COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, December 09, 2019

QUESTION NO. 19

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

To ask the Chief Executive to present an update on his efforts to promote volunteerism throughout the county and will he make a statement.

REPLY:

The Council's Community Services team is dedicated to supporting community development, social inclusion and sports and recreation development throughout the County to provide an environment where all residents have the opportunity to belong, be included and participate.

The South Dublin Local Economic and Community Plan 2016-2021 (LECP) includes several volunteerism related actions and many services provided in the County are provided by volunteer led groups and organisations, supported by the Council.  The Council actively support and fund South Dublin County Volunteer Bureau, South Dublin County Volunteer Centre, the South Dublin Volunteer Corps and the Public Participation Network in their respective roles promoting, encouraging and supporting volunteerism in the County.

Community grants and other supports have been provided to community and voluntary groups across the County in 2019 (and will continue to be made available in 2020) to support community organisations working with older persons, environmental groups, youth groups, sports clubs, festival committees, tidy town groups along with many other volunteer activities.

There are also many programmes and events held annually to support and assist volunteerism through community wellbeing and by bringing a number of statutory agencies and community groups together including through the Healthy County Interagency Steering Group, Social Inclusion Week, Health and Wellbeing Week, Bealtaine, Play Day and our Sports Disability programme. The Council will continue to work with various organisations and agencies active in the County on the many projects, initiatives, campaigns and workshops in this regard.

Recognising and rewarding volunteer and community activity is also very important and the Council’s Community Endeavour Awards successfully do this on an annual basis. The 2019 awards held on Friday 6th December were a fantastic showcase of the great work undertaken by communities and volunteers across the County.

The Council is particularly conscious of the efforts of the many individuals and community organisations that work together on an ongoing basis to deliver and implement improvements in a sustainable and inclusive way in servicing the needs of their local communities. The Community Endeavour Awards aim to recognise and reward this community effort and achievement.

This ongoing support and encouragement for active volunteerism throughout the County underpins the work programmes of the Council’s Community Development team in their engagement with the wide range of voluntary community committees and groups.