Meg Rybicki

MARDI, Castlegal, Co. Leitrim

Meg volunteers with MARDI (Movement Against Racism, Discrimination, Intolerance), who work with people from marginalised and disenfranchised communities, with particular focus on asylum seekers and refugees. As well as writing grant applications, facilitating the many projects and writing up final reports, Meg goes beyond being a volunteer by inspiring others to avail of training, workshops and seminar opportunities. Significantly, three of the projects written and facilitated by Meg have been given acknowledgement and accreditation by state bodies and received national media coverage. Meg has also raised the profile of the organisation through her innovative networking with umbrella organisations, other community and voluntary groups, and partner groups in Europe. The local community has benefited from the knock-on effect of successful projects, as schools have recently availed of anti-racism and intercultural training. Members of the local community have also been inspired to volunteer with the organisation and have in turn benefited from an understanding of interculturalism, new communities and issues of equality, justice and inclusion. Meg is a mother of five children aged 6 to 19, one of whom has special needs. She would like to see the group MARDI become incorporated, and then provide a part time job for someone who could move the organisation on in order to build its capacity. She doesn’t want the job herself, as in her own words, “my real job is being the best mum I can to my children, and trying to keep MARDI going in order for the other volunteers to benefit as much as they can from networking, training and upskilling.”

“Volunteering is a two way street – whatever the volunteer gives, is often more than returned, in terms of upskilling, personal development, and learning to learn.  Without volunteers, the Third Sector in Ireland would simply not exist! Viva la volunteer, long live volunteering!” – Meg

Photograph by Maureen McDonnell