Support groups are essential for parents and families seeking support. They provide an opportunity for families to meet others who are also living with a family member who has autism, they provide a safe environment for people with autism and their families to attend and meet and they offer an opportunity for families and individuals to share their own experience and listen to others. What you will be doing Ensuring members are informed when there are support groups meetings coming up (via official branch NAS e-mail, social media or text, for example). Advertising the support group (posters, leaflets, etc.) Attending the weekly support group sessions Sharing information (full training will be given). Signposting to other support, professionals, organisations etc. Welcoming new members. Liaising with other volunteers to ensure there is a volunteer present for the duration of the meeting. Accompanying group members in local outings. The skills you need Knowledge and experience of the autism spectrum is an advantage but not essential as we can provide training. Patience and understanding of the needs of others. Good organisational skills. The ability to see the world from a different perspective Approachable. Confident in taking the lead at introducing themselves and speaking to new people attending the group. An ability to make new people feel welcome. What's in it for you Improve support to autistic people and their families in your local area. Build up an understanding of autism by volunteering with autistic people. Access free training and learn new skills. Meet new people. A worthwhile achievement to add to your CV. Having fun whilst carrying out a valuable role. Volunteering can keep you mentally stimulated and provide you with a sense of purpose. This is a rewarding and fulfilling opportunity and will allow you to make a difference to those you are supporting and their families. Do you have personal experience with autism and want to make a difference in your local community? Being a few hours a month, this role can fit around your responsibilities and you can decide when you would like to volunteer. We know our volunteers have busy lives and we do our best to fit around you. The role is fully supported by the regional Senior Branch Engagement Officer and the other branch volunteers. You will receive full guidance and training for everything you’ll need to do. How you’ll hear about your application Once you’ve applied, you’ll receive notifications to the email address you apply with. Sometimes the emails we send about your application go into junk folders. We will keep in touch with you through an email address ending in @NAS.goassemble.com, do check your junk folder for confirmation of your application and other messages from us. When and where Specific to the branch Support Designated Senior Branch Engagement Officer to answer any queries and provide support. Written guidance on a range of branch communications. You must complete any requested eLearning modules before you start volunteering. Your Senior Branch Engagement Officer will explain what you need to complete. Insurance cover for all branch activities. Agreed expenses reimbursed for attendance at any event organised by the branch support team

We are a church based community project working in the North of Ayr. Our mission includes a music group, an after school club, work within local schools and faith based outreach events. We are looking for volunteers to help us out during our Thursday music group between 2pm and 3pm. Volunteers can choose to do all or some of the following: - Welcoming people in the venue and helping in the registration. - Making sure participants fill in the signing sheet - Accept payment - Help with the use of projector for song lyrics - Take pictures or videos (camera/phone supplied) - Preparing sandwiches and soup using the facilities at the venue - Setting up and clearing up of the venue

Why we want you We are looking for volunteers to get involved in our social groups, they provide a safe opportunity for individuals with autism to socialise with others who are also autistic, share their own experiences and listen to others. They play a vital role in helping to alleviate social isolation for autistic people, improve their confidence and increase social skills What you will be doing At virtual groups The sessions take place on Microsoft Teams Monitoring the chat box and responding to questions/queries posted there Reading aloud comments members have posted in the chat box (as required) Keeping the conversation to the topic being discussed Supporting the group leaders in running the group smoothly Helping to organise and plan activities for the group e.g quizzes etc At Face to Face Meetings Attending the social group Supporting individuals to build their self-coping strategies and promote their self-management Giving all members of the group the opportunity to talk and interact if they wish to Help support self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth of people at the group Building up positive relationships with people at the groups and other volunteers Keeping in touch with the group leader and notifying if you are unable to attend We have 3 different Opportunities for you to get involved in that you can get involved in Coffee Club – This group is aimed at autistic adults aged 26+ it meets online once a month, and we hope to be able hold some face to face meetings soon. We do different activities each month and this may be having a quiz or chatting about a specific topic we would ideally like volunteers aged 26+ for this group NAS Café – this group is for autistic young people age 16 to 24 it meets online once a month and we aim to gain the views of our members and if face to face meetings are important to them then make these events happen whilst being user led. Social Navigation Programme – this group meets for up to 2 hours every week with a rolling 15-week programme. Social Navigation is designed to support autistic young people aged 12-18 years it runs for 15 sessions with fun activity pack's sent out every week to support with social navigation. This programme is designed to support autistic young people to navigate the social world while building existing skills. Social navigation provides you with the opportunity to become more confident, make new connections, grow their skills and have fun! We can let you know more about the different groups and discuss which group you could volunteer with when we have an informal chat with you when you have received your application form. When and where Group times are once a month on a Thursday 11.45am-12.30 during the day time and once a month on Tuesday evening 6 to 6.45pm (these can run over slightly) and Wednesday evenings weekly for 15 weeks 6-7.30pm (will include holiday breaks) We can discuss which of the session day/times would work best for you in our information chat when

We are looking to recruit volunteers to support our young carers group and holiday activities. These take place in the evenings after school or in the holidays. The groups provide respite for our young carers and are real good fun and we are looking for volunteers that are quite active and enjoy being outdoors. Full training is provided and this opportunity can provide valuable experience in working with young people. Volunteers will need to be energetic, outgoing and likes to have fun. Volunteers will need to be able to participate in games and activities and encourage and support our young carers to take part. Contact Angus Carers Centre for more information by emailing enquiries@anguscarers.org.uk or phoning 01241 439157.