The John O Groat Trail relies on volunteers to help improve the coastal paths and environment on the East Coast of northern Scotland. It links into the North Coast 500 route and encourages tourism and environmental preservation. Volunteers work on improving access to paths and tracks, but they can also help with litter picks, beach cleans or one-off activities periodically. Mostly conducted in Spring/Summer months and at weekends, howevr Volunteers are welcome to get in touch all year around and support this group.

Volunteer Officer – Assisting with Volunteering Activities for Adults (Voluntary position, training and travel expenses covered – 6 months) Place: Stirling Why TCV need you: The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) connects people to the green spaces that form a vital part of any healthy, happy community. From urban to rural, local parks and community gardens to Local Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest; from school grounds and hospital grounds to waterways, wetlands, and woodlands. By taking part in TCV activities people improve their health and wellbeing, develop new skills, build stronger communities and have a real impact on the environment. TCV are seeking enthusiastic individuals with a passion for conservation and enthusing others who are looking to develop their skills and gain experience in the sector. By giving your time to become a TCV Volunteer Officer you’ll be helping TCV to reach even more people and improve even more greenspaces for people and nature. Benefits to you: Volunteer Officers (VOs) take on roles with real responsibility – including leading projects and supporting groups of volunteers. Being a VO gives you the opportunity to build skills, knowledge and practical experience and enhance your employability. Some elements of the induction may be online and you will need access to a computer to complete some of the training. We will also organise some practical workdays for all new VOs to give you an introduction to some of the practical conservation activities TCV deliver. You will be supported by a nominated Senior Project Officer who oversees your training and development. You will receive a First Aid training qualification and the opportunity to attend courses on Project Leadership, Safeguarding, Risk Assessment and other training relevant to the specific role. What you need: TCV are looking for enthusiastic individuals with a passion for conservation and helping other to engage with the natural environment. You will be reliable, organised and punctual to ensure workdays run smoothly. Volunteers value the social aspect of our activities so it is important that you are able to interact with volunteers in a friendly manner to enhance their volunteering experience. No past experience of working or volunteering in conservation or with volunteers but you will have to demonstrate why you are interested in volunteering with TCV and how your personality and personal interests make you suitable for the VO role. No qualifications are required but a driving license is desirable. How much time: TCV are looking for a minimum commitment of 1 day a week for 6 months. It can be flexible in terms of which day it is or if it changes week to week. You can be VO for more than one day a week, which greatly improves the level of experience gained and increases the number of opportunities open to you. Indicate your availability in the applicationwhich can be discussed later. People are able to be a VO commitments around work, studies and other commitments. For further details please contact Rebecca Strofton on 07739447964. Please email r.strofton@tcv.org.uk for an application form and submit your application by 5pm on Wednesday the 30th of June. You will be supported in your role by experienced staff through regular meetings where issues can be resolved and guidance provided.

Learn about how monitoring Riverfly can tell you about the health of your local river. Riverfly on the Esk is a citizen science group that have been monitoring the health of the Lothian Esk for over 3.5 years. Made up of trained citizen scientists from the local community we survey and monitor the Riverfly that inhabit the waters from the source to the sea. Presence or absence of these invertebrates can tell us a lot about the health of the river. By joining our local citizen science trained volunteers for a survey we will show you how to take a sample, identify the sensitive groups. You will learn about the river ecosystem and how important it is to look after it.

We are keen to create a community garden space and are looking for people interested in gardening, willing to learn or to teach. Want to be part of a social group, have fun and not afraid of having your hands dirty? This is an opportunity for you then! Things you would do: *Planting flowers, plants, vegetables, trees. *Making areas with bird houses, feeding trays *Keeping the place tidy. *Putting nice ornaments in place. *Sourcing benches for people to sit and relax *Watering the plants *Coming up with ideas to make the place look nice *Hanging baskets around the centre *Making our grounds look nice, tidy, colourful People would meet on Tuesday, but feel free to come any day as the garden will require attention everyday. This is a great opportunity to learn/teach how to garden, spend time outside, meet new people. All volunteers are greatly appreciated and provided with excellent support. Please contact us to find out how you can help, join our fantastic team of volunteers and make a real difference in the community: Email: volunteerinchgarth@gmail.com / Tel: 01224 325191 / Website: http://www.inchgarth.org/