COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, December 13, 2021

QUESTION NO. 22

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

To ask the Chief Executive to confirm actions being taken to encourage Volunteerism in our County and may we have 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) included several volunteerism related actions (and this will similarly be reflected in the development of the new LECP for the County during 2022) and many services provided in the County are provided by volunteer led groups and organisations, supported by the Council.  In particular, the Council actively support and fund South Dublin County Volunteer Centre and the Public Participation Network in their respective roles promoting, encouraging and supporting volunteerism in the County.  The Council is represented on the board of South Dublin Volunteer Centre which is recognised as a highly innovative and successful volunteer support organisation within the national context.

Community grants and other supports are provided (and will continue to be provided) to community and voluntary groups across the County on an ongoing basis 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 locally to support and assist volunteerism through community wellbeing through our healthy county, health and wellbeing, social inclusion, age friendly, sports and recreation and general community development work, we will continue to work with the various statutory and voluntary organisations and agencies active in the County on the many projects, initiatives, campaigns and workshops in this regard.

The Council is also 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 which underpins the work programmes of the Council’s Community Development team in their engagement with the wide range of voluntary community committees and groups.