Knitting Hats for Premature Babies
Knitting Hats for Premature Babies
We had a dozen volunteers in our office on Monday, 9th February, knitting and crocheting hats and blankets for premature babies in hospitals around the country. We’ve got even more volunteers knitting at home and dropping them in to us.
If you are interested in helping out you can contact can drop in to the office on Mondays from 10:30 to 12:30 and meet some of the other crafters, or if you’d prefer to craft at home you can email Natasha and we can see about organising wool and patterns for you.
NOTE- Because these items are for premature babies it’s important to know that specific wool and patterns are used, to ensure the safety of the baby, but we are happy to provide both.
Volunteer Expo 2026
Running from 10am to 2pm on Thursday, February 26th and hosted in the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in the heart of Carlow, our Volunteer Expo is an opportunity for volunteers to meet with the various organisations that are helping their communities and for the organisations to let people know the important work they do, and how they can help. KCLR will also there, speaking with the organisations so even people who can’t make it on the day will be able to hear what the organisations are involved in.
The Expo is a great way to learn about volunteering, and about the many different ways you can get involved.
Below are some photos from previous Volunteer Expos.
Carlow's Pride of Place Individual Award 2025 - Pat Breen, Carlow Tidy Towns
Carlow's Pride of Place Individual Award 2025 - Pat Breen, Carlow Tidy Towns
Congratulations to Pat Breen, the wonderful Carlow Tidy Towns Volunteer and Committee Member, who won a well-deserved award, Carlow's Pride of Place Individual Award 2025.
20 Year Anniversary Event – A Night of Recognition and Celebration
20 Year Anniversary Event – A Night of Recognition and Celebration
Carlow Volunteer Centre hosted its Annual Volunteer Recognition Event at the Seven Oaks Hotel on September 25th, celebrating the invaluable contributions of volunteers across the community. This year’s event was particularly special, as it marked the Centre’s 20th anniversary—a milestone highlighting two decades of dedication to supporting and empowering volunteers in Carlow.
Over 180 volunteers and representatives from Volunteer-Involving Organisations attended the celebration, reflecting the strong spirit of volunteerism that thrives within the county. Also in attendance were Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, Minister Jerry Buttimer; Minister of State at the Department of Health, Minister Jennifer Murnane O’Connor; TD Catherine Callaghan; and local councillors, all showing their support for the vital role volunteers play in building a stronger, more connected community.
The celebration was officially opened by the Manager of Carlow Volunteer Centre, Helen, who warmly thanked the volunteers, Volunteer-Involving Organisations, community groups, and partners for their ongoing support and encouragement of volunteering across the county. She went on to reflect on the Centre’s impact over the past 20 years: more than 3,000 volunteers have registered with the Centre and have been placed into nearly 5,000 volunteer roles, collectively giving over 120,000 hours of their time to help others.
“Think about that for a moment,” she said. “120,000 hours of support, encouragement, and care. That’s thousands of conversations and countless acts of kindness. Thank you.”
Helen also spoke about the Centre’s inclusive approach, noting that the personal connections made through Carlow Volunteer Centre foster integration, diversity, and inclusion, making volunteering a welcoming and rewarding experience for everyone.
“We connect people across cultures, generations, and backgrounds—creating opportunities to participate, to share, and to belong. Together, we are building a stronger, more compassionate community where every person feels valued.”
Martha Jane Duggan, Chairperson of the Board spoke about “Twenty years is an incredible milestone, and it would not have been possible without the dedication of staff, board members, community partners, and of course, the volunteers themselves. To each of you, past and present, who has played a role in this journey – we salute you.
She stated that “It is important to acknowledge, with deep appreciation, two individuals who were among the founding group that established Carlow Volunteer Centre 20 years ago and who continue to serve with distinction on the Board today. Their longstanding commitment and leadership have been central to the Centre’s development and enduring success.”
She also recognised the extraordinary contributions of Frank Comerford and Fiona Dunne. On behalf of Carlow Volunteer Centre, and indeed on behalf of our entire community, we extend our heartfelt thanks for your vision, your leadership, and your enduring legacy
Other speakers on the evening included Minister Jerry Buttimer, Minister Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, Paula O’Brien (Director of Services with Carlow County Council), and Martha Jane Duggan,Chairperson of Carlow Volunteer Centre. Each expressed their deep appreciation for the vital role volunteers play in enriching the lives of individuals and strengthening the fabric of the community.
A special video message from Cynthia Ní Mhurchú was also played on the evening, adding a warm and personal tribute to the volunteers and the Centre’s 20-year journey. Her words reflected the deep pride felt across the county for the selfless contributions made by so many over the years.”
2025 – A Bumper Year for Corporate Volunteering in Carlow
2025 – A Bumper Year for Corporate Volunteering in Carlow
2025 was a bumper year for companies and education groups giving back to the community in Carlow. Unum volunteers took part in a massive ten projects, involving 250 staff. Carlow Tidy Towns, An Gairdín Beo, the Delta Centre and the Irish Wheelchair Association worked closely with the Unum volunteers as they gave their time and dedication for the benefit of their community. They also put together 150 comfort kits for the service users of Women’s Aid Carlow.
Síle Eile were also very active with Carlow Tidy Towns this year, as they participated in several projects. Well done also to Equinox Education Services and Youthreach Carlow for contacting us to volunteer and getting involved this year. Their contributions were much appreciated.
Outside of local organisations, we were also contacted by LinkedIn and Stewarts Care in Dublin looking for ways in which they could contribute. Volunteers from Stewarts Care also made the trip to Carlow Day Care Centre to personally present their handmade cards and hampers to the service.
This type of Corporate Volunteering is incredibly valuable to community and voluntary groups, particularly in getting larger-scale projects completed that require lots of time and manpower. If your community group would like to benefit from a corporate volunteering project, please contact natasha@volunteercarlow.ie or sinead@volunteercarlow.ie.
Stewarts Care Help Spread Holiday Cheer!
Stewarts Care Help Spread Holiday Cheer!
Carlow Volunteer Centre had a fun morning with the fantastic group from Le Cheile Day Service, Stewarts Care, Palmerstown. They travelled to Carlow to visit us in the Volunteer Centre and then delivered their beautiful Christmas Care Packages to the service users at Carlow Day Care Centre.
Thank you to all involved; a lovely way to start the week with Christmas cheer and giving in the community. It was a pleasure to meet everyone, and thank you again for the lovely shoeboxes made with such care and attention and the warm welcome received at Carlow Day Care.
Volunteer Education Programme for Schools
Volunteer Education Programme for Schools
Sinéad visited schools across County Carlow, speaking to students to let them know about the benefits and importance of volunteering for themselves and for their community.
Sinéad spoke with almost 600 students, mostly those doing Transition Year and the Leaving Cert Applied programme, utilising group activities to show what’s involved in volunteering and highlighting that many of the extracurricular activities like coaching and helping their neighbour are also a form of volunteering.
There are two options available for schools, both of which focus on volunteering and explore the themes around volunteering and its benefits-
The first option is a four week interactive programme which looks at volunteering as a concept and explores what volunteering means for individuals, community and community groups.
The second is a presentation to all the TY classes on volunteering and its benefits and includes group activities.
Any County Carlow Schools that are interested in a visit from Sinéad can email her at sinead@volunteercarlow.ie and she’ll be happy to discuss the options.
Carlow Volunteer Centre Tapestry
Carlow Volunteer Centre Tapestry
Over two dozen volunteers worked to create this beautiful tapestry using latch-hooking, most of them doing it for the first time. They not only created this wonderful piece, but it also gave volunteers from a variety of backgrounds and experiences an opportunity to meet and chat.
ALONE
ALONE
ALONE (an acronym for "A Little Offering Never Ends") is a national organisation that enables older people to age at home, using support plans, providing a point of contact for access to health, social care, housing, transport and other arising needs using technology and other services and activities to improve physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.
Guiding Principles and Core Values
ALONE's principles and values underpin everything they do: how they organise ourselves, how they behave, how they make decisions, and how they engage with stakeholders including older people, volunteers, staff and partners. In particular ALONE is guided by the principles of Respect, Honesty, Collaborative Leadership, and Innovation.
• They respect the value, judgement, and autonomy of older people, acknowledging the challenges people face and working with them to find supportive solutions while also valuing early intervention to promote health & wellbeing in older people.
• They are honest in what needs to change in themselves and their sector, with an emphasis on being accountable and transparent in all they do, aiming to communicate and advocate clearly, and regularly with all stakeholders.
• A focus on working collaboratively within their sector, valuing and sharing knowledge, creating models and solutions that are transferable, scalable, and sustainable, with the goal of delivering evidence-based solutions, and measuring the impact to ensure they are effective, efficient, and operate to quality standards.
• They utilise an innovative infrastructure to lead, test and take risks to bring about change their sector, using their agility to design innovative solutions for current and emerging needs, to create and drive alignment, integration, and consolidation within our sector.
Types of Support
Coordinated Support
ALONE’s Coordinated Support empowers older people by devising personalised support plans in order to help older people address challenges and find solutions.
They offer access to their services while aiding coordination and enabling older people to access medical as well as non-medical sources of support within their community to improve physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.
The service offers help to resolve all types of difficulties, give practical support and engagement with local events and activities all our services includes providing technology solutions for older people to remain at home.
Visitation Support & Befriending Service
ALONE’s Visitation Support & Befriending Service provides regular visits to an older person. They provide friendship, practical support and links to local activities and initiatives.
Telephone Support & Befriending Service
ALONE’s Telephone Support & Befriending Service provides daily or weekly telephone contact to an older person. They provide friendship, advice and offer information on health and wellbeing, risk management and how to get involved in local activities and relevant initiatives.
Universally Designed Housing
ALONE’s Universally Designed Housing provides homes and ongoing support for older people who have housing difficulties.
They provide secure, long-term tenancies and supports which enable independent living and offer security, comfort and their own front door to older people who need it. ALONE housing is assistive technology enabled and every tenant has a Support Coordinator who provides ongoing support to coordinate any services they may require.
Technology and Community Supports
ALONE’s Assistive Technologies mission is to create an infrastructure to empower older people to use technology, enabling the user to manage their social connection, health, safety and security.
Staff and volunteers are trained to Distribute, Install and Respond to technology.
ALONES's Technology Supports are being fully integrated throughout all ALONE Services and their partnership model.
Housing with Support
ALONE is a Tier 2 Approved Housing Body with over 40 years of experience supporting older people to age at home. Over the next 3 years ALONE’s new Housing with Support Development Unit will in partnership with the HSE, Local Authorities, AHBs and Private Developers retrofit communities across Ireland with more than 320 Universally Designed adaptable homes in clusters of 30 to 60 units. Housing with Support offers a real and tangible alternative to Nursing Homes and in hospital care and represents a massive saving to the state.
How Carlow Volunteers Can Help Out
ALONE's website has a lot of information on the different ways that volunteers can get involved. Right now ALONE Carlow is looking for Telephone Support & Befriending Volunteers and National Support & Referral Line Volunteer, both of which can be done from home, as well as Visitation Support and Befriending Volunteers, who will meet with older people on a one-to-one basis. Training will be provided.
Carlow Pride 2025
Carlow Pride 2025
Many of our wonderful volunteers helped out at Carlow Pride this weekend. A great time was had by all, and thanks to all our volunteers and everyone involved in Pride.
