What is SOVA?
SOVA is a leading national volunteer mentoring organisation in England and Wales working with:
- clients in and leaving the care system
- the Criminal Justice sector
- young people on youth offending orders
- the socially and economically disadvantaged and long-term unemployed
- refugees and asylum seekers
The organisation was started in 1975 by a group of volunteers working within the Inner London Probation Service. In 1982 SOVA began working with Social Services departments,
recruiting, training and deploying volunteers to offer support and advice to young people within local communities.
SOVA projects now exist all over England and Wales and are developed in partnership with local agencies.
SOVA works in England, Wales and transnationally with many agencies including:-
- Jobcentre Plus
- Department for Work and Pensions
- Learning Skills Council
- Department for Children,Schools and Families
- Prison Service
- Probation Service
- Social Services
- Youth Offending and Drug Action Teams
With these agencies, and using volunteers and paid staff, SOVA runs a wide variety of projects and programmes delivering
services which include:
- Employment/Training and Education
- Mentoring
- Reparation and Mediation
- Befriending
- Basic skills support
- provision of Appropriate Adults
- Advice and guidance
For a full list of services please click here.
SOVA works with a wide client group that includes:-
- offenders in the community
- offenders in custody
- young people on youth offending orders
- young people at risk of offending
- asylum seekers
For a full list of client groups please click here.
SOVA�s objectives are to promote:
- the rehabilitation and resettlement of offenders and ex offenders
- the welfare of such persons and their families and dependants within the community by way of education and social and economic inclusion
- the reduction and prevention of crime within the community.
SOVA believes in strengthening communities by involving local volunteers to promote social inclusion and reduce crime.
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