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Welcome to the Northern Ireland BDA Branch
After a period of inactivity, we are delighted to have relaunched our Northern Ireland branch to increase support to members in the area. The branch aims to provide a forum for communication and sharing of good practice amongst BDA members in Northern Ireland. This includes:
- Providing opportunities for networking with a variety of members from different disciplines and organisations within the geographical area assigned to the branch;
- Providing educational updates or discussion forums on non-specialist clinical/professional issues of general interest;
- Promoting the role of the BDA in the nation, including recruitment and retention of members - especially students;
- Facilitating cross-departmental collaboration on local/regional/national projects;
- Providing two-way communication between the BDA and members within the nation;
- Providing an opportunity for CPD;
Providing a link with regional Specialist Subgroups.
Join Our Volunteer Community in Northern Ireland
This is an exciting time to get involved, and new volunteers are always welcome. Whether you are a student dietitian or have been working for years in the industry, reach out and join our branch. If you do not want to be a part of the committee, please come along to one of our events to be apart of our community.
There are numerous key benefits to volunteering, as reported by volunteers in a recent national survey on volunteering. The most common benefits included:
- Enjoyment (93%)
- Make a difference (90%)
- Meet new people (90%)
- Improved mental health and wellbeing (77%)
- Improved employment prospects (34%)
(Time Well Spent: A National Survey on the Volunteer Experience: Amy McGarvey, Veronique Jochum, John Davies, Joy Dobbs, Lisa Hornung 2019)
To give a flavour of our volunteering experience, BDA member Susan Price shares her reflections:
"For a number of years, I was part of my regional branch and was the PR rep on the committee. It was a great opportunity for me to meet and network with other Dietitians, Dietetic Assistants, and students across the region, as well as developing my own skills around being a committee member. It was also a great platform that enabled me to join the BDA PR committee.
Regional and national BDA branches really help us to collaborate, learn and share ideas with each other and have a focus on what matters to us in our region. Sign up as a volunteer today!"
If you would like to follow in Susan's footsteps on this rewarding journey, please contact [email protected] for an informal discussion in the first instance. We would love to hear from you!