We are recruiting a full-time volunteer for a six-month placement within our Communications team, funded by the European Solidarity Corps! You will sit within our wider communications team focusing on our ProjectScotland brand’s communications, as well as providing some support to our wider work across Scotland and the UK. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to get involved in a varied range of tasks that interest you and you’ll help to promote the work we do to the public, potential volunteers, other charities and even funders. Whether you’re helping to raise the profile of a brand new project by coming up with exciting social media content, writing case studies of volunteer experiences or supporting the wider comms team with a nationwide campaign, this is an amazing opportunity to gain some real experience in the world of communications in a dynamic organisation! This placement is based in Edinburgh, accommodation with another volunteer and a weekly allowance will be provided. Want to know more? Get in touch! alice.carbone@volunteeringmatters.org.uk

*Are you hoping to save time and money this holiday season? *Are you trying to lessen your impact on the environment? *Are you keen to declutter your home? *Are you looking for a creative way to support a worthwhile charity? Give new life to the books, toys, and clothing that are cluttering your home by hosting an Eco-Christmas Gift Swap fundraising event! Your friends and family will love the gifts that will be new to them, and you and your friends will love saving money and time. And as if that wasn’t enough, your fundraiser will help support the amazing education projects funded by Feed the Minds throughout the world! How: -Go through your home and collect all the unused items (that are still in very good condition), all the gifts you were given but never use, all the clothing that you meant to take back but forgot to, all the puzzles you’ve already done, the books your kids have already read, (etc., etc.). Then, invite your friends to do the same! -Make a plan about where and when to meet so that all those treasures can find new, loving homes, and you and your friends can raise money for some very worthwhile projects. It’s a win for you and your friends, a win for the planet, and a win for people experiencing extreme poverty throughout the world! Where: -Would you and your friends like to meet in a community hall on a weeknight? Or maybe you’d all prefer a small gathering at someone’s home? Or maybe the local pub could be hired? Or maybe you’d all feel more comfortable meeting outside in the garden? Maybe you could gather right after the school run? The possibilities are endless…. When: -Because Christmas shopping seems to happen earlier and earlier every year, sometime in November would be ideal. That way, people will be able to relax knowing that they’ve gotten all the gifts they need very early in the holiday season. Options for fundraising: *Attendees could donate what they think is fair, based on all they’ve chosen to take and what they can afford. *Beyond the gift swap, you could also hold a bake sale, a craft fair, and/or a raffle to raise even more money for our projects!

Adoption UK is the leading charity which specialises in providing support, community, and advocacy for all those parenting or supporting children who cannot live with their birth parents. We are looking for Community Network Coordinators to support the FASD Hub Scotland by developing and coordinating online and/or face to face meetings and occasional family events for those with lived experience of FASD or a history of PAE, wither in a specific geographical area or specialist themed area. You should have lived experience of parenting an individual with FASD or having personal experience with FASD or a history of PAE, in addition to lived experience of adoption, kinship, foster care, or as a biological parent The role • Arrange monthly online/face to face meetings • Arrange quarterly (suggested) family get together's • Respond to email enquiries about group meet ups and events • Working with the Adoption UK Scotland Community team, help to facilitate family events in the local area. Experience of using Facebook to promote and inform would be a bonus. The role will be home-based for online meetings, and attendance at community venues will be required for face-to-face meet ups as appropriate. Meet ups may be held during the day or during the evening. The role includes comprehensive induction training and ongoing support. We welcome applications from across Scotland.

Adoption UK is the leading charity which specialises in providing support, community, and advocacy for all those parenting or supporting children who cannot live with their birth parents. We are looking for volunteers to support us with the creation, production and editing of our digital media content, for our FASD Hub Scotland who have knowledge and understanding of FASD as a disability. The role includes: • Supporting the development of our digital content for the FASD hub • Create and maintain the digital content across different platforms. • Utilise the developed resources within our training programme. We will provide training on our systems. Experience of using online platforms to create and edit digital content using CANVA, ClipChamp, YouTube or similar would be extremely helpful alongside a good understanding of FASD and the challenges facing parents, carers and families. This role will be based from home, you will need access to the internet, social media channels and websites, ideally using a laptop for functionality. Any hours you can offer are greatly appreciated, however a few hours per month would be ideal, our core opening times are Monday to Friday between 10am and 2pm This role is time limited and will end 31 March 2022. We welcome applications from across Scotland

Trustees are responsible for the sound governance and strategic direction of Almond Valley; an innovative museum that welcomes over 130,000 families and children each year. In planning for continued growth of the charity, we’re now recruiting to fill a Board vacancy. To complement the wide range of skills and interests already represented on the Board, we would particularly welcome interest from individuals with relevant insight and achievement in fields of strategic management and leadership.

OPAL (Older People Active Lives) aims to maintain or increase the independence and well-being of older people across the West Lothian area. Our service is delivered by dedicated, trained volunteers who offer encouragement, companionship and support to engage in social, leisure and community activities. We support anyone of age 60+ who is looking to re-connect socially either on a one-to-one basis or in a group setting. People can either self-refer or be referred by a health professional. You will provide transport, using your own car to enable a client to visit groups or events, to accompany a client to go shopping. Your support and encouragement could help them to: • Remain independent at home, socially connected and engaged • Reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation • Increase self-confidence • Create links with the local community Examples of activities include: • Attending a local club or group e.g. activity groups, local walking group, dementia cafe • Visiting local shops • Attending an event e.g. gala, open day, taster session, tea dance

We are looking for Volunteers to join our Bloom and Blether dementia friendly garden group and allotment. Do you have an interest in gardening and supporting people living with dementia? If you are aged 18 and over, willing to help and have 2 or 3 hours per month to offer, we would like to hear from you! As a Therapeutic Activity Volunteer you would support people attending our groups to take part in therapeutic activities. The Bloom and Blether is a gardening group so an interest in gardening would be desirable. The social element of the group is at its heart so being comfortable in a group setting and communicating is a key part of this role. The Bloom and Blether group meets at our allotment in Broxburn with some group activities taking place at our Dementia Resource Centre in Livingston. We are looking for a once or twice monthly commitment to attend the group.

Committee Member

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, exists to relieve need, suffering and distress amongst the Armed Forces, veterans and their families in order to support their independence and dignity. Would you like to support people who have served in the Armed Forces? You don’t need a military background, just the ability to listen, some basic I.T skills and good written and spoken English. If so, this could be the role for you. What is a caseworker? Caseworkers work with clients to figure out what type of help they need. Next, they find the right sources of support and arrange for clients to access it. This might be funds for special equipment for someone with a disability, adaptions to a property so an older client can remain at home or funds for a rental deposit. Caseworkers also sign-post clients onto specialist local services for advice on benefits, housing, mental health, debt, finding work etc. Why do we need you? Volunteer Caseworkers are the lifeblood of SSAFA, supporting a growing number of people in need of financial, practical and emotional support. Clients come from all backgrounds and age groups and may have served in WW2 or in a more recent conflict like Iraq or Afghanistan. Our trained volunteers listen without judgement to assess and provide tailored support to help people navigate life in and beyond military service. We need you to join your local SSAFA team to help us achieve this. When would you be needed and where would you be based? The essential part of the role is interacting with clients, so you may be visiting clients or doing this virtually. You may need access to a vehicle or another way to travel to meet clients at home or in a care home setting. As part of your local branch you might have access to an office, but many volunteers are based at home. What does this role involve? • Contacting clients and arranging to meet them at a mutually convenient time either face-to-face or remotely • Liaising with clients and completing a form to assess their circumstances • Sign-posting clients onto local services providing specialist advice • Applying on the client’s behalf to military and non-military sources of charitable funding • Arranging for the purchase of goods and services • Keeping in touch with the client so they know how their case is progressing • Keeping in touch with your branch so they know your availability • Keeping up to date with training and SSAFA news so that you are best able to support clients • Being a positive ambassador for SSAFA remembering that anyone you meet could be a potential client, volunteer or fundraiser • Volunteering within the standards and values of SSAFA including observing our policies such as the Volunteering policy and data protection policy (these will be covered in your training and local induction.) What can you gain from this volunteering role? • Support people in your community with a military background • Use your skills, knowledge and life experience to benefit others • Support and friendship from your local SSAFA branch and the wider SSAFA community • Experience, training and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews • Better physical and mental health – studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression! How to find out more? • Visit us on line at https://www.ssafa.org.uk/volunteer-ssafa to find out more or email dorothy.urban@ssafa.org.uk

We are recruiting for Council members People will always need our help. You could play in important part in making sure we can always be there to answer that call. At this exciting time, as we approach our 200th Anniversary, we are seeking Council members to work with and support our Trustee Board and Executive Team. We are looking for talented people who will bring their skills, perspectives and experience to the organisation; particularly in Health and Safety, Strategic Workforce Planning, Digital Technology and Youth Development. You will also be a visible, credible ambassador for the RNLI, willing and able to engage with and inspire our people and stakeholders. The impact you will make This is a pivotal role within the RNLI, providing valuable advice and assistance to the Trustee Board and Executive Team on broad policy and strategy issues. This is an unpaid voluntary opportunity within the RNLI. Travel and subsistence costs will be reimbursed in line with RNLI policy. Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for nearly 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable), and helping us work towards our goals of halving drowning in the UK and Ireland by 2024. This involves a growing commitment to preventative action, using our expertise to work in partnership with communities locally, nationally, and internationally to prevent drowning. If you would like to speak to someone before applying for this Council member role, please email gov_recruitment@rnli.org.uk. To apply, please go online to RNLI.org/governanceroles and attach a copy of your CV together with a covering letter. The closing date for this role is 02 January 2022.