At SVC, we recognize the need for environmental action in relation to climate change, biodiversity loss, food and water shortages, weather events, and damage to natural ecology.
Because of this, we’re aiming to reduce our carbon emissions and seek more environmentally-friendly solutions to everyday tasks, whilst keeping beneficiaries, staff and volunteers safe. As well as this, we’re seeking to improve education and signposting to more environmentally-friendly ways of working and living.
Here’s an overview of what we’re doing right now, and what we have planned, to try and tackle this and work towards a more sustainable and green future.
SVC Environmental Committee
The first step in our mission has been to set up a dedicated committee, similar to our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee which we set up in Summer 2020, to create a designated space where we can focus on improving our practice in these areas.
The SVC Environmental Committee was set up in Spring 2021, and is currently made up of SVC staff and members of the Board of Trustees who meet online once a month.
We want to do our best to be as environmentally-friendly as possible, and so the committee is currently researching and educating themselves on issues within our charity and across the third sector around emissions and the environment. We’ll be meeting regularly, and will use our website, social media, and newsletters to keep you updated and share any developments.
What do we want to change?
We currently have some best practices for doing what we can to look after the environment, which you can find on the Protecting our Planet page. However, we know we can do more, and as a charity we’re hoping to focus on:
- Policy & Management – Updating our policy to ensure we’re reaching our goals, and developing environmental awareness training for staff, volunteers and members of the Board of Trustees. The environment is now also discussed in every Board meeting by our trustees.
- Travel & Transport – We have projects that in some cases do need car transport. However, as a committee we’re looking for alternatives for other projects and limiting travel where possible.
- Recycling & Reusing – Providing signposting to our community whilst working with our beneficiaries, and seeking more environmentally-friendly alternatives to project equipment where possible.
- Environmental & Social – In partnership with other organizations, we hope to create volunteering projects across Cardiff, the Vale and RCT working with beneficiaries to develop opportunities to learn and look after our environment.
Our new project: ‘Going Green Together’
Working towards our ‘Environmental & Social’ objective, we’re delighted to announce that we’ve secured funding for a brand-new project named Going Green Together, in partnership with Innovate Trust, which aims to bring the community together on a shared vision of a safer and greener South East Wales.
The project will connect student volunteers, community volunteers, and adults with additional needs to work together on environmentally-friendly activities, including in-person events as well as online sessions. There will also be the chance to join the SVC Environmental Committee and help with guiding the direction of the project. You can find out more about the Going Green Together project - and how to apply to volunteer - on the project page here.
Setting up this project wouldn’t be possible without the funding and support from the Volunteering Wales Grant, provided by the Welsh Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) in conjunction with Welsh Government. We’re very grateful for the support, and look forward to working together over the course of the project.
Want to get involved?
If you have any ideas or thoughts around anything else we could be doing as a charity to reduce our impact on the environment, or any questions at all around what we’re doing, please get in contact by emailing either chair@svcymru.org or info@svcymru.org.
