Registered Therapets and their volunteer owners visit hospices, hospitals, residential and nursing homes throughout Scotland. Visiting on a regular basis the Therapet Service provides contact wiht pets for many people who would therefore be deprived of the companionship of a pet.

*How can you help victims of crime? Victims of crime often feel a range of emotions such as an anxiety, confusion and anger. It is Victim Support Scotland’s role to provide victims with both emotional and practical support. *What would I be doing? You will work with staff to receive information to confirm service users’ needs You will contact service users to arrange support via telephone, face to face appointments and webchat You will provide support based on the service users’ needs and agree next steps at the end of each contact You will feedback and agree follow-up actions with staff on arrangements for support *What do I need for this role? Communication skills An ability to actively listen to service users and anyone affected by crime A non-judgemental approach to working with people from all sections of the community The capacity to learn about the criminal justice system and understand the service user’s journey An understanding of confidentiality Good time management skills Access to a car or ability to use public transport

Running a successful Barnardo's store requires a great team of enthusiastic volunteers and you could be a part of it. Our retail assistants are trained to undertake a wide range of activities such as serving customers, taking receipt of stock donations from the public and merchandising stock to make our rails visually appealling and tidy. Volunteering with us in retail will provide a great opportunity to build upon your communication, team working and customer service skills. If you also have a particular skill or interest, our teams would be delighted to discuss how we could help you utilise your interests in store. Whatever your talents, please do share with us and pop into your local store to enquire about volunteering. To see all opportunities to volunteer within Barnardo's, you can visit our website at www.barnardos.org.uk/volunteering.

ME Research UK is a highly regarded, professionally run charity with a principal aim to commission and fund biomedical, scientific investigations into the causes, consequences and treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome [ME/CFS]. Since 2000, we have invested c £1.6M in biomedical research worldwide. The Board and staff are dedicated to ensuring that ME Research UK is a major force for change in our understanding of the illness and that our funded projects make a real, long-term difference to the lives and prospects of people with ME/CFS As a trustee you would have a pivotal role in our decision-making processes. For those with science/research or medical background, the position offers a fascinating opportunity to help shape our research focus and direction as we seek to expand our research funding output. Full details of role and application form - http://www.meresearch.org.uk/biomedical-trustees/

By providing visitors with incredible wildlife moments for 60 years, the visitor centre at Loch Garten has built a strong reputation for an exceptional visitor experience and great customer care. Recently the centre has undergone a redevelopment funded by European Structural Funds, and we want to build on this to further ensure visitors to our refurbished facility have an enhanced and memorable visitor experience. As the faces of the Loch Garten Nature Centre, our visitor experience team are crucial - chatting to visitors, answering questions and sharing their passion for the amazing wildlife of Abernethy reserve. We need our visitors to be inspired and enthused so that they become lifelong supporters of our charitable conservation work through RSPB membership, one of the most important sources of income for the organisation. We need your help to be part of the team meeting and greeting our visitors from all walks of life and of all ages, by following the RSPB’s GREAT Welcome framework, leading to building support for our conservation work through making RSPB members. Offering inspiring communications about the Caledonian pineforest which surrounds the centre, including our breeding ospreys, and the conservation work we undertake on the wider reserve as part of the Cairngorms Connect partnership is what we do best! We run hands-on activities for children and families, as well as a programme of special events eg guided walks, themed weekends etc and your help in planning, promoting, organising and delivering these added extras will be encouraged. Due to its importance for habitats and species, RSPB Abernethy is one of the most heavily designated pieces of land in the UK, with international as well as domestic legal protection. We need to keep an active eye on the reserve and in particular the forest trails near the centre, interacting with our visitors and ensuring that they’re all behaving responsibly, in accordance with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, and you will be asked to take on this responsibility, along with the rest of the team. We have an active Facebook page (11,000+ followers) and a popular reserve blog and we need your contributions to build our online audience and encourage support. Loch Garten has a long history of involving volunteers and many people give up a week or two of their time to come and help us as short-term residential volunteers. We need you to take an active role in managing these volunteers, organising pick-ups and dropoffs, leading on their induction, organising the rota and ensuring they are kept busy and involved when they are with us. Finally, our visitor centre and its environs need to be kept in excellent working order; being vigilant about litter, restocking leaflets, undertaking daily checks on activities and signage, as well as working with the team to keep the facilities clean. You’ll be volunteering in one of the most beautiful nature reserves in Europe, among scarce and endangered wildlife and critically rare habitats. You’ll be part of a vibrant and dynamic team of staff and volunteers, some who have been part of Loch Garten for decades and some who are brand new. You’ll be able to share in their knowledge and build strong and significant relationships, many of which will last for life. By making RSPB members, you’ll be making a real and tangible difference to nature conservation. Your help will directly allow the RSPB to carry out meaningful change, both on Abernethy and across the UK. You’ll receive a full induction and training and will be supported by a dedicated line manager throughout your time in this role. You will be given training opportunities in many areas of visitor experience, including membership, managing volunteers, First Aid, Safeguarding, event planning and more. Our aim is to help you improve your skill-set via and to significantly improve your CV and enhance your employability. We also offer job application advice and coaching. You will get the chance to learn about and explore the incredible place that is RSPB Abernethy, meeting reserve staff and receiving insight into the wider work that goes on here. There will be opportunities to get involved in some of the conservation work on the wider reserve on your days off, should you desire to do so. This role comes with free, shared accommodation (though you get your own room) just 1.5 miles from the Nature Centre.

Victim Support Scotland Volunteer How can you support victims and witnesses of crime? Victims of crime often feel a range of emotions in the aftermath of an offence. It is Victim Support Scotland’s role to provide victims and witnesses of crime emotional and practical support in person, online, and in court. Volunteers are supported by VSS staff who manage the service. How would you help? Our volunteers provide emotional support, practical help, information and guidance through the criminal justice system. We aim to empower people who have been impacted by crime, to move on with their lives. Discuss service users’ needs by telephone, webchat, appointments and face-to-face contact, agreeing next steps at the end of each contact Help service users feel more confident by arranging and conducting court familiarisation visits Support service users in the court room and other appropriate locations on the day of the trial, liaising with court officials on behalf of the service users. Feedback and agree follow-up actions with staff members Provide administrative support in completing the service users journey What benefits would I get? Volunteering with Victim Support Scotland can be challenging and also extremely rewarding. As a volunteer you will: Support people when they most need it Learn new skills and knowledge of the criminal justice sector Gain access to a range of specialist training courses that are relevant to your volunteering role Positively contribute to your community as a member of a team actively working to reduce the impact of crime A chance to give something back Receive support in your volunteering role to deliver services effectively All reasonable expenses (e.g. travel) will be reimbursed What skills and experience do I need? We are looking for committed, reliable and empathetic volunteers who can work with people of all ages, backgrounds and life situations. Although we provide full training and support, knowledge of the criminal justice system and experience of supporting people is beneficial. As a Victim Support Scotland Volunteer you will need: Effective communication skills The ability to actively listen to service users and anyone affected by crime An interest in learning about the criminal justice system and understand the service user’s journey An awareness of confidentiality obligations and the responsibilities that come with upholding these obligations Effective time management skills (and working under pressure) Access to a car or ability to use public transport What is the time commitment? We know that our volunteers have busy lives, so we agree the time commitment with each individual volunteer. However, we ask for: a minimum commitment of approximately one day per week, however this may vary depending upon the needs of the service. a minimum commitment of at least 1 year so that they might get the most out of a volunteering role. How can I apply? The people we support come from all communities across Scotland, as do our volunteers. We welcome new volunteers from all backgrounds and languages. To ensure we provide the best possible service to people affected by crime, we ask all volunteers to follow our processes. This will involve: • Joining the Disclosure Scotland PVG scheme • Providing two satisfactory references • Completing our three day ‘Introduction to Victim Support Scotland’ training module • Signing and abiding by Victim Support Scotland’s Confidentiality agreement • Commitment to Data Protection • Volunteer Agreement

LORN and OBAN REFUSE INITIATIVE: Weekend Retail Assistants, Shop Display and Merchandising, Driver/Stock collection and delivery, Pat test/Furniture repairs, up-cyclers, Social Media whizz, E-bay sales, Trades maintenance

Sported is a charity and membership organisation, supporting community sport clubs and youth groups across the UK which uses the power of sport to transform the lives of disadvantaged young people. We support the inspirational local heroes that run these organisations by providing much needed professional expertise and volunteer business support, so that they can become bigger, more sustainable and more effective. We have volunteering opportunities in Scotland with a range of flexible options. As little as one hour of your time per month could make a massive difference to our members. Through the power of sport our members are transforming the lives of the most disadvantaged young people in the UK. Volunteer with Sported, meet the inspirational heroes of grassroots sport and leave a lasting legacy in your community! We are currently recruiting for 2 types of volunteering roles: 1. Mentor Placements Our volunteers are carefully matched with a Sported member club within their locality, who they then support on a one-to-one basis, typically for a period of between three to six months. 2. Light Touch Support (short-term flexible volunteering) Our volunteers provide short-term support by helping Sported members with specific questions or challenges. The support may take the form of one-off advice or between one to three sessions, which can be delivered via your chosen communication method (e.g. face-to-face, over the phone/Skype or email). This option is perfect for those volunteers who may not have the time to commit to an extended mentor placement or may be in between projects. Why volunteer with Sported? • Have a lasting impact on your local community • Opportunities to share professional skills and expertise • Varied and Flexible placements • Full induction, plus Training and personal development opportunities • Support from a local Sported Regional Manager and Volunteer Services Team • Opportunities to work with a range of different communities and types of organisations What skills/experience do you need? We are looking for volunteers who have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in at least one of the following areas: Fundraising; Business; PR & Marketing; Impact & Evaluation; Governance; Finance; Strategic Planning. Skills include an Interest in transferring knowledge and skills to others; Facilitation, training or mentoring; Communication skills; oral and building rapport.

Many of us know what it is to be older, or to have a disability, because it has happened to us or to someone close to us. At the Disabled Living Foundation (DLF), we’re here to help. Part of the Shaw Trust Group, we are the UK’s leading source of impartial information and expert advice on independent living. A national charity, we have built up over 40 years an unparalleled range of information on daily living equipment and other useful advice for people who might need some help in living their live to the full. As one of our Independent Living Ambassadors you will go out to local community organisations to share that knowledge and raise awareness of our services, by delivering informal talks to small groups of people interested in knowing more.

The Youth Radio Network’s vision is to empower, teach and entertain young people, aged 13 to 25 years, through the power of music and digital technology, opening doors to the broadcast industries, and to become more employable helping them to get the best start in life. The Youth Radio Network is a digital place where young people can easily access and develop their skills and interests. It acts as a sounding board for youth news and issues and promotes all youth organizations. The Youth Radio Network's vision is to teach, empower and entertain young people aged 13 - 25 years old through the power of music and digital technology. We are looking to appoint a volunteer Head of Marketing, Fundraising and Development to help build our organisation to the next level including understanding the vision and mission of The Youth Radio Network, the Head of Marketing, Fundraising & Development (volunteer role) will be responsible for the development and delivery of our marketing and fundraising strategies for The Youth Radio Network.