SSAFA - The Armed Forces Charity

Charity registered in Scotland SC038056

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity is a trusted source of support for serving personnel, veterans and their families in their time of need. Our teams of trained volunteers and employees provide practical, emotional and financial assistance to the Armed Forces community enabling them to thrive.


Current opportunities

Could you help to raise vital funds for SSAFA in your local area? You don’t need a military background, just the ability to get on with all kinds of people and some occasional free time. What is a Fundraising volunteer? As part of a local team, our fundraisers represent SSAFA at events, and in public. The role includes helping at fayres, street collections, concerts, quizzes, raffles, sporting events etc. Why do we need you? SSAFA branches rely on regular charitable income to fund all the necessities behind our support for clients. This includes volunteer travel expenses, phone bills, publicity and grants for clients in urgent need. A varied programme of fundraising also keeps the SSAFA profile high in the local community, so everyone knows who we are and how we can help. When would you be needed and where would you be based? This role involves being out and about at public events and would suit someone looking to give the occasional day, half day or evening to support SSAFA; when and where would be flexible to suit you. What would you be doing? Examples of tasks would include: • Being part of a team with collection/buckets tins at events, supermarkets, shopping centres, etc. • Acting as a marshal at a public event e.g. handing out water to runners, supervising parking etc. • Being part of a team running a stall at an event, Armed Forces Day, fayre, county show etc. • Helping with putting up posters, building gazebos, serving refreshments, packing/unpacking cars etc. • Being a positive ambassador for SSAFA, engaging people of all backgrounds and interests • Volunteering within the standards and values of SSAFA including observing our policies such as the Volunteering policy and data protection policy (these will be covered in your training and local induction.) What can you gain from this volunteering role? • Use your skills, knowledge and life experience to benefit others • Give tangible and practical support to your local branch by raising funds used directly to support clients • Support and friendship from your local SSAFA branch and the wider SSAFA community • Experience, training and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews • Better physical and mental health – studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression!

Come and join the SSAFA Branch covering Argyll and Bute and help to make a difference to veterans in your community. There is a small team of volunteers that manage the branch and casework and we need more caseworkers to help us to support Veterans across the area.Caseworkers visit clients to work out what type of help they need. Next, they find the right sources of support and arrange for clients to access it. This might be funds for special equipment for someone with a disability, adaptions to a property so an older client can remain at home or funds for a rental deposit. Caseworkers also sign-post clients onto specialist local services for advice on benefits, housing, mental health, debt, finding work etc. The essential part of the role is interacting with clients, so you may be visiting clients or doing this virtually. As part of your local branch you might have access to an office, but many volunteers are based at home. What does this role involve? • Contacting clients and arranging to meet them at a mutually convenient time either face-to-face or remotely • Liaising with clients and completing a form to assess their circumstances including financial information • Sign-posting clients onto local services providing specialist advice • Applying on the client’s behalf to military and non-military sources of charitable funding • Arranging for the purchase of goods and services • Keeping in touch with the client so they know how their case is progressing • Keeping in touch with your branch so they know your availability • Keeping up to date with training and SSAFA news so that you are best able to support clients • Being a positive ambassador for SSAFA remembering that anyone you meet could be a potential client, volunteer or fundraiser • Volunteering within the standards and values of SSAFA including observing our policies such as the Volunteering policy and data protection policy (these will be covered in your training and local induction.) What can you gain from this volunteering role? • Support people in your community with a military background • Use your skills, knowledge and life experience to benefit others • Support and friendship from your local SSAFA branch and the wider SSAFA community • Experience, training and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews • Better physical and mental health – studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression! Minimum Age: 18 Is a criminal record check required? Yes

Caseworkers visit clients to work out what type of help they need. Next, they find the right sources of support and arrange for clients to access it. This might be funds for special equipment for someone with a disability, adaptions to a property so an older client can remain at home or funds for a rental deposit. Caseworkers also sign-post clients onto specialist local services for advice on benefits, housing, mental health, debt, finding work etc. The essential part of the role is interacting with clients, so you may be visiting clients or doing this virtually. As part of your local branch you might have access to an office, but many volunteers are based at home. What does this role involve? • Contacting clients and arranging to meet them at a mutually convenient time either face-to-face or remotely • Liaising with clients and completing a form to assess their circumstances including financial information • Sign-posting clients onto local services providing specialist advice • Applying on the client’s behalf to military and non-military sources of charitable funding • Arranging for the purchase of goods and services • Keeping in touch with the client so they know how their case is progressing • Keeping in touch with your branch so they know your availability • Keeping up to date with training and SSAFA news so that you are best able to support clients • Being a positive ambassador for SSAFA remembering that anyone you meet could be a potential client, volunteer or fundraiser • Volunteering within the standards and values of SSAFA including observing our policies such as the Volunteering policy and data protection policy (these will be covered in your training and local induction.) What can you gain from this volunteering role? • Support people in your community with a military background • Use your skills, knowledge and life experience to benefit others • Support and friendship from your local SSAFA branch and the wider SSAFA community • Experience, training and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews • Better physical and mental health – studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression! Minimum Age: 18 Is a criminal record check required? Yes

Could you lead the local SSAFA services in Dunbartonshire? You don’t need a military background for this role, but you should be empathic to the needs of the armed forces community, have some experience of managing people and possess good I.T. skills. If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you. Leading and coordinating a team of volunteers the Branch Chair oversees all aspects of the branch. Ultimately accountable to the Chair of the Board of Trustees, through the National Chairman your role is to ensure that the branch is running in line with SSAFA’s Royal Charter Rules, Regulations and policies. What is a Branch Chair? There are SSAFA branches throughout the UK and overseas. Each branch has a Chair to oversee all aspects of the branch. Also, to ensure that clients and volunteers are safe, all services provided are appropriate and effective and that the branch is financially sound. You will be the public face of SSAFA in your branch area. Why do we need you? We’ve been supporting the Armed Forces community for more than 130 years. Our clients come from all backgrounds and age groups and more people than ever are contacting SSAFA for financial, practical and emotional support. To do this we need local branches and volunteers who can coordinate people, ensure the local population know about SSAFA and keep things running smoothly behind the scenes. When would you be needed and where would you be based? This role is about leadership, coordination and administration. The role requires an ongoing time commitment of 2-3 days per week. In addition, you would need to organise and attend regular meetings throughout the year. What would you be doing? Providing leadership to the Branch and ensuring that all activities comply with SSAFA regulations both directly, and through the Branch Secretary, other Branch Officers. Providing support and guidance to volunteers in office holder roles, and support with recruitment of volunteers into these positions to ensure the sustainability of the branch Ensuring the financial integrity of the Branch, including the appointment of Treasurers and a local fundraising programme to meet branch running costs Ensuring that all data is processed and held in accordance with SSAFA’s data management policie. Monitoring volunteer numbers against the demand for support and working with other volunteers, regional and central office staff to attract and recruit new volunteers as required Ensuring that all volunteers are recruited, inducted, supported and managed in line with SSAFA policies, such as the Volunteering Policy, Volunteer Code of Conduct, Data Protection Policy, and Safeguarding Policy. Building relationships with regional and central office staff, local voluntary organisations and, if applicable, SSAFA Service committees, local military establishments, prisons etc. Overseeing an appropriate programme of awareness raising so that potential clients, volunteers and supporters know how to contact the branch Providing timely reports and information to SSAFA’s Central Office Overseeing a programme of meetings including an AGM, branch meetings, committee meetings, training etc. Resolve any complaints that are suitable for local resolution in accordance with SSAFA’s Complaints Policy and procedures, referring upwards any that are not suitable for local resolution