BECOME A VOLUNTEER IN CHI HOSPITALS

Children in Hospital (CIH) Ireland is proud to be a partner of Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), in which we provide our volunteer services to support children and their families across the four CHI hospital locations;

  • CHI at Crumlin
  • CHI at Temple Street
  • CHI at Tallaght
  • CHI at Connolly

We open volunteer applications twice a year in the Spring and Autumn. We welcome volunteers from all walks of life, no experience is necessary, however, you must be 18 years or older!

Volunteers with Children in Hospital Ireland
Volunteers with Children in Hospital Ireland

*Available time slots may vary for each hospital or volunteer role. See more below or start the application process to find out more details. 

Play Volunteer

Available across all four CHI locations

Play volunteers facilitate play, arts & crafts and more with children and young people throughout the hospital while giving their family an opportunity to take a break. These volunteers are available mornings, afternoons, and evenings, 7 days a week. 

Applications Open
1 August 2026

Applications Close
9 October 2026

Training Day
17 October 2026

APPLY NOW – CHI at Crumlin
APPLY NOW – CHI at Connolly
APPLY NOW – CHI at Tallaght
APPLY NOW – CHI at Temple St

JustAsk Volunteer

Available in CHI at Crumlin ONLY

JustAsk Volunteers greet families arriving at CHI at Crumlin and help them navigate the hospital. Our JustAsk volunteers will walk families to clinics and ease their experience through chat and a friendly face. They also hand out colouring and activity packs to help ease stress and anxiety in outpatients and ED waiting areas. To read more about our JustAsk service, click here. 

The JustAsk Service is currently in CHI at Crumlin only during busy clinic hours (Monday – Friday Daytime)

Applications Open
1 July 2026

Applications Close
10 September 2026

Training Day
16 September 2026

APPLY NOW

Child & Family Support Volunteer

Available in CHI at Crumlin and CHI at Temple St ONLY

Child and Family Support Volunteers provide play to a child and support a family when their experience is more challenging.  Unlike our play volunteer shifts, these play visits are scheduled to suit a particular family’s needs, so volunteer shifts will be flexible. Previous experience working with children or as a CIH play volunteer required for this role.

The Child & Family Support service is currently in CHI at Crumlin and CHI at Temple Street only.

Applications Open
5 August 2026

Applications Close
9 October 2026

Training Day
To Be Confirmed

Notify Me When Applications Open

Frequently Asked Questions

We ask that volunteers commit to a regular volunteer slot (2 hours) once a week, for at least one year. (For example, your volunteer shift could be every Monday evening 6-8pm). This ensures consistency for you, your volunteer partner, and hospital staff. Illness and holidays will happen, so make sure you are in touch with your partner and team leader if you cannot make your volunteer slot that week.

You will complete training with Children in Hospital Ireland and receive an induction with an experienced volunteer in the hospital before your first volunteer shift.

You will be paired with a volunteer partner or team, and will support one another during every shift in the hospital. If your volunteer partner(s) is not available for a shift, you may not volunteer by yourself. This is to ensure safeguarding and protection.

Our Volunteer Management Team are available for support by phone, email or via the volunteering app, Volunteero. Our Volunteer Team will also visit the hospital for volunteer meetings and providing occasional further training opportunities throughout the year. You will also have the support of a volunteer team leader, who is an experienced volunteer in your hospital.

You will be part of a nationwide team of 400+ CIH volunteers, who we hope you will meet at trainings, meetings, and engage with on Volunteero. As a volunteer with CIH, you are also becoming a member of CIH. This entitles you to a voice in the organisation, a vote at the AGM and ongoing training and educational opportunities. You will also be provided with a t-shirt or tabard, name badge and volunteer manual.

Volunteers need to be at least 18 years old, for child protection and safeguarding purposes, but after that, we welcome people of all ages, backgrounds & experiences!

Children in Hospital Ireland will need to process Garda Vetting for every volunteer, even if you have been recently Garda Vetted by another organisation. Following a successful interview with us, we will email you with further guidance on completing the form and the ID’s required.

Find out more about the Garda Vetting process here.

If you have lived outside of Ireland for more than 6 months after age 16, you will need to provide a police clearance certificate from that country (or countries). These are especially important for child protection and safeguarding. You can find more information on how to go about this Vetting and Police Clearance here.

To reduce the risk of infection, we ask that all volunteers follow a ‘bare below the elbows’ policy. This means no nail varnish, gel nails, acrylics, or biab is permitted. No jewellery on the wrists or hands. This includes bracelets, watches or rings, as they may harbour germs. Wedding rings are permitted once they are a solid metal band.

Our volunteers will be provided with a red t-shirt or tabard, and a name badge. You may not volunteer without this uniform. No sandals, heels or open-toed shoes are allowed.

We ask that volunteers become members of our organisation, which requires a €20 joining fee and an annual subscription of €10, which renews in February of each year. This fee goes towards the costs of uniforms, insurance, and the support of volunteers. As a member of CIH, you will provide feedback and input into the work of our organisation.

Play and colouring materials will be provided during your volunteer shift.  You do not need to purchase items yourself.

You will need to cover the cost of travel and parking when volunteering in the hospital. Some hospitals may provide free parking spaces at certain times of the day, however, public transport is recommended where possible. CIH can support the cost of travel to CIH volunteer events and training events.

The Application Process

Information Session & Application Form

Volunteer applications open twice a year. When applications open on our website, watch the informational videos and complete the application form at the end.

You can check for when applications open here. 

Online Interview

When we receive your application, you will be invited by email to book an online group interview with us. This is an informal chat for us to get to know you better, and will be an opportunity for you to ask us any questions you may have.

Training

Following a successful interview, you will be invited to an in-person training (this is usually a Saturday morning). On this day, we will verify your ID’s for Garda Vetting. A second part of the training will take place via Zoom on a weekday evening. Keep an eye on your emails for further details.

*All volunteers must complete both training sessions before volunteering. 

Child Safeguarding

Children in Hospital Ireland will process Garda Vetting for every volunteer, even if you have been recently Garda Vetted by another organisation. If you have lived outside of Ireland, over the age of 16, for more than 6 months, we also require a Police Clearance Certificate from that country. You can find out more about the Garda Vetting process here. Get in touch if you have any further questions on this.

We also ask for contact details of three referees. These individuals must know you for more than two years in a professional capacity. They cannot be a friend or relative. Examples include: A teacher, co-worker, manager or fellow volunteer with another organisation.

HSE Training Modules

You must also complete three short online HSE training modules.

  • Children’s First
  • Hand Hygiene
  • PPE

We will provide details on how to complete these. If you have already completed the courses for another role, just email us the certificates!

Hospital Induction

Once all of the above requirements are completed and you have been paired with a volunteer partner, you are ready to start volunteering! We will organise an induction in the hospital, where an experienced volunteer will show you around! Happy Volunteering!

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