More and more in the work place there are organised work days where employees agree to give freely of their time and effort to help voluntary organisations do a specific job of work.
The purpose is to encourage team building among the employees in the organisation participating and to give something of value to the community.

At Newmarket-on-Fergus Community Centre we have engaged in a number of these workdays to our great benefit and to the benefit of the volunteers participating.
In August 2013, the first group we engaged with was Cleanwell and Clean Habit based in Shannon. The project was to clean and polish the floor in the main hall. Cleanwell sponsored the cleaning products and Clean Habit cleaned and polished the floor.

This project was organised by our former board member Martin Connaughton, since deceased. Martin was the person behind the idea and pushed it forward to fruition.

Subsequently, with Clare Volunteer Centre co-operation we engaged with The White Horse company who organised a group of enthusiastic and eager employees who painted their hearts out over a day in May 2014.
Their energy knew no bounds and a very satisfactory work day was achieved.
They were happy with their day of volunteering and we were happy with the paint job.

In 2015, again with Clare Volunteer Centre Co-operation, the Community Centre and Intel came together to paint and refurbish our facility. They completed a very satisfactory days work which was of great benefit to the Community Centre and a benefit to the participants.

The following week they participated in our weekly bingo event and we presented them with a trophy in recognition of the work completed.

Our thanks goes out to these companies and also to Doloras O'Halloran and manager of Clare Volunteer Centre Sharon Meany who encouraged the companies to get involved and liaised with board member Geraldine Hansbury on all the detail.

Edwin Bailey