We are looking for young people aged 16-25, who are care experienced and/or at risk of exclusion to become peer mentors. The Project will offer young people aged 16-21 a chance to build relationships with volunteer peer mentors aged 16-25. This will be achieved by using group mentoring ratios such as 2:2, 1:1, 2:1 etc. We are recruiting 6 to 8 young adults that want to commit one year to develop their personal skills, knowledge and understanding to become effective peer mentors. Young adults will be able to apply directly to the Project to become a peer mentor, completing the Mentor Application Form. You will need to be willing to complete training and believe that there is a value in peer mentoring. OPEN are looking for those that are willing to share their life experiences and be a positive influence in supporting their mentees so they can make positive life choices and learn from their peer mentoring relationship.

Can you help promote services to local people in your community? Can you help at events and awareness raising sessions? You could help improve access to services in your community. This role is ideal for people who already have a connection to their community or would like to build one. The Service Team Volunteer role supports in the delivery of advocacy and other services by: • Helping clients understand about advocacy • Attending events and awareness raising activities • Networking and promoting our services and organisation • Signposting to other services • Building professional relationships and partnership working • Supporting our community engagement programmes in your local area Volunteering with VoiceAbility is ideal for people who have or want experience in human rights, health, care and wellbeing - but we care more about your values and empathy than your level of experience. 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. As a volunteer you’ll receive full training, support from the volunteer team and your local advocates, and paid expenses.

Grandmentors is an award-winning, inter-generational mentoring programme, operating in various locations across the UK. We are currently looking for new Volunteer Mentors to join our programme in Midlothian which launched in 2023. It is widely recognised that care-experienced young people are some of the most disadvantaged in society. Many are in care because they have experienced, or are at risk of, neglect and/or abuse. Security and stability are often missing from their lives. We recruit, train and support volunteer mentors (normally but not exclusively aged 50+) who draw on their wealth of professional and personal life experience and skills to support young people (aged 16-26) through life transitions on their pathway to independence. Grandmentors is all about empowering and positive relationships, aligning to “The Promise” that Scotland made to its care experienced population. Young people are listened to, heard, and responded to. They benefit from safe, consistent loving relationships, and access to meaningful support to boost mental & physical wellbeing, resilience, and confidence. Grandmentors facilitate conversations around keeping well, coping strategies, self-care, and self-management. Each young person alongside their Grandmentor co-produces a bespoke support plan and set goals based on their needs. They explore and review the young person’s challenges, and priorities. These range from enhancing mental & physical health and wellbeing, dealing with stress and conflict, support to access sustainable and appropriate housing, career, and education goals, budget planning and more.

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 people with an interest in the care sector, students e.g.: social work 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. As a volunteer you’ll receive full training, support from the volunteer team and your local advocates, and paid expenses. *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 *Skills You'll Need Volunteering with VoiceAbility is ideal for people who have or want experience in human rights, health, care and wellbeing - but we care more about your values and empathy than your level of experience. Some beneficial skills and qualities to have are: • Good communication skills – written and verbal • A basic level of IT literacy – email, docs • Accuracy and attention to detail • Ability to manage own time and prioritise workload • Ability to work independently & as part of a team • A commitment to the aims and ethos of VoiceAbility *Travel Information The role is a hybrid role, as we have no main "office base". People volunteer in and around their local area, and must be able to travel by themselves. Volunteers also meet clients in person to offer face-to-face support if needed. This would be across your specific geographic area of Aberdeen and you will travel locally and attend networking events to promote the service (approved travel expenses are reimbursed to volunteers). For more information/to apply please complete the form at https://voiceability.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/3336374?cid=1938&t=Volunteer-for-VoiceAbility-across-Scotland or contact Karen Murphy, Volunteer Coordinator at email: karen.murphy@voiceability.org or telephone: 07585 969 716. Further details are also available at https://www.voiceability.org/jobs/volunteering