ClubSport Aberdeen is a vibrant body directed by the clubs, for the clubs. As an independent charity, we provide a unified voice for sport clubs in Aberdeen at the top level across the city through our relationship with the Active Aberdeen Partnership. Our purpose is not only to provide the AAP with club input and a club perspective on arising matters, but also to ensure that Aberdeen has safe, sustainable and supported clubs. It does so by using expertise from within the club network as well as from partners in the wider network. This gives Aberdeen’s clubs the ability to develop and grow their membership, workforce and structure to provide their members with the best possible experience of the sport. Membership is open to all clubs across Aberdeen, and generally around 70-80 clubs register with us on an annual basis. The board of Club Sport Aberdeen is made up of a board of volunteer trustees who meet regularly to discuss programmes and initiatives that will benefit sports clubs across the city, which includes projects such as the North East Youth Panel and Active Schools Voucher projects. However, we would be keen to support clubs to deliver projects that also impact on mental health, increasing confidence and breaking down barriers to access sport and physical activity. The board are currently looking to recruit a minutes secretary to help with board admin. Main responsibilities would include: • Collect Agenda items and share prior to meetings • Taking accurate notes as a record of discussion and decisions • Write up notes with responsibilities and actions • Distribute minutes to all committee members Board meetings take place on a bi-monthly basis, with other meetings scheduled as required. Time commitment would generally be 2-3 hours per month, depending on the meeting cycle and membership processing. A fantastic opportunity to help and make a real difference for club and grassroots community sport in Aberdeen. All help is greatly appreciated. For further details please contact Mark Pain, Support to the Board of Trustees at email: mapain@sportaberdeen.co.uk or telephone: 01224 507691.

The Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme (RSVP) encourages and supports people aged 50+ to volunteer in their local communities. We are looking for people who are interested in knitting items for charity. We have 2 Knitting Groups, one in Alloa and one in Dunblane. Both meet in person every 3 months and are an opportunity for knitters to get together, make friends, and compare knitting projects. The group offers free wool, advice, and support. Knitters knit various items such as blankets, hats, and scarfs which are donated onto care homes and other charities. Other knitting materials include premature baby clothing which is gifted to the NHS. Knitters choose what they would like to create, and how they would like their knitting to be donated. If you are interested, or for further details on our groups, please contact us.

What is Parent Connect? Parent Connect is a new parental employability support project in Aberdeenshire. The aim of the project is to help unemployed and underemployed, low-income parents in the local area to get on in life and raise their family income through gaining employment and progressing in their careers. Who does Parent Connect support? Parent Connect provides wraparound support to: Lone parents Parents under 25 year Ethnic minority parents Parents with disability or with a child with disability Parents with 3+ children Parents with a youngest child under 1 year old. Which organisations do we work with? Project Scotland part of Volunteering Matters are working closely with Aberdeenshire Council, Enable Works and The Foyer to provide this holistic support. What do Mentors support Parents with? Parent Connect mentors provide person-centred support, and this will look different for every relationship depending on the needs of the mentee. Some parents may need help with generally improving their self-confidence, improving employability skills or identifying their goals/ next steps. Some mentees might have a clear idea of the career they want to progress in and are looking for specific support or advice around this. What is the commitment? 1 hour every 1-2 weeks Minimum 4 months commitment Meeting time/format is flexible and to be agreed between mentor and mentee e.g. online or in-person What are the benefits of Volunteering? Volunteering as a Parent Connect mentor is a mutually rewarding experience. You’ll have the opportunity to make a difference to somebody’s life and an impact in your local community! Mentoring can help to build on leadership and coaching skills and you’ll get chances to network with other volunteers. We will provide you with training, ongoing support from start-finish, provide references and also reimburse appropriate volunteer expenses.

Could you support unpaid carers or people with disabilities to access benefits? Could you help someone find local services? Could you help someone understand the information they have been given about their care and support? Could you support or lead a group of people on a topic of interest? You could help improve the quality of someone’s life. This role is ideal for social work students, an interest in the care sector or retired professionals. Support Session Volunteers help our clients with general advocacy, supporting people with a variety of challenges. This helps us to reduce waitlists and support more individuals by: • Helping clients understand about advocacy • Supporting clients to self-advocate with our tool kits • Signposting clients to other services where required • Supporting the service to deliver “collective” advocacy sessions • Light Touch Advocacy • Supporting advocates with casework • Promotion of services and the organisation • Logging activity onto our systems Volunteer, Ben’s priorities changed after a serious illness. “I wanted to give something back. It’s really rewarding as you get to use your knowledge and skills for a really good purpose.” You’ll develop skills in communication and confidentiality, add experience and knowledge to your CV, and know you’re making a genuine difference to people’s lives. Perks and Benefits: Reference after 6 months of volunteering. Robust training programme The opportunity to make a positive difference to people with care and support needs. The opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people and gain experience in your chosen volunteering role/s The opportunity to help us develop our volunteering work Additional learning & training opportunities