Enda McBride

Enda McBride is one of our very own volunteers here at Louth Volunteer Centre. Enda began his volunteer journey 12 years ago when he was just 15. He first volunteered with his local Tidy Towns group as part of his Gaisce award.

Enda was a member of the DKIT volunteer society and progressed to membership of the committee for the volunteer society, organising volunteer opportunities for students to engage with. It was then that Enda registered with Louth Volunteer Centre in 2013 and has found several roles through the support of the centre. Enda said he felt that Louth Volunteer Centre was “a great resource to connect people to organisations.” He also felt it was a helpful resource for volunteers as “you can call someone up and find out what roles are available.”  

When I asked Enda what motivates him to keep volunteering, he told me, “I like how good it makes me feel, I am making a difference to people’s lives and helping out some great causes.” Enda feels that by volunteering it has given him confidence and helped him to develop a lot of new skills. “Volunteering overall can help people to develop their skill set and can help them learn new things.” Enda also feels that volunteering is a good way for people who are trying to get into employment to gain experience.  

When I asked Enda if he had a favourite volunteering moment, he told me “I don’t think I could narrow it down to just one. It has all been a very good experience.” Enda has been involved in both once off volunteering like fundraising for Dundalk Dog Rescue and more long-term volunteering like his administrative role with Louth Volunteer Centre. One role that Enda particularly enjoyed was his role with Saint Vincent de Paul. “They were a great organisation to get involved with. They do a lot of fantastic work for a lot of people, and I felt like I belonged there.”

Enda would encourage people to get out there and get involved in volunteering. “Volunteering has so many benefits, not only is it good for your own personal health, but it can also make you feel valuable. It is also good for your CV, and it can give you loads of transferable skills.” “Volunteering can really give you a boost.”  

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