Community service opportunity

Since it was set up in 1985 by Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, Focus Ireland has become one of the largest voluntary housing agencies in the State, with more than 300 paid and voluntary staff on its books. The agency provides both transitional and long-term housing in Dublin, Limerick and Waterford and also runs youth and outreach advice centres.

Volunteers play a key role in supporting the organisation's paid staff and Focus has a small number of places remaining on its current community service volunteer (CSV) programme. Graduates from disciplines such as social science, social policy and psychology are particularly welcome and the programme takes in about 30 people per year. Participants in the CSV are paid a living allowance and work a 40-hour week.

"The programme is unique in that it allows volunteers with experience in the area of social and community work to partake in a structured training scheme which allows them develop and expand their range of skills working under qualified and supportive supervision," says the programme's co-ordinator, Elaine Bradley.

"The CSV also gives participants the opportunity to gain vital experience before either going on to further studies - such as a master's degree in social work at UCD or UCC or to the addiction studies course at TCD.

"CSVs work on a full-time basis for a period of a year for the benefit of disadvantaged and marginalised people including people out of home. "During the programme they can work in a diverse range of areas from fundraising to childcare, research and IT. The wide range of positions available allows volunteers to work in an area in which they have a real interest," Bradley says.

Unlike many charities which have been finding it tough to recruit volunteers in the current booming economy, Focus Ireland has been overwhelmed by the number of people coming forward as potential part-time volunteers. "We receive between 10 and 15 enquiries a week from mainly professional people in their late 20s," Bradley says.

Those interested in the CSV should contact Elaine Bradley at Focus Ireland on (01) 671 25 55.