With Volunteers Week underway from June 1 to June 7, Council buildings in Fermanagh and Omagh District Council have been lit up to signify the start of the week.

The B- Friend Hub Fermanagh, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and delivered in partnership with Omagh Volunteer Centre (OVC), and Strabane Community Project has been working tirelessly to support the dedicated volunteers in the Fermanagh area.

Volunteers are making calls daily to 80 clients with an increase of almost 50 per cent during the Covid-19 crisis.

Rita O’Loughlin, B-friend Fermanagh Coordinator said “We would love to host our annual celebrations to recognise our volunteers but due to the current situation that is not possible.

“We want to say thank you to all the home and telephone volunteers who have supported us in our project. Although the home befriending service has paused until we can meet face to face again, the volunteers continue to support their clients by keeping in contact by phone. We will however ensure that all our volunteers receive recognition by presenting them with a certificate and a small token of our sincere appreciation” Rita added “We need our volunteers more than ever in these challenging times and we’ll continue to need them in the times ahead. Thank you to each and every one of you for all that you do. Fermanagh is a better place thanks to your kindness and dedication”.

Many of the volunteers who make the calls to be able to help others but at the same time help themselves and they are encouraging more and more people to volunteer and get the satisfaction they get from making a difference in someone else’s life.

“My late father was elderly and lived alone and I knew the difference someone calling to chat him made to his life and was always grateful for this,” said volunteer Roberta Lutton. “Through volunteering you get a chance to meet new people and learn from them. I feel there is a lot of loneliness

within the older generation which is very sad as many have given so much to society and through no fault of their own are unable to get and about anymore. Through volunteering you are giving something valuable back to society in the form of your time. It also helps develop yourself as a person emotionally and gives a sense of well being. It is a special relationship as it is completely voluntary on both parts.”

The B-Friend Hub will be celebrating volunteers via their social media pages including the B-Friend Hub Fermanagh & Omagh Volunteer centre with various themes throughout the week.

For further information on our project please contact the befriend hub Fermanagh on rita@thebefriendhub.org