About us
Join Our Volunteer Community in Northern Ireland
After a period of inactivity, we are delighted to be looking to relaunch our Northern Ireland branch to increase support to members in the area. The branch aims to provide a forum for communication and sharing of good practice amongst BDA members in Northern Ireland. This includes:
- Providing opportunities for networking with a variety of members from different disciplines and organisations within the geographical area assigned to the branch;
- Providing educational updates or discussion forums on non-specialist clinical/professional issues of general interest;
- Promoting the role of the BDA in the nation, including recruitment and retention of members - especially students;
- Facilitating cross-departmental collaboration on local/regional/national projects;
- Providing two-way communication between the BDA and members within the nation;
- Providing an opportunity for CPD;
- Providing a link with regional Specialist Subgroups.
This is an exciting time to get involved, and we are now looking for volunteers who would be interested in forming a new committee to plan and shape the future direction of the branch. We are recruiting to several roles, including Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.
There are numerous key benefits to volunteering, as reported by volunteers in a recent national survey on volunteering. The most common benefits included:
- Enjoyment (93%)
- Make a difference (90%)
- Meet new people (90%)
- Improved mental health and wellbeing (77%)
- Improved employment prospects (34%)
(Time Well Spent: A National Survey on the Volunteer Experience: Amy McGarvey, Veronique Jochum, John Davies, Joy Dobbs, Lisa Hornung 2019)
To give a flavour of our volunteering experience, BDA member Susan Price shares her reflections:
For a number of years, I was part of my regional branch and was the PR rep on the committee. It was a great opportunity for me to meet and network with other Dietitians, Dietetic Assistants, and students across the region, as well as developing my own skills around being a committee member. It was also a great platform that enabled me to join the BDA PR committee.
Regional and national BDA branches really help us to collaborate, learn and share ideas with each other and have a focus on what matters to us in our region. Sign up as a volunteer today!
If you would like to follow in Susan's footsteps on this rewarding journey, please contact [email protected] for an informal discussion in the first instance. We would love to hear from you!