Recognising volunteers worldwide

International Volunteer Day (IVD) was designated by the United Nations in 1985 as an international observance day to celebrate the power and potential of volunteering and takes place each year on December 5th.

This is an opportunity for volunteers, and volunteer organisations, to raise awareness of, and gain understanding for, the contribution they make to their communities. It is also viewed as a unique chance for volunteers and organisations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organisations (NG0’s), United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector.

The act of volunteering is found in all cultures, languages, and religions. Each year, hundreds of millions of people volunteer their time and skills to help make the world a better place. When they volunteer, they help to improve the lives of others. And when they volunteer, they also gain a greater sense of belonging to their communities.

In Northern Ireland Volunteer Now works to promote, develop and support volunteering.  We currently  have two not-so-local volunteers who are immersing themselves in the local community through the European Voluntary Service Programme.   Lucyle Poinot from Paris and Blessed Ephraim from Italy  are helping with a wide range of volunteering activities.  Currently the girls are promoting Volunteer Now’s #ChristmasTIME campaign, which aims to encourage more people throughout Northern Ireland to get involved in a one-off or a short volunteering opportunity as part of their festive celebrations.

To find out more about ChristmasTIME opportunities, use the Opportunity Search on our homepage www.volunteernow.co.uk and select ‘ChristmasTIME’ from the volunteer search activity list. Keep an eye on our social media accounts (Facebook & Twitter) which will also have a series of postings of opportunities for #ChristmasTIME.