How much does it cost to run SVP each year?
Nationally we raise and spend on average €40 million each year in our work for people in need.
How many people volunteer for SVP?
SVP has more than 11,000 volunteers in Ireland.
What types of roles do volunteers have?
People can volunteer:
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With local conferences/committees visiting people in their homes who call in for assistance
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In SVP holiday centres, youth clubs and community centres
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In schools and colleges
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In Prison and hospital visitations
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In Vincent’s charity shops
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Answering phone-calls from people looking for assistance
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Fundraising and collections
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Christmas volunteers – hamper and toy appeals
How many offices do you have in Ireland?
There are 8 SVP regional offices across the whole of Ireland. To view more details see our Local Offices pages
What age do you have to be to volunteer?
You need to be 18 years old to be a full member, but you can become a member from 16 with parental consent. Younger people can volunteer as part of a Youth Conference or a Youth for Justice project, with the support of the school or appropriate adult.
Are there busy times of the year?
Yes, in August and September with back to school costs we get a lot of extra call for assistance. From the beginning of November until Christmas time we are very busy answering additional calls for assistance and organising the Christmas food and toy appeals.
What is your main source of funding?
We receive funding for our core activities from three main sources:
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Our Vincent’s shops
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Fundraising and events, such as bucket collections, church collections etc.
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Donations and legacies from individuals, companies etc.
How would a person get help from your organisation?
If someone is looking for assistance they need to call their Regional Office where someone will take details of their request. This will then be passed on to their local Conference who will visit the person in need to discuss their needs further
You can find more contact numbers and information on the local offices section of our website.
What campaigns do you run?
Our Social Justice department runs a campaign each year to advocate for people in society who are most affected by poverty. You can sign up to active campaigns and read more about the issues we are campaigning about here.
SVP submissions throughout the year to Government on why SVP thinks people on the lowest income and those receiving social services should be protected from further cuts.
Different regions also run different campaigns throughout the year, and a lot of regions run Christmas appeals, such as the Giving Tree and Food Appeals.
What can schools do to volunteer with SVP?
Your youth development officer can give you information, support and guidelines about how to set up a SVP conference in your school. SVP have also developed an educational resource booklet that explores issues relating to the work we do, for example poverty/exclusion and social action. Possible school action projects include Christmas hampers and toy appeals, awareness raising campaigns, fundraising events and volunteering in your community.