Kildare shop volunteers honoured by NCBI

Two volunteers who work at the NCBI shop in Celbridge, have  been presented with achievement certificates at a lunch in the charity HQ.

Kitty Kiernan from Maynooth and Bernie Gough from Celbridge have been volunteering with the National Council for the Blind of Ireland, (NCBI)  which works  for people with sight loss, for the past seven years.

NCBI said there are 2,112 people with sight loss in county Kildare. The organisation has eight shops in the county.

Speaking at a lunch on April 11,  to celebrate some of NCBI’s 700 strong volunteer force, Finbarr Roche, NCBI Head of Property  and Retail, said that without their help the NCBI “simply couldn’t open its doors.”

He told volunteers: “ You are the lifeblood of the NCBI, you keep the wheels moving. Not only do you give your time, energy and skills for free, you bring a whole new level of enthusiasm and dedication to our organisation. We are totally indebted to you all, and NCBI is able to do what it does as a result of your generosity”.

Kitty and Bernie both said that working for the NCBI is “a pleasure and a joy and we get back so much more than we give”.  

Kitty said: “I worked in retail for years so it was a natural fit for me to volunteer with the NCBI shop, I love it, we are a great team and we have great fun.  We are always busy and I think people know and appreciate the hard work that the NCBI does. It truly offers a great service.”

Bernie said she worked in a supermarket for 16 years and was “used to being busy and active.”

She said: “I felt I just had to get back out there doing something again. I approached the NCBI and seven happy years later I am still there. I love the camaraderie, we have great customers and donors. People are so generous  and people always comment on how good the shop is. They are amazed at the quality of the stock.” Both said the time they give to the NCBI is time well spent