‘Epic’ volunteering award for ‘happy and helpful’ Mark

ADORED across Omagh for always greeting locals with a ‘happy hello’, Mark Nethery also sported a great smile when he was recently given a prestigious award for volunteering 200 hours in the community.

Also, notably, Mark has become the first person of the New Year in Omagh to win the gold ‘Empowering People In Communities (EPIC) Award’, which was presented to him by Omagh Volunteer’s Centre’s volunteer co-ordinator, Martin Cassidy.

Over the years, the kind-hearted Omagh man has volunteered his time to several important organisations, including Forsight NI; Grovehill Animal Trust; Mencap; and The Saturday Club.

Speaking to the UH, Violet Dennehy of Grovehill, explained that Mark is one of the longest serving volunteers at the animal charity’s bustling and friendly shop, located at Foundry Lane, Omagh.

“Mark’s input in the shop is truly invaluable,” she said. “He brings so many skills: He’s polite, hardworking, and happy to help – always with a cheery ‘hello’.

“Volunteers are the backbone of Grovehill Animal Trust; both at the shop, and the shelter,” Violet continued. “We have many volunteers from all walks of life; some have been with us for a number of weeks, while others have been with us for more than 10 years.

“Volunteering with Grovehill is a great way to share your passion for animals with us,” she added. “If you would like to volunteer with us and join our team, please go to our website, ‘www.grovehillanimaltrust.org’, and complete our online application form.”

Register now

To qualify for an EPIC Award, volunteers must make a commitment of at least 50 hours, within any 12-month period.

These hours can be gained through volunteering with one organisation, or with multiple organisations simultaneously.

The EPIC Awards initiative, which is completely free, is open to volunteers of all ages and for all types of volunteering – all you need to do is register your interest with your local volunteer centre.

There are three levels of EPIC Award: The ‘Bronze Award’ for 50 hours of volunteering; the ‘Silver Award’ for 100 hours of volunteering; and the ‘Gold Award’ for 200 hours of volunteering.

For more information, please visit ‘www.omaghvolunteercentre.org/epic-awards’.