Student Volunteering

There are great benefits of volunteering:

• It boosts quality of life
• It increases ability to cope with ill health
• It can lead to a healthier lifestyle
• It can improve family relationships
• You meet new people
• It improves self-esteem and sense of purpose

Discovery Student Volunteering Swansea is a registered charity based in Swansea University. It’s a voluntary organisation that has been in existence for 50 years and currently operates a wide variety of local community projects. Discovery is a student-centred organisation that envisages a community where people are treated as equals and aren’t discriminated against or disadvantaged by society.

Check out their Facebook page for latest news, updates on projects and blogs visit their facebook page.

Website - http://discoverysvs.org/

What can students do as part of Discovery?

Discovery gives you an opportunity to volunteer on over 50 different types of projects. The opportunities include; organising weekend days out for children or vulnerable adults, running or supporting community groups including groups for the elderly, children with autism, refugee and asylum seekers, adults with disabilities. They work with schools in Swansea and once a year travel to Zambia to work with women’s groups and schools there. They also do some very practical things like gardening and decorating for people who need support or community littler picks and beach cleans.

Students can also volunteer to work alongside the Police as part of the COP Project: Supporting South Wales Police with the Swansea Help Point and other crime reduction campaigns. Over the last 2 years, the Swansea Help Point has been running every Wednesday and Saturday night from 10pm until 4am looking after injured, intoxicated and vulnerable people in the night-time economy. It has so far treated nearly 2500 people and reduced the number of ambulances to the city centre and the strain on A&E on these key nights. Student volunteers work together with South Wales Police, Paramedics and A & E nurses to help people finding themselves in vulnerable positions on a night out.
Discovery’s strength is in the diverse nature of its services, they have over 25 different projects all of which are co-ordinated by student volunteers. The trustee board is also made up of over 50% students which means that we are truly a student led organisation.

What students get out of being part of Discovery

All Discovery volunteers have access to high quality training, and they will go on to organise activities, and will learn the important skills of leadership, group organisation, motivation, and supervision of other volunteers. You can qualify for a HEAR award and discovery can provide references for regular volunteers. It also gives you an opportunity to gain skills and knowledge through practical, real-life experiences that exist outside of the University.

1. Go to the Discovery website and create an account on our volunteering database.
2. Attend the Start Here training. This is a mandatory 1-hour induction course to Discovery.
3. Complete a DBS check if required. More information on which projects require a DBS check can be found on the volunteer database.
4. Visit the office to collect your volunteer card. If you require a DBS check wait for it to be returned to you. If not, pop into the office with a £5 admin fee and a passport-sized photo of yourself, sign our conduct agreement, collect your volunteer ID card and you’re ready to start volunteering!