DLDC's ME4U Voluntarism Project:

Funded by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

DLDC's pilot Voluntarism Programme is a response to the Sixth Report of the Joint Committee on Arts, Sports, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gealtacht Affairs on Volunteers and Volunteering in Ireland that outlines the importance of voluntarism not only to local communities but to the nation as a whole. With the radical changes in lifestyle in Irish society over the past two decades, voluntarism has been on a persistent decline due to the increase in prosperity, significantly increased job attainment, increased demands on work and personal time.

DLDC secured funding of €96,000 from the department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affair’s in 2006 through the Cohesion fund in association with CDB to develop and prmote a voluntarism programme throughout it Donegal cathment region.

DLDC's Voluntarism Programme aims to:

1. Maximise and promote volunteering activities within Donegal

2. Recruit voluntary/community groups to the programme and establish a Volunteer Agency - ME4U agency- this agency seeks to recruit local volunteers to help local community groups and their representative

3. Provide appropriate training for community/voluntary groups participating in the project - in relation to voluntarism

4. Target and recruit volunteers from the following sectors [matching volunteer's skills to community needs]