SVS -St Andrews Voluntary Service
A network of the University of St Andrews Students' Association ("the Union")
Instagram: YourSVS
Website: svs-standrews.ac.uk
History
SVS originated as a branch of the Christian Union, dispatching volunteers into the local community to assist with tasks such as gardening and shopping. In 1987, SVS separated from the Christian Union to become a recognised charity in Scotland and began expanding into new project areas. More recently, in 2006, SVS became a network of the St Andrews Students' Association.
About SVS
St Andrews Voluntary Service (SVS) connects University students and staff with meaningful volunteering opportunities, fostering a spirit of service and community engagement. Our focus is on supporting and uplifting local communities in St Andrews, Fife and Dundee, enabling volunteers to make a tangible difference in the lives of others. Through our diverse projects, we aim to create a positive impact while offering volunteers a genuinely enriching experience. In short, SVS facilitates student volunteering.
Volunteering opportunities
Our volunteering projects are organised into five areas: Animals & Environment, Community, the Elderly, Youth, and Those with Additional Needs. Within each project area, we support carefully selected projects in and around St Andrews. There is a wide range of opportunities on offer, spanning varying time commitments, so as to accommodate different passions and interests.
What motivates us
We hope to make student volunteering an integral part of the student experience at the University of St Andrews. Volunteering carries a wealth of benefits: giving back to the community, fostering a sense of belonging, developing practical and interpersonal skills, building confidence, gaining hands-on experience that strengthens your CV and employability, meeting new people from all walks of life, discovering more of Fife and Scotland beyond the St Andrews bubble, and gaining a fresh perspective on the world around you.
How do I join SVS
SVS does not operate like a society, so there is no membership to speak of - every matriculated student is automatically a member! A list of our projects is available in physical form at the Student Union from September onwards, and digitally the Linktree is in our Instagram bio (@YourSVS), as well as on our website, svs-standrews.com.
All projects can also be found in the "My Volunteering" section of the Graduate Attributes portal on MySaint, where students can sign up directly. For students staying in St Andrews for the summer, we have also compiled a list of ways to get involved now, find these on our Linktree in our Instagram bio.
I've pressed sign up, what's next
Once you've signed up, you will be prompted to accept the Volunteering Contract. From there, project officers within the SVS committee will process your application and be in touch by email with any required forms. Once these are completed and returned, the project officer will forward them to our contract at the relevant project, who will then reach out to you directly to get you started.
Logging hours
Once you begin volunteering, keep a record of the time you spend, along with some form of evidence - this could be as simple as confirmation emails or a sign-in/sign-out sheet. Hours can be logged on the same Graduate Attributes portal, under "Log an Activity". On reaching certain milestones, volunteers receive awards that are formally recognised on their academic transcript.
How else can I get involved?
If none of our projects appeals to you, we also have a list of additional opportunities, some of which are one-off events. To thank our volunteers, we host monthly socials designed to build a stronger volunteer community - from potlucks and movie nights to wine and board game evenings, there is something to suit everyone. These socials are open to all, whether you've volunteered with us for years or are simply considering getting started. Our committee also welcomes new members each year, so if you would like to join a team of passionate, friendly people, we'd love to hear from you.
The best way to stay informed is by joining our mailing list (details on our website) or following us on Instagram and Facebook (@YourSVS), where all our latest opportunities are posted.
To get in touch with SVS, send us a DM on Instagram or email [email protected]. To reach a specific department within SVS, please refer to our website for the relevant contact details.