Volunteers wanted: Kerrabee Centre

Published on 01 September 2022

Are you a passionate and caring person who can spare a few hours a week? Then Council’s Kerrabee Centre wants to hear from you! They are looking for more volunteers to help run their weekly and monthly outings and activities.

Kerrabee has been running social inclusion and wellbeing programs for over 25 years, assisting residents that are frail/aged, have a disability or are socially isolated to remain independent, receive support and continue to participate in the community.

Kerrabee has a range of activities such as weekly shopping and library trips, online and in-person social groups, monthly outings, craft, guest speakers and much more.

Deputy Mayor Councillor, Rob Steane, said that when it comes to Kerrabee, it’s a true collaboration between the members, volunteers and staff.

“The programmes are driven by the members in the groups,” Cr Steane said.

“As part of the program, our team and the volunteers meet with every member individually to understand their interests, passions, past experiences and what they hope to gain from the program. Then, we tailor the monthly calendar to suit their needs.

“For example, we had one participant who loved knitting, but due to her arthritis, she couldn’t knit anymore. Our team discovered there was a knitting exhibition at the Lavender Farm in Wandin, so they organised for the group to visit.

“The exhibition was a fabulous display of intricate pieces, and she was so excited and thankful for the outing,” Cr Steane said.

During COVID-19 lockdowns, Kerrabee’s role became even more important, ensuring that the members were able to still connect to each other virtually.

“We had volunteers and staff bring Tablets to members and teach them how to log into the chats, so we were only ever a click away,” Cr Steane said.

But for Kerrabee to continue their important work, they are in need of outgoing, caring and friendly volunteers who enjoy meeting people from all walks of life and are willing to help across the various programmes.

“Volunteers are a huge part of the success of our programmes. They provide support for the members through conversations; helping with craft or other activities that they may struggle with; help with set up morning and afternoon tea; and join us on our weekly and monthly outings,” said Cr Steane.

“We want our volunteers to enjoy themselves as much as the members, and like our members, we get to know our volunteers so they can be paired with the groups that best suit their interests, too. We also provide lunch for volunteers on the monthly outings.

“We would really appreciate volunteers that are willing to drive a 12-seater bus, so we can continue to run the shopping trips, library trips and monthly outings.

“You don’t need to have a bus licence, and we will provide the training,” Cr Steane said.

Kerrabee are also looking for volunteers who are willing to spend 1-2hrs a week helping to maintain the fast-growing garden.

“We have a big garden here at Kerrabee, and we have one lovely lady that gardens, but we would love some more hands!” Cr Steane said.

Councillor Tasa Damante for the Wicklow Ward is a big supporter of Kerrabee.

“Kerrabee is the lifeblood of our community. They provide fantastic support for our elderly residents.

“I would encourage anyone that is interested in connecting with the broader Wicklow community to discover how rewarding and beneficial volunteering can be,” said Cr Damante.

If you would like to become a volunteer, please call the Social Inclusion and Wellbeing team on 9294 5531, or visit them in person at Kerrabee, 3-5 Louisa Street, Croydon.

If you or a loved one is interested in joining Kerrabee’s programmes, please visit the Social Inclusion and Wellbeing Program webpage