(Welsh text is located below)
Student Volunteering Cardiff (SVC) achieved a UK-first when they were presented with the Investing in Volunteers Award at a special ceremony in the capital on 1 March.
Professor Teresa Rees, University Pro-Vice Chancellor said that the work of the students was impressive and brought great credit to the university. The Mayor, the Rt Hon Gareth Neale, said that the most disadvantaged communities of Cardiff benefited enormously from the students and he was proud to be able to congratulate on their behalf. . He mentioned in particular their work with vulnerable young people, the homeless, the elderly and the sick.
SVC has approximately 900 students and over 40 projects and is one of the largest student volunteering organisations in the UK. In order to get the Investing in Volunteers award, it had to demonstrate that it met the required standard in ten indicators measuring the way it recruits, supports and values volunteers and have the written policies and procedures in place.
The Assessor who carried out interviews with 30 of the students commented that the volunteers were enthusiastic and deeply committed to what they did, and also appeared to get a lot out of it personally, including a great sense of fun! This was despite the pressure on them to complete their academic studies.
This was endorsed by the SVC’s chair of trustees, Charlotte Davies who said that SCV was the best thing that had happened to her in the three years she had been at Cardiff but that sadly she would have to give up volunteering next year to concentrate on her medical studies .
Andrea Dare, Manager of SVC and Devinda de Silver, Assistant manager were both congratulated for the huge effort they put in to make the volunteering programme a success, along with the other members of the small staff team, Rhian, Helen and Coralie.
Myfyrwyr Caerdydd yn Rhagori
Mae Gwirfoddoli ymhlith Myfyrwyr Caerdydd (SVC) wedi achub y blaen ar weddill y DU wrth ennill Gwobr Buddsoddi mewn Gwirfoddolwyr mewn seremoni arbennig yn y brifddinas ar 1 Mawrth.
Dywedodd yr Athro Teresa Rees, Dirprwy Is Ganghellor y Brifysgol, bod gwaith y myfyrwyr yn destun canmol mawr ac roedd yn dod â chlod sylweddol i’r brifysgol. Dywedodd y Maer, y Gwir Anrhydeddus Gareth Neale, bod cymunedau mwyaf difreintiedig Caerdydd wedi elwa’n aruthrol ar gyfraniad y myfyrwyr, ac roedd yn falch o gael y cyfle i’w llongyfarch ar eu rhan. Cyfeiriodd yn benodol at eu gwaith gyda phobl ifanc agored i niwed, pobl ddigartref, yr henoed a phobl sâl.
Mae gan SCV oddeutu 900 o fyfyrwyr a thros 40 o brosiectau ac mae’n un o’r cyrff gwirfoddoli mwyaf ymhlith myfyrwyr yn y DU. Er mwyn ennill y wobr Buddsoddi mewn Gwirfoddolwyr, roedd rhaid iddo ddangos ei fod yn bodloni’r safon ofynnol gyda deg dangosydd a oedd yn mesur sut mae’n recriwtio, cefnogi a gwerthfawrogi gwirfoddolwyr, a bod â pholisïau a gweithdrefnau ar waith.
Dywedodd yr Asesydd, a gyfwelodd 30 o’r myfyrwyr, bod y gwirfoddolwyr yn frwdfrydig ac yn hynod ymroddedig i’r gwaith, ac roeddent hefyd i’w gweld yn cael budd personol mawr ohono, ac yn cael môr o hwyl wrth wneud! Roedd hyn er gwaethaf y pwysau arnynt i gwblhau eu hastudiaethau academaidd.
Cymeradwywyd hyn gan gadeirydd ymddiriedolwyr SVC, Charlotte Davies, a ddywedodd mai SCV oedd y peth gorau a ddigwyddodd iddi yn y tair blynedd iddi fod yng Nghaerdydd, ond yn anffodus, byddai'n rhaid iddi roi'r gorau i wirfoddoli y flwyddyn nesaf er mwyn canolbwyntio ar ei hastudiaethau meddygol.
Llongyfarchwyd Andrea Dare, Rheolwraig SVC a Devinda de Silver, y Rheolwraig gynorthwyol, ill dwy, am eu hymdrechion aruthrol i sicrhau llwyddiant y rhaglen gwirfoddoli, ynghyd ag aelodau eraill y tîm staff bach, Rhian, Helen a Coralie.
