Over the years the organisation has changed its name to Student Community Action and now Discovery Student Volunteering Swansea, and after five decades of helping the elderly, taking children away on trips, gardening, decorating and much, much more the organisation is proud to celebrate its 50th birthday.

Discovery is a registered charity (256146) and currently operates on a wide range of community projects. Through student volunteering the organisation aims to enrich the lives of disadvantaged people, challenge discrimination as well as supporting people with disabilities. In 2014 the organisation was honoured with the Queens Award for Voluntary Service, the highest accolade a charity can achieve.

With the support of the Big Lottery Fund, Discovery has organised a weekend full of activities to mark its fiftieth anniversary of helping the community with various activities planned across the weekend of Friday 17th June, Saturday 18th June and Sunday 19th June 2016. 

Discovery will run a series of intergenerational workshops and exhibitions aimed at increasing volunteering and community participation. This grant of £5000 is from the Awards for All Wales fund for community workshops and activities, training for volunteers, publicity, exhibition materials, paint and art materials and transport.

Christine Watson MBE, Managing Director says “This funding means that we can actively engage many of our service users into our celebrations. It’s so important to us that we are inclusive and able to offer activities that are true to our aims and values. Being able to promote our work, past, current and future is important to the success of the next 50 years! “

If you have been involved in any of activities, as a volunteer or a beneficiary please complete “Capturing Discovery’s History” form (http://goo.gl/forms/phVlMWo1c6)

The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery for good causes and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes.

Since June 2004 we have awarded over £8 billion to projects that make a difference to people and communities in need, from early years intervention to commemorative travel funding for World War Two veterans.

Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £33 billion has been raised and more than 450,000 grants awarded.

To find out more please contact Christine Watson MBE on 01792 295743 or 07989607683 (email c.watson@swansea.ac.uk)

• The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
  
  
• Since June 2004 we have awarded over £8 billion to projects that change the lives of millions of people. Every year we fund 13,000 small local projects tackling big social problems like poor mental health and homelessness.
  
  
•  Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £34 billion has been raised and more than 450,000 grants awarded.