FW: SVS Newsletter - Major updates, Register as Members Now!
Phyl Meyer
From: The Student Volunteering Scotland network mailing list [mailto:STUDENT-VOLUNT...@JISCMAIL.AC.UK] On Behalf Of Phyl Meyer
Sent: 22 July 2010 14:40
To: STUDENT-VOLUNT...@JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Subject: SVS Newsletter - Major updates, Register as Members Now!
Dear SVS list members,
As you may have seen from earlier reports and our website, Student Volunteering Scotland has been undergoing considerable change lately and transition. We have a new home, a new staff presence and are working on a number of exciting possibilities for funded work.
This new email newsletter (hopefully the first of many) is intended to bring you up to date, and highlight a few key pieces of information you can now find on our website. We've broken it up into easy to read sections as shown below.
Contents:
1. SVS move to SCVO HQ in Edinburgh under new
partnership
2. Discussions ongoing about
changes to SVS aims and objectives
3. SVS now
registering members - please sign up today!
4. News on the website:
a. NUS "Student Gathering" event next
month @ Stirling University
b. Latest "Gold Awards" winners
c. Updates on SVS developments and
Online Membership Application
d.
Submit your own news items
5. We'd like to hear from you
*********
1. SVS move to SCVO HQ in Edinburgh under new partnership
Over the last month or so SVS has completed a move in to the headquarters of the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO). As the primary 'umbrella body' for the voluntary sector, SCVO works across almost every area of concern to charities, social enterprises and network bodies in Scotland's "third sector". Our move in is part of a new partnership that has been agreed by the SVS Board to work more closely with SCVO on a number of areas to facilitate greater student involvement with the voluntary sector via volunteering, involvement with boards, placements, internships or career choice.
We're very excited about this move which we think offers many advantages in joint-working and partnership development, and makes it much easier for SVS to act as the national representative 'gateway' between the student world and the voluntary sector.
Our new address is Student Volunteering Scotland, c/o SCVO, Mansfield Traquair Centre, Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB
2. Discussions ongoing about changes to SVS aims and objectives
In order to respond to the changing environment and demands upon students, SVS has been internally debating a change to our aims and objectives. This change would be to slightly broaden our focus out from focussing solely on "volunteering" to include other forms of student engagement with the voluntary sector which may not strictly speaking meet the definition of volunteering. A good example is paid student internship or work placement within charities, such as seen recently in the "SHEEN Placements" pilot project (http://sheenplacements.wordpress.com), or students taking part in Project Scotland.
Any proposed changes will of course need to be brought to members for approval (or rejection) at a General Meeting, and since we need to update our Memorandum and Articles of Association as a charitable company to reflect recent changes in legislation, we would intend to combine these two things.
An important thing to say is that this does not mean we are taking anything away from our commitment to traditional forms of student volunteering - we remain as committed as ever to supporting and encouraging this - but the fact is that there are some forms of engagement that have very similar benefits, very similar issues, and as such it would seem to make sense to include them in the same pool of discussion and support facilitated by SVS. In order to do this, as a legally recognised charity, it is good practice to reflect it in our aims and objectives.
We'd like to hear your views on this - you can either share them on this list or contact us directly at membe...@studentvolscotland.org.uk
The General Meeting is expected to be held after the summer - more details to follow. We had originally hoped to do this before the summer break but decided to delay to allow for greater participation after the break. Please therefore disregard the date you may have seen published in Third Force News, which we were not able to take out before it went to print!
3. SVS now registering members - please sign up today!
In the past SVS has operated on the basis that everyone or every organisation or group with an interest has access to our organisation by default, free of charge, and we have not tended to strictly operate a more conventional membership system. This has now changed. Membership will still (for the time being) remain free of charge, but in order to ensure we can accurately describe our membership, maintain an up to date contact list, and for administrative purposes for upcoming General Meetings we are requiring organisations and groups to register with us as members.
You can now easily do so online at www.studentvolscotland.org.uk - the form is very brief so please take a couple of minutes to fill it in and submit it now!
4. News on the website:
a. NUS "Student Gathering" event next
month @ Stirling University
The National Union of Students is organising a student convention event at the University of Stirling, on Fri August 20th to Sat 21st. The event is known as "The Gathering" (not to be confused with the SCVO event of the same name for the voluntary sector!) and is "an excellent opportunity to student leaders and staff from universities and colleges across Scotland."
Spaces are limited and offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you would like be a part of this year’s Gathering please contact Alasdair Griffiths, Communications and Campaigns Officer, at NUS Scotland on 0131 556 6598.
b. Latest "Gold Awards" winners
Over the last year several institutions have taken part in the SVS Gold Awards - our national certificate scheme to recognise the most outstanding examples of student volunteers from each institution for the year.
The scheme is free to participate in, could not be simpler to administer, and provides an excellent way for you to give your most excellent student volunteer leaders, organisers and achievers some national recognition.
Featured on our website right now are the latest winners of the awards from Angus College. Read the article here:
http://www.studentvolscotland.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=57&Itemid=41
For further information on the Gold Awards and how to take part, read all about it here:
http://www.studentvolscotland.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=38
c. Updates on SVS developments and Online Membership Application
Our website is now back in regular operation with updates on what SVS is up to, as well as the new online Membership Application. Check out our homepage at www.studentvolscotland.org.uk where you will see News items at the top divided into SVS News and Institution News
d. Submit your own news items
We are very keen to hear about what Student Associations and student volunteering groups are doing locally, and help you to get some national notice by adding an article to our website. The SVS website is designed to be your space to share with others working across Scotland and beyond. If you have something you'd like to submit an article for, please contact us. Regular contributors can be set up on our website allowing you to use the site to enter articles directly.
5. We'd like to hear from you
Finally, if there is any matter you'd like to get in touch with us about, please do. We now have a part-time staff presence once more, based in SCVO, and would be glad to support you in any way we can.
Best Regards,
Phyl Meyer
Executive Director
Student
Volunteering Scotland
c/o SCVO
Mansfield Traquair Centre
Mansfield Place
Edinburgh
EH3 6BB
07779790070
phyl....@studentvolscotland.org.uk
http://www.studentvolscotland.org.uk
Student Volunteering Scotland (known as SVS) is registered as a charity in Scotland, SC032805 and as a company limited by guarantee, SC227896
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