Journeying in hope with our Irish emigrants
Our volunteers are essential to all aspects of our work and our projects would not achieve what they do without the skills, enthusiasm and dedication of our volunteers.
We have a range of activities our volunteers are involved in. These include prison visiting, befriending older Irish people, helping out with administrative tasks, and giving of time and talents to fundraise and help at our meetings and events!
We always welcome more volunteers and if you would like to know more about volunteering opportunities please do contact us on 0207 482 5528 or email volunteers@irishchaplaincy.org.uk and we will be delighted to discuss things further.
There are volunteer application forms at the link below and you can read some of what our volunteers have to say about the work they do!
We provide ongoing support and training to all those who volunteer with us as well as out of pocket expenses.
List of Our Current Volunteers
They include:
Deacon Stephen McKenna – Prison Visitor
Sr Cecilia Snape – Prison Visitor
Sr Maureen McNally – Prison Visitor
Sr Patricia Maxwell – Older Person’s Befriender
Antoinette Halligan - Older Person’s Befriender
Michelle Flanagan – Older Person’s Befriender
Why We Volunteer At ICB
Sr Maureen McNally, Prison Visitor (South West Region)
With parents from Co. Tyrone and Co. Cavan, my childhood memories of summer holidays were of always 'going home' and times spent around the bog whilst the turf was cut. Then bringing in the goat for milking with my grandfather followed by the glass of goat’s milk. Ugh!
After training as a nurse I 'tried my vocation' with the Daughters of the Cross, and almost 50 years later am still very grateful for the varied life I have been privileged to enjoy. In 1995 after the death of my mother, whom I had been allowed to nurse in her own home, I was sent to our convent in Co. Dublin for nine months. Just before I was due to return to London a flyer was shown to me; ICPO wanted a Sister with good knowledge of England to join the team. Reluctantly I applied and to my amazement I was offered the position. Thus commenced almost six years working in the Parnell Square Office, supporting Fr.Gerry McFlynn who was based in London and working with Nuala Kelly who was the first co-ordinator of ICPO from the mid-1980's. My recollections of those years were rarely knowing what each day would bring; distressed parents, wives, partners or children either on the phone or visiting for support. Searching for inexpensive accommodation in England and assisting them with travel arrangements and in approaching their local CWO for realistic grants to help with their fare. We used to contact other Religious Communities around the globe to request that they visit an Irish person remanded in their vicinity, and in this way helped to allay families’ anxieties. I shall never forget the first time I faxed a message to Bangkok at 9.15am and had a reply before lunchtime!
On my return to England, by chance I was introduced to a Prison Chaplain whom I 'knew' from telephone contact. A couple of weeks later he contacted me with the request that, if possible, I visit an Irish lad. I agreed and thus began my ministry as a Volunteer Prison Visitor for ICPO. This first visit was successful so we agreed to operate a pilot scheme to check the feasibility of using Volunteer visitors. I suggested that as ICPO is a subsection of the Irish Bishops' Council for Emigrants I would visit the, then eight, prisons in the Plymouth Diocese. This I have now been doing twice yearly for nearly seven years, and am included by our local Bishop in his yearly Prison Chaplains meeting, which is excellent for meeting both chaplains and visitors and being updated on current issues.
I feel that in a small way I am still contributing to the objectives of ICPO. Some prisoners I meet several times and can still advise on travel and accommodation close to prisons for families, raise issues with both the London and Maynooth offices and generally just be here as a support to individual Irish prisoners, the Prison Chaplains and to pass over follow-ups to London. With over 140 prisons now in England how wonderful it would be to eventually have ICPO prison visitors within each of the 22 Dioceses of England & Wales and then extend to Scotland!
Sister Patricia (Older Person’s Outreach Worker, North London)
"I joined the Older Person’s project as a volunteer in February 2009 and would really encourage people who have some time on their hands to consider joining the Chaplaincy as a volunteer/befriender to our older Irish people.
The past six months have been exciting and worthwhile. I have visited older Irish people in their own homes as well as in hospital, care homes and in sheltered accommodation.
My role is to extend a hand of friendship and a listening ear to the amazing stories which they relate, stories of the joys and sorrows, hopes and fears of leaving their own homes and settling down in a foreign land.
I also aim to assess their needs, offer practical help, liaise with their extended families and network with other agencies as appropriate.
The older people worked hard to educate their families and are justly proud of the achievements of their children and grandchildren and I rejoice with them. True to Irish culture there is always a big ‘cead mile failte’ and many a joke as we spend our time sharing our experiences of Ireland of the 1950’s and 1960’s. I remember Jimmy who I visited taking off his oxygen mask to play the mouth organ as he shares his stories of “the Wren Boys” !
Having reached retirement age I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to use my professional and practical experiences for the benefit of the older Irish community. I enjoy the support of an enthusiastic team and I can also tap into the experiences of the officers in the other Chaplaincy projects."
Antoinette, Volunteer Befriender, South East London
"My time with the chaplaincy as a volunteer has been rewarding and beneficial.
I volunteer in South London and have visited with one older housebound Irish lady for some time now. As well as visiting her I regularly contact her by phone for a chat and as a Chaplaincy we have also arranged for her to have a much needed wheelchair. We are now able to take her out and about on occasions, and combined with visits and phone calls she has a new lease of life and her quality of life has improved.
I also help out at events for the Chaplaincy. For example, it was interesting and enjoyable to be involved at the Southwark Irish Festival, spreading the word about the Chaplaincy's outreach work with older and isolated Irish people, whatever their faith or background, so that more people may benefit from the wonderful help they provide.
The chaplaincy supports me as a volunteer with out of pocket expenses during the course of my work and this gives me a sense of greater empowerment.
I look forward to seeing how my work as part of the Chaplaincy team develops, and how I may become a more integral member of the wider team. "
