I'm considering volunteering my time

You've taken the first step, a decision that has the potential to not only greatly positively impact on the lives of people you probably don't even know at the moment but also your own. This article outlines the process that you need to follow to get the best from your potential volunteering experience.

1. Register to volunteer
2. Automated mail
3. Search for suitable volunteer opportunities
4. Apply for a suitable volunteer opportunity
5. Placement Officer contact details sent by mail
6. Placement Officer gets to work on your behalf

More detailed on the Mission, Vision and Objectives of the South Tipperary Volunteer Centre (STVC) can be found HERE but we'd like to point out that the part-time placement officers with the STVC work Wednesdays to Fridays so please be aware that during normal operations it may take up to a week before a member of staff makes contact with you. This lead time may increase during peak holiday times.

Step# 1 - Register to volunteer

Your first step is to complete the on-line registration form that can be found HERE. The form is hosted on an external site and may take up to 30 seconds to load so please be patient. For your information to be forwarded to the South Tipperary Volunteer Centre you need to ensure that you select "South Tipperary" from the "Please choose your local volunteer centre" dropdown box.

If you reside outside of the South Tipperary area and are thinking about volunteering we may be able to support you as long as you are prepared to travel to South Tipperary. It worth noting that one of our sister centres may also be closer to the area where you reside. (Some areas of North Tipperary for example would be closer to Limerick city that a major town in South Tipperary). If this is the case just pick the Limerick from the dropdown and your details will be registered with them.

Complete all the required information on the on-line form noting that those marked with an * are mandatory fields and click the Submit button. We would encourage you to complete all aspects of the form as this provides the staff of the centre with more detail and facilitates better matching between you the volunteer and possible volunteer opportunities that may suit you.

Please not that the STVC's Data Protection policy protects your personal data and your contact information will only be used to inform you of volunteer opportunities that may be of interest to you or to successful negotiate a placement on your behalf. Your personal data will not be forwarded to any third party  without your prior consent.

Step# 2 - Automated email 

On successful submission of the on-line form you will receive an automated email similar to the example below. This email is your indication that your details have been accepted by the Volunteering Ireland database and have been forwarded to the Volunteer Centre you had choosen when completing your on-line registration.

To: Volunteer email address
Subject: Thank you for registering with your local Volunteer Centre

Dear Volunteer Name,

Thank you for registering with your local Volunteer Centre. Your application has been forwarded to your local Volunteer Centre. It will be processed shortly and they will be in touch with you soon regarding your volunteering options.

Volunteer Centres Ireland

Once you receive this email your are fully registered with your local volunteer centre and are now free to search and apply for a miriad of volunteer opportunities in your area.

Step #3 - Search for suitable Volunteer Opportunites

To access the database of suitable Volunteer Opportunites click HERE. This will bring you to an exteranl website with two input dropdown boxes. Please ensure that similar to the registration process you select "South Tipperary" from the "Volunteer Centre" dropdown. The Category dropdown provides you with two options. When left at the default 'All Categories' it will display All current Volunteer Opportunities in South Tipperary regardless of category type. Or you can select your desired category from the dropdown just to view available opportunities in that category. Click the Search button to display the result of your input parameters.

If current volunteer opportunities exist for the inputs you have selected they will be displayed in tabular format as outlined below. To get more information on the opportunity just click the 'More Info'. If you selected All Categories during your search options the Category associated with the opportunity will also be displayed in the table of results. If you picked a single category for your search the category name will not be displayed

The resultant form will provide you with the information that the organisation associated with the volunteer opportunity provided when they registered the vacancy. (A process similar that was followed for your own volunteer registration).

Step # 4 - Apply for suitable Volunteer Opportunities

 If you see a suitable opportunity and would like to apply for consideration for it simple click the 'Apply for this Opportunity' button just over the Organisation Name.

This will open up a new screen that will request your email address. You must use the email address your supplied during the registration process. Once you comply this process, details of any opportunity that you have applied for will become available to the staff of the Volunteer Centre who will strive to place you as requested.

Please note that by completing this process you are giving the staff of the Volunteer Centre permission to pass your contact details on to the organisation who own the volunteer opportunities you are applying for.

Its also worth noting that the host organisation may use a transparent selection process for volunteers which has the potential to range from reference checks, to Garda Vetting, informal or formal interviews.

Step # 5 - Placement officer contacted details sent by email.

Regardless of whether you  apply for an on-line opportunity or not you will receive an email from the STVC Placement Officer for your area containing their contact details and email address no later than one week during times of normal operation and two weeks in peak times. Feel free to contact the Placement Officer anytime via email and Wednesdays - Fridays during normal business hours via their mobile number. If in extreme cases these times do not suit simply email the Placement Officer to arrange a mutually agreeable time.

Step # 6 - Placement officer gets to work on your behalf.

On receipt of the volunteers opportunities you have applied for the Placement Officer will contact the organisation that owns the opportunity and pass your contact details on to them. Please not that the STVC does not screen or provide references to any organisation on behalf of the volunteer. On receipt of your contact details the organisation may decide to contact you directly or ask the STVC to contact you on their behalf. 

Please not that applying for an opportunity does not guarantee that you will be successful in securing the volunteer opportunity. The hosting organisation are the sole decision makers in the process and some opportunities due to their nature attract a large number of interested parties which may deem formal interviews necessary for the opportunity 

Should it happen that due to the high volume of interested parties or the fact that nothing catches your eye at the present time please don't be disheartened. Once you register the Placement Officers have your contact details and will work on your behalf to find suitable opportunities for yor consideration. Once-Off events like stewarding at sports events, helping at festivals etc  are also a popular choice and a good way of getting to meeting new people while more longer term volunteer opportunities are being sought for you.