Louth Volunteer Leader Awards Profile - Hattie Billingham

The 2021 Louth Volunteer Leader Awards are coming up, and this week we will be profiling our three 2020 winners. We hope their stories will inspire you to nominate someone in your life who has made a special impact on your volunteering journey.

Hattie is the Volunteer Coordinator in SOSAD’s Dundalk office. According to the person that nominated her, she is a ‘complete diamond’, and ‘the place would be lost without her creativity and hard work. She’s really kept the place ticking away in these crazy times.’.

Hattie’s Volunteering Journey

Hattie originally started off with SOSAD as a volunteer in Drogheda, where she took up role as admin suicide intervention officer and support worker. She is now the Volunteer Coordinator in SOSAD’s Dundalk office.

When the position came up in Dundalk, she’d been in Drogheda for a number of years. She now coordinates not just volunteers, but the entire service.

A typical day at SOSAD can vary greatly depending on the role. The typical role most people think of is the administration role. These volunteers work four hours a week in the office, where they man the phones and answer the emails. There’s also the helpline and the messaging roles, which are both work from home but they are still very involved in the organisation via Zoom calls - something which Hattie considers to be very important.

Hattie’s Tips For Volunteer Leaders

To Hattie, volunteer leadership is all about setting an example, and being a part of the team. She doesn’t see herself as ‘above’ anyone - she describes her position as ‘just another cog in the wheel that keeps the organisation going’.

She says the key to success is knowing your volunteers well, figuring out what they’re good at and what areas they find exciting. If you can figure this out, you’ll have a happy team of volunteers that excel at what they do.

SOSAD volunteers say that she’s always there to help them when a tough case comes up, which they really appreciate.

Another key factor in Hattie’s leadership success is her compassion and friendliness. ‘There’s a fine balance you have to have when you’re managing volunteers. Like in any leadership role, you must be organized and focused. But when you’re working with volunteers, you have to be passionate about what you’re doing. You have to be calm, able to handle all sorts of events. Being friendly is important - it makes the role much easier when you can get along with everyone. Being approachable and open to talking to people is an important quality.’

Hattie’s tips:

Hattie says that sometimes the volume of volunteers can be a challenge. Still, she says that making your volunteers your top priority is absolutely crucial. ‘It has to be your top priority to make time to check in with your volunteers and see how they are getting on.’

Another useful tip that Hattie has shared is in regards to taking on new volunteers and keeping them engaged. In a sensitive volunteer role at SOSAD there can be a few weeks delay between the initial expression of interest and the commencement of the training date. Hattie recommends checking in with new volunteers before their training starts so that they don’t lose engagement. ‘You have to be transparent and let them know what you’re expecting, and let them know they can come to you for help any time, even before the training begins.’

Winning the LVLA

It’s safe to say that it was a shock - she didn’t even know she’d been nominated! However, she says that knowing the work she’s putting in is being seen by the volunteers, and knowing that they feel supported, is very touching.

‘Hattie makes volunteering in SOSAD a joy. She makes the service open to anybody to volunteer, no matter what their skill sets are.’

The winners will be announced on the fifth of November. This year there’s five categories: a special COVID 19 category, and a category for those who lead young people. These awards are county-wide. Once again, Sarah McKenna will be designing and creating the awards.

2021 Louth Volunteer Leader Awards

It’s time to find our next round of legendary leaders in Louth. The Louth Volunteer Leader Awards will be taking place on November 5th, and they are the perfect opportunity for volunteers to show their gratitude for the leaders who have supported them.

We know there are loads of these legendary leaders in Louth - let them know their community notices what they are doing and appreciates it!

There are five nomination categories - Drogheda/South Louth, Mid Louth, Dundalk/North Loud, Leading Young Volunteers (county wide), and the COVID-19 category (countywide.) You can nominate multiple people in any category. All nominees will receive a certificate and thank you card and five nominees will be shortlisted for awards.

Nominations close October 19th at midnight, so show your appreciation and get those nominations in!

Happy Volunteering!

This week is positive aging week, and so we’re taking a look at how volunteering can benefit older people - not in the context of volunteering to help them, but rather as volunteers themselves. Often, when we hear ‘elderly people’ and ‘volunteering’ in the same sentence, we might think about charitable organisations such as ALONE that work to help older people and combat ageism in our society. However, older adults are an absolutely invaluable part of the volunteering ecosystem themselves. In this week’s blog post, we’re going to look at how volunteering can be beneficial to older people.

Positive ageing week is about celebrating the contributions that older people make to our society, and combating ageism by reframing the context in which we view older people and their place in our community. Volunteering is all about being an active and engaged citizen in your community, and so it’s only natural that it comes up as a solution to many of the difficulties that older people face as they move into new phases of their life.

Benefits of Volunteering as an Older Adult

Older people have invaluable life experience that would be an asset to any community organisation. Things like self-assurance, confidence, leadership and interpersonal skills are all things that we only get better at as we get older, and every charitable organisation needs someone with these skills on their team. That’s not even mentioning the wide variety of skills, career experience and general knowledge that older adults naturally possess! 

If you are retired, or find that there isn’t as much work to be done around the house as there once was, volunteering can help add structure to your day. It can be really difficult to adjust to big life changes like these, and sometimes having too much free time can make us feel lost. Many retirees who volunteer report that their roles become a fulfilling way to spend their time, and a fantastic way to combat boredom. As well as that, it helps to give your days and weeks some structure and a schedule, which is often cited as a key factor in managing and preventing depression and other mental health issues.

The ‘helper’s high’, a concept coined by the professor Dr. Allan Luks, found that those who volunteer are ten times more likely to be in good health than those who do not. Being selfless and generous with our time makes us feel good about ourselves, and it can lead to an overall better sense of self-worth. Knowing that you are contributing to your community and helping people is a truly incredible feeling - some people even find it addictive! 

Setbacks and How to Address Them

Even knowing all of this, it can still be daunting to make the commitment. After all, we all lead busy lives, and we may struggle to find the time or energy needed to make the first step. As well as that, you’re not sure if you’re going to like it, so it’s only natural to be a bit hesitant. But fear not - these are concerns that everyone has, and there are many ways to address them. Volunteering does not have to mean a huge time commitment - there are a lot of roles that only require a few hours a week. As well as this, most voluntary organisations utilize a trial period in which you can get to know the role, and your coordinators can get to know you. If you find that the role isn’t for you, you can move on to find something that suits you better. 

You can find hundreds of volunteer opportunities across the country on i-vol.ie. There are plenty of remote positions available too if you prefer to volunteer from home. And, as always, we’re here at Louth Volunteer Centre to help you with anything you need along the way. 

Happy Volunteering!

Every charity, regardless of size, has a board of management. There are a few different names for it - trustees, board, committee, and so on. At its core, a board of management is the backbone of the charity. As a team, they oversee just about everything that a charity needs to make it function - finance, planning, ensuring the organisation adheres to regulatory requirements, leading and supporting volunteers, and ultimately, making sure that the charity is actively working towards its philanthropic goals.

Just like general volunteer roles, board membership can be a fantastic way to use your strengths and experiences to improve your community, as well as a way to build on new skills. However, because board roles are more formal than volunteer positions, finding members can be more difficult than finding volunteers, and likewise, volunteers may be hesitant to apply for board member roles because they don’t feel experienced enough.

Thankfully, Louth Volunteer Centre has plenty of resources for both charities and prospective board members alike. A diverse boardroom leads to a better and more productive charity, so don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there!

For Volunteers

Louth Volunteer Centre - Training Programme for Prospective Board Members

Louth Volunteer Centre has designed the Empowering You Empowering Our Community programme specifically for people who wish to join a board management committee, but who have no prior experience in a similar role. This is a fantastic starting point for anyone who would like to become a board member. This course is comprehensive and practical, and will equip participants with all of the skills and knowledge needed to take on a board membership. Of course, it will also be a great chance to network with like minded people!

This is the second time we are running the course, and we’ve seen great success with it - the previous programme was completely booked out, and every one of the participants reported that they’d seen a huge boost to their knowledge and confidence.

And most importantly, this programme is completely free. The next course begins on September 15th at 6:30pm, and it will run for six consecutive weeks every Wednesday evening. You can find more details, including testimonials from previous participants here, and you can sign up here.

For Organisations

Louth Volunteer Centre has a number of resources for organisations that are hoping to recruit new board members.

i-VOL

I-VOL is the national volunteering database and a central hub for volunteers looking for opportunities at all levels. You can post board member positions for free on i-vol.I-VOL’s user base is very diverse, and people who register with them have a variety of skills and experience. In 2020 48% of IVOL registrations were under 35, and volunteers from 67 nationalities expressed an interest in helping out groups in the community. Registering your board role on I-VOL helps you to tap into this diversity of experience and reach people who wouldn’t necessarily be aware of or find your organisation in their everyday life. To register your organisation with i-vol, you can click here or if you are already registered you can upload your new volunteer role here. If you are a community organisation based in Louth, you can always reach out to us with any questions you might have on the process.

Community Leadership Program

If your organisation is looking to take on new members, or if you want to improve your pre-existing board’s leadership skills, you might be interested in Louth Leading the Way. This programme aims to increase understanding and appreciation for other cultures and communities, which will be a huge asset to the team when new members come onboard.

Louth Leading the Way is a bespoke programme that can be tailored to the individual organisation’s needs. It is a fantastic opportunity to grow your team’s strengths and figure out what direction will best lead to leadership success.

You can find more information here, and you can contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to express your interest.

Individual Training

If you’re an individual involved with a charitable organisation and interested in leadership training, you can also take part in our comprehensive leadership programme. This programme can help you to improve your conflict management skills, understand team dynamics, and identify your own leadership style in the context of participation in a charitable organisation. You can find more information here, and you can register your interest here

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, you can always reach out to Louth Volunteer Centre, and we can point you in the right direction.

Happy volunteering!