Muscular Dystrophy UK (Scottish Borders)

Muscular Dystrophy UK’s the leading charity for over 60 muscle wasting and weakening conditions. For over 60 years, we’ve been building our community of individuals living with muscle-wasting or weakening conditions, families and carers, scientists, health professionals, supporters, volunteers and donors. Making advances that would have been unthinkable just ten years ago.

• We share expert advice and support people to live well now.
• We fund groundbreaking research to understand the different conditions better and lead us to new treatments.
• We work with the NHS towards universal access to specialist healthcare.
• Together, we campaign for people’s rights, better understanding, accessibility, and access to treatments.


Current opportunities

As a Volunteer Collection box Coordinator you will support the charity to raise awareness and funds by placing and managing collection boxes within businesses in your local community. Role Description : Specific tasks may include: • Placing charity collection boxes in shops, pubs, chemists, doctor’s surgeries etc in your area. • Making follow up visits to businesses where boxes have been placed to empty contents and reseal boxes for further use. • Counting and receipting contents of each box emptied. • Maintaining accurate records of venues holding boxes and how much each collection box placed raises – you will be provided with a spreadsheet to facilitate this. • Ensuring boxes are clean and in good condition and replacing where needed. • Banking income and providing detailed report of income to Regional Development Manager within agreed timescales. Skills and Experience required: • Enthusiasm and commitment to supporting the work of MDUK. • To maintain and uphold the reputation and good name of the charity. • To listen to, and work co-operatively with paid members of staff and other volunteers – treating all with courtesy and respect. • To take reasonable care of your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. • To support the charity’s equal opportunities and diversity policy – helping to promote this to all our supporters. • To provide us with feedback on how we can improve your volunteering experience with the charity. • To inform us if your commitment to us, for any reason, can no longer continue. • Have a welcoming, friendly manner. • Good organisation skills and ability to maintain records. • Initiative in order to recognise opportunities to place boxes. • Have good written English and basic computer skills with a good knowledge of Microsoft Office. • Can volunteer flexible hours. • The ability to work well with staff and other volunteers as part of a team but also able to work on your own initiative. • Have good money managing skills.

As an Ambassador you will be the local MDUK representative who will: • Influence small businesses and individuals in your area. • Speak about the cause passionately. • Raise awareness of who we are and what we do. Role Description : What you’ll get out of the role: • Meeting new people in your community and working as part of our skilled and friendly fundraising team • A flexible volunteering opportunity that you can fit around your lifestyle • Relevant training by MDUK Specific tasks may include: • Introduce your Regional Development Manager to decision makers in local companies and community organisations. • Promoting small business involvement in our Go Bright day and Bake a Difference and/or any other suitable initiatives and events. • Using your experience to help Muscular Dystrophy UK maximise returns from our small business partnerships and local media partnerships. • Making introductions to key community figures, groups and networks (e.g. MPs, mayors, WI, golf clubs, rotaries etc). • Helping us to recruit skilled volunteers from your networks. • Providing feedback to help us improve and develop the way we work. • Attending events and meetings on behalf of Muscular Dystrophy UK. The events and activities the charity is invited to vary from large conferences or fundraising balls through to other fundraising activities such as supporter coffee mornings, quiz nights and cheque presentation opportunities. • Speaking about muscular dystrophy and the work of the charity in fighting muscle disease. • Recognising opportunities to exchange contact details and develop relationships. • Feeding back to the Regional Development Manager on events, key individuals and any actions to be followed up. What we expect from you: • Enthusiasm and commitment to supporting the work of MDUK. • To maintain and uphold the reputation and good name of the charity. • To listen to, and work co-operatively with paid members of staff and other volunteers – treating all with courtesy and respect. • To take reasonable care of your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. • To support the charity’s equal opportunities and diversity policy – helping to promote this to all our supporters. • To provide us with feedback on how we can improve your volunteering experience with the charity. • To inform us if your commitment to us, for any reason, can no longer continue. What you can expect from us: • A volunteer induction to provide you with the knowledge needed to help you succeed. • As a volunteer you may be handling personal or sensitive data and if so, will complete our GDPR training so you can confidently carry out your role. • Your local Regional Development Manager will inform you of any relevant training, development opportunities, events or meetings you may need to attend. • Regular email updates on the charity’s work. • Contact with other volunteers working with MDUK. • Your main contact will share the Volunteers’ handbook with you, which will act as a summary of the information within the Volunteer Policy. Your main contact will also work with you to provide any support and training you need to fulfil your role. • You can claim back pre-agreed reasonable expenses as per the MDUK expenses policy. • Insurance cover, under MDUK’s public liability insurance, as per the insurance policy is available to you while volunteering. • A formal, written procedure for resolving difficulties; if you have a complaint it will be dealt with promptly and fairly. Skills and Experience required • Excellent oral communication. • Confident to deliver key messages clearly and enthusiastically. • Strong communication and influencing skills, especially over the phone and on email. • Relationship building – when attending events you are the eyes and ears for your Regional Development Manager. There is great potential to develop leads and opportunities for the charity. • An understanding of how a charity partnership can benefit a company. • You will need be adaptable to different situations and ensure you research and prepare material appropriate for your audiences. • Flexible to attend events at irregular dates and times throughout the year. • A commitment to and an understanding of disability issues, equal opportunities and diversity. • A willingness to engage new audiences. • The ability to work well with staff and other volunteers as part of a team but also able to work on your own initiative.

Our fundraising groups are the local face of MDUK, raising vital funds and consistently raising the profile of the charity in order to reach more people and their families affected by a muscle wasting condition. Role Description : What you’ll get out of the role: • Meeting and working with new and inspiring people. • Developing your communications, fundraising, PR and organisational skills. • More experience to add to your CV. • Developing your leadership skills. • Making a difference to your local community by raising funds and the profile of MDUK in your community. • Having fun, sharing your enthusiasm and doing something new. • Guidance on fundraising, finance and health and safety. What you’ll be doing: • Planning, organising and promoting fundraising events and collections with other group/committee members. • Collecting funds on behalf of the charity and servicing collection tins. • Attending group meetings. • Acting as an ambassador for MDUK through building community networks and in talking enthusiastically about the work of the charity. • Giving presentations to community organisations / schools. • Distributing promotional leaflets for MDUK. • Collecting and delivering MDUK merchandise to local supporters. • Liaising with your local Regional Development Manager to keep up-to-date with MDUK local and national events and our future direction as well as sharing our successes. • Complying with legal requirements e.g. health & safety legislation for fundraising events and MDUK’s internal policies. • If you have an interest in finance or accounts: using these skills in keeping records of the group’s financial activities and overseeing the submission of monies and year end accounts in line with MDUK guidelines and keeping with the Charities Act. How we will support you: • Support from your local Regional Development Manager with guidance on fundraising, event organising, planning and finance. • Fundraising merchandise/materials supplied as appropriate. • Opportunities to meet and network with staff and fellow volunteers during the year. • Updates on the success of the team as well as MDUK’s campaigns, events, achievements and future direction. • We will provide any relevant training to give you confidence in presenting on behalf of MDUK, e.g. guidance on media work and press releases, photography of events and in written communications and thanking supporters. Skills and Experience required: • Organisational, communication and time management skills so you can work effectively with a wide range of people. • The ability to work well with staff and other volunteers as part of a team but also able to work on your own initiative. • Honesty, reliability, passion and enthusiasm. • An interest in muscle-wasting conditions and the services that MDUK provides and able to represent MDUK to members of the public. • Possible managing finances – numeric skills, book keeping skills and attention to detail. • Ability to respond proactively to new opportunities. • A welcoming, friendly manner. • Enthusiasm and commitment to supporting the work of MDUK. • To maintain and uphold the reputation and good name of the charity. • To listen to, and work co-operatively with paid members of staff and other volunteers – treating all with courtesy and respect. • To take reasonable care of your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. • To support the charity’s equal opportunities and diversity policy – helping to promote this to all our supporters. • To provide us with feedback on how we can improve your volunteering experience with the charity. • To inform us if your commitment to us, for any reason, can no longer continue.