Help fight poverty and create a circular economy in your own community. Role Description : Berwickshire Swap are looking for volunteers for a number of roles; The first, is to assist with the laundering of and packing of emergency packages. Clothes for our emergency packages are donated to us in used conditions so need laundered. Volunteers would be provided with soap powder, and asked to wash, dry, iron and pack the packages. The volunteers would either drop the packages off or they would be collected. BS holds events. At these events we need people with moving our donations from their location to an event. Then setting up the event, sorting and putting out the clothes, toys and items. We then need people to sort clothing coming in. At the end of an event we need people to help pack up and move the items back to storage. BS also needs people between swaps to help with sorting donations. These events are currently held in Reston Village hall.

This is a fantastic and fulfilling way to make a difference to the life of other people. Apart from the personal satisfaction of helping someone, it is also an opportunity to enhance your own life experience and build new skills. Our Support Workers provide social support in their local community for people affected by Cystic Fibrosis. A Support Worker is our first point of contact with clients in their area, responding to requests that are often for help to acquire home improvements, disability related benefits or just someone to talk to. Support workers can also be trained to provide advocacy if they wish to be more challenged, learn new skills or perhaps make good use of those they already have. The use of a car is essential in order to travel to a client's home. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a life limiting condition that currently affects around 1000 people in Scotland. The Butterfly Trust aspires to improving the quality of life for people affected by Cystic Fibrosis by providing support, promoting people's rights and helping them to live independently. After expressing an interest in this role we'll get in touch with you for a discussion of the role in more detail. An application form has to be completed, followed by an interview. Volunteers then must attend an induction event and and we will complete membership of the PVG scheme on their behalf

Team Jak provides practical and emotional support to children and young people with cancer and related illnesses, their family and friends and those bereaved. Team Jak Ambassadors can have different roles including family support and fundraising, including - raising awareness and fundraising opportunities such as bag packs, helping at a merchandise stand and collection buckets in supermarkets, schools, colleges, shopping centres and concerts. We will be hosting a number of larger fundraising events in Aberdeen throughout the year with the aim to raise £70,000 to open our Jak’s Den in Aberdeen. Family support roles can be rewarding and involve anything from playing with the children during our activity days and at our child and teenage groups, to making tea and coffee at our support sessions, talking with parents, sorting out merchandise bags and delivering to our newly diagnosed warriors in hospital, and preparing items for events. Volunteers receive initial induction training, ongoing support and any further relevant training opportunities. Team Jak have an Awards scheme and we hold a yearly event dedicated to thanking our volunteers and celebrating their success. All volunteers make a real difference and are greatly appreciated. For more details please email: email Tiffeny@teamjak.org.uk or phone.: 01224 895893.

Would you like to help to support children, young people and families in Midlothian? Are you able to offer a few hours of your time each week? If so, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you. Children 1st works to keep children and young people safe, well, and loved within their families and communities. This volunteering opportunity will be based within the Children 1st Midlothian Family Wellbeing Service which supports children and young people across Midlothian. Volunteering with the Midlothian team will complement the support families receive from the wider team to help build confidence and stronger family relationships, reduce isolation, build stability in their recovery, and promote a sense of belonging with their wider community. It is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of children and families across Midlothian and develop valuable skills, knowledge and experience. “I love my role as a Family Wellbeing and Befriending Volunteer. I get to see young people flourish and thrive throughout my time with them, I get to help build their confidence and see them come into their own. It’s a privilege to be a part of their journey.” (Children 1st Volunteer) What will I be doing? We know that safe, supportive and trusting relationships are an essential part of building families’ confidence, resilience and wellbeing. Our volunteers build relationships with families in the following ways: • Befriending – building a positive 1 to 1 relationship with a child or young person and supporting them to take part in a range of activities within their community and to build their confidence and self esteem. What you do together will depend on the interests of the child and could include taking them to a local park, art and craft activities, attending events in the community and much more. • Parent Mentoring - develop a trusting 1 to 1 relationship with a parent/carer with the aim of helping them to increase their confidence and promote good mental-health and well-being. What you do together will be based on individual needs and interests and could include support to attend activities in the local community and help with attending appointments. • Group Work – working alongside Children 1st staff to create a warm and welcoming environment for parents/carers and/or children and young people attending group sessions, trips, and activities run by the service. We will explore further what families need and the skills and qualities you could bring to one of these roles at interview and during training and induction. Please see the role description below for more information about the role. Training and support We provide a comprehensive introductory training course that will equip you with the skills and knowledge that you need. We plan to start our next training course in November 2025 (exact dates TBC) which will run from our Midlothian base in Eskbank. We provide all of our volunteers with ongoing support and opportunities to develop in the role. We also reimburse reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for travel and costs incurred as part of the volunteering role. Further information You don’t need to have any specific previous experience or formal qualifications although some understanding of issues affecting children, young people and families and good communication skills will be helpful. We are seeking to further enhance our diversity from the perspective of ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender and disability. We also have an interest in hearing from people with lived experience of substance use (whether their own or as a loved one), poor mental health and those who are care-experienced. We ask volunteers to commit to giving a few hours a week for at least a year. If you would like to find out more about the role or have any questions please get in touch via volunteer@children1st.org.uk - we’d love to hear from you. To apply please follow the link below.