Irish Aid to Host Ireland’s Largest Overseas Volunteering Fair in Dublin

Irish Aid to Host Ireland’s Largest Overseas Volunteering Fair in Dublin

Irish Aid, the Government’s overseas development programme, is hosting a major overseas volunteering fair in Dublin this Saturday (18^th September, 2010) to highlight long and short-term volunteering opportunities in developing countries.

This will be the biggest such volunteering fair ever held in Ireland with 29 organisations taking part. The volunteering fair will take place in the Irish Aid Volunteering and Information Centre, 27-31 Upper O’Connell St. Dublin from 11am to 4pm. The fair is free and open to the public.   

Speaking ahead of the fair, Minister for Overseas Development, Peter Power, T.D., said:

“I would encourage anyone interested in overseas volunteering to come along. This event provides the perfect opportunity for individuals looking to get involved in volunteering abroad to discuss their options with volunteer-sending organisations and to gather the practical information they need to make a more informed decision.

“Events such as this also help to promote synergies among organisations working in volunteering. The health and safety of development workers and volunteers overseas is of crucial concern and it is very important that volunteers are managed in a professional way. The Volunteering Fair will showcase the Irish Volunteering Code of Practice which supports organisations that manage and work with volunteers." 

Visitors to the Fair will be able to meet with representatives of the organisations and past volunteers, and attend workshops on volunteering options. In addition, staff from a range of organisations will give presentations on their work, the skills they are seeking and the opportunities available. 

Note to Editors:

Irish Aid, the Government’s programme for overseas development, is an integral part of the Department of Foreign Affairs

The volunteering fair runs on Saturday, September 18th from 11am to 4pm in the Irish Aid Volunteering and Information Centre, 27-31 Upper O’Connell St. Dublin.  It is free and open to the public.

This will be the fourth time Irish Aid has hosted an overseas volunteering fair. Two successful Volunteering Fairs were held last year on the 18^th of April and 26^th of September in the Irish Aid Volunteering and Information Centre, O’Connell St., Dublin and on February 20^th this year a successful Volunteer Fair was hosted in Cork. Over 800 members of the public attended the three previous Volunteering Fairs. 

For further information on the fair and volunteering, visit www.irishaid.gov.ie or call in to the Irish Aid Volunteering and Information Centre, 27-31 Upper O’Connell Street, Dublin at Lo Call 1890 252 676 email: irishaidcentre@dfa.ie

In addition to Irish Aid, the following volunteering organisations will have information stands at the Fair:

A-Z Children’s Charity

Camara

Chernobyl Children's Project International 

Comhlámh

Dtalk (Development Training and Learning at Kimmage)

EIL Intercultural Learning

Friends of Londiani

GOAL

Global Schoolroom 

Habitat for Humanity 

Haven

Hope Foundation

International Service Ireland

Link Community Development  

Niall Mellon Township Trust

Serve

Skillshare International Ireland

Slí Eile

Suas

USIT

United Nations Volunteer Programme

Viatores Christi

Voluntary Service International (VSI)

Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)

Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMM)

Volunteer Centres Ireland

Volunteering Ireland

The Code of Practice promotes best practice in volunteering.  Those organisations which have signed up to the Code undertake to run high quality and structured volunteering programmes that are driven primarily by the needs of the host communities. Under the Code, the volunteer programmes will be based on realistic aims and objectives, with appropriate and useful volunteer roles. It also addresses such issues as volunteer preparation, training, child protection, health and safety of volunteers, monitoring and evaluation. 

 The Code of Good Practice for organisations can be found at: http://www.volunteeringoptions.org/WhatWeDo/CodeofGoodPractice/tabid/75/Default.aspx

 The Volunteers' Charter of Behaviour can be accessed at: http://www.volunteeringoptions.org/WhatWeDo/VolunteerCharter/tabid/74/Default.aspx

For further information, please contact Maggie Collins, Irish Aid, the Department of Foreign Affairs on 01-4084326 or 0860659630  

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16 September, 2010