EDITORIAL: We do not do enough to recognise the work of our volunteers

Anyone who has ever sent their kid to a youth club, attended a local festival or match, will tell you that communities run on volunteers. For many groups, they function on a shoestring and still manage to make magic happen.

So, it is wonderful to see so many people in the Premier County getting involved in local causes.

This week, the Central Statistics Office released their latest instalment of their spotlight series, this time with a focus on volunteer activity.

Almost 26,000 people, or 15% of the population of Tipperary, give their time to causes across the county. Almost 5,000 of those volunteers take part in multiple activities.

Most volunteers worked in sport, community and charitable organisations. While more than 4,000 volunteers worked in religious organisations.

Volunteer activity is a funny thing because we don’t think of it as work, but it is.

Youth club volunteers manage everything from activities to finances to child protection issues. Sports volunteers make sure games are open to all and that generations of people can continue to take part.

Many of our services, like peer support, addiction support and activities for elderly people are run in part or whole by volunteers.

Though they represented the smallest number, political volunteers are an essential part of the democratic process. They don’t just make sure the candidates’ messages are heard but help people understand voting registration and listen to public concerns. And I dare say receive their fair share of abuse for it too.

Our society does not do enough to recognise work that is not paid employment. But the census data shows that volunteers are busy people managing work, families and even school.

One interesting figure was that 318 young people 14 years and under reported taking part in volunteering. This means that although most volunteers were much older, the next generation will continue a proud tradition.

It’s easy to complain about the lack of services in an area. And much harder to fight for or provide them.

But what these figures show is that if you want to get involved, you are not alone. Check out what’s happening locally and give a little of your time.

Many hands make light work… as they say.