Member's statement: Volunteers' Week

Member's statement by Mr Danny Donnelly on 4 June 2024.

MLA

Mr Danny Donnelly

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

4 June 2024

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

Volunteers' Week

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4493781

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I wish to highlight Volunteers Week, a week when we celebrate the people who generously give their time and energy to doing things to support others across Northern Ireland. Those people are deserving of our gratitude and recognition. Denise Hayward, CEO of Volunteer Now, said:

"Volunteers are the humble heroes of our communities, who give their time to help other people, charities, community groups and social organisations. They change lives, without seeking out thanks, reward or remuneration. There simply isn’t enough we can do to thank them, but this focus week of celebration and gratitude goes some way to recognising their amazing efforts."

There are many groups doing great things, and I am sure that we can think of shining examples of such dedication in our constituencies. They might be community workers, for example, who provide services for groups that, otherwise, would not be able to access them, sometimes saving the statutory services significant resources. There are approximately 280,000 formal volunteers in organisations across Northern Ireland and many more informal volunteers. The annual economic contribution of those volunteers is in excess of half a billion pounds a year. Volunteering offers a great opportunity for social interaction and giving back to your community. There are many groups across my constituency of East Antrim, several of which I would like to highlight for their work.

Sadly, we have seen a huge expansion of food banks across the UK and in Northern Ireland since 2008, reflecting the growth in need during that period. The past few years have seen a huge rise in requests for assistance due to the cost-of-living crisis, and volunteers have risen to the challenge and met local need in our food banks. Larne Foodbank fed more than 3,000 people last year, and it is dedicated to reducing the levels of hunger in our area. St John's Ambulance supplies trained first-aiders at public events and helps to transfer patients from hospitals across Northern Ireland, reducing pressures on our ambulance system and helping patients get home from hospital. The Eco Rangers is a group of litter pickers in east Antrim that was started by one man, Abe Agnew, and his dog, Bobby. The group regularly pick up litter and make our local streets tidier for everyone. It now numbers more than 100 dedicated volunteers and last year picked up over 11 tons of litter. I can attest that they are a great bunch and that their litter picks are good craic. The Larne Renovation Generation is a group of volunteers who have brightened up Larne town centre by painting colourful and eye-catching murals that relate to local history and culture. They have made a real difference in the town centre over the past few years. For those examples, I am grateful. Thank you to all our local volunteers who do so much to make this place better for everyone. I encourage anyone who has some spare time to look for volunteering opportunities in their area.

494 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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