Every hour someone in Ireland suffers from a life changing stroke and every day, hundreds of Irish people are diagnosed with heart disease. It shouldn’t be this way, and this is why we turn up to work every day. However, without our volunteers we simply couldn’t do what we do.
From shaking buckets to packing supermarket shopping bags, baking cakes, volunteering in our office, running a marathon or up a hill, we are immensely proud of the volunteers who support our work.
Today (Wednesday 05 December) is International Volunteer Day, a day designated by the United Nations since 1985 to celebrate the contribution of volunteers worldwide.
The theme for 2018 is ‘Volunteers Build Resilient Communities.’
According to the UN, globally more than one billion people volunteer which is equivalent to more than 109 million full-time workers. This global volunteer workforce exceeds the number of people employed in six of the 10 most populous countries worldwide.
The vast majority of volunteer work happens informally, with 70 per cent of all people who volunteer working directly to help people in their communities, while the remaining 30 per cent volunteer through formal organisations. Women represent 57 per cent of all volunteers.
To mark International Volunteer Day 2018, we want to say a special thank you to all our volunteers – thank you for making a difference and helping to save lives.
We’re currently looking for supporters to help us on our National Flag Day bag pack – Thursday 14 February 2019. Can you Show Some Heart by adopting your local Dunnes Stores and recruiting volunteers for the day? If you’re interested please register here and we will be in touch with more information.
A ban on the ‘targeted marketing’ of unhealthy food and drinks, particularly the targeting of children and young people, more research and cardiac services for women’s heart health, legislation to protect young people from nicotine addiction caused by e-cigarettes and tackling health inequality are among the key priorities outlined in a new Irish Heart Foundation Strategy.
Read MoreThe Irish Heart Foundation, with support from the Government of Ireland, has this week launched its range of printable and digital posters to help everyone join our campaign for cleaner air for healthier hearts. These assets have been designed for the public, state bodies, and businesses to raise awareness of the health impact of air pollution and the steps they can take to protect their health and the health of their families.
Read MorePeople living with heart failure shared the impact of the condition
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