CHAS is a Scottish charity that provides hospice services for children and young people with life-shortening conditions. We also run a homecare service called CHAS at Home helping families in their own homes across Scotland when they need it most. There are so many ways to get involved and help CHAS! You can see our current opportunities in Aberdeen listed at https://www.chas.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities?region=aberdeen-city Excellent support and training is provided to all volunteers and all help makes a real difference and is greatly appreciated. Ways you can help in Aberdeen include: 1. High Profile Events Support: The High Profile Events Team at CHAS hold five events each year, which collectively raise around £450k for the charity. We are looking for someone who would be happy to research events and prizes and then make those approaches. 2. CHAS at Home Nursing Support Volunteer (North East and Moray): Nursing Support Volunteers support the CHAS at Home Nursing Team to provide care and support to babies, children young people and their families in their own homes. 3. Collections Volunteers: CHAS collections volunteers attend bucket shakes and supermarket bag packs in a range of businesses and town centres across Scotland. 4. Fundraising Group Leads: Fundraising groups are the face of CHAS in the community, raising money and the profile of the charity. Groups deliver fundraising events to raise vital funds to support children with a life-shortening condition across Scotland. 5. Fundraising Group Members: Fundraising groups are the local face of CHAS in the community. We are looking for volunteers to join our fundraising groups across Scotland. The groups plan and deliver events and activities in the local community to raise vital funds for CHAS. 6. Schools Ambassadors: CHAS Schools Ambassadors are inspiring young people that promote the charity within their school, to peers and teachers and to the wider community. 7. Research Volunteers: The main aim of this role is to gather information to provide teams across CHAS with insight, allowing us to help every child in Scotland to have access to palliative care where and when they need it. *For further details and to register your interest/apply for any of the roles please visit https://www.chas.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities?region=aberdeen-city **If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions about volunteering for CHAS please call us on 0141 779 6195 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or email volunteering@chas.org.uk

Last is a social enterprise based in Glasgow that aims to support people to reduce their plastic waste. We do this by providing advice and selling products that help people do this. Our profits will be used to develop educational programmes focussed on the environment. You will work closely with the Directors to collate and create valuable market insights that will inform the Business Plan and Financial Forecasting model for the company. These will be used to help us better understand the market and our competitors and persuade prospective funders to provide financial support to Make it Last. Specific tasks include: • Collect data on consumers, competitors and the marketplace and consolidate this information into actionable items, reports and presentations • Understand business objectives and design surveys to discover prospective customers’ preferences • Compile and analyse statistical data using modern and traditional methods to collect it • Perform valid and reliable market research SWOT analysis • Interpret data, formulate reports and make recommendations • Use online market research and catalogue findings • Provide competitive analysis on various companies’ market offerings, identify market trends, pricing/business models, sales and methods of operation The work generated by the post will directly inform the future development of this business and as such will provide valuable experience and examples for use in CVs and job interviews. All work will be undertaken remotely, as the business does not currently have office premises. You will require access to a laptop and a good internet connection.

Wellbeing Scotland is a voluntary organisation with services across Scotland. We provide a wide range of holistic services for individuals and families whose life experiences have impacted negatively on their wellbeing. Since 1994 we have offered client centred, holistic, trauma informed therapeutic services and have specialised in abuse and trauma work. We work with both children and adults. Due to the Covid 19 crisis our services have never been more needed, and we are currently in urgent need of Volunteer Befrienders in all areas. Do you or anyone you know have a few hours a week to spare to be listening ear to someone who is currently needing a friendly chat? At this time, our befrienders will work remotely by telephone or video calling. No experience necessary(although being a good listener would be an advantage) as training will be provided to help you with this role, and you will be appointed a supervisor for ongoing support. All equipment will also be provided and expenses for out of pocket costs will be reimbursed. Please contact Lorna on 07806444390 or Lorna@wellbeingscotland.org for further info or to request an application pack.

The aim of this role is to work within the CHAS at Home Nursing Team to provide high quality care to babies, children and young people across North East Scotland and Moray, ensuring they get the right support at the right time for them. We are currently accepting applications however, the next intake for this role will be in September/October 2020. Nursing Support Volunteers support the CHAS at Home Nursing Team to provide care and support to babies, children young people and their families in their own homes. >What activities will I be involved in? • Helping to get the children up in the mornings/put to bed in the evening • Helping to bathe and dress the children, transfer them into their chairs • Keeping siblings company whilst nursing staff attend to the other children • Supporting the children/siblings with activities • Assisting the nursing staff to take the children(and their siblings if required) on outings • Assisting with the Nursing Team with cleaning of equipment and tidying • Support at mealtimes when appropriate >How much time should I offer? • You can volunteer on any day of the week, in the morning, afternoon or evening. Shifts are flexible and depend on the needs of the families supported by the CHAS at Home team in North East Scotland and Moray. The time commitment can be negotiated with your supervisor. >What are the benefits to me? • Learning new skills • Using your existing skills for a great cause • Getting more involved and making a real difference to the families of children with a life-shortening condition. • Adding to your cv • Meeting new people • Having fun! >What else should I know? This role requires membership of the PVG scheme (children and adults). Applicants will need to be 18 years or over. There is a simple form to complete and we will assist you with this. You may already have a PVG form – if so you will only need to complete an update form. The process won’t cost you anything and having a criminal record will not automatically exclude you from volunteering. We will assess each applicant on an individual basis. We will pay your out of pocket expenses in line with the CHAS volunteer expenses policy. >What are the benefits to the children and families supported by CHAS? By volunteering with the CHAS at Home team in nursing support, you will be ensuring that children and young people receive the highest quality support and care across North East Scotland and Moray. >What’s the next step? If you’re interested in the role you can apply online at https://www.chas.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-application-form or if you have any questions please contact the Volunteering Team on volunteering@chas.org.uk or 0141 779 6195.

The RAF Association is a member-led welfare charity that exists to ensure all members of the RAF family are supported in terms of welfare, when they require it. The Befriender role is at the heart of this charity objective and volunteers undertaking this role will be helping us to deliver this support to the RAF family. Essentially the aim of the Befriender role is to help alleviate isolation and loneliness, giving time to listen and encourage communication on a shared interest or topic, leading to improving and developing enjoyable social networks. A Befriender volunteer carries out visits to and keeps in touch with members of the RAF family on behalf of the Association. Befriender volunteers exist to provide companionship and to deliver outcome focussed support to a beneficiary and to ensure that they remain part of the community and feel socially connected to the wider family. The role of a Befriender is varied and could involve helping out with practical tasks such as driving someone to a doctor’s appointment, or helping them with their shopping.

Silver Saplings is a community based health and wellbeing project aiming to increase community engagement with the natural world for all ages. Whilst older people are at the heart of this project, we work with vulnerable people of all ages, including primary age children, teenagers and vulnerable adults. We run a varied range of programmes for each age group and seek volunteers to support this work. You could join our experienced instructors on nature day-trips for older people, care home activities for immobile older people, as well as supporting our younger participants through bushcraft and leadership programmes for young people and forest schools and coastal classrooms for primary age children. Safeguarding is of the utmost importance to our work and volunteers will be expected to undertake a PVG check.

Real Life Options offer services across the country such as Day Centres, Outreach and supported living to support people within our care to live their lives as full as possible. We are currently looking for volunteers to join our Real Life Volunteers programme. We also are looking for anyone with an interest in enhancing the lives of the people we support to get in touch, as although we are a social care company, we are seeking both individuals interested in social care and also other individuals who have some other skill set and would like to use this within our services. This could be from playing musical instruments to gardening or taking service users into the community. The main tasks of community volunteers will vary but may include; chatting or befriending people or practical tasks such as going on a social outing or assisting with shopping. During these difficult and unsettling times, more than ever the people we support would benefit from any time and commitment you could give.

Who we are: The National Autistic Society is here to transform lives, change attitudes and create a society that works for autistic people. We transform lives by providing support, information and practical advice for the 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK, as well as their three million family members and carers. Since 1962, autistic people have turned to us at key moments or challenging times in their lives, be it getting a diagnosis, going to school or finding work. We change attitudes by improving public understanding of autism and the difficulties many autistic people face. We also work closely with businesses, local authorities and government to help them provide more autism-friendly spaces, deliver better services and improve laws. Why we need you: The Education Rights Service provides impartial, confidential information, advice and support on education rights and entitlements for parents and carers of pre-school and school-age children with autism across the UK. The information is provided primarily via a telephone based service frequently backed up by email and written communication. Volunteers provide this from their own home. About this volunteering opportunity: Location: Scotland, home based Training dates: Weekend training will take place in Glasgow in January 2021 Time: Four hours per week. You can choose when to make calls and you can spread the hours across two or more days around your other commitments. You will be: Calling parents and carers of children on the autism spectrum who have contacted the Education Rights Service Offering accurate and up to date information on education legislation, regulations and guidance Helping parents to get appropriate provision for their child and providing information on relevant issues and helping them to write letters and prepare for meetings Carrying out case work which may include gathering, reading and analysing documents and carrying out research Recording details of interactions with parents on the Education Rights Service database and keeping accurate records Dealing appropriately with confidential information and documentation in line with the service’s policies. Some occasional travel to attend training and forums will be necessary.

Our volunteers provide one-to-one IT and technology support to older people and disabled people of all ages through home visits and remote support. Volunteers help to make sure that older people and those with a disability are not excluded from the digital world. All across the UK our 300 volunteers visit older and/or disabled people at home to offer one-to-one support with their technology, whether that’s a computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet. Our volunteers: Trouble shoot technical issues. Offer impartial advice on technology. Set up new tech and install hardware and software. Show people how to use their tech at home e.g. shop online, send and receive emails and Skype with family and friends. Make adaptations to support a disabled person’s specific technology needs.

Our Board of Trustees also consists entirely of volunteers and we are constantly on the lookout for new trustees. At present we are particularly in need of a treasurer, but anybody with an interest in helping us to manage the woodland is welcome. We meet on the last Monday each month.