Volunteering Opportunties for DCU Students
DCU Volunteer works with a number of organisations outside of the University, capturing a wide range of interests which will appeal to our student population in the form of volunteering opportunities. The benefits to and new skills picked up by students who volunteer are numerous.
Below is a list of organisations we are involved with - if you are interested in volunteering with one of these organisations, or would like more information about what is entailed, please get in contact through our form.
Hygiene Hub is a volunteer-led organisation providing hygiene, personal care and household cleaning items to those across Ireland who may otherwise go without. They work with 94 organisations (and counting) across Ireland to ensure equal access to hygiene items for all.
You can find out more about Hygiene Hub here.
Barretstown offers free, specially designed camps and programmes for children and their families living with a serious illness – supported behind the scenes by 24 hour on site medical and nursing care. All of the children and families come to Barretstown free of charge. Everything, including accommodation, food and medical assistance are provided at no cost to the family. You can find out more about Barretsown here.
Children’s Health Foundation raises vital funds to support sick children and their families in Children’s Health Ireland hospitals and urgent care centres in Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly.
You can find out more about getting involved with the Children's Health Foundation here.
CIH Ireland is a national organisation established by parents to promote a positive hospital experience for all children and families. With a team of 300 volunteers across 14 hospitals nationwide, CIH Ireland facilitates play and recreation opportunities, easing the experience of hospitalisation for children and their families.
You can find out more about Children in Hospital here.
Established in 2017, Feed Our Homeless is dedicated to making a difference to the lives of people who are affected by homelessness and those who are marginalised in society. Feed Our Homeless encourages people to regain agency in their lives and once again become productive members of society. They provide the following services: Emergency Outreach Service, Food Provision Program, Service User Advocacy, Pro-active Education, and a Reintegration Program.
You can find out more about Feed Our Homeless here.
Fighting Blindness is a patient-led charity whose mission is to cure blindness. They promote and facilitate the development of treatments and cures for those affected by sight loss caused by retinal degenerative diseases. They provide professional counselling and therapeutic services to individuals and families living with vision impairment and blindness, and advocate for children and adults who are blind or visually impaired, and seek to empower them.
You can out more about Fighting Blindness here.
Gheel Autism Services champions and supports autistic people in the greater Dublin and North Kildare region.
Gheel Connect is the volunteer service created by Gheel which aims to help facilitate volunteers connect to people of support with a view to forming friendships for social meet ups. There are some who find it difficult to form and maintain friendships within Gheel. Some people have very few friends outside of those paid relationships provided by staff. We feel by offering friendship in a voluntary capacity, the dynamic of the relationships shifts to one of more equal status.
You can out more about Gheel Autism Services here.
HOPE is an Irish charity working to provide sustainable and holistic pathways out of poverty.
All HOPE's work is in Kolkata in West Bengal in Northern India. HOPE provides child protection education, healthcare and vocational training to street children and slum communities. The children and communities with whom HOPE works, are some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in the world, its unimaginable poverty on a vast scale.
You can find out more about the Hope Foundation here.
Husky Rescue Ireland (HRI) was set up to alleviate the suffering caused to huskies by irresponsible ownership, abuse and neglect in Ireland. Due to the increase in akitas needing homes recently and lack of rescue space, HRI also dedicates time to rehoming them
You can find out more Husky Rescue Ireland here.
Supported by people and our fantastic volunteers across the island of Ireland for over 60 years, Oxfam Ireland is an independent, secular, and not-for-profit organisation. Oxfam is a global movement of people who fight inequality, to end poverty and injustice. Some of Oxfam’s key focuses are campaigning for change, supporting vulnerable communities, protecting the planet, responding to conflict and disasters, and fighting for gender justice.
Find out more about Oxfam Ireland here.
Pieta believe that suicide prevention must be a priority, envisioning a world where suicide, self-harm and stigma have been replaced by hope, self-care and acceptance. Established in 2006, Pieta provides the following services: Crisis Helpline, Therapy Services, Bereavement Support, Education & Training, and LGBTQ+ Services.
You can find out more about Pieta here.
Remember Us is a social group for people with special needs and their families. Remember Us provides Activity Programs four times a week, and respite programmes and summer camps for families. Remember Us operates across North Dublin. They aim to provide an integrated social environment for people with special needs to learn, form friendships, have fun, and develop social and life skills, and much more.
You can find out more about Remember Us here.
SERVE is an overseas development & volunteer organisation. Their volunteer programmes focus on Global Citizenship Education. SERVE's volunteers describe our programme as having "profoundly impacted my personal growth" and "broadened my perspective and fostered greater empathy." We work with local communities in Philippines, Zambia, India and Mozambique. Join SERVE to contribute to community development on a global scale.
You can find out more about Serve here.
STAND is a mission-driven, not-for-profit organisation mobilising third level students and graduates to stand up for global justice, equality and sustainability. STAND does this by creating opportunities to inspire, educate and activate students to understand the root causes of global injustices and equip you with the confidence and skills to be catalysts for positive social change.
You can find out more about Stand here.
SVP is one of Ireland’s largest and oldest charities. SVP strives for an Ireland without poverty where everyone can meet their basic needs, access opportunities and live with dignity. Joining SVP is a wonderful opportunity to reach out in your local community, giving direct assistance to those in need and help people move towards self-sufficiency. Through visiting people in their homes, SVP offers a unique combination of support, guidance and friendship.
You cand find out more about St Vincent de Paul here.
Trócaire tackles the root causes of poverty overseas. An important part of their work is raising awareness in Ireland. Trócaire want people in Ireland to care about global justice, but also to understand the factors that cause people to live in poverty, such as climate change, conflict and injustice.
You can find out more about Trocáire here.
Voluntary Service International (VSI) is a peace and solidarity organisation based in Dublin. VSI sends volunteers internationally and also host both Irish and international volunteers in Ireland. VSI offers a wide range of both short and long-term international volunteer projects to people young and old, and also carry out non-formal educational workshops both online and in-person on global justice issues.
You can find our more about Voluntary Service International here.
Looking to support local secondary and primary schools? Have an open mind and enjoy a good debate? Interested in volunteering from the comfort of your own home and online? Become an adjudicator with the Concern Debates today!
Concern is an international humanitarian organisation that strives for a world free from poverty, fear and oppression. The Concern Debates, a flagship education programme for schools, has been running for 40 years, introducing schools to themes of global citizenship through debating and encouraging students to become lifelong advocates on issues relating to poverty, justice and development. Volunteer adjudicators are responsible for marking student debates as part of the Concern Debates programme.
Debates take place over Zoom so can be adjudicated remotely, at a time that is convenient for you. Generally, adjudicators will mark one or two debates per school year, but they are free to adjudicate as many or as few as they wish. Get involved today to be an active global citizen!
You can sign up to become an adjudicator here.
Fighting Words is the creative writing organisation offering free programmes to schools and groups at their centre in Dublin 1 and other locations across Ireland. Fighting Words volunteers act as mentors and facilitate the creativity of the children and young people who attend our programmes.
You can find out more about Fighting Words here.
Friends of the Elderly is a volunteer-based charity that aims to alleviate loneliness and isolation among older people through friendship and companionship
You can learn more about Friends of the Elderly here.
Helium Arts is a children's charity committed to improving the wellbeing of children and young people living with lifelong physical health conditions. Through their free creative workshops offered in communities, hospitals, and online, Helium Arts provide safe spaces where children navigating health conditions can come together, forge friendships, have fun, and discover new skills.
You can learn more about Helium Arts here.
Dublin Community Support was set up in January 2024 with the intentions of bringing a diverse range of resources into communities that need them!
Established in January 2024, Dublin Community Support is a charity that provides a diverse range of resources into communities that need them. The team regularly patrols communities, providing the following services: Rough Sleeper Welfare Checks, Emergency Accommodation Referral, Addiction Referral, Suicide Prevention, and Mental Health Support.
You can learn about Dublin Community Support here.