Student Volunteering Cardiff (SVC) is an independent charity registered in the UK, and based in the Cardiff area. SVC offers volunteering opportunities to both students and community members in and around the city of Cardiff working with the elderly, young, disadvantaged, and vulnerable. The mission of SVC is to enhance the lives of disadvantages and vulnerable members of the local community.
The charity is based on Museum Place, in central Cardiff. There are a team of 5 staff, and a Board of Trustees made up of students who study in the city of Cardiff and community members.
History
Student volunteering in Cardiff can be traced back to 1969 when students at the university became volunteers at Ely Hospital, a hospital for people who had learning disabilities. Students provided support that enabled the people to develop skills both social and practical and gain in confidence. Volunteers subsequently went on to set up the first Supported House in the country. In 1971 Student Community Action (SCA) was formed by students of Cardiff University; as a student-led charity the organisation focused its areas of work with the disadvantaged adults and children of Cardiff. In 2001 the opportunity arose for the formation of a partnership of the Innovate Trust student volunteering project and SCA. This led to one of the largest student volunteering organisations in the country. Supported by the University Union and Innovate Trust and funded by several organisations, the formation of Student Volunteering Cardiff (SVC) allowed the vision of the original students of both organisations to be carried forward to benefit further generations of Cardiff people.
In 2015 SVC moved premises, from Cardiff University Students’ Union where they were previously based, to 5-7 Museum Place. At this time SVC also opened up their volunteering opportunities to members of the Cardiff community, as well as students from other universities across Cardiff, in addition to Cardiff University.