Read just a few of the many comments we receive about the support provided to our members, voluntary & statutory sector partners, in addition to the young people who have benefited from accessing our youth engagement opportunities.
SCVYS is a values-led organisation, and our values capture what SCVYS stands for as an organisation in delivering impactful support for Staffordshire’s children and young people’s voluntary sector. These include:
Committed to Excellence Inspiring Reassuring Knowledgeable Dedicated Supportive
Our values also reflect what we want everyone who deals with us to experience, and we hope these are reflected within the feedback provided below.
“Our SCVYS Development worker has made us see that we are not alone and with her help and support we are now proud to have received our very first funding application acceptance of £1000 from The Community Foundation for Staffordshire. We would never have done it without her compassion and belief in our project and SCVYS help and support has been the magic we needed to keep us on track and aiming high. Target Sport Burntwood will continue to thrive now we have a pathway to success and we will make a difference to our community with SCVYS on our side.”
Janine Bradbury – Target Sport Burntwood
“Thank you first of all for the money received, it will really help these young people with their confidence, communication, teamwork and other soft skills, whilst helping to open doors as they seek employment in the future.
Secondly a HUGE thank you to SCVYS for the support received as we completed the most detailed and demanding tender for the Turnaround Project. Having someone on hand to check the submission, advise and provide templates for processes and procedures that we didn’t formally have in place was so brilliant and relieved a lot of the stress from the process. As a result of the support we were awarded the contract and are well on the way to turning around the lives of many young people.”
TeeJay Dowe – Spark to Your Success
“Thank you for an amazing camp, it is very kind of the SCVYS leaders to put all their time into these two weeks. It has been great! I will apply for next year because this has been an experience I won’t forget. Thank you for all your advice and support with my presentation and poem.”
Shannon – Summer War Graves project participant 2023
More information: Summer War Graves Project
“Our Development worker has been responsive, informative and keeps us regularly updated with specific grants that may be available for our group to apply for. She was also successful in helping us with an application for SCVYS start up fund, enabling us to purchase our first 12 months insurance.”
Lydia Worthington – Passion for Parks Heath Hayes & Wimblebury
“I just wanted to say a very big thank you to SCVYS for the excellent Bright Beginnings report. I have learnt a lot from your evaluation and appreciate the time and care you have taken in understanding the project and providing such valuable insight. It has been really interesting and helpful to read and is so useful for us as a charity and team to learn from. I will share this with the Spark trustees who will also I am sure find it very beneficial as we move forward and the staff who contributed also.”
Esther Allen – SPARK (Burntwood) CIO
“On behalf of The Community Foundation I must thank, and say a massive well done to the whole team at SCVYS for the fantastic support you’ve given to the sector, particularly over the last 12 months. There is no doubt it’s made a huge difference to people, and we’re pleased to have been able to help where we can. We might have the funding, but we wouldn’t be able to secure that without being able to demonstrate the fantastic work that goes on, and SCVYS has made a huge contribution to that. Congratulations, and a massive well done. You should all be very proud of what you have achieved.”
Steve Adams – The Community Foundation for Staffordshire
“I just want to say the support that SCVYS has given us has been amazing, after having uncertainty of whether Chesterton Youth Club would operate again within the Vision Centre after the COVID pandemic. SCVYS has been behind us 100%, given us the relevant information and important documents to start the youth club back up.
Also with the start up funding grant that was given to us we have managed to pay for the insurance’s that we need and to protect the volunteers & young people whilst the youth club sessions are active.
Our main contact at SCVYS has been very professional and knowledgeable and helped us out with various situations that we have never been in before. I just want to say a massive thank you we couldn’t have done it without you.”
Nathan Bridgwood – Chesterton Youth Club
“The impact of the training and guidance by SCVYS cannot be underestimated. This has changed the way the charity seeks funding completely and I now have the confidence to apply for funding that has a major impact on the families that the charity supports.
For example, Lottery funding was always seen as something that would be a long and difficult process with little chance of success but we were delighted to receive significant funding after the guidance we received.
Our success rate for funding via grant applications in 2020/21 was 100%, which gives an indication of the quality of the support received from our Development Worker. Grant funding applications are now a fundamental part of our fundraising strategy and only last week we received a call to say that we were successful in a recent bid through the Community Foundation despite stiff competition and we were also offered additional funding on top of our original bid. Thank you for everything you have done for us!”
Rachael Olley – Childhood Cancer Parents Alliance
“SCVYS are always there when you need them and they work tirelessly to understand the overall landscape of voluntary services, advocating on our behalf and ensuring that the sector is supported in really effective ways i.e. through training, sharing experiences, support, resourcing etc.
As individual charities and organisations we rarely have a voice and our collective impact is rarely understood. Through organisations like SCVYS we are supported, encouraged, resourced but also our voice is heard and our impact seen and understood. SCVYS really understands the challenges we face and as a result and are able to support and advocate for us. We really appreciate it.”
Sam Phillips – The Youth Net
“SCVYS strategic and development support has helped to steer Community Together CIC in the right direction. They have always been accessible and available to talk to, offering valuable free advice.
Knowing SCVYS is there in the background is invaluable, especially as they have a countywide knowledge of the sector and are fully aware of the relevant and upcoming opportunities or issues.
From the very beginning SCVYS have been there, right up to today as Community Together CIC stands as an established medium sized organisation.”
Steve Hodgetts & Lee Bates – Community Together CIC
“Our development worker is in constant communication with us. She sends updates and advice on a daily basis. If she finds things that she thinks would be of value to us directly she gets in touch. She is always there for support. SCVYS provide very good information, services, support and have very approachable staff. They are a very organised organisation that provides excellent support.”
Heather Preece – West Chadsmoor Family Centre
“I just wanted to say thank you for a training course I took a couple of weeks ago. I asked for training on food hygiene on the website and was sent the link to a course almost immediately. I am now the proud owner of a Level 2 certificate in Food Safety and Hygiene. It was so easy and simple to find what I wanted on your website and I trusted the course I was taking, as so many come up when you do an internet search and it’s hard to know what is a reputable site. Thank you once again.”
Anne Slater – Halfpenny Green Air Scouts
“I just wanted to drop a quick email to say how much I have appreciated the PSHE digests. They are incredibly comprehensive and have introduced me to lots of new resources. I spent a good hour and a half going through the June digest, and have tweaked our schemes of work as a result. I’ve also found new advice booklets and posters that are filling a gap in our provision. There is SO much out there, so it’s really helpful to have this regular update and signposting.”
Independent Secondary School, Staffordshire
More information: Pan-Staffordshire PSHE Education Service
“The project has completely changed me as a person from enjoying my comfort zone and not pushing myself to a person who is willing to try all opportunities that come my way regardless of if I believe I will enjoy myself.
I am extremely happy to have experienced the camp and it will be something I’ll remember for the rest of my life as one of the greatest experiences of my life.”
Harry – Summer War Graves project participant 2022
More information: Summer War Graves Project
“The Co-production Promise & Toolkit is such a great assurance tool – Excellent. I think we should aim high always and there’s nothing wrong with being aspirational when it comes to children.”
Steph Nightingale – Staffs. & Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board
More information: Staffordshire’s Co-Production Promise
“Just a note to thank you for last night’s training session with the Trustees. It was very informative and spot on with stimulating their engagement.
I’ve had very good feedback, and you’ve given us some good ideas as to how we can present some of our own material for the future.”
Paul Laffey – YMCA Burton
“The £500 grant from SCVYS has made a huge impact on our little sports club. It has allowed us to purchase some much needed pieces of equipment to sustain our club. We are the only Angling Development Club in the area and it is important that we continue offering quality, safe coaching to young people. The equipment purchased will be used over the next couple of seasons (years) at least; most likely longer. As grants go, this represents good value for SCVYS and makes a massive difference to our humble little club. Thank you for your ongoing support. It is much valued and appreciated.”
John Anderson – FISH2013
“SCVYS is always on hand to offer support, advice and guidance whenever needed. SCVYS feel like part of our organisation rather than a separate entity, which makes working alongside them very easy and accessible.
As the only Executive Director there often seems more to do than time will allow, however SCVYS support reduces the time I have to spend finding out information and identifying specific provision, opportunities, organisations and funding that we can access as a service.
This is a massive help.”
Rebecca Mainstone – Breathing Space Therapeutic Services CIC
“Can I just pass on my thanks to Alana & Fran for today’s WHAM training. It was thoroughly enjoyed by the students (and myself) and we are looking forward to using it within school and the wider community already.”
Walton High School – Stafford
More information: The WHAM Plan
“The Oral Health & PSHE pack is amazing, I’ve just registered for the resource library and had a quick look, it looks a wealth of information, thanks so much!!”
School Nurse – Staffordshire
More information: PSHE Resource Library Registration
“Excellent. Our Development worker has provided such valuable advice and support over the year, particularly being quick to inform about funding opportunities and new provision that would be helpful to us. She’s also been a valuable sounding board. Thank you!”
Louise Walker – Homestart Staffordshire Moorlands
“Sounds like Staffordshire are leading the way with young people…
Thank you for sharing your resources, they are really helpful. Might even be pinching a few ideas from there myself.”
Regional Co-ordinator – UK Youth Parliament / Youth Voice
“This is a great report, a huge well done to SCVYS, no mean achievement! I look forward to being able to share it more widely and to seeing the response from East Staffordshire as well as Staffordshire more widely if it helps galvanise understanding and investment in youth work that really would be a great result.”
Ruth Rickman-Williams, Youth Focus West Midlands
More information: The Future of Youth Provision Report
“SCVYS report on ‘Young People’s Perceptions of Violence in Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent’ is amazing and I suspect is ground-breaking research. I sincerely hope it gets the credit and attention it needs and deserves.”
Keith Walker – Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel
More information: Young People’s Perceptions of Violence Report
“I honestly cannot believe these sessions are free! They are an absolutely brilliant resource for PSHE leads (and more)! Thank you for all the hard work and effort that goes into them.”
“It’s great to get the opportunity to stay up to date and learn about PSHE outside of my own school & experience.”
“Thank you. It’s just great to remind me of what’s available and on offer. The sessions reassure me and help to improve my confidence when delivering PSHE.”
“Some really useful information, resources and content shared to support the delivery of PSHE for our children. The main points I took away are that we have the responsibility for the coverage of PSHE first, not being led into accidentally promoting poor behaviour or interactions and signposting children, staff and parents to the appropriate resources if they need it.”
PSHE Leads Network
“Thank you for a great summer camp experience. The itinerary SCVYS had planned was fantastic, we didn’t realise how many trips you had planned, the cleaning up the war graves was a great opportunity for the young adults and meeting veterans and hearing their stories.
Meeting and making new friends and the memories will last forever and the presentation at the Cemeteries was lovely for us parents to be invited too and hear about all their great work.
The accommodation was a great base and the camp from start to finish was organised, great communication from the SCVYS team and a great idea of the zoom call, bowling for all the young adults to see and get to know each other before the August camp.
Thank you again.”
Parent of young participant – Summer War Graves Project 2023
“I just wanted to provide some feedback on the PSHE guidance material that you recommended for us – especially the “Guidance for External Providers” document.
As an external provider, it is sometimes difficult to completely understand what schools are specifically looking for when they look for external provider events, most being reluctant to give that information. However, your document gave us an insight into how we can work more closely with schools in delivering their PSHE needs.
It has also helped us improve our offering by introducing ‘Pupil Voice’ feedback sheets for the schools and our own development. We have put together an ‘Aims and Learning Outcomes’ document to help schools see what we can offer, and also added to our follow up materials to ensure our workshop has maximum impact.
Thank you once again for your recommendation and helpful guidance in delivering PSHE sessions”
National External Provider – PSHE
Did you know?
83% of SCVYS members scored our support at 8 out of 10 or higher……
SCVYS Children & Young People Voluntary Sector Census Report 2023
If you would like to submit any comments or feedback about SCVYS support, opportunities or projects please use the form on our Contact page here.