Shows and festivals demonstrate strong community spirit in Offaly

NEXT Sunday's Tullamore Show and FBD National Livestock Show together with the premier festival in the county – Birr Vintage Week currently in full swing - clearly demonstrate that community spirit abounds in Offaly.

Both the Show and Vintage Week attract national attention and take hours of hard work and much finance to organise.

The spirit of these events is to be found in every town, village and rural area in the county in the shape of festivals, tractor runs, threshings, patterns, religious occasions, and sports gatherings of all descriptions.

In fact later this month Ireland's largest festival – Heritage Week – will take place and there is a very varied programme of events organised for Offaly.

Unlike many western countries community spirit in the form of pride in the parish or your local areas is very strong in Ireland.

Of course these events are also great fun as well as providing a huge economic boost to the areas in which they're held.

Nest Sunday's Tullamore Show is expected to attract in the region of 60,000 visitors and many of them will stay local and spend local.

As well as that hundreds of firms from Offaly and the surrounding areas will conduct business and gain new customers in the mammoth trade stand section.

Similarly Birr Vintage Week is recognised as one of the major tourist events in the Midlands where visitors from home and abroad descend on the historic town.

Most of this is made possible by the selfless work of volunteers.

Volunteering plays a huge role in Irish society and nowhere are we more conscious of that than here in Offaly where there are hundreds of organisations staffed by volunteers.

The county's voluntary and community sector is fuelled by people who simply want to give back. They want to make our county and indeed, our country, a better place to live.

They give of their own free time, whether out of civic duty, or to contribute to a sense of place-making.

Every day, people are giving their love and labour to care for senior citizens, tackle climate change, guide and mentor our youth, serve and strengthen the democratic process, feed the hungry, and keep communities healthy and safe.

Hundreds of thousands of Irish people collectively volunteer many hours of their time each year.

In fact, volunteering also benefits the volunteers. People who volunteer develop new skills, build their personal and professional networks, forge a deeper connection with their communities and service organizations, and experience the joy of serving a larger cause.

The opportunities to volunteer are seemingly limitless. Students gain real world experience, workers apply their skills to organizations that benefit from their experience and often develop new skills in the process, and older people improve their health and longevity. At every age and stage in life, volunteers experience the profound joy of giving back.

Volunteerism is also a reinforcing cycle. Volunteers are more likely to become further involved in volunteer groups, participate in civic organizations, attend public meetings, and  lend a helping hand to their neighbours.

Serving together in common purpose has the power to unite us across the lines that sometimes divide society.

It is heartening to note that Offaly Volunteer Centre now has a total of 1200 people registered throughout the county and supports organisations to deliver a comprehensive service to their communities

Established by a board of volunteers in 2020, the centre has grown with steady progress. With volunteers registered throughout the county, Offaly Volunteer Centre supports organisations to deliver a comprehensive service to their communities.

Each June National Volunteering Week is a weeklong celebration of volunteering. Along with the network of Volunteer Centres, Volunteer Ireland uses National Volunteering Week to amplify the incredible stories of volunteering in our communities through social and traditional media. It’s a week full of events, both online and in person, with everything from yoga to coffee mornings to seminars on offer.

National Volunteering Week this year celebrated all the different types of volunteers and volunteering that make up our communities.