Our organisation & programmes

Ozanam House is a community resource centre run by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, one of the largest charitable and voluntary organisations in the world. It is located on the site of the original clothing and furniture warehouse in a building that has also been used by the Society for a variety of purposes for over 100 years. Since our opening in September 2002, we have continued to develop various programmes and projects that are aimed at addressing social exclusion as well as the many needs of the local community in Dublin’s north inner city. The centre now offers over 600 programme places to more than 500 people per week where our youngest member is 2 and our eldest is 96. We also engage 75 active volunteers who share their time and skills each week for the benefit of others.

Overview of the Volunteer Role
Things are busier now than ever in the centre especially with over 500 people using the centre each week. The demands on the service keep growing. Unfortunately, our challenge more than ever is to try and keep the funds in place to maintain the service and this challenge is growing each year especially in this difficult funding environment.

To reach our full potential and to achieve our goals in the centre we hold two fundraising events each year in March and October. Our biggest success so far has been ‘Ozanam Come Dancing’ held in March each year. This year we managed to raise €69,000 for our youth summer projects.
We succeeded in bringing a number of companies from the private sector on board this year and the funds raised show the benefits of this association. A huge amount of work goes into this event as well as other events we run during the year like bag packing, world cup forecast competition and car raffles to name a few.
To achieve this we require the support of our events team who work together to bring these events to life. Hence we are constantly seeking new volunteers for our Events Committee. There will be numerous roles on this committee for individuals with different skills.

Committee Tasks

• To find and plan the venue
• To plan, direct, support and control the events
• To plan, develop and implement advertising for the events
• To utilise networks to engage more representatives from the private sector in our events
• To seek the support of companies and sponsors
• To support event organisers and direct them in their work
• To oversee the event on the night taking on various roles as agreed at a committee meeting
• Other general responsibilities in the context of the role as agreed in the event committee meetings

Time commitment

The time commitment is flexible where more hours are required in the weeks and months leading up to the organised events. During this time of planning and preparation for the events, the volunteer is expected to commit to 2 hours of work per week to fulfil their tasks. This time can be spent in the centre or at home and the timing is flexible.
In lead up to the events, there will be regular meetings every two weeks.

The volunteer should commit to at least one event from the planning phase until the event night which will be approximately a period of four months.

Skills, Experience & Qualities Required and Utilised by Events Committee

• Flexibility
• Excellent organizational skills
• Very good communication and interpersonal skills
• Good time management skills
• Administrative skills
• Graphic design skills
• Digital media skills
• Social media skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Creative thinking
• Effective problem solving
• Positive and energetic attitude and a strong desire to meet goals and commitments

Induction & Follow-Ups

• The events committee member will have an initial meeting with the manager of Ozanam House, Tony Rock, to assess suitability for the role and where applicable and to agree on a timetable and schedule of duties in line with the volunteer role description
• The volunteer will attend an induction/information night in the centre prior to his/her first engagement and will get a general information pack to become familiar with the centre and our procedures
• In lead up to the events, there will be regular meetings every two weeks
• Ongoing support can be expected whenever necessary
• General volunteer meetings, for all volunteers of the house, will take place twice a year in May and November, volunteers of the Events Committee can attend if they want

Benefits

• Personal development
• Learn new skills in organising events
• To see behind the scenes of an event, get closer to the action and play a role in making an event possible
• Volunteers are able to attend the event taking on various roles where applicable
• Opportunity to make a great difference – one that is positive and rewarding – to your life and your community
• Opportunity to work in and learn about a community resource centre
• Opportunity to build up valuable work experience
• To have lots of fun and an enjoyable time in a progressive and energetic team

If you are interested in finding out more please contact us by phone or email –details below.