Minister Jerry Buttimer opens the National Volunteer Management Conference 2025
- Published on: 30 April 2025
- Last updated on: 30 April 2025
- Minister Buttimer addressed delegates from around the country in Athlone
- Volunteers and their managers thanked for their invaluable contribution to Irish society
Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, Jerry Buttimer, today (Wednesday, 30 April) opened the National Volunteer Management Conference, highlighting the important contribution volunteers and volunteer managers make to Irish society.
Opening the conference this morning, Minister Buttimer said:
“Conferences like this give us the opportunity to reflect and acknowledge the enormous contribution of volunteering to Irish society. Volunteer managers are the heart and soul of our volunteer programmes, fostering a culture of inclusivity, respect and collaboration.”
The government has acknowledged the key role volunteering plays in contributing to community wellbeing and national social development; it fosters social cohesion, promotes civic responsibility, and provides valuable services that benefit society, particularly in times of crisis or community need.
The National Volunteer Management Conference is an annual event held by Volunteer Ireland, the national volunteering advocacy body. It gives volunteer managers from charities and community groups across Ireland the opportunity network, share and learn from their peers, hear about trends and research in the field of volunteering and volunteer management, and be encouraged, supported and inspired in their work.
Speaking at the conference, the Minister concluded:
“In a time when our society faces numerous challenges, the role of volunteer managers has become even more significant. I want to assure you of the government’s continuing support for volunteering. Together we can continue to build a vibrant and resilient volunteering sector that enriches lives and strengthens communities.”
Notes
What the National Volunteer Management Conference is
The National Volunteer Management Conference is an opportunity for those who manage volunteers in charities and community groups across Ireland to: learn about best practice in volunteer management; network, share and learn from their peers; hear about trends and research in the field of volunteering and volunteer management; and be encouraged, supported and inspired when they return to their day-to-day work and management of volunteers. The conference has been running for over 10 years now and is one of Volunteer Ireland’s annual events.
Who attends the conference
The conference is open to all who manage volunteers in Ireland’s many registered charities and community groups. While conference delegates are largely made up of full or part time paid volunteer managers other attendees include: corporates managing employee volunteer programmes; and individuals who are volunteers themselves who have taken on responsibility of managing and supporting volunteers within their community group or organisation.
Organisations of all sizes attend the conference, national, regional and local with usually about a 50-50 mix of organisations from Dublin and outside Dublin. Some of the organisations registered to attend this year’s conference include: Age Action, Children in Hospital Ireland, Irish Cancer Society, Sport Ireland and Society of St Vincent de Paul.
Supports that Government provides for volunteering
Over 1 million people in Ireland volunteer each year. The government recognises that volunteers play a critical role in Irish society, delivering a wide range of services in our communities, both formally (through registered charities, community and sporting groups) and informally (within the community, helping infirm relatives, calling on older neighbours).
The Department of Rural and Community Development provides funding to support the implementation of the National Volunteering Strategy (2021 - 2025); funding in the amount of €6.6 million was provided in 2024 for volunteering supports, rising to €7.3 million in Budget 2025.
The funding is used to maintain the network of 29 Volunteer Centres nationwide, as well as a range of volunteer-supporting organisations.
National Volunteering Strategy 2021-2025
The National Volunteering Strategy 2021-2025 is a five-year policy comprising a suite of policy and strategic initiatives led by the Department of Rural and Community Development to support not-for-profit organisations in community development, local development, social enterprise, and community and voluntary sectors.
Its purpose is to recognise, support and promote the unique value and contribution of volunteers to Irish society, and its publication was an acknowledgment by Government of the importance of volunteering to the well-being of the nation. It is a whole-of-government framework to support the voluntary sector.
Together with the Strategy to Support the Community and Voluntary Sectors in Ireland and the National Policy on Social Enterprise, the strategy is the final part of a suite of policy initiatives to support the full range of organisations that are providing services to communities.
In 2025, funding is being used to drive further progress in delivering the Strategy in its last year. Implementation of the Strategy is progressing with many key actions already delivered, such as the establishment of a network of 29 Volunteer Centres across the country; the provision of annual funding to support both local and national volunteer recognition events to let volunteers know that their contribution is valued and appreciated; and the inclusion of a question on volunteering on the 2022 Census of the population.