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Volunteer and ‘Be a Saint’ for the day

26/02/2018

Business in the Community is calling for employers from across Northern Ireland to release their employees for the annual Be a Saint Day on Friday 16 March 2018 to help a range of charities through volunteering.

Taking place in partnership with Volunteer Now and supported by SPAR, ‘saintly’ duties will include a range of fun, practical challenges – from running a charity shop for a day to garden maintenance – there will be something for everyone. Locations include: Antrim, Banbridge, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Bangor, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Carryduff, Cookstown, Derry~Londonderry, Downpatrick, Drumahoe, Enniskillen, Greyabbey, Holywood, Larne, Lisburn, Maghera, Newtownards, Newry, Newtownabbey, Omagh and Whitehead.

Hilary Hanberry, Communities Manager, Business in the Community explains: “Be a Saint Day is an opportunity for local businesses, and their employees, to roll their sleeves up and give something back to their local communities in a ‘hands on’ way. From furniture upcycling to gardening or helping out at animal sanctuaries – there’s plenty to choose from! Last year, 25 businesses took part, and we hope 2018 will see even more get on board!”

“This is our fourth year supporting ‘Be a Saint Day’ and we are thrilled to continue our support,” explains Bronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing for the Henderson Group, owners of the SPAR franchise in Northern Ireland. “We are very proud of the impact it has made on local communities over the past few years, with hundreds of charities benefitting from employees lending a hand for the day. Last year, over 350 volunteers took part – giving 2,136 hours directly to their communities. This is an enormous support to the charities involved, who otherwise wouldn’t have the resources to carry out many of the tasks. We hope we’ll see just as many people get involved this year, if not more.”

Denise Hayward, Chief Executive, Volunteer Now encourages: “Volunteers make a tremendous contribution to communities across Northern Ireland; many local organisations wouldn’t be able to deliver services deeply valued by many people without their time and dedication. This day of volunteering action is a great way for volunteers to make a difference in the community and have some fun at the same time.”

In addition to practical volunteering opportunities, a number of charities including Action on Hearing Loss, Stroke Association and Positive Futures also have befriending opportunities available. If you’d like to find out more or register to take part, please email angela.mccartney@bitcni.org.uk or call (028) 9046 0606 to register.

 

Or, if you are a voluntary and community organisation and would like to put forward a group volunteering opportunity, e-mail lorraine.smyth@volunteernow.co.uk or call (028) 9023 2020.

 

For more information, visit www.bitcni.org.uk or www.volunteernow.co.uk

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