PRESS RELEASE
7 January 2013
Make Volunteering Part of Your New Year, New You
To many people, this New Year will be marked by an array of resolutions from joining a gym to changing career. Volunteer Now, the lead organisation for promoting and developing volunteering across Northern Ireland, are asking people to think seriously about volunteering in order to maximise their success at sticking to such resolutions.
Wendy Osborne OBE, Chief Executive, Volunteer Now said, “The New Year marks a fresh start for many of us, full of possibilities and good intentions, but by the end or January some of those good intentions have faded away. Volunteering offers a whole assortment of opportunities which can help meet your personal goals as well as helping others. If you want to be more active, why not join a green gym or take part in a beach clean or if you are thinking of a career change or pursuing a job in a particular area, what better way to see what it’s like than by volunteering in that area? Add to the mix, the chance to meet new people and have new experiences, it is little wonder that those people who do volunteer keep on volunteering - simply because they enjoy it so much.
She added, “People who volunteer feel valued, have a network of friends and opportunities to get involved in a wide range of activities, they are also more likely to be healthy and happy.”
There is a growing body of evidence to support this and emerging findings from a two year study soon to be published - conducted by the University of Ulster on behalf of Volunteer Now - highlights the role of volunteering in maintaining physical and mental well being. People of varying age groups who volunteer consistently reported that their confidence, self esteem, and social networks improve as a consequence of volunteering.
Wendy concluded, “Volunteering has changed and continues to change. Organisations understand that people want to try something out before they make any kind of commitment so many of them will have trial periods or taster sessions where you can get a flavour of what volunteering with them is all about – with no obligation. For the volunteer, it’s a good idea to think about what time you can realistically give and when. If you think every week will be too much, why not give time once a month. You can always adjust this once you get to know more about the role.”
If you would like to make volunteering part of your life in the New Year, go to for a wide range of roles available in your area
ENDS
For further information contactJulie Cusick, Promotions Officer on 028 9023 2020 or email
Notes to Editors
About Volunteer Now
Volunteer Now is the lead organisation for volunteering in Northern Ireland working to promote, enhance and support volunteering. Volunteer Now is about connecting with individuals and organisations to build healthy communities and create positive change.
Volunteer Now enhances recognition for the contribution volunteers make, provides access to opportunities and encourages people to volunteer.
We provide training, information, guidance and support to volunteer-involving organisations on issues of good practice and policy regarding volunteering, volunteer management, child protection, safeguarding vulnerable adults and governance.
To find a volunteering opportunity in your local community go to
Volunteering in Northern Ireland: Volunteering and volunteers refers to individuals and the work or action they undertake for the benefit of others or the community (outside one’s immediate family), undertaken freely and by choice and not directly in return for wages.
There are approximately 282,000 formal volunteers (voluntary work carried out with or under the auspices of an organisation) and 470,000 informal volunteers (voluntary work carried out outside an organisation, often at neighbourhood level, but outside the immediate family) in Northern Ireland. 146,000 individuals are both formal volunteers and informal volunteers.
Individual formal volunteers give an average of 13.4 hours each month. The annual economic contribution of regular formal volunteers (based on an average hourly wage of £11.49, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings) is £504 million.
Just under one third of all formal volunteers (equates to an estimated 87,000 individuals) are engaged with a voluntary or community organisation.
Individuals aged between 35 and 49 and those aged between 16 and 24 years old are the most likely to volunteer. 61% of all formal volunteers are female.