of individuals like you, seeking volunteer opportuni�es in Tipperary. We understand that your �me is a precious resource, therefore assis�ng you in choosing quality volunteering opportuni�es that will benefit both you and the organisa�on is our focus. In this pack you will find helpful hints and �ps to consider when choosing a Volunteer Role/Opportunity. We would encourage you to reflect on your skills, your interests and what you are passionate about, in addi�on to more prac�cal factors such as �me commitments and accessibility. These indicators can be completed in your profile and can be changed at any �me, should your details or circumstances change. You can also contact us directly via telephone and email or you are more than welcome to call into the offices for a chat. Our contact details and loca�ons can be found in the “Key contacts and Resources” sec�on below. Thank you for joining us, you are very welcome.
Yours sincerely,
Tina & Sara
Tina Reilly Volunteering Support Officer Tipperary South
Sara McDonnell Development Officer Tipperary North
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Mission Statement: “To promote volunteerism in Tipperary by supporting volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations through the provision of a quality placement and training service for organisations while providing information and guidance on volunteering and volunteer opportunities to individuals across the county.”
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Vision Statement: “Everyone has access to volunteering opportunities that are fulfilling, engaging and which contribute to the betterment of the community with volunteers being respected for the individual contributions they make.”
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List of Key Contacts and Resources: Tipperary Volunteer Centre: Office phone:
062 64775
Website address:
www.�pperaryvolunteercentre.ie
Email:
info@volunteer�pperary.ie
Manager Derek Fanning 086 7721067 derek@volunteer�pperary.ie
Support Officer Tina Reilly 086 0418019 �na@volunteer�pperary.ie
Support Officer Sara McDonnell 086 0481743 sara@volunteer�pperary.ie
Government Agencies: The Na�onal Volunteering Strategy (2021 - 2025) sets out a long-term vision for
volunteering and volunteers in Ireland. With ac�ons to be implemented over five years, the Strategy sets out a general direc�on for government policy in rela�on to the volunteers and the volunteering environment.
If you are interested in learning more the strategy can be found here and on the Tipperary Volunteer website.
Volunteer Ireland: Volunteer Ireland is the na�onal organisa�on that promotes, supports, and advocates for volunteering in Ireland. Volunteer Ireland supports the network of Volunteer Centres and works closely with them to ensure volunteering thrives at local and na�onal level. Their work is guided by their strategic plan 2023-2027. Website address:
www.volunteer.ie
Email:
info@volunteer.ie
Phone:
(01) 636 9446 7
Your next steps Now that you have registered, you can browse the opportuni�es to volunteer, on our website. You can do this using numerous filters based on your loca�on, availability, ac�vi�es, and role, as seen below:
Browse by loca�on:
Type the area you want to volunteer in for example, “Nenagh”, “Cashel”. You can also adjust the distance from 1km to 100km from the chosen loca�on.
Browse by availability:
Select which day/days of the week you are free to volunteer. If you wish, you can also choose whether you would prefer to work in the morning, a�ernoon, or evening.
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Browse by ac�vity type:
You can select up to 5 ac�vity types. This func�on allows you to filter your choices based upon your interests, skills, and experience.
Browse by category:
You can use this func�on to select categories by role. For example, some roles do not require Garda Ve�ng for others it is essen�al. Some roles require training or are suitable for people with a basic level of English. There is a large variety.
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Now that you have registered, and familiarised yourself with how the website works, think about why you have volunteered. Volunteering provides fulfilment outside of work and allows you to make a posi�ve impact in the areas you’re passionate about. It also delivers plenty of personal and professional benefits; helps you build your skills, contacts, and confidence. Your mo�va�on to volunteer will help you in deciding which volunteering opportuni�es to apply for.
To meet new people with similar interests
To make a difference
To make use of my talents or skills
To be an active citizen
Why?
I want to give something back to your local community.
To gain valuable training and
To help in my
To learn new skills
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What are you passionate about? You’re more likely to deliver value to an organisa�on if you’re interested in the cause, so finding an opportunity that you’re passionate about is important. Ask yourself… What causes are close to your heart?
What are your main interests and hobbies?
What tasks do you get the most enjoyment from?
What do you wish you could change or improve?
In what ways do you feel you can best contribute?
What do you consider your greatest skills to be? 11
How much �me can you spare? Determine your �me capacity. Whether you can spare an hour a week, one day a week or one day a month, there are opportuni�es that enable you to have an impact. Be upfront with an organisa�on about how much �me you have available so that they can find an opportunity that works for both of you. Start small and increase your commitments when it suits.
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Do you have your own transport? If not, is public transport an option and is it accessible to the area?
Do you prefer to do something practical i.e., with your hands?
Would you prefer to utilise skills you have already acquired, or would you prefer the challenge of doing something new?
What skills do you already possess? Don’t overlook skills such as writing, decorating, talking, listening, DIY, driving, reading, shopping, sport, leisure and outdoor activities, gardening etc.
Do you prefer to work with people or not? If you prefer working with people, is this on a one-to-one basis or in groups?
Have you identified a particular group of people with whom you would like to work? families; people in hospital; homeless people; people with a physical or learning need?
Have you considered the ages of those you want to volunteer with? Children under 5 years of age; 13 young people; the elderly?
How will my data be used by Tipperary Volunteer Centre & I-Vol? Use of your data As Joint Data Controllers, Tipperary Volunteer Centre and *I-Vol will be the only organisa�ons to have ini�al access to your informa�on. We take this responsibility seriously and are commited to protec�ng and respec�ng your privacy. Whenever we process data, we will always keep your personal data rights in high regard and take account of these rights. *The National Volunteering database is called I-VOL. It is a searchable database of volunteering opportunities, and is owned, managed, and administered by Volunteer Ireland and the network of Volunteer Centres including Tipperary Volunteer Centre.
When you register as a volunteer with Tipperary Volunteer Centre, it is completed through the I-Vol pla�orm. You register your profile on I-Vol and can apply for volunteering posi�ons that are listed. The terms and condi�ons which apply to individual volunteers may be accessed here htps://www.i-vol.ie/terms-and-condi�ons-for-volunteers/.
Will my informa�on be shared with anyone else? When you register your interest in a volunteering opportunity your contact details, name, phone, and email informa�on are sent to the organisa�on hos�ng the opportunity to take your applica�on forward. You will receive an email each �me you apply for an opportunity, acknowledging your indica�on of interest, and giving you further details of the next steps. You should expect to hear from the organisa�on – but if you don’t, please revert to us so we can follow up on your behalf.
How is your data used? We only process your personal data with your consent, for carefully considered purposes, it will only be processed to: • • •
Assist you with your desire to volunteer. Provide you with informa�on about volunteering and our services. Invited to par�cipate in research which helps us gain a beter understanding of volunteering in Tipperary.
What are my rights? It is your informa�on and at any �me you can request access to and rec�fica�on or erasure of your personal data. You can also request restric�on of processing, or you can object to processing. In addi�on, you can withdraw your consent at any �me. For more informa�on on your rights, you can go to www.dataprotec�on.ie.
How long do you keep my informa�on for? We keep it for 6 years from the date you first register or from the last opportunity you applied for unless you let us know before then that you wish to have it removed.
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What if I am under 18? If you are under 18 you will need to have verified parental/guardian consent before we can proceed with your registra�on. You will be provided with informa�on when you try to register.
What do I do if I’m not happy with how my informa�on is being handled? You should contact us at the Tipperary Volunteer Centre, and we will deal with your issue or complaint.
What else should I know? Once you are registered you will occasionally receive volunteering informa�on by email, SMS text or our newsleter. You will also occasionally receive informa�on from Volunteer Ireland. You can unsubscribe from these communica�ons at any �me while remaining on the I-VOL database. You may also be contacted occasionally to complete a short survey on our services. You can choose not to complete these surveys when you receive them.
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