COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, January 09, 2017

QUESTION NO.14

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

To ask the Chief Executive to update members on his proposals to encourage further Volunteerism throughout our County during 2017 and will he give details in that regard.

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council has a dedicated department which is committed to Community development, and sports and recreation development throughout the county and works to provide an environment where all residents of the county have the opportunity to be included and take part.

South Dublin County Council recognise that many of the services, groups and organisations are provided by volunteers and  addition to our own staff supporting volunteers, the Council supports the work of South Dublin County Volunteer Centre and the South Dublin Public Participation Network in their work with supporting and encouraging volunteerism.

The  South Dublin Local Economic and Community Plan 2016-2021 (LECP) includes several actions to volunteerism.

In addition a range of community grants and other supports will be  provided in 2017 to community and voluntary groups across the County, and this includes  supporting community organisations working with older persons, environmental groups, youth groups,sports clubs, festival committees, tidy town groups etc.  The Community Endeavour Awards 2017 will be an acknowledgement of the work carried out by volunteers throughout the year.

The Council will continue to work throughout 2017 with many other organisations and agencies active in the county who also support and encourage volunteerism  on an ongoing basis through many projects, initiatives, campaign, workshops etc. 

We are represented on the Board of Management of SDC Volunteers Bureau and provide advice, support and assistance to the Management of the Volunteer Centre, including annual funding.

We are partners with the SDCVC on the establishment and management of the South Dublin Volunteer Corp and also provide some funding assistance to the administration and support of the Corp.

We recognise the hard work, efforts and achievement of volunteerism right through the Community and Voluntary sector as the bedrock of a lot of out groups within our Community Endeavour Awards and indeed have a Category/Award of ‘Volunteer of the Year’

While of course we support and encourage active volunteerism throughout the County what is core to the workplan of the Community teams is to work with a huge and wide range of voluntary community committees and groups.