Irish Red Cross celebrate young volunteer Sarah Collins this National Volunteer Week

Irish Red Cross celebrate young volunteer Sarah Collins for 2025 National Volunteer Week. Father and daughter, John and Sarah Collins, volunteer with the Irish Red Cross East Limerick branch located in Doon. Picture: Lorraine O’Sullivan

Celebrating 2025 National Volunteer Week: Spotlight on Sarah Collins, East Limerick

As part of National Volunteer Week, the Irish Red Cross is celebrating one of its most dedicated young volunteers: Sarah Collins, 22, from East Limerick, who was recently presented with a prestigious Garda Youth Award in recognition of her exceptional commitment to volunteering.

Sarah, the Youth Officer for the East Limerick Irish Red Cross branch, has been immersed in the organisation since childhood. Her father founded the East Limerick branch, and the Red Cross was a constant presence in their lives – right down to the ambulance regularly parked outside their home.

As a young girl, Sarah often accompanied her dad to training sessions, happily acting as the “patient” for first aid demonstrations. “I used to beg to be allowed to go with him,” she recalls. “I couldn’t wait to join properly.” She got her wish in 2016 when, at age 13, she became a youth member and began training. It was a defining moment: “I learned all these cool first aid techniques and I just knew — this is something I want to do.”

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Now, eight years later, she is leading the next generation. Each Saturday, despite studying full-time at college in Mayo, Sarah returns home to run youth training for her branch’s cadets and novices. The group may be small – with 8 young members, but under Sarah’s guidance, it’s thriving. She also brings the Red Cross spirit to her wider community, including visits to a local preschool where she set up a mini “hospital” for dolls and teddies and showed children around the ambulance.

“Sarah is a shining example of what it means to be an Irish Red Cross volunteer – passionate, selfless, and driven to make a difference in the lives of others,” said Deirdre Garvey, Secretary General of the Irish Red Cross. “During National Volunteer Week, we celebrate and thank all of our 4,000 volunteers across Ireland – their commitment builds resilience in our communities, because of them, we are ready to respond and help people to recover in times of crisis. Sarah embodies the spirit of service that defines them all.”

Sarah’s dedication deepened during the pandemic. At just 16, she faced the first lockdown in her Leaving Cert year and spent both her 17th and 18th birthdays in isolation. Like many of her peers, she felt the weight of those lost years. But through the Red Cross, she found an outlet — volunteering at vaccination centres, helping others, and building lasting friendships.

“That period was so hard,” she says. “Young people had no escape, nowhere to go. The Red Cross gave me a reason to leave the house and people who understood what I was going through.”

Volunteering has also helped Sarah personally. Once shy and lacking in confidence, she says being surrounded by like-minded people gave her the courage to open up, make friends, and take on leadership roles.

Today, she’s clear about her priorities: “I’d give 22 hours a day, 7 days a week to the Red Cross,” she laughs. “It comes first in my life.”

Her Garda Youth Award recognises this unwavering commitment, but Sarah remains focused on the future. “It’s not about the award – it’s about making a difference,” she says. “And showing others they can do it too.”

To learn more about volunteering or joining the Irish Red Cross in Limerick, visit www.redcross.ie or contact the local branch.