We would not be able to… run our Community Food Bank if we didn’t have volunteers showing up every week to pick up and drop off the food donations from local supermarkets in Trim, Navan, Ashbourne and Maynooth to the Centre. On average there are 6 to 8 donations collected by volunteers weekly through Food Cloud platform.
We would not be able to… run 10 week Rainbows Programme Groups for children who experience loss in their lives due to bereavement or separation… There are 3 Levels in the Rainbows Programme and for each level, we need 2 facilitators and a programme coordinator to show up every week for 10 weeks to run the programme.
We would not be able… to organise low cost Summer Camps for children and young people in local area. During our Summer Programme in July there are 4 weeks of fun when 6 to 12 year olds get to enjoy various activities like art and crafts, games, music, sports, gardening, clay workshops, drumming workshops, creative mindfulness, a trip to Trim Play Centre, and very popular canoeing sessions. While we always try to secure additional funding towards children programmes, we cannot run these without our volunteers helping out on the day.
We would not be able to… organise weekly CoderDojo sessions for young people to engage them in self-led learning sessions where they create their own coding projects. During Covid restrictions we were able to offer online coding sessions but we are hoping to restart the face to face sessions soon. Each coding session is for 8 young people, at least 2 volunteers are needed, and with more volunteers, we can provide for more children.
We would not be able to… offer weekly Piano lessons for children aged 6 plus who have not had an opportunity to play this amazing instrument. Those classes are great for improving concentration and encouraging creativity. For each class we need a qualified tutor to work with children in small groups or on a one to one basis.
We would not be able to… run weekly Cula Bula Youth Club sessions for children aged 6 to 12. The club is affiliated with Youth Work Ireland and all volunteers are trained and Garda vetted. Without giving up their time and passion, young people would miss out on lots of fun activities and trips during the year.
We would not… proudly own a beautiful garden at the back of the Bungalow where volunteers on a weekly basis look after bio diversity plants and the veg/ fruit garden, and a compost area. The group members have lots of tips and cups of tea to share so it is always a good place to meet and get some gardening advice.
We would not be able… to get advice and guidance from local community members who have expertise in legal, financial, HR, governance and community development areas. Board Members (currently 7 volunteers) meet on a monthly basis, oversee finance and strategic plan matters, and occasionally represent Trim FRC at the local and county level.
We would not… have a charity status! Our Volunteer Board Members are also Charity Trustees and offer their time and expertise to ensure the Centre complies with all governance and financial regulations from Charities Regulator.
We would not be able to… provide free conversational classes for new members of our community who want to improve their English. Failte Isteach English classes take place twice a week and are supported by 4 volunteers at the moment. The more volunteers, the more chats so that English being a second language is not a barrier for joining with local community.
We would not be able to… provide fun activities like free face painting or Santa visits for children at our annual events during Summer or Christmas family gatherings. Children love both and we cannot imagine a year going by without these additional activities.
We would not… proudly own fabulous paintings in the Centre, kindly donated/ painted for us by local artists. All these art pieces are unique and special, and make the Centre feel like a place where people come together (not only for a cup of tea) 🙂
Without our volunteers, Trim Family Resource Centre would truly not be the same place…
So a BIG THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!And if you are interested in joining as a volunteer, please contact us at the Centre on info@trimfrc.ie for more details on volunteering opportunities in 2022.