Despite a hectic work and family routine, husband and wife Trevor and Michelle Devereux find time to volunteer with the RNLI based in Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford.
They train twice per week and respond to about 25 to 30 urgent calls per year as part of their volunteering with charity, whose mission is to save lives at sea.
“It’s funny when the pager goes off at home,” says Trevor, who is the regional resilience coxswain. He and Michelle look at each other, and “sometimes it’s the person who gets to the front door first who is the one that goes on the call”.
Trevor, a mechanic, began volunteering with the RNLI 34 years ago at the age of 17, while Michelle, an accountant, has been a member of the crew for 21 years. The couple met after she joined the team. They later married and now have two children together, while Trevor also has two older sons from a previous relationship.
“I signed up because [it] was in my blood. My dad was the coxswain here for years and my mam looked after the fundraising, along with my grandmother. So it has been in the family for generations,” he says.
The Devereuxs are among thousands of people around the country who give their time freely to help others. Just over 700,000 people, or 14 per cent of the population, told the 2022 census that they regularly volunteer.
This week is National Volunteering Week, which celebrates people across the country who give their time and energy for the benefit of others.
Amy Woods, head of advocacy and engagement at Volunteer Ireland, says the aim of the week is to “showcase the breadth and impact of volunteering across Ireland and to inspire people to volunteer”.
Members of the public curious about the sector can attend events across the country being run to celebrate the week, from open days and coffee mornings to volunteer expos, she said.
Woods says it “isn’t surprising” that sport is the most popular area for volunteering. She notes sports is “ingrained” in Irish culture and many people become involved in volunteering in that arena having participated in sport or because their children participate.
“Its popularity is almost universal, as it is the most common volunteering activity across all age groups, except for the over 65s.
On the national volunteering database, administration events and conservation are the most popular activities in which volunteers are interested, she says. “This shows a trend we have been seeing for some time, because they require less of a time commitment.”
According to Volunteer Ireland‘s most recent survey, in 2024, 83 per cent of volunteers believe volunteering helps them to understand different cultures within the community, “which is a significant impact, given how many communities there are in Ireland”, Woods says.
Volunteers deliver critical services in areas like health and homelessness, but the impact is “much broader”, creating a sense of community, cohesion and combating loneliness, she says.
“It also has so many benefits for both the individual and society as a whole, as it is a great way to give back, socialise and be part of your community.”
For Trevor Devereux, nothing can beat “the feeling that you get when you bring someone home safe and sound”. He urged anyone with the time and passion to go to sea to get involved with their local RNLI station.
Eileen Woodbyrne (61) started volunteering during 2020 when the South Dublin Community Volunteers were looking for people to “meet and greet” at Covid-19 testing centres. She undertook the task at various centres around the city, chatting to people who were queuing up for their vaccinations and helping to put them at ease.
“I didn’t like the sense of helplessness associated with the pandemic and wanted to do something – anything – to help. Then, as the restrictions hit, it became something of a social event,” she says. During this period she volunteered twice a week for three to four hours, she says, adding that it was “nice to have a valid reason to get out and meet people”.
When this need ended she did not hang up her volunteer bib. Instead, she looked for another place to be of use. As the Covid work was drawing to a close, the war in Ukraine began, she says.
The Citywest Convention Centre in southwest Dublin was transformed into a reception location for people fleeing the conflict and later for people from other countries seeking international protection, she recalls. The community volunteers have had a role in meeting new arrivals, answering queries and helping with departures to other accommodation centres.
She has also helped out at events such as local St Patrick’s Day parades and sometimes drives the volunteer group’s minibus to take members to various events.
Woodbyrne says the whole experience has been enhanced due to the South Dublin Community Volunteers being a “fantastic group of people”.
“I’ve made many friends there. Several of us joined a hiking group, and we’ve had lots of adventures together, including a snowshoeing trip to the Alps in January 2025. That’s something that I would never have done if I hadn’t discovered volunteering.”
Woodbyrne retired in 2023 after an 18 year career teaching horticulture. Volunteering has given her a “meaningful purpose in life” and she still enjoys helping others. Six weeks into her retirement, she was moved to also volunteer with a reading programme run by the Barnardos children’s charity because she “didn’t want to become a couch potato”.
“I didn’t want to become a couch potato, so when a former manager told me he was volunteering with Barnardos on their Wizards of Words programme, helping children with reading, I liked the sound of it and joined their team about six weeks after retiring. I really enjoy it, and the children seem to as well - it’s great to see them grow in confidence with their reading.
The Dublin woman says there is a “feel-good factor about volunteering”, and she would encourage others to give it a try.
“I’ve been very lucky in many aspects of my life, and lots of people have given me a helping hand along the way, so I suppose this is a way of returning some of those favours.”
For information on volunteering visit www.volunteer.ie.
