Almost 17,000 people respond to call for community volunteers during Covid-19 crisis

Heroes!

Almost 17,000 people have responded to the Government's call for community volunteers during the Covid-19 crisis.

Michael Ring, Minister for Rural and Community Development, has welcomed the fantastic support of volunteers from local communities in response to the pandemic.  

Since the call for volunteers to support the community response to Covid-19 went out in March, 16,957 people have registered to volunteer through the I-VOL app.

Volunteers are directly linked by their local Volunteer Centres to local organisations responding to Covid-19, conducting a wide range of very important work - from delivering food and medicines to older people who are self-isolating, to those volunteering in Covid test centres.

There are also countless volunteers on the ground, helping out family, friends and neighbours.

Minister Ring said: "I would like to express my deep appreciation for the invaluable work being carried out by volunteers during the Covid-19 emergency.

"The response to the Covid crisis shows once again what a fantastic resource we have in our volunteers. We need to build on this momentum for the future development of volunteering.

"As a country we have always depended greatly on the great cohort of volunteers that give so generously of their time and energy year in year out. Unfortunately, many of our volunteers are older people who have been confined to their homes as a result of the COVID 19 crisis.

"Back in March as the crisis was emerging, we called on people to help meet the significant needs at community level and the response has been magnificent."