MCR Pathways has been partnering with schools since 2007 so we know just how amazing the young people of Scotland are. However, sometimes due to situations out of their control, young people face challenges that make it more difficult for them to succeed. This is where you can help... MCR recruits and trains volunteer mentors who are matched with a young person that shares similar interests, hobbies or career aspirations. Mentors meet with their young person at their school for just one hour per week and the difference this makes to their lives is transformational. The mentoring relationship is unique as young people establish a friendship with someone who is there, just for them. The impact on their life is huge. Scotcen, the Scottish arm of Britain’s leading independent social research institute NatCen, found that 81.6% of mentored care-experienced young people leave school to a positive destination (full-time employment, further education, or higher education) compared to 59.8% of care-experienced non-mentored school leavers. We are hoping to help even more young people in Aberdeenshire reach their potential and are seeking volunteers to mentor at Banchory Academy. The only qualification you need to be a mentor is the desire to help. All young people are different and have different needs, so it’s important that our mentors come from all walks of life. The building of the relationship with a young person is facilitated by our fantastic MCR Pathways Coordinators who are based in each school and work with our young people on a daily basis. Are you someone who can #ShareAnHour and support a young person to achieve everything they can in life? Why not do something to make a difference that lasts a lifetime. Sign up and become a mentor today! To register please visit https://mcrpathways.org/become-a-mentor/ or contact our Mentor Services Team by Email: aberdeenshire@mcrpathways.org or phone: 07709249661.

MCR Pathways has been partnering with schools since 2007 so we know just how amazing the young people of Scotland are. However, sometimes due to situations out of their control, young people face challenges that make it more difficult for them to succeed. This is where you can help... MCR recruits and trains volunteer mentors who are matched with a young person that shares similar interests, hobbies or career aspirations. Mentors meet with their young person at their school for just one hour per week and the difference this makes to their lives is transformational. The mentoring relationship is unique as young people establish a friendship with someone who is there, just for them. The impact on their life is huge. Scotcen, the Scottish arm of Britain’s leading independent social research institute NatCen, found that 81.6% of mentored care-experienced young people leave school to a positive destination (full-time employment, further education, or higher education) compared to 59.8% of care-experienced non-mentored school leavers. We are hoping to help even more young people in Aberdeenshire reach their potential and are seeking volunteers to mentor at Alford Academy. The only qualification you need to be a mentor is the desire to help. All young people are different and have different needs, so it’s important that our mentors come from all walks of life. The building of the relationship with a young person is facilitated by our fantastic MCR Pathways Coordinators who are based in each school and work with our young people on a daily basis. Are you someone who can #ShareAnHour and support a young person to achieve everything they can in life? Why not do something to make a difference that lasts a lifetime. Sign up and become a mentor today! To register please visit https://mcrpathways.org/become-a-mentor/ or contact our Mentor Services Team by Email: aberdeenshire@mcrpathways.org or phone: 07709249661.

🌟 Join Our Community of Compassion! 🌟 Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of others? Do you have a heart full of kindness and a desire to give back to your community? We're calling out to all warm-hearted souls who want to spread love and positivity! At Community First East Lothian we believe that small acts of kindness can create big ripples of change. That's why we're looking for volunteers like you to join us in our mission to make the world a brighter, happier place. Whether you're a seasoned volunteer or just starting your journey of giving back, there's a place for you in our community. There are countless ways for you to make a meaningful impact. Here's why you should volunteer with us: 🌟 Make a Difference: Every moment you spend volunteering with us contributes to building a better, more compassionate world. 🌟 Build Connections: Join a diverse community of like-minded individuals who share your passion for helping others. 🌟 Grow Personally: Gain valuable skills, experiences, and personal fulfillment as you give your time and energy to meaningful causes. 🌟 Spread Joy: There's nothing quite like the feeling of bringing a smile to someone's face. Join us in spreading happiness wherever we go! No matter your age, background, or experience level, we welcome you with open arms. Together, we can create a ripple effect of kindness that touches the lives of countless individuals. Ready to join us in spreading warmth and positivity?

We are looking for friendly, non judgemental and sociable individuals to help organise and run activities for the people that we support in our services. Ideally you are enthusiastic, patient, have a sense of humour, good communication skills and experience of life. We are looking for people who can teach or pass on skills and tailor activities to small groups or individual interests. We are always looking for suggestions and activities that are fun and will add enjoyment to a supported person’s life. Specific tasks:- • Help organise and run fun and engaging activities for the people that we support in our services • Supporting group sessions • Participate in group activities and help the people we work with to identify personal interests, strengths, skills, and their own potential. • Leading on activities • Contribute ideas and attend planning meetings • Demonstrating life skills to people receiving ongoing support or whose support could be heading towards a close e.g., encouraging them to cook a meal or bake, leading by example. • Accompany small group outings where appropriate. • Encouraging our supported people’s sense of belonging and connection • Building our supported people’s confidence and self esteem

We're looking for volunteers with good conversational and listening skills to support a local care home in the West End. Our volunteers will be assigned to David Cargill House care home and will speak to staff at the start of each shift to identify a resident who might benefit from the companionship that day. We know that living with a life-limiting illness can be isolating, and for residents in a care home this can be a particularly difficult experience. We are working with the staff at Riverside House to provide volunteers to visit residents who might not have any family members living nearby, to spend time with them and help them to take part in activities around the home where appropriate. You might be reading to someone, chatting about their memories or helping the person you are with to engage in other activities going on in the care home. This is likely to be taking place in the early afternoon, and you will be part of an exciting new project we are trialing to make sure people who live in a care home are supported and provided with companionship on days when they don't always have a visitor. This is an ideal role for someone who enjoys meeting new people and has great conversational skills. This is also an opportunity to be part of a new approach to supporting care home residents. If you are interested, please click the ‘Apply’ button below (available when logged in and registered). You will then be contacted by the coordinator by email or phone call. If you have not heard back after 5 working days, the first step is to contact Carly at carly@myacademicfamily.org.uk. You could also check your junk/spam folder on your emails just in case the response is there. If that doesn’t work, please contact Volunteer Glasgow at info@volunteerglasgow.org.

Would you like to be part of a rewarding project aiming to end child poverty in Aberdeenshire? Give the gift of your time and become a volunteer mentor for our Parent Connect project. It could be life changing for both you, and a person you would support. Parent Connect is a new parental employability support project. The aim of the project is to help unemployed and underemployed, low-income parents in the local area to get on in life and raise their family income through gaining employment and progressing in their careers. You don't need to be a parent yourself to be a mentor for this project, full training will be provided. Who does Parent Connect support? Parent Connect provides wraparound support to: Lone parents Parents under 25 year Ethnic minority parents Parents with disability or with a child with disability Parents with 3+ children Parents with a youngest child under 1 year old. Which organisations do we work with? Project Scotland part of Volunteering Matters are working closely with Aberdeenshire Council, Enable Works and The Foyer to provide this holistic support. What do Mentors support Parents with? Parent Connect mentors provide person-centred support, and this will look different for every relationship depending on the needs of the mentee. Some parents may need help with generally improving their self-confidence, improving employability skills or identifying their goals/ next steps. Some mentees might have a clear idea of the career they want to progress in and are looking for specific support or advice around this. What is the commitment? 1 hour every 1-2 weeks Minimum 4 months commitment Meeting time/format is flexible and to be agreed between mentor and mentee e.g. online or in-person. What are the benefits of Volunteering? Volunteering as a Parent Connect mentor is a mutually rewarding experience. You’ll have the opportunity to make a difference to somebody’s life and an impact in your local community! Mentoring can help to build on leadership and coaching skills and you’ll get chances to network with other volunteers. We will provide you with training, ongoing support from start-finish, provide references and also reimburse appropriate volunteer expenses.

Would you like to support people who have served in the Armed Forces? You don’t need a military background, just patience, and an ability to get on with people from different backgrounds and age groups. If so, this could be the role for you. What is a Visitor? SSAFA Visitors provide support to isolated people living at home or in residential care. Whilst a friendly chat about the old days over a cup of tea is an important aspect of the role you will also be able to recognise any other support needs and explore how to link your client into their local community. Why do we need you? We’ve been supporting the Armed Forces community since 1885. Our clients come from all backgrounds and age groups and may have served in WW2 or in a more recent conflict like the Falklands or Afghanistan. There are SSAFA branches throughout the UK and overseas who support local volunteers to deliver services to veterans, serving personnel and their families. Some branches are divided into smaller divisions to ensure the best local service delivery. Each branch has a team of volunteer caseworkers, support volunteers, executive roles, and fundraisers. With the gift of time and a listening ear you can improve someone’s quality of life for far longer than the hour or so you might spend with them. We need you to join your local SSAFA team to help us to help more people! When would you be needed and where would you be based? The essential part of the role is visiting clients, so you will need a driving licence and access to a vehicle or another way to travel to meet clients at home or elsewhere. Some volunteers will visit more people than others. Whilst you will visit a client on a regular basis for a period, you will not be developing the kind of relationship where you would provide personal care, handle money or support someone in an emergency. SSAFA can help clients to arrange other types of support if needed. What would you be doing? • Contacting clients and arranging to meet them regularly at their home or care home for uninterrupted conversation. • Letting the divisional secretary know of any concerns for your or the client’s safety. • Arranging for a SSAFA caseworker to assess the client for other support as required. • Chatting, making a cup of tea, playing cards, looking at photo albums, military mementos etc • Helping your client to think about ways to reduce their isolation and support them to put these into practice. • 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. • 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.)

Marie Curie are launching a new service to support residents in local care homes across Glasgow and East Dunbartonshire. We know that people who live in residential care can really benefit from having someone to visit them, to provide companionship and support them to take part in activities around the home. Our volunteers will be assigned to a local care home, and will speak to staff at the start of each shift to identify a resident who might benefit from companionship that day. You might be reading to someone, chatting about their memories or helping the person you are with to engage with other activities going on in the care home. This is likely to be taking place in the early afternoon, and you will be part of an exciting new project we are trialing to make sure people who live in a care home are supported and provided with companionship on days when they don't always have a visitor. This is an ideal role for someone who enjoys meeting new people and has great conversational skills. This is also an opportunity to be part of a new approach to supporting care home residents.

Marie Curie are launching a new service to support residents in local care homes across Glasgow and East Dunbartonshire. We know that people who live in residential care can really benefit from having someone to visit them, to provide companionship and support them to take part in activities around the home. Our volunteers will be assigned to a local care home, and will speak to staff at the start of each shift to identify a resident who might benefit from companionship that day. You might be reading to someone, chatting about their memories or helping the person you are with to engage with other activities going on in the care home. This is likely to be taking place in the early afternoon, and you will be part of an exciting new project we are trialing to make sure people who live in a care home are supported and provided with companionship on days when they don't always have a visitor. This is an ideal role for someone who enjoys meeting new people and has great conversational skills. This is also an opportunity to be part of a new approach to supporting care home residents.

Across West Dunbartonshire, many people are living alone and feeling isolated. The reasons will be different. In every case, what is missing is someone like you. With your help, someone in your community could feel more supported, less alone and more able to get out and about. If this sounds like you, all we ask is a few hours every week of your time, over a year. We will be there to provide any help and support you need. You will understand that for everyone safety you will be asked to go through a PVG (police) check. The primary purpose of Old Kilpatrick Food Parcels is the prevention and provision of relief from food poverty in the local area of Old Kilpatrick and its environs. Our befriending opportunity is an ideal place for you to put your people skills to great use –you will receive training in the role, knowing the do’s and don’ts of befriending, experience with Older people, empathy, ability to relate to an older person, completing paperwork, creating reports, planning activities dependent on your befriendee’s ability, providing social support and companionship within the boundaries of the befriending relationship. So, whether you are looking to use your time well, update your skills or have the chance to do something a bit new, we would love to hear from you. In return, we can offer you a warm welcome and all of the support and help you could need. We are seeing a rise in demand for our services, everyday. Having your help will allow us to be there for the people who need us. Any time you can give will make a real difference.