Getting to the heart of the volunteer spirit

CLARE businesses showed their love on Valentine’s Day for the hard work of the county’s volunteers with the launch of the Clare Volunteer Discount Card.

The free card will enable volunteers to access a range of discounts and special offers from businesses across the county for 2011, the European Year of the Volunteer.
Launched by The Clare Volunteer Centre, the initiative is supported by Ennis Chamber, Clare County Council, Ennis Town Council and the Clare Local Development Company.
Sharon Meaney, development co-ordinator with the Clare Volunteer Centre explained, “The Clare Volunteer Centre wanted to initiate a project to acknowledge and recognise the volunteers of County Clare. Through our day to day work with volunteers and community and voluntary groups across the country we are constantly aware of the benefits volunteers bring to our communities.”
The centre received a grant to create an initiative to mark the European Year of the Volunteer and when Sharon approached Rita McInerney of Ennis Chamber the idea for the card was born.
Rita told us, “This initiative already builds on something that Ennis Chamber were already doing. We had discounts for delegates coming to Ennis and I thought the card was a great idea. It gives an opportunity for the business community to join forces with the volunteering community.”
Ennis Chamber set about contacting businesses from across the county and already more than 120 have come on board. The card offers a wide variety of discounts at participating businesses countywide, ranging from free coffees to percentages off sales.
Sharon explained, “The volunteers bring the card to the participating businesses to avail of the discount and they will know the shops because they will have a sticker on the front with the tagline ‘together we can make a difference’ and I think its important that for 2011 we show that in Clare we really know how to pull together.”
Rita added, “At a time when people are continually looking for value, this shows that businesses are prepared to do something extra for their customers and offer value. There is a list of participating businesses and that will be updated on a regular basis as more businesses get involved. This is free exposure for them and in these times that is to be welcomed and of course it’s a great way to boost morale.”
According to Sharon, “This card is not about giving payment to volunteers, because volunteering in itself is about people having the ability to make a difference, to reconnect with their community. This is just about acknowledging the contribution that volunteers make to our own communities.”
Sharon explained that 2010 was a busy year for the Clare Volunteer Centre with an increasing number of volunteers registering their services. And she believes that the card may encourage others to offer their skills voluntarily.
“We have over 500 volunteers registered. We ask people when they register why they are volunteering and appearing in our top ten of reasons is recently made redundant. We have already seen a 66% increase on our numbers for January 2011 than the same time last year. But I believe its not just down to more people being unemployed.  I think we are witnessing a real social movement by people. They want to reconnect with their communities and they want to be involved.
“We have a placement rate of 53% here in Clare, in the UK their national rate is 24% so Clare really is punching above its weight. Every volunteer that registers with us comes in and meets with us and we give one to one personal support and I think that’s reflected in our high placement rate.
Sharon concluded, “I would certainly hope that the card would encourage more people to volunteer, as they say nobody can do everything but everybody can do something. I think everybody has the ability to make a difference. It’s not just about having highly skilled volunteers, which we do have, but sometimes a smile or a kind word is all a volunteer has to bring. It’s everyday skills, like holding somebody’s hand in a hospice, you don’t need to have a third level qualification to be a volunteer.”
For information on how businesses can be involved with the card contact Ennis Chamber on 065 6842988 or email office@ennischamber.ie. For information on volunteering contact the Clare Volunteer Centre on 065 6866800 or email info@volunteerclare.ie.