One of the things we specialise in is providing support to students with disabilities and support needs. Our volunteers are involved in a variety of ways in supporting students at University but the volunteer roles can be divided as follows:-

1. In the majority of cases an individual student requires support to access university life and learning and our volunteers are there to help with their domestic, academic and social needs. Every student is different but they often require help with the following:-

• Their domestic /care needs, washing, dressing, shopping and cooking
• Practical support with their academic studies, note taking, transcribing, accessing the library
• Support to socialise fully in university life, getting around campus, going to clubs and accessing university socials.

The individual student receives financial support from their local authority to meet the cost of their care.

2. Some universities use a pool of volunteers to support a number of students with a variety of support needs. The volunteers are matched with individuals according to their needs and the university manages the volunteers and their rotas

Vickas is studying at The University of Essex, Colchester. He has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and has been supported by CSV full-time volunteers since September 2004.

‘The support of volunteers has helped me become more independent as a person. Independent in the sense that I am able to live away from home on the university campus, which I have never done before. I have become more sociable as a person because having the help of volunteers makes me more willing to go out and meet people. Also I greatly value the fact that my volunteers come from different parts of the world.

What I appreciate the most about my volunteers is the relationship we have, which I feel is not just a working one but a friendship too.’

CSV volunteers require accommodation and a weekly allowance to support them while they are supporting you. CSV also charges a fee for recruiting and supporting all its volunteers. For more information on issues relating to disabled students and help with funding for these costs, please access the following website: www.skill.org.uk

Contacting us

If you think a CSV full-time volunteer can help you make more choices as a student, our business development team would like to hear from you.

You can contact us nationally by email at solutions@csv.org.uk, call Sue Gwaspari on 01223 728460 or fax us on 01223 470122

Click here for the details of your nearest local CSV office