Waterford GAA 'My Volunteer Story' - Stuart Barry (Tallow GAA)

We are delighted to share our next video highlighting the great work that volunteers are doing on behalf of their GAA clubs across County Waterford. This is part of a volunteer initiative called 'My Volunteer Story' where Waterford GAA want to highlight the benefits of volunteering and the importance of giving back to club and community.

In this video, Stuart Barry from the Tallow and Cois Bhríde GAA Clubs talks passionately about his involvement in coaching and the buzz he gets from being involved.

"It's very easy for someone to say no but just come down to the field and see what happens."

Stuart talks about how he wanted to give back to his club as there were others before him who gave him their time. He also speaks about the fact that you do not have to have played the game to be a great coach or volunteer - just come along to the field or clubhouse, see how things work and help drive things on from there. He also mentions the social aspect to coaching and how it's a great way to see and connect with people.

Waterford GAA are asking people to take the first step on the road to becoming a volunteer in your local GAA club and writing your own volunteer story for 2025 and beyond.

Volunteers are involved in all aspects of Irish society supporting areas such as health, education, culture, social services, the environment and the arts.

Volunteers are a vital resource when running a GAA club or indeed any community group. It is estimated that about 1 million people in Ireland volunteer for different organisations and community groups each year.

Why should I volunteer?

People from all walks of life and backgrounds volunteer for their GAA club and they do so for a variety of different reasons. Everyone has a different story to tell in terms of their volunteerism. One thing that they all have in common is that they all see the great benefits of volunteering. These include:

• Giving something back to your GAA club and community
• Gaining new skills and enhancing existing skills
• Meeting new people with similar interests
• Gaining valuable experience – often with a view to gaining employment
• Feeling connected to your club and community
• Making a difference in someone’s life
• Having fun with like-minded people

What kind of volunteering can I do in my local GAA club?

The short answer is anything! There really is a volunteering opportunity to suit everyone’s time and interests. Just a few examples of areas within a GAA club that often require volunteers include:

• Coaching club teams
• Helping at club nursery
• First aid
• Tea and coffees for matches and club nursery
• Club administration
• Groundskeeping and maintenance
• Running social initiatives for the club
• Finance and fundraising
• Public relations and social media
• Cultural initiatives
• Primary Schools coaching

The above list is not exhaustive but contains just an example of some of the more popular types of volunteering.