Galway Volunteer Centre has welcomed a new national report by the Charity Regulator that estimates that the economic equivalent of volunteering was worth over €130 million to Galway in 2022.
The amount is based on research carried out as part of the Report on the Social and Economic Impact of Charities in Ireland, which suggest an overall worth to the national economy of almost €2.5 billion last year.
“It is very welcome to see this research by the Charity Regulator” said Donncha Foley, Development Manager with Galway Volunteer Centre. “While the economic value of volunteering does not capture the spirit of the activity or the multiple additional benefits such as mental health and community cohesion, this figure shows the importance of volunteering in our city and county’
The report also highlights that 35% of people state that they don’t volunteer for a charity but may do so in the future. “This shows that there are many other people who may volunteer, if supported and given the opportunity to do so. We have had over 1,000 people come to us this year for the first time to look for volunteering and we want to encourage every charity, club or community group to contact us to engage with these potential new volunteers,” said Donncha.
Since 2006, GVC has been helping members of the public to volunteer and helping community organisations to find volunteers, by providing a constantly updated list of volunteer roles on their website www.volunteergalway.ie The GVC team meets with people to help them choose volunteer roles that match their interests and availability.
For more information on the service please contact Galway Volunteer Centre on 091 581727 or [email protected]
