Film series on volunteering in Mayo

Mayo Volunteer Centre will officially launch a new six-part short documentary series celebrating the remarkable contribution of volunteers and community groups across Mayo at a special event in Ballina Arts Centre on Friday, May 22. 

The event will take place during National Volunteering Week 2026, which this year has the theme 'From Every Corner, For Every Cause', celebrating all the different types of volunteers and volunteering that make up our communities. The series will be officially launched by Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary.

The series, filmed by acclaimed video producer Thady Kavanagh, features six projects based in Mayo communities: The Friends of St Joseph’s Hospital (Ballina), the Foróige Mentoring Project (countywide), Mayo Autism Camp (Manulla), Mayo Super Knitters (Ballina), Mayo Community Volunteers (St Coleman’s, Achill) and The Global Kitchen (Ballina). Each mini-documentary shares the story of how volunteers worked together with volunteer-involving organisations, supported by Mayo Volunteer Centre, to contribute their time, knowledge and energy to deliver and enrich the initiatives.

Audiences at the launch will hear directly from volunteers and community groups who will demonstrate how volunteering is making a real difference in towns and villages across Mayo, from supporting younger and older people and promoting inclusion, to protecting the environment, fostering wellbeing, and helping local organisations thrive. The event will bring together volunteers, community organisations, public representatives, funders and supporters to celebrate the impact of volunteering and to recognise the people who give their time, energy and skills to others.

Mayo Volunteer Centre supports people across the county to find meaningful volunteering opportunities and helps local organisations to involve volunteers effectively. It is part of the national Volunteer Ireland network, which works to promote and strengthen volunteering in communities throughout Ireland.

Manager of Mayo Volunteer Centre, Kim Merrifield, said: “This video series demonstrates just some of the countless ways in which volunteering is the lifeblood of many communities in rural counties like Mayo. It brings people together, supports vital local services, combats isolation, and ensures that towns and villages remain connected, resilient and vibrant places to live. 

"We are excited and proud to shine a light on the individuals who so generously give of their time to support their communities.” 

One of the projects featured in the series, is the Global Kitchen, a vibrant event hosted by Ballina Fringe Festival in partnership with Mayo Volunteer Centre, St Dymphna’s and St Nicholas’ Schools in Ballina which brings together Ballina’s global community to share food, music, culture and community spirit. Last year’s event included representatives from over 20 countries, with volunteers cooking native dishes and sharing their own culture and crafts.

Global Kitchen volunteer Simran Dalwani from India stated: “Being a part of this event means that I have learned a lot about the Ballina community and its different cultures and aspects of life. It has helped me to really understand the importance and value of community - being there for each other and having empathy and compassion for different cultures and traditions. 

"Participating in the Global Kitchen has also helped me to connect with so many different people of different cultures and communities and learn about their own knowledge of their food and traditions. I am very grateful to everyone for the opportunity and support to showcase my own culture and food and to witness the diversity and inclusion of other ethnicities at the event.” 

Stuart Garland, Learning and Capacity Building Manager with Volunteer Ireland, stated: “'From Every Corner, For Every Cause' celebrates the extraordinary collective power of volunteering - local and global - and honours the people whose time, compassion and commitment make a measurable difference every single day. This film series is real proof that the impact of volunteering has huge ripples. Every action, no matter how small, has an impact and helps to inspire and connect people, from small communities in Mayo to right across the world.” 

The documentary series also aims to inspire more people to consider volunteering, while also acknowledging the extraordinary work already taking place in communities across the county.

Ms Merrifield noted: “2026 is also International Volunteer Year, and as part of that, we are inviting people to join an international community of volunteers by giving committing to volunteering for just 26 hours during 2026 as part of the global '26 for ‘26' campaign. It’s really wonderful for us in Mayo to have these films as a visual representation of all the volunteer work already being done around the county and the impact it has made, and it’s been a real joy for me as a manager to be part of such a wonderful project.” 

The films will be released online following the launch event and shared through Mayo Volunteer Centre’s digital channels and website, www.volunteermayo.ie. Funding for the series was granted under the National Volunteer Strategy (Actions For Delivery) fund from the Department of Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development.