Louth Volunteer Centre has received funding from Mental Health Ireland to launch a project called ‘New Connections’ which aims to break down the barriers to volunteering for people in priority groups most at risk of poor mental health.
Louth Volunteer Centre team launched the project on May 17 as part of their National Volunteering Week celebrations and it will run until December 5th which is International Volunteer Day.
Kayleigh Mulligan, the Manager of Louth Volunteer Centre said: “… Volunteering has so many benefits to a person’s mental and physical wellbeing, it gives a real sense of connection to yourself and your local community.
“The New Connections programme will give us the opportunity to work with individuals that are in priority groupings for risk of low mental health on a very supportive and individual level to help them to find a new way to connect to their communities through volunteering.”
It has been the experiences of Louth Volunteer Centre that certain cohorts of potential volunteers can find it difficult to secure volunteer roles so they have chosen three groups to work with, that they feel will really benefit from what ‘New Connections’ has to offer.
They are adults with intellectual disabilities, people recovering from addiction and young men who have been through Garda diversion programs.
Olivia Conlon, Volunteer Development Officer with Louth Volunteer Centre said: “equality is important, but equity is more important. We need to level the playing field and give people the support they need to access the same opportunities as everyone else.”
As well as working with the individuals from these cohorts Louth Volunteer Centre is also looking for local volunteer involving organisations to get involved in the project.
“We are asking organisations that involve volunteers in their work to sign up to this project by nominating an inclusion officer that will be trained and supported to involve volunteers of all abilities and be upskilled in the area of mental health awareness” said Kaleigh Mulligan.
Eve McCrystal Paralympic medallist and local Garda who joined Louth Volunteer Centre for the launch of the project said ‘I am excited to get involved with this project. We all have mental health, and we all need to look after it”.
Anyone looking to find out more information about the ‘New Connections’ project can contact Olivia Conlon from Louth Volunteer Centre, Olivia@volunteerlouth.ie
