I like your site.
Rob Miller

I started CHV with Bill McTaggart when we were law students. We originally took children recommended by NSPCC mostly on weekend trips to youth hostels using a post office van which we converted into a minibus.
We students seemed to get as much benefit as the kids by getting away from the somewhat inward looking university scene, which is perhaps why the society continues to suceed.
michael beringer- 64

hey guys!!!!
still miss u all!!!
was riding my horse near the pentlands today and it took me back to riding up there on a day trip with some of the chv guys.
well anyway i ditched tesco and made it to uni to do nursing currently having a gap year.also me and one of my friends put our heads and pleading powers together and created a pro choice self harm./ mental health support network and now were all up and running properly. i am the sites head medical adviser which is pretty cool.
You guys gave me some fantastic memories which ill cherish forever.
it would be cool to see u all again!
thanks
lisa martin
x
lisa martin- 19

Hello
Just met Mark one of my "kids" and he told me to look at this site. I was a student in CHV (and later minibus driver) on Tuesday nights back in about 99 to 01 and have lots of great memories. And yeah, do the buses still get attacked sometimes?
Stuart
Stuart Graham- 30

hiya everyone its Paula here i used to come to chv on a monday nite it was great how are all yous can u get one of the student to send me some pic of me if yous still have them on my email address plz thks xxxtake care xxx
Paula Graham- 18

I volunteered with CHV throughout my first year at edinburgh. I graduated in the summer and have just been filling out a job form so came here to check some details. thinking over the time i spent with CHV has made me realise again what a fantastic experience it was. It really helped me feel a part of both the university, and Edinburgh as a city. I miss the kids too! they were so much fun.
cat morton- 23

Hey! I love reading this part of the website! Its so good to see that CHV had such an amazing impact on so many people and on so many levels!
Its great to hear about what kids, and students alike are up to now and what their involvement was in CHV.
I'd like to say that if there are any kids out there who need any help/support with uni/college/career stuff please do not hesitate in contacting me on
louise_traynor AT hotmail.com .
I would also like to say well done to Tina Souter (and Siphiwe Mngcolwani) on their published article about the negative portrayal in the media. This effects all young people and is an issue that we all have a responsibility to combat by challenging stereotypes.
Best wishes to all CHV'ers out there!
Louise (current president)
Louise Traynor- 23

Hey Callum, great to hear from you. I'm now working in Leeds - Tuesday nights seem strangely empty without CHV! Keep us updated with whatever you get upto!
Nina- 23

good to hear from you callum. we all missed you at the end of last term. i'm now a qualified vet working down south. keep us updated re university
emma- 24

Good luck Callum - I know you'll go far with whatever you choose.
Great to see so many former members and kids posting here. We should make a CHV wiki so people can fill in the gaps and give us a outline of old committees/activities/members/kids etc. I'd certainly be happy to add my 2c to it.
Colin (2002-present)- 24

Dear CHV,
My name is Callum. I am a former member of CHV and I used to love every second of it, despite some minor glitches along the way! I hope to join as a student when I go to Edinburgh University in about two years time!
Just thought you ought to know...
Callum- 15

I was involved with CHV from 1996 - 2001 with various roles from minibus driver to President - now moved away from Edinburgh (sadly) but reckon I still know my way around the streets of Bingham and Niddrie House like the back of my hand!! I've loads of great memories and my social group still contains a significant proportion of ex-"Students"!
Katherine Martin- 29

Nice website guys, good to see CHV is still going strong. From Craigmillarin 1990 to South Central LA in 2007 with several continents in between its good to know that kids are the same the world over. I have worked with kids all over the world but the ones I remember are the Tuesday night kids from Niddrie, especially the brothers Bunk? and Squeal. Great memories of that and Bannermans for the after swim party.....
Stewart- 36

I came across this site by chance. I was involved with CHV from 1972-75, organising many "camps" to the Isle of Islay until we outstayed our welcome. I got to know 100s of children, learned a lot about car mechanics and never had to worry about Health & Safety or Child Protection. I have great memories but also shudder at some of the things that happened. Would love to hear from any "kids" of that era (probably grandparents by now).
Dave- 52

mark that's fantastic!!! I always knew you'd go far. Please get in touch with chv if you need any help with uni stuff, i'm sure we could arrange for you to visit departments etc. Also we're always keen for ideas to improve chv and advice about what's good/bad etc. Good luck with everything. Hopefully see you at the 50th ball in 5/6years!
Emma- 24

Good to see CHV is still going strong in Edinburgh!! hello to all involved in 200-2003, especially Barbara, Louise, Emily, Rob. I was in the other Wed night group from Johnny with Rachel? as Group Leader, also was the bus driver, do the buses still get attacked????? I'm now in New Zealand for anyone who knows me contact me on dster06@hotmail.com
Derek- 28

Hey Emma!

Currently working for a company called Includem, that work with Edinburgh's most vulnarible and chaotic young people! We aim to get them back on track with there lifes and get them reintrgated back into the community as well as help them with other issues such as alcohol and drug issues! Im loving it! Hoping to go to Edin uni to do a Social Work degree! And no doubt will be joining CHV as a STUDENT!! this time so heres hoping! How is the vet stuff comming! on! Ive never had another hampster since the last one died! too much fuss hehe! How is everything! Thanks for keeping intouch!

Mark
Mark- 19

Hello everyone, how's things?
Japanese kids are mental... much scarier than anyone i met in Pilton. Take care yous guys.

Dominic Ensor- 99

Hi Mark, it's Emma here. I was one of the students on your last summer camp. What are you up to now? Last time we spoke you wanted to be the first ever chv kid to become a student leader.
emma- 24

Hwey gus! Likeing the new website and good to see my pic's still up! Wondering what all the studens from the Niddrie Big Group are up to like Sugra,Alex,Matt,Kate, Sqeely Meely, Jenny Smieth! an Ollie and stuff are up to! Im sure youll all member me! You actually had to go to my door to get my mum not to let me go back cause i was far to old hehe!

Just another message to say keep up the good work guys! Im still green eyed that my wee sis is @ CHV now and im not!

Speak soon!

Mark McGregor
(Niddrie Big Kidz 1999 - 2005)

Drop me an email if anyone remembers me! Will be good to here from you all -
Mark- 18

Hi everyone at CHV both past and present. I was a member of CHV from 1978-83. I found the website on a suggestion of my friend Kenny who was also a member in this period. Really pleased to see things have gone from strength to strength. I remember that things were run on a bit of a shoestring when I was involved and the vans were less than new (barely roadworthy as I recall!). Nonetheless I have lots of happy memories of camps and parties with Kids and students alike. I think it was a great way to get to know others and to develop my own sense of myself. I met some really great people not all of whom I fully appreciated at the time. I believe just offering support and friendship is often a critical difference for kids who are having a tough time out there. I am delighted to see these valuable activities continue. Lots of Love to all of "the students" and the kids.
Alison Bell

Hello to everyone at CHV both past and present. Just wanted to say that I really miss helping out and the great group spirit that was felt by kids and students alike. Hope all is going well and that 2006/7 is a good'un - and that training camp and stranded are their usual success
Fiona Wilson- 23

hey

just wanted to say well done on all you've achieved - especially with all the new demands from the scottish executive! I was involved with the Pilton/Muirhouse wenesday nighters and wondered if the comments from Lisa are the Lisa I knew from weds night? If so, then just wanted to say how much i enjoyed being group leader for that group, with Lisa, Sammy, Jo-jo and the rest of the kids! Hope all is good with you Lisa...good luck for the future! Was also on the committee and made some great mates through CHV (yeh thats you Katherine, Barry Clare and Lou!) We're now involved with another charity (Newman Trust) so if anyone is keen to volunteer for a week in the summer then check out the website...also big hello to all the weds night students from '99 til 2003...nice to see you're doing ok in the Caribean Fiona!
johnny Costello

and to all the students that were in tescos at the weekend that were served on the counter opposite me thank u for not saying hiiiii that was very nice of u all sorry im being sarchastic im really upset
lisa- 16

hakuna matata cass or andrew cassidy lol bye bye and disney will call out to u lol
lisa martin- 16

hey emma i really want to see u sometime to say bye bye properly ask holly 4 ma number andd send me a txt sumtime and i mean it when i say i will be bk there no escaping me mwahhhahhhh
Evilblueberrys@hotmail.com- 16

Hey Lisa
Sorry I didn't get to see you at your last CHV night. good luck with the future and well done on the job. I know you'll go far!

Emma- 23

Hi Derek,

It's nice to hear from old members! We're currently putting together a mailing list of alumni so if you send an email to myself at webmaster AT chv DOT org DOT uk, i'll add your name to it. That way you can be kept up to date with all our activities and fundraisers.
andrew- 22

Hi,
My name is Derek Reid. I was a member of CHV 1965 - 70, and President 1969-70. I am still interested in the society's activities and am keen to help in any way I can: just ask!
Derek Reid- 59

hi lisa

good luck in the future! maybe see you next term when we're driving the busses round.

Take care, "hakuna matata"!!

cass- 22

byebye all thats my time up and a will miss u all chv has bn a big part of my life being with u all for more than half of my life a dont know what all do well at least i have a job now but all miss seing u alll xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx tear ;-)
lisa martin- 16

was the song ur talking about "my name is lee and i work in a button factory and one day my boss said to me push this button with ur left hand....."? lisa martin
ps songs are a thing of the past but should be brought back minibuses are soo boring these days i remember the good old days of sing alongs!!!!
lisa martin- 16

Ha ha, I remember lots of great songs, but sadly can't remeber the words to most of them! Some of them i remember as being slightly rude and might in any case need to be edited for reasons of general decency as outlined above :-) , but many others I'm sure were not - perhaps a new page could be added to the site, for CHV minibus songs?! As Konrad indicates, they could be a great resource, as well as stirring happy memories of times gone by... The only one which vaguely sticks in my mind had something to do with a camembert... i think camembert was a bear, as opposed to the tasty french cheese. Were there other bears? Was it a bear-themed song? Would be great to hear others' recollections!

John from 93/94 i think i remember you (and Konrad?), i volunteered that year, and also into 94/95 i think, which was my graduation year. I also googled it just to see if anything came up, as am doing a job app for position where community-based work experience is useful. Great to see the website, good job. The first message below from CHV student 20 years on is a great one. Short and sweet, but sums it all up really, I'm glad you have happy memories! Keep up the good work guys.
Andrew Napier- 33

It has been some time now since I've been volunteering. But I still remember and benefit a lot from my 10 month with CHV when I was an exchange student.
At CHV I learnt a song name "Hey my name is Lee"
which was used to exercise the kids in the minibusses at my time. Is that song still remembered? Do you know the song's origins? I used it a lot since that time, mostly at parties, but also at a high management venue with 100+ top managers from the international company I work for- it is agreat song not only to get kids tired but also (in small doses) to wake up people after too much lunch...
Konrad- 36

Hi!! It's Dr Jones - aka Elspeth!! Just wanted to say hi and thanks for letting me come on camp with you all last week, it was pure brilliant! I love this new website - tidy!
ex-student!!- 23

guys, am loving the new website. looks fab!
keep up the excellent work, chv is a fab experience.
Sugra- 22

Slightly stunned to discover that googling Children's Holiday Venture on a whim actually produced a website. I was President 1993-94. I hope you still have a CHV ball, my year was the first to do it.
John- 33

hey miss u rodger do u member me???
lisa- 15

Hey guys

Love the new website. I caught up with Ali Grainger here in London on Saturday and he told me about how well you're all doing.

I hope Stranded is a big success,

Rodger
(chv treasurer 2002/03)
Rodger Heeley- 26

Hello everyone at CHV! Have a wicked new year - hopes all nights, camps and daytrips are great fun - I'm going to miss it - love from the Caribbean!
Fiona Wilson- 22

Volunteering for CHV has been a great experience
Claire - Student

My parents never took me anywhere, but I went all over Scotland with the Students!
CHV child 20 years on