Celebrate Volunteers! This year's theme of the National Volunteering Week (NVW) in Ireland is meant to spotlight the valuable time and effort that people and groups across the country have invested in building stronger and better communities.

This annual event takes place in the third week of May and it includes a range of activities, stories and videos that showcase all that is great about volunteering. Knowing that volunteering is a unique form of connection and now that the country has reopened, NVW 2022 is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with our fellow volunteers and organisations.

Each day will have a different sub theme:

• Monday – The Environment
• Tuesday – Health and Wellbeing
• Wednesday – Community
• Thursday – COVID-19
• Friday – Sport, Arts and Culture
• Saturday and Sunday – time to celebrate!

Did you know that over 1 million people in Ireland volunteer each year? Well, some of them are sharing their incredible stories via Volunteer Ireland.

We too have some volunteer-led creative groups we'd like to spotlight with this occasion:

Drumgoon Hill Old Graveyard Committee - winner of the 2021 People's Choice Award (Creative Lives Awards)

This group presented Hooley in the House, as part of the national Culture Night festivities in County Cavan, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recording footage that combined music, singing and storytelling, the event was shared online for the whole community to engage with and enjoy. Learn more.

Are you interested in joining a creative group in your local community on a voluntary basis? Or maybe flagging the group you're already part of? Then explore our Creativity Map by searching for or listing a creative community group/venue.

Remember, volunteering isn’t just for National Volunteering Week! You can get involved all year round. Could you volunteer from home? Could you run a virtual recognition event for volunteers? Maybe you could plan some social media posts sharing volunteer stories?

Find out how you can get involved via Volunteer Ireland's website.

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[Picture above showing two members of the Drumgoon Hill Old Graveyard Committee receiving their award; Photo credit: Tom Wren]