How can you support victims and witnesses of crime? ***Please note: for this opportunity you will initially be based in the courts*** 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 • Be able to translate and converse in Farsi/Urdu/Polish/Kurdish. 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 take all our volunteer applications through our processes which involves: • 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

Falkland Palace and Garden welcomes over 44,000 visitors every year and there’s something here for everyone, from the Palace with a working Chapel Royal, apartments for kings and queens, stunning gardens, an orchard and the oldest tennis court in the country. Falkland Palace, one of Scotland’s finest Renaissance buildings, is set within approximately nine acres of grounds which include ornamental gardens, a glasshouse, an orchard and woodland. The main ornamental garden was designed by renowned garden designer, Percy Cane, in the mid-20th century. Our volunteer garden assistants help our small team of gardeners look after all aspects of these large gardens, maintaining them to the highest standard possible for the enjoyment of our visitors Main Duties: • General garden maintenance including weeding, mulching, planting, leaf clearing, edging, cutting back, pruning and other regular, seasonal gardening tasks • Occasional involvement in special projects and events, should this be of interest • Being welcoming to visitors and helping them to enjoy their visit to the gardens • Ensuring the people working at and visiting the property remain safe at all times

Collydean Community Centre is seeking some can-do volunteers to maintain and develop an area of garden and shrubs at the front of the the centre and an area of fenced-in garden with a raised bed and small greenhouse to the back of the centre. This would require someone who has the physical ability to cut back large bushes, cut grass, and other garden maintenance tasks, along with regular watering over the spring and summer. This opportunity might suit someone who has the time to take pride in keeping the garden and front area looking fabulous. For the right volunteer there is the opportunity to go on to lead a gardening group if this is of interest, however there would be no expectation of this

Kidz Club is a low cost playgroup style scheme that meets on a Saturday morning. Children aged 3-8 are welcome to be dropped off by their parents between 10.30 and 12.30 in order to give parents a short break, and allow the children to socialise in a safe environment. The club is charged at £2 per child, 50p for each additional sibling, and older siblings are welcome to come along as helpers - ensuring that parents who need it can have an affordable break to get on on a weekend morning. The role would include planning snacks, activities and outdoor sessions for the children.

Volunteers would be required to help run the Parent + Toddler group with a vision of possibly leading on this in the future. Tasks involved will include: - Taking Register - Setting up activities/crafts etc - Interacting with the Parents + Toddlers - Encouraging parent interaction - Set-up of tea/coffee and snacks - Clearing up at end of group - Responsible for money handling

CHAS are looking for a friendly, organised individual who works well in a team environment to be responsible for opening/closing the shop and supervising the team of volunteers, helping ensure they're confident and supported in their role. If you're looking to learn new skills and meet new people, joining the team will help raise vital funds for CHAS - funds that will make a difference to children and young people with life-shortening conditions.

Do you have an interest in working with children and Young People? We have clubs that run 3 evenings per week (during term-time) and daytime clubs (during school holidays). We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic and keen to engage and work with them to get the most out of their time at the club. Club duties will include: - Supervision of children and activities - Facilitating conversations with and between the children - Transporting children to and from club or off site activities - Supporting the team with preparations for the club as required - Be a visible presence among the group and upholding the values of the charity

The role involves all shop floor duties including greeting, serving customers and till work. The processing of all stock, stocking the shelves and helping with layout and displays.

Could you take young people from various parts of the area to groups for social activities after school, weekends or in the school holidays? Young carers do not have the same opportunities as other young people due to their caring role. This can be caring for a parent with physical/mental health problems, alcohol/drugs/substance misuse. Caring can also be, where a parent has had to spend a lot of time with a child in the family that requires extra attention, examples of this could be having ADHD, Autism, physical disabilities or learning difficulties. Helping to care for a brother or sister can leave a young person feeling left out and confused as to why they do not get the same amount of attention. This can often lead on to a young person resenting their brother or sister.

Staff and volunteers provide services to children and young people between five and sixteen years of age. One to one befriending takes place once a fortnight and is centred on the needs and wishes of the child. Befrienders give children and young people individual attention and support, provide them with encouragement, and help reduce feelings of isolation. Popular befriending activities include baking, arts and crafts, local outings and swimming. we also run various groups for children and young people. These include groups in schools, groups for teenagers, and holiday activities during the summer holidays. Please see our website for more information.