Become a Trustee at VSA VSA is looking for Trustees to join its Board. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a historic charity with a formidable reputation and to help the Board build a long-term plan. VSA has over 150 years’ experience of delivering social care in Aberdeen, to vulnerable people, adults and older people with learning difficulties and mental health needs. We have grown to be a major employer with an accredited Skills Qualification Centre. VSA has a strong corporate and community volunteering tradition. Today, VSA is of a medium sized company providing education, housing support and social care to young people and adults with complex needs. We particularly want to hear from people with a medical background, or current skills in the following: charity & company law, complex learning & behavioural education/social care and environmental/social governance. Key aspects of trustee roles at VSA are as follows: • To assist the Chair in providing Board leadership on specific areas of strategic direction • To act as an effective champion for VSA • To ensure that VSA has people with LD & MH at the heart of decision making • To oversee and ensure the implementation of VSA policies, with responsibility for occasional decisions on individual recipient cases • To ensure effective corporate governance, risk management and financial management of VSA • To ensure public accountability for the funds for which VSA receives from central and local government and raises independently • To uphold the highest ethical standards of integrity and probity and comply with the Board’s Code of Conduct You will be interested in joining VSA’s Board if you have a personal commitment to supporting vulnerable children, young adults and older people with learning disabilities and/or mental health needs to lead the best of life alongside current practices in the above field. This role is not remunerated but all reasonable expenses, for example childcare, travel etc will be covered. The time commitment is approx 8 to 10 days per year. This is likely to include attendance at Board or Committee meetings, reading and preparation time, and other meetings such as Strategy or Stakeholder. If you are interested please contact the Chair of Trustees, Kevin Shand via Ally Panton at the email address below. To express your interest in becoming a Trustee and to arrange an initial informal discussion, please email ally.panton@vsa.org.uk

Aberdeen in Recovery (AiR) was granted Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) charitable status in March this year. We are now looking to find talented, passionate and skilled people to fill some vacant seats on our Board of Trustees to help us grow and develop our innovative and solution focused new charity. This is a unique opportunity to help lay the foundations to ensure AiR has a long-term future as a charity with solid processes in place to ensure it meets its mission of: “To be a bridge from ‘dependence’ to ‘independence’ for the individual seeking to recover from problematic substance use and addictive behaviours”. This is such an exciting and invigorating prospect for individuals to get involved and be participant in the tsunami of change which is now gaining momentum and being driven by “Experts by Experience” and the vibrant Lived Experienced Communities which are blossoming, not only locally but are now established as a national phenomena. Since its conception, AiR and its members have worked tirelessly to establish and build collaborative relationships with professional services and third sector support agencies. We have consistently driven the message that individuals who have personal lived/living experience of active substance use, including Family members who have been affected by the addictive behaviours of a loved one, and the Recovery Communities they represent have something valid, essential and extremely beneficial to bring to described Recovery Orientated Systems of Care (ROSC). We can provide existing services and clinical structural systems with resources, skills and capabilities that they, no matter how much effort, time and money they invest, will never be able to offer or provide. So, it gives the greatest of pleasure to see this is now recognised on the highest levels that “Recoverists” can productively contribute to the design, development and delivery of truly person-centred ROSC. This being evidenced by the vision, philosophy and content of the Scottish Governments “Rights, Respect and Recovery” Drug and Alcohol Strategy. We also believe it is reaffirmed by the recent success in being granted funding from the Government’s National Development Fund, with our principle partner Alcohol and Drugs Action (ADA), for our ‘Recovery Peer Pathway’ joint two-year project. This collaborative venture will build on three years of pilot work to further establish and build proactive and productive Developmental Pathways within ADA and their Volunteer network while in synergy with AiR membership for individuals who desire to initiate change in their behaviours and outlook as they progress on their recovery journeys within, and imperatively out-with, statutory and formal support services. We believe that the blue sky thinking behind this project categorically and emphatically fits with the expectations, outcomes and concepts of the above Government policy. So, if you have lived experience, or a stakeholder interest, and a passion for recovery and are willing to give of yourself that another may learn, you will not find a better opportunity to indulge your appetite than from within Aberdeen in Recovery. For more information please contact Dermot Craig, Recovery Community Development Manager at E Mail: dermot@aberdeeninrecovery.org or tel.: 01224 638342 / Mobile: 07751 213108.

We are currently seeking passionate individuals to join our Board of Trustees. In particular, we are looking for new Directors with skills and experience in one or more of the following areas: Education, Social Work, Marketing / Fundraising and Communications and IT. The new roles will join a small dedicated team of Trustees already in place and will help to strengthen the Board and lead the organisation into the future. This is a great opportunity for someone who has an understanding of charity or similar corporate governance. The role will be to support the leadership of the charity and drive forward the organisational strategy. The full Board meets quarterly for 2-3 hours on a Monday evening. Smaller committees may meet staff more regularly in relation to specific areas of work. The role is a voluntary one, reasonable expenses will be reimbursed with training provided at no cost. If you are interested in this opportunity please contact Sarah Misra, CEO, Befriend a Child, sarah@befriendachild.org.uk, 01224 210060 for more information and an application pack.

Week by week, our volunteers inspire and provide #SkillsForLife for young people aged 4-25. We support Scouting in the Borders, Braid, Craigalmond, East Lothian, Edinburgh North East, Midlothian and Pentland areas Our Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts learn new skills, make new friends and stand on their own two feet. They’re supported by our everyday heroes - adult volunteers who shape young people’s lives for the better and find out a whole lot about themselves in the process, too. You don’t need to be Bear Grylls to join us. You don’t need to have been a Scout when you were younger. You don’t even need to know how to put up a tent. Our door is open to people of all ages, genders, races, and backgrounds, and we’re only able to change lives because people like you lend a hand. We’re talking about tea makers, tidy-uppers, and skill sharers. We’re talking about minibus drivers and first aiders. We’re talking about students who want to boost their CV, and parents who volunteer so they can spend more time together as a family. Whatever your skillset, lend a hand for as little or as much time as you can spare, and we promise you’ll get more out than you put in. Because whether you’re helping a leader to run an activity in the local town hall, organising a night away, or buttering 120 slices of bread a group of very hungry eleven-year olds - no two Scout meetings are the same. The difference you make, though, is always great. We provide the training. You show up, get stuck in, and make memories for life. As long as you're over 18, you can help out as an adult volunteer in Scouting. Don’t fancy working directly with young people? We also have roles in governance, administration, planning, social media and much more! Get in touch with your local group and offer your skills/time. There is no upper age limit for adult volunteers. Sounds fun? Worthwhile? It is. Benefits: • Access to accredited training, including the Institution of Leadership and Management. • Improved employability and wellbeing • New skills and personal development • Saltire Award / DofE supported • Flexible approach to do volunteering including home-based opportunities. • Supportive Volunteers and Staff • Progression opportunities • Inclusive Organisation