PEOPLE OF all ages and from all walks of life are considering volunteering overseas if the turnout at a volunteering information fair this weekend is anything to go by.
The fair, hosted by Irish Aid at its O’Connell Street headquarters in Dublin, saw 23 organisations set up information stands where members of the public could drop by or register their interest.
There were also 30-minute seminars throughout the day from the organisations including Goal and Habitat for Humanity.
A spokesman for Irish Aid said organisers were not sure how the day would go as it was the first time it had tried it. “We thought we’d be doing well if about 200 people came along but so far, it seems to be very busy,” he said at about lunchtime on Saturday. “The quality of people coming is very high. There are serious professionals, slightly older people and some young people, too, taking a year out . . .”
Asked whether the recession was playing a part, the spokesman said he thought it was a case of people examining their options.
“There is unemployment but there’s also a lot of uncertainty. For some, who might be worried about paying loans or whether their job will be here when they get back, that might mean taking up to a year or more out is not an option. For others it might encourage them to look at something like volunteering.”
Among those examining her options was Susan Clarke (26) from Dublin. “I’m here out of curiosity, really. I’m an accountant for the past three years. I’m not sure it’s what I really want to do and I suppose the recession has really brought that home to me.”
John McCrudden (33) has a qualification in social work and is now in legal studies. “Nearly 10 years ago I volunteered in South America, so my coming here today is more a personal thing than anything to do with the economy,” he said.
Peter Gannon (50) was there “just to see all the options”. He runs a contract cleaning company, Action Clean, in Dublin, and gives 5 per cent of turnover to charities working in Uganda and Nepal.
