Swansea students keep discovering the benefits of volunteering
The work of Swansea University’s charity, Discovery, is being highlighted this week through National Student Volunteering week 2010 (22-28 March).
Discovery’s volunteers are mainly Swansea University students who are involved in running a number of initiatives throughout the Swansea community, and the scheme is growing in popularity all the time.
Hannah Preedy, Assistant Manager said: “This year has seen a boom in student volunteering for Discovery. We have over 300 volunteers and we still have people coming in every day to register. We currently have 32 projects in the community, but with the increase in volunteer numbers we are hoping to expand our scope over the coming years.
“Each volunteer brings with them a unique set of skills which are invaluable on the projects they run. As well as providing a huge amount of practical and social support, the students also form a bridge between the University and the wider community.”
The volunteers are involved with activities including:
- running a food co-op;
- visiting a mental health hospital;
- running youth clubs around the city;
- taking autistic children on outings;
- visiting older people in their homes;
- planting trees;
- teaching dance and circus skills;
- teaching English to refugees;
- gardening and decorating for vulnerable adults;
- running activities and mentoring in schools;
- taking part in conservation work;
- fundraising;
- running workshops for home-educated children;
- serving breakfast to homeless people;
- lunching with mental health service users;
- providing support to families of prisoners.
Charlie Casey-Haden is Discovery’s project coordinator for The Farm. This means she organises a group of volunteers to go to the community Farm in Fforestfach every month. The volunteers get involved in conservation work, everything from path laying to compost turning. The Farm is accessed by people in the community who use it for educational and social purposes.
Charlie organises transport, activities for the volunteers, introductions and evaluations. She also volunteers on some of Discovery’s other projects including the beach clean and Penllergaer Valley Woods, and she has taken part in a fundraising skydive for Discovery. She said:
“I initially joined Discovery as I wanted to do a skydive. Through this I met other volunteers and was interested in what they were doing.
“Volunteering is great because you meet such a diverse range of friendly people and my involvement means I have met people in the community I would not otherwise have met.
“The Farm project really makes a difference in the community; it is accessed by people all over Swansea and is a great opportunity for people to learn about nature and where our food comes from. The Discovery volunteers work alongside volunteers from the community, many of whom are from disadvantaged areas. Many of the volunteers are young people who struggle in school. However their volunteering experience means they excel and learn in other ways. The contact with University volunteers also allows them to talk informally about higher education and meet people from all over the world.
I have gained many valuable skills through Discovery; I’ve obtained a first aid certificate and learned project management, organisational and communication skills. I hope to go into humanitarian aid in the future, but without a doubt, the skills I have learned through volunteering will be useful to me in so many areas of my life."
In addition to the activities organised by ‘Discovery’, the Egypt Centre at Swansea University also relies upon it’s student volunteers who run school activations, staff galleries, and generally help with the widening participation remit. Click here for further information on the Egypt Centre volunteers.
Click the following link to access the Discovery Calendar of Events.
Hannah Preedy
Assistant Manager
Charlie Casey-Haden
Discovery’s project coordinator for The Farm
