Supporting adults with disabilities to volunteer

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Lough Erne Landscape Partnership (funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund), Omagh Volunteer Centre, Volunteer Now and the Western Health and Social Care Trust have partnered to offer a volunteering project for adults with disabilities.

The new project entitled, ‘Gaining Inclusive Volunteer Experience’ (G.I.V.E.) is an initiative to support adults with disabilities to access volunteering opportunities and the benefits that volunteering can bring.

G.I.V.E., which is funded by the Public Health Agency (PHA), will support participants through all stages of volunteering including registration, induction, and their volunteering opportunity.

The programme, which will be piloted initially, has limited spaces, and is set to commence at the start of February 2024. A range of indoor and outdoor volunteering opportunities will be available across the district.

During the project, participants will be encouraged to record their achievements and experiences through journaling for use in the future.
Launching the project, Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Thomas O’Reilly said:

“Volunteering has a number of benefits to both the volunteer and the wider community. Being active, giving back to the community and meeting new friends has been proven to have benefits for both physical and mental health. When you use your energy to improve services or areas for others, you get a great sense of achievement and positivity. G.I.V.E will also help participants gain new skills and confidence with volunteering processes, which we hope will empower them to apply for other opportunities in the future.

People with disabilities have so much to give to society and I hope this new project helps highlight and raise awareness of this.

Finally, I would like to thank the Public Health Agency for funding the project and all the partners who are providing the opportunities.”

Heather Hamilton, Senior Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Officer at the PHA, commented on the importance of the project, saying:

“Supporting access inclusion for all parts of our communities is important to enable full participation in civic life whilst also helping to reduce health inequalities and achieve better health and wellbeing outcomes. The PHA is delighted to support the G.I.V.E. pilot project which offers an invaluable opportunity for those with disabilities to reap the many benefits of volunteering.”

Anyone interested in taking part in the project should complete an online registration form by visiting: www.fermanaghomagh.com/your-council/policies/equality/give/. For more information or support, please contact Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Access Inclusion Officer by emailing matthew.nevin@fermanaghomagh.com or telephoning 0300 303 1777.