Voluntary Action Swindon (VAS) is celebrating its 90th Birthday in Swindon - having formed originally as the Swindon Council of Social Services on the 1 December 1932.
To celebrate being 90, VAS hosted an all-day conference for the Swindon Voluntary Sector.
The event was said to have been made possible through sponsorship from the Zurich Community Trust, Amazon, Arval, the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership and the Wiltshire Community Foundation.
It was held this week at Alexandra House, in Wroughton.
Key topics at the conference included:
- The role of the Voluntary Sector in the new Integrated Care System
- The current cost of living crisis
- How to connect with and engage diverse communities.
Recorded messages were provided by the Right Honourable Sir Robert Buckland KBE, KC, MP and Cllr David Renard, Leader of the Council – giving thanks to the vital work undertaken by the Swindon Voluntary Sector.
Pam Webb, CEO of VAS said: “We are delighted to have hosted this first ever conference for the Swindon Voluntary Sector which is a great opportunity for networking and shared learning and a very fitting way to celebrate our 90th Birthday in Swindon”.
VAS started life supporting those in Swindon in poverty due to a large number of job losses in the Great Western Railway at the time. It ran an allotment and seed scheme as well as a pig scheme back in 1932.
Following the introduction of the National Health Service Act in 1946 and the National Assistance Act of 1948, the responsibility for supporting those experiencing poverty transferred to the Local Authorities.
By the 1950s, Swindon started growing and new estates were built, including Moredon, Penhill and the Parks, and Walcot. This increased the demand for VAS's services. Then in the 1980s, VAS set up Thamesdown Housing Association, which is now known as Threshold Housing Link.
In addition to this the organisation also set up Thamesdown Law Centre (now known as Wiltshire Law Centre) and Focus on Carers (now known as Swindon Carers Centre).
VAS is now one of over 40 councils for Voluntary Service across the country.
It provides support to the Voluntary and Community Sector, with a range of services including:
- Funding and Governance Advice
- Networking and Collaboration; representing the sector on forums including the new Integrated Health System
- Training and other services
VAS also runs the vital Swindon Shopmobility Service supported by income from the new Café Mobility, both based in the car park of Sanford House.
Jol Rose, Inclusion and Collaboration Manager at VAS who organised the conference said: “It’s a privilege to work with so many fantastic groups in Swindon’s Voluntary Sector and to bring them together at this event has been fantastic. I also want to say a big thanks to our generous sponsors.”
The conference concluded with a Birthday tea attended by the Mayor of Swindon, Cllr Abdul Amin.
He expressed his thoughts on the event, saying:
"90 years is a massive achievement for any group but for a voluntary organisation to hit 90 years is amazing. I would like to thank everyone involved with VAS and the voluntary sector within Swindon for their work and contributions to our community.
“It’s been a fantastic conference with so many volunteer organisations coming together. From my point of view, every volunteer group in Swindon does a fantastic job – and without the help they provide to our community and all their wonderful services, we would be in a very different place."
The Mayor thanked all the town's voluntary organisations and praised the groups for their work which in many cases has helped and complemented the efforts of Swindon Borough Council.
He added: "We are already seeing this year that financing everything in the community is becoming a big struggle and that people are relying more and more upon the voluntary sector. It is not fair that people will likely rely on them to a greater extent over the course of the near future, and that it why it is important to celebrate Swindon’s voluntary sector, and help these organisations as much as we all can.
“I would encourage as many people from the community as possible to take up voluntary work if they can. It is a fantastic thing to do, and it is rewarding. Although it is not paid, you learn and gain experience from volunteer roles. People involved in voluntary work will see the difference they will make within their community, and afterwards, I’m sure they will feel proud of their efforts.
“As we head towards the festive season, I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.”
For further information about VAS, those interested can e-mail [email protected] or [email protected]
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