Phone: 01792 295743
E-mail: discovery@swan.ac.uk
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Mission Statement
Discovery (charity no. 256146) is a volunteer led organisation. We aim to enrich the lives of people in Swansea through volunteering.
Discovery is a registered charity that has been established for since 1966. We currently have around 300 volunteers busy getting involved in over 40 voluntary projects all over the city! Our organisation envisages a community where people are treated as equals and are not discriminated against or disadvantaged by society.
Discovery focuses on providing the best possible service to the people we work with in Swansea so we need skilled, trained & enthusiastic volunteers.
DISCOVERY aims to:
Enrich the lives of people in Swansea in order to fulfil their potential as empowered individuals and as members of groups and communities.
Offer new experiences and opportunities through a broad range of student led activities in the community leading to increased mutual understanding and equality.
Actively support students to be aware of their personal development and the impact on themselves and the lives of others through their involvement in community based activities.
All our volunteers need to attend mandatory ‘Start Here’ training & complete an Enhanced CRB check with us before volunteering. Volunteers can also attend additional training.
News and Achievements
2012
June
Mal Pope Added an extra night to his recent run of ‘Cappuccino Girls’ to hold a charity night for Swansea Charity Partnership, Discovery staff and volunteer’s really enjoyed attending and being part of the event.
April
Discovery was visited by Suzy Davies the Welsh Conservative Assembly member and Shadow Minister for Welsh Language and Culture.
Christine Watson the manager of Discovery Student Volunteering met her Majesty the Queen at Margam Country Park, whilst there she met the Welsh Rugby Team and Rob Brydon.
March
The four pupils involved in the Elev8 numeracy booster group had an average improvement of 28% in test scores as a result of the programme.
February
The Discovery Siavonga students' programme was selected as a finalist in the outstanding global citizenship category of the youth work excellence awards 2012.
2011
Discovery was nominated for the queen’s award for voluntary service 2011.
The Discovery Food co-op had a 500% increase on last year’s orders.
Our Projects
EXCITE
Excite — Volunteering with Children and Young People
Boyz Own: Help run sports sessions for boys from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds
Circus Eruption: Learn and teach circus skills to children with and without disabilities
Elev8: Come and support 11-14 year old pupils to improve & develop their numeracy skills
Inside Out: Support activities for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Kids Away: Support activities with children by encouraging positive behaviour & participation
LGBT+ Youth Group: Help provide a fun, safe space for LGBT+ young people at our sessions
Rascals: Help us provide fun activities & outings for children from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds
Reading Buddies Scheme: Help improve 7 – 11 year old children’s literacy skills
Sblasio: Female volunteers needed to support swimming sessions with mums & children from ethnic minority or asylum seeker & refugee backgrounds
Talking Hands: Regular committed volunteers needed to take part in a weekly youth group for teenagers with hearing impairments
Whizz Kidz Film Club: Support physically disabled young people aged 11 – 25 to socialise, have fun and watch a film together
Zone 7: Support a range of activities at a weekly club for children who are home-educated – or run an activity yourself & pass on your skills!
LINX
Linx — Working with Vulnerable Adults
Active 18: Help us run social outings and activities for adults with learning disabilities
Age Exchange: Like talking about life? Come & support some reminiscing activities & spend some time with a group of older people aged 50+
Decorating Project: Carry out some decorating for people in the local community who could not otherwise manage to do it themselves
FFOPS: Provide advice, information, practical & emotional support to friends & families of prisoners going through the criminal justice system
Gardening Project: Offer some basic gardening & weeding to people who could not otherwise manage to do it themselves
Hear to Meet: Friendly and sensitive to the needs of others? Help at a social group for older people experiencing hearing loss
The Lounge Mental Health Volunteering Project: Come & help out in our drop in patients’ café running creative & social activities to help individuals regain their confidence, self esteem & motivation
Remember Me: Support activities at a group for people with dementia
SBASSG Drop-in: Help out a drop-in session for asylum seekers and refugees. Give informal English support, help out in the kitchen, join in with the children’s activities or just meet new people to chat with!
Share Tawe Share a Meal: Plan, cook and eat a meal with a group of destitute asylum seekers
Signpost Support / Friday @ Signpost: Friendly & interested in people? Then come & offer discreet support to some older adults with learning disabilities
MATRIX
Matrix — Volunteering in Fundraising and Publicity
Exposure, Fundraising & Grant: Are you into publicity or creative fundraising ideas? Come and get involved! This could be anything from organising a skydive to holding a raffle to writing a funding application or newsletter
Glocal: Help us build links between Swansea & Siavonga in Zambia by joining our Local Links for Global Results project. Go out into local schools and deliver workshops on poverty, sustainability and Global Citizenship
EXPRESSIONS
Expressions — Volunteering for Conservation & the Environment
Bee Green Student Allotment Project: Help out at the allotment at the Student Village. Learn about growing your own food, and have fun while you’re doing it!
Food Co-op: Providing fresh produce from a local farmer to students & staff at the University
Penllergare Valley Woods: Help maintain a local woodland site so it’s available for everyone to enjoy
The Farm: Volunteer at Swansea’s Community Farm, helping out with conservation, looking after animals, gardening and maintaining the site
Tidy Towns: Join our beach cleans & litter picks around Swansea
Siavonga
Discovery offers unique opportunties to volunteer in Siavonga, South Zambia in an annual summer program
City of Sanctuary
A national movement of local people, community groups, businesses and institutions united in a common wish to turn their city into a welcoming place for people seeking sanctuary from war or persecution.
Meet The Team
Staff
Kirsty Rowles - Development worker
Jerena Davies
Student Trustees
President - Heidi Muir
Vice President - Simon Forster
Treasurer - Samira Yahya
Non-Portfolio - Kudzai Phiri
- Gareth Nickels
- Gareth Taylor
- Thomas Godding
- Despina Lazarou
- Rebecca Williams
- Raymond Akintunde
Non-Student Trustees
Chair – Tony Pierce
Honorary Treasurer - Dr. Mike Buckle
Community Representative- Lee Aspland
Non-Portfolio - Chris Marshall
- Paul Meara
The opportunities that are available for students to work voluntarily with vulnerable adults and children are fantastic and an invaluable work experience for young adults in this current economy. Thank you for your time and your kind welcome, I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and learnt much from it.
Suzy Davies, AM – A recent visitor to Discovery SVS