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Volunteering opportunities with Versus Arthritis
20 March 2025
It is thanks to the hard work, enthusiasm, and commitment of volunteers that Versus Arthritis are able to support millions of people living with arthritis every year, and they are currently recruiting volunteers to help with service delivery in the Western Trust area. If you have a few hours free each week to help, they […]
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Staff & Volunteer Wellbeing Survey
19 March 2025
At North Down Community Network, we recognise the immense challenges facing the community and voluntary sector, especially in these high pressure times. To better support the incredible staff and volunteers involved, we’re launching a wellbeing survey aimed at understanding your experiences. Your insights are crucial in helping us understand the impact on health and wellbeing […]
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Older People Volunteering
19 March 2025
by Denise Hayward, Chief Executive, Volunteer Now At the end of March 2025, Volunteer Now will launch a campaign in the Belfast area, with support from Public Health Agency, to encourage older people to get involved in volunteering. We know that as a result of covid many older people stepped away from volunteering. Numbers of […]
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Volunteer Fair at 2 Royal Avenue!
19 March 2025
Are you aged 55+? Join us for a Volunteer Fair on Tuesday 25 March 2025! It will be an afternoon of information, volunteering, music, dancing, refreshments & much more! No need to book, just turn up at 2 Royal Avenue, Belfast from 12.30pm – feel free to bring a friend! See you there 👋
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Help Shape the Future of Volunteering
10 March 2025
Join IAVE in shaping the future of volunteering The International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) are thrilled to invite you to be a part of their global initiative to develop a Call to Action for the Future of Volunteering! In preparation for the 2026 International Year for Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY 2026), IAVE and […]
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Apply now to become an #iwill Ambassador!
7 March 2025
#iwill is a youth led movement that empowers, supports and amplifies youth social action across the whole of the United Kingdom. Volunteer Now have been the delivery partners of the #iwill movement in Northern Ireland for last decade, directly supporting ambassadors and champions alike. Each year, a new group of Ambassadors aged 10-24 years old […]
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Volunteering opportunities at Look North Festival!
25 February 2025
Friday 28 February – Sunday 2 March 2025 Have you ever walked past a mysterious old building and thought “I wonder what goes on in there?” Would you like to experience what carnival feels like in Brazil? Are you fascinated by stained glass and wonder how it’s made? If you have answered yes to any […]
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Volunteering opportunities with the Irish Football Association
21 February 2025
Through this four-week beginner level coaching programme, McDonald’s and the Irish FA Foundation will provide children aged five to 11 with the opportunity to try football for the first time. Fun Football sessions are designed and delivered in a safe, fun and pressure-free environment by Irish FA accredited coaches. The IFA are looking for enthusiastic and creative individuals to support […]
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Don’t Underestimate Young Volunteers
20 February 2025
Volunteer Now’s Youth Advisory Group recently led an excellent session for volunteer managers showcasing the benefits of and barriers to volunteering. The young people drew on their own volunteer experiences and it was clear that they had benefited enormously in terms of enjoyment, building friendships and meeting new people and skills development. They told the […]
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You Can Volunteer, You Can Change Lives
3 February 2025
‘Everyone has the potential to change lives’ – Volunteer Now reminds public that volunteering is open to all The leading voice of volunteering in Northern Ireland, Volunteer Now, is hoping to dispel some of the misconceptions about volunteering, in the hope that more people will realise there are roles to suit them and feel encouraged […]
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Volunteers’ Week 2025 Countdown Begins!
3 February 2025
Our new Volunteers Week website is now LIVE – Begin the preparations for Volunteers Week 2025! Every year, over 722,000 people dedicate their time to making a difference in local communities. This June, people across Northern Ireland with over 14m across the UK will come together to celebrate these inspiring individuals through parties, award ceremonies […]
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VOLT Programme 2025 – NEW DATES ADDED!
30 January 2025
The team at Volunteer Now have organised three free VOLT sessions for January and February, and are working on future VOLT session for 2025. VOLT sessions are free and designed to give people the opportunity to focus on a volunteering issue with other like-minded individuals. Next VOLT Sessions: Involving Young People as Volunteers Thursday 13 […]
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January 2025 Investing in Volunteers Congratulations!
9 January 2025
Investing in Volunteers (IiV) is the UK Quality Standard that helps you assess and improve the quality of your volunteer management and involvement, prove and improve the effectiveness of your work with volunteers and enhance your organisation’s reputation. Achieving the standard shows your current, and potential, volunteers how much they are valued and gives them […]
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Support for hospitality sector in effort to keep staff and public safe over holidays
19 December 2024
The hospitality sector is being offered support in helping spot signs of abuse within their premises over the busy holiday period. Volunteer Now, who provide specialist safeguarding training to organisations, are urging restaurants, hotels and bars to ensure staff are aware of the indicators of physical and sexual abuse, many of which can often be […]
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‘Never too old to make a difference’
13 December 2024
‘Never too old to make a difference’ – event celebrates contribution of older volunteers and invites others to give it a go Representatives from the world of volunteering gathered at Belfast City Hall this week to celebrate older people who give their time for others and to inspire others to do the same, underlining the […]
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December Investing in Volunteers Congratulations!
3 December 2024
Investing in Volunteers (IiV) is the UK Quality Standard that helps you assess and improve the quality of your volunteer management and involvement, prove and improve the effectiveness of your work with volunteers and enhance your organisation’s reputation. Achieving the standard shows your current, and potential, volunteers how much they are valued and gives them […]
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Volunteer Now appeals for more volunteers as ‘every hour can make a difference’
2 December 2024
Denise Hayward, Chief Executive of Volunteer Now, the leading voice of volunteering in Northern Ireland, has highlighted the need for more volunteers in the hope that the new year will inspire people to give their time for others. Whilst research published by NISRA in November shows that volunteer numbers in Northern Ireland are back to […]
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See What We’ve Been Up To!
21 November 2024
Take a look at what we’ve been up to during 2023/2024 in the clip below! There were over 2,600 hours of befriending, 251 older people’s outings, 155 volunteers at One Young World, 570+ new volunteering opportunities added to Be Collective, queries answered, talks & workshops attended, Employer Supported Volunteering, over 2,500 young people awarded the […]
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Nominations for the Live Here Love Here Community Awards 2025 are now open!
20 November 2024
Celebrate your local Community Champions, the unsung heroes who go over and above to take pride in your local area. Finalists will be invited to a prestigious Award Ceremony in February hosted by local celebrity Joe Mahon. Find out more on the Live Here Love Here website. The deadline for nominations is Sunday, 1st December.
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World Volunteering Conference
20 November 2024
by Denise Hayward, Chief Executive, Volunteer Now The World Volunteering Conference was held in Busan, South Korea in October. Volunteer Now had submitted proposals for a range of sessions and were delighted that two of our papers were chosen. Lindsay Armstrong and I travelled to Busan where we delivered sessions profiling our older people’s volunteering […]
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Congratulations to 22 NI Volunteer Groups!
14 November 2024
Congratulations to 22 volunteer groups in Northern Ireland that have been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2024! The King’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest civil Award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work done in their own communities. 281 Awardees from across the UK have been […]
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Experience of Volunteering by Adults in NI – New Statistics
7 November 2024
Findings from the Continuous Household Survey 2023/24 Among other policy areas, the Department for Communities (DfC) is the lead department for volunteering. DfC is responsible for the development of voluntary and community sector strategies and policies and both funds and works in partnership with the sector. This report presents the findings from the 2023/24 Continuous […]
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Celebrating the invaluable role of a trustee
6 November 2024
As this week is Trustees’ Week, we are taking a moment to recognise the valuable contribution that our trustees make to Volunteer Now. Our board is made up of a dynamic, vibrant mix of people who give their time to help shape the strategic direction of our organisation. They each bring specific skills, experience and […]
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A friend in need is a friend indeed!
1 November 2024
As Befriending Week begins, young volunteer encourages others to share their time with people who need it most The start of November marks Befriending Week (1st – 7th November) and the leading voice for volunteering in Northern Ireland, Volunteer Now, is highlighting the impact that being a volunteer befriender can have on people experiencing feelings […]
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Good Relations Awards 2025 – Nominations Open
21 October 2024
Recognising how Good Relations work is transforming communities in Northern Ireland The Good Relations Awards 2025 are now open for nominations. The annual Awards spotlight the essential role that members of the local community play in delivering peace and building united communities here. This year there are six award categories: The Community Relations Council Exceptional […]
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Volunteer Now AGM 2024
18 October 2024
You are warmly invited to Volunteer Now’s AGM: Date: Thursday 14 November 2024 Time: 2.30pm Location: Custom House, Belfast The papers can be downloaded here and included are: Agenda of the meeting Minutes from the last meeting Notice of AGM Proxy voting form This year, we will be joined by Clair Stewart who is […]
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Nominations open for Lisburn & Castlereagh Council’s Community Awards 2025
14 October 2024
The Lisburn & Castlereagh Council Mayor’s Community Awards 2025 which recognise and celebrate the outstanding contribution individuals and groups make in our communities have been officially launched. Have you got a community champion? Is there a local group or organisation that stands out and deserves recognition? If so, residents are encouraged to nominate people and […]
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Independent Monitoring Board seeking members
11 October 2024
The Department of Justice is recruiting members to the Independent Monitoring Board, who play a crucial role in the oversight of prisons. Justice Minister Naomi Long said: “The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) members provide a vital function in our prison system, monitoring the treatment of prisoners and the conditions of their imprisonment. Members are impartial […]
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90-year old volunteer a ‘ray’ of sunshine in local community
3 October 2024
Volunteer Now highlights the power of connecting as Positive Ageing Month kicks off across NI Volunteer Now, the leading voice for volunteering in Northern Ireland, is getting fully behind Positive Ageing Month this October, promoting and celebrating the positive aspects of growing older and recognising the contribution that community organisations make to older people in […]
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Programme for Government consultation sessions
2 October 2024
Volunteer Now in partnership with network organisations from across the sector – NICVA, CO3, Development Trusts NI, and Rural Community Network – invite organisations in the voluntary and community sector to share their views on the draft Programme for Government. We will be jointly hosting three online engagement sessions for organisations, to provide an overview of the key priorities […]
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