CARLOW Archives - Carlow Volunteer

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.

by Helen Rothwell

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.

by Helen Rothwell

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.

by Helen Rothwell

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.”

by Helen Rothwell

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.

by Helen Rothwell

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.

by Helen Rothwell

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.

by Helen Rothwell

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.

by Helen Rothwell

An Gairdín Beo

An Gairdín Beo is a two-acre community garden in the centre of Carlow Town. The ethos is based on valuing diversity, sustainability, organic methods and indigenous species. The overall vision of the garden is of a space where people connect more with nature, with the growing and making of food, and with each other.

History

In the autumn of 2014 the Sisters of Mercy from St Leo's Convent contacted several groups and individuals in county Carlow, inviting them to a meeting to discuss the possibility of a community garden being created in land adjacent to the convent. There was huge interest in the overgrown two acre site and three sub committees of volunteers were formed to move the idea into action. In 2015 a Board of Directors was created and An Gairdín Beo applied to be a Company Limited by Guarantee with Charitable Status, with a 20 year lease being agreed with the Sisters.

Structure

Three groups work collaboratively to take care of the garden

The Board of Directors hold the governance responsibilities of the organisation and are responsible for protecting the ethos of the garden, for its company and legal requirements and for its financial sustainability.

The Garden Committee meet on a monthly basis to discuss, plan and organise the ongoing development activities of the garden. This is a collaborative group who bring a range of expertise and interests. It has five sub-groups: Finance and funding, Development, Growing, TLC (Therapeutic Garden) and Governance. This structure allows the work to progress in a co-ordinated but flexible way and can draw on external expertise when required.

The Volunteers are the heart of the garden activity. They include regulars such as Tús and CE Workers (3) and volunteers who are recruited through the Carlow Volunteer Centre.

Benefits

Visitors come to the garden for a wide variety of reasons:

To enjoy the nature and the green space
To grow food and other plants
To take part in organised events or activities
To reacquaint themselves with school-day spaces and places
To meet and chat
To contribute ideas
To book the newly refurbished Community Building

An Gairdín Beo on KCLR

As part of National Volunteering Week, Carlow Volunteer Centre arranged for KCLR to visit some of the Volunteer Involving Organisations and speak with volunteers and organisers. Listen to Una Ni Mhaoldhomhnaigh's interviews below, and hear about the experiences of those involved.

How Carlow Volunteers Can Help Out

If you are interested in volunteering out at An Gairdín Beo, you can call into or ring our office, or apply using the link below. Wednesday is the usual day for volunteers to get some work done in the garden.

by Helen Rothwell

parkrun Carlow

parkrun is a free, community event where you can walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate. In Carlow the 5 kilometre course is at the Barrow Track, over the river from Carlow Town Park, and is a mixture of tarmac paths and trail paths which takes place every Saturday morning.

parkrun is positive, welcoming and inclusive, there is no time limit and no one finishes last. Everyone is welcome to come along. parkrun is free and you only need to register once whether walking, jogging, running, volunteering or a combination.

Benefits of parkrun

Studies have shown the benefits of parkrun, but they can easily be summed up:

It helps your physical fitness
It gets you outdoors, into the fresh air and helps you reconnect with nature.
It builds a sense of community and togetherness amongst all those involved.
It provides a nice routine and some structure, which can be helpful when everything else is hectic and unpredictable.

Park Run on KCLR

How Carlow Volunteers Can Help Out

Volunteers are essential to helping parkrun go smoothly, and they fulfil a number of important roles- they marshal the route to help anyone that needs assistance and keep everyone track, they scan ID barcodes to track who is attending and their finishing times and they hand out finishing tokens upon completion of the run. Many of the volunteers will regularly attend parkrun as participants as well, with a rotation of those available meaning volunteering is only required every four to six weeks.