VSI at 60: Volunteering, Activism & Global Solidarity (1965–2025)
This year, VSI is celebrating 60 years of volunteering, activism, and global solidarity!
Spike Milligan planting trees with VSI members at Glencree 1974
Since 1965, thousands of people have been part of VSI’s story – taking part in international volunteer projects, development education projects, youth exchanges, European Voluntary Service and Solidarity Corps volunteering, campaigns, trainings, and global citizenship education. Together, we've worked for peace, social justice, inclusion and a fairer world.
Volunteers’ Experiences Through the Years
“VSI Memories of the 1960s” — reflections by Phelim Boyle.
“Sowing the Seeds: 1965–1969” — insights from Sinéad Walsh on VSI’s early years.
“My Time in VSI: The 1970s” — reflections by Colm Dunne on VSI’s work on Benburb St., Dublin.
“Give Way to Bikes: 1978” — Rita Dolan on VSI’s initiative to improve cycling facilities in Dublin.
“Toyzone: A Project Ahead of Its Time: 1998” — Tiziana Soverino on the innovative Toyzone project.
Send us your photos 📸:
Do you have old (or not-so-old!) photos from your time volunteering or activism with VSI? We'd love to have them so we can share them online or at our events!
If you have old or recent photos from your time with VSI, we’d love to include them on our website and at events. You can send photos via SwissTransfer, WeTransfer or any file-sharing tool, and email them Info@vsi.ie
Share your VSI story:
Tell us about your VSI experience — a memory, a project, a moment, or what your time with VSI meant to you. You can send us a full story or even just a short quote.
The questions we provide will be in a Google Doc (here) — you can copy and paste them if you want to use them as prompts, but you don’t have to answer them all. Feel free to write whatever you like.
If you choose to share your story, you can also include any photos you’d like to share along with it.
Please email your story to Info@vsi.ie
A 60-Year Celebration: Tree Planting Weekend
To celebrate 60 years of VSI, we planted one tree for every year of our organisation! Volunteers gathered in Killarney National Park (KNP) over the weekend, with activities running from Friday afternoon to Sunday lunchtime. Friday arrivals settled in and traveled to the park, followed by a welcome dinner in the evening. Saturday featured the main tree-planting day from late morning to late afternoon. Sunday offered an optional deer rutting walk with KNP Ranger Tim Cahalane, with a chance to plant more trees.
This weekend was made possible in collaboration with our long-term partner, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), who generously donated 60 native Irish trees, helped with planting, and provided accommodation in the heart of the national park at Arthur Vincent House.
Thank you for being part of the story.
Here's to 60 years of volunteering for a better world and to all the people who made it possible.
Keep an eye out for upcoming events!