Volunteering with Live Here, Love Here

Northern Ireland is home to a rich and diverse natural environment - lush landscapes, rugged coastlines, and unique wildlife. It’s a special place. A place we should be proud of and do all we can to protect.

Fortunately, communities across the region show out in force year-on-year in parks, on beaches, and in towns and villages to do just that. But with the environment presenting new and complex challenges, it’s crucial we continue to empower as many people as we can to take ownership of our local environment.

At Live Here Love Here, our mission is simple - continue to instil a sense of civic pride in every community across the region. By engaging and empowering volunteers, we foster a sense of ownership and responsibility, which ultimately creates a cleaner, greener Northern Ireland. With support from a variety of partners including DAERA, our nine council partners, Northern Ireland Housing Executive and corporate organisations, we have been able to continue to engage and support volunteers for more than 10 years now.

This past March and April, 37, 494 individuals participated in our Big Spring Clean campaign. Through 211 events, these eco-heroes collected 1,844 bags of litter. Our 2024 Community Awards celebrated many of these environmental heroes who work tirelessly to make their communities a better place to live.

Each year we find that environmentalism is shared by the young, the older, people in rural communities and people in urban areas. For example, Rising Star Award Winner Rebekah Bajko, a student at Queens University Belfast, revived the Marine Biology and Zoology society and helps with Wild Belfast, while also volunteering with Ulster Wildlife.

While Legacy Award Winner Tidy Randalstown, active for over 10 years, has expanded into community gardening and environmental protection, earning numerous awards for their sustainable practices and volunteer efforts.

Each year it becomes clear that people across the country have realised that the advantages of volunteering extend far beyond the environmental benefits.

Firstly, it’s the benefits to physical and mental wellbeing. Getting out in the great outdoors and spending time in natural light can improve your mood and reduce stress whilst engaging in light physical activity such as a litter-pick or planting in a community garden can have the same effect. Interestingly, Our Healthy Oceans Healthy Minds campaign, will return in August, and aims to highlight the links between the health of our aquatic spaces and our own mental well-being. A variety of events, including paddleboarding, beach yoga, and educational talks, invite people to understand first-hand the value and enjoyment our waters bring, encouraging them to also recognise the value of environmental stewardship.

Volunteering also brings people from different backgrounds together. We’ve seen that the Live Here Love Here initiative has forged a sense of belonging by connecting neighbours, which in turns builds stronger, more resilient communities.

The educational benefits are hugely rewarding too. By involving young people in environmental projects, we teach them the importance of caring for our planet - knowledge and responsibility they will go to share with future generations.

Live Here Love Here exists to create a healthier, happier future for everyone. There is always room for people to get involved and make a difference, whether through local clean-up efforts, community projects, or spreading awareness about environmental issues.

For more information, please visit https://www.liveherelovehere.org