Start your day knowing that you’re making a real difference to people’s lives and volunteer with a great team of people who are working to support greater independence and opportunity for people with learning disabilities and autism. Real Life Options is looking for an volunteer who is enthusiastic about gardening and willing to share their enthusiasm with residents and staff. Currently, they would like to create a space for residents to enjoy and grow their own vegetables but also want to look at expanding the garden in more creative ways. Do you think you may be able to help? Some of the main gardening tasks can include: • Planting Pruning Sowing Seeds Weeding • Edging Borders, Digging Ground Clearance Grass Cutting The Volunteer Gardener role offers: • Opportunities to learn new gardening skills and gain more gardening experience. • Creating a haven for residents that have learning disabilities. • Opportunities to make new friends. • Satisfaction of helping to maintain the gardens. • Assisting staff and becoming part of care friendly team that help vulnerable people.

Be part of a small team focussed on regenerating growth in our walled garden: Weeding, digging, planting, hoeing and Barrowing compost about the site.

Supporting positive relationships with pupils alongside developing a community garden - a climate responsive action and desire to bring generations together across the community. Activities will include establishing the growing area as a sustainable asset. Role Description :To work with young people from the school in small groups or one-to-one basis if required. Share interest, enthusiasm and learning around growing plants (both edible and attractive), supporting the development of the school garden project and re-wilding while building positive relationships with the children and young people involved. In time this may also lead to opportunities around recipes and cooking as well as reducing waste / zero waste ambition, supporting the town centre gardening volunteers with flowers grown, a small orchard, tree planting and tackling local food poverty as possible. Meeting people and spending time with different age groups – sharing experiences and enjoying time together and learning with / from each other. Some digital connections may be used initially, but this can be worked around. A community volunteer is also being sought to support intergenerational work involving school pupils as part of a core development group. Again, some digital connections may be used initially, but this can be worked around. Note: Some other supporting volunteer roles may be available for the garden project generally – including tree planting, building raised beds for the polytunnel, advice and support to plan planting and practical elements of the project and supporting the care and maintenance of the garden over school holiday times. Skills/Experience required: Patience and a sense of fun. Interest in engaging with younger people. Desirable / Particularly useful – an interest or experience in gardening. Previous experience of a community garden. Interest / previous experience connected to sustainable growing – “Plant to Plate”. Interest / experience in cooking fresh ingredients. Interest in all the above with commitment to reducing waste and negative impacts on the environment. Previous experience in working with children and/or young people. Ability to engage in tasks and activities relating to gardening in the polytunnel sited on campus grounds and other places as required according to Covid restrictions. Training and support will be given around the intergenerational work.

Forfar Open Gardens are looking for Volunteer Gardeners to provide general help within the garden whether that be pottering in the outdoor or indoor planting areas, clearing and pruning in the large woodland space or any of the many jobs in between. The garden is an open space for people young and old to come along and enjoy so you have a keen interest in gardening or would like to learn then they would love to hear from you. Youth opportunities are available on Friday afternoons. Interested? Want to know more? Get in touch.

We are seeking to recruit volunteers to support our Community Responder project. This new project is focused on people leaving hospital who require some support to return home. Volunteers will provide a range of tasks that help people. Such tasks might include:- transport from hospital to home or from home to outpatient or GP appointments; carrying out food shopping or collecting prescription medications; telephone befriending and carrying out wellbeing checks. Volunteers will also be able to help support people who are experiencing social isolation. Tasks would include shopping, cooking meals and chatting on the phone. We are looking for people who are enthusiastic about the difference volunteers can make to services and patient experience.

REAP is currently looking for 2 or 3 volunteers to help support upcoming gardening sessions at their Maryhill Therapeutic Garden in Elgin. Working alongside the REAP team, volunteers will help participants get involved in gardening activities, helping people to build their skills, confidence, and wellbeing. Therapeutic gardening is the use of garden space to improve and build resilience in mental health; to increase physical activity; develop social skills and encourage a healthier diet. REAP’s aim is to help participants improve their mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing through gardening and socialising in a beautiful, peaceful environment. Sessions are returning soon on February 11th and will run on a weekly basis on Tuesday afternoons 2-5pm or Friday mornings 10-12:30pm. Volunteers can help people take part in various gardening activities such as sowing seeds, learning about composting and harvesting vegetables to take home. There’s also a chance to socialise during the tea breaks! Volunteers will also be supported in their development by being offered training relevant to the project. If you are a friendly, patient person, able to engage with a wide variety of people, and can volunteer outside in a practical way, have an interest in gardening ( food growing or ornamental 😊 ), or even have skills that could help build a new garden bench!) please do get in touch with REAP, who will be very happy to tell you more about how to get involved. Tel 01542 888070

FRESH Community Wellness is a registered charity (OSCR-Office of Scottish Charity Regulator charity number SCO51346). We are currently working to help engage the community and we are seeking more friendly volunteers to reach residents who may be looking for safe, free options. Anyone of any ability can volunteer with us in some way. We are working in several partnerships which include Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Paths for All, Aberdeen City Council and many more. Are you interested in health, wellness, caring for others, community gardening, food growing, nature, the environment, children’s activities, event planning, fundraising or sports and up for helping to regenerate an entire community? In addition to our community based activities, we also have multiple home-based volunteering options for graphic design, admin, website and social media editing. If you have a couple of hours free to spare each week and are enthusiastic about the idea of uniting communities and making the local area safe, tidy, and beautiful – then please do help us out. Ways you can join and assist us as one of our great volunteers include: *Practical, Wellness Volunteer roles: Practical roles include helping gardening, painting, building, labouring, groundworks, walk leaders, wellness coaches, health and fitness coaches, tree planting – with both skilled, semi-skilled, or unskilled positions available for all. *Project Leader roles: Project leaders for Fresh trails (walking/ Lifestyle), Fresh SLING (Seaton Linksfield Inclusive Neighbourhood Gardens), Fresh SNUG (Seaton Neighbourhoods United Garden), NEST (Neighbourhood Environmental Safety Team), FRESHEN (Fresh Events, News), FreshCOM (Fresh Communications (radio, film, written, digital & photography) with more to follow! *Outreach & Welfare Volunteer roles: Outreach & Welfare opportunities are local residents’ welfare checks, street welfare checks, food growing/poverty outreach, gardening outreach, environmental safety outreach. Volunteer Team Leader positions are also available. *Professional/Skilled Volunteer roles: Include assisting with charity governance, health and safety, first aid and trainers, surveyor/architect, environmental/greenspace management, digitisation, carers/counsellors, mental health first aiders, trustees/committee members, and more! With optional roles as assistants/trainees too. *Volunteer Admin Opportunities: Helping with a range of admin related tasks which can include as fundraisers, event planners, donation acquisitions, community engagement, PR and flyer distribution, food/hospitality, media group, local/national business liaison, safeguarding, health and wellbeing, youth groups, 55+ groups, equality and diversity, digitisation and trustee board assistants. We offer induction, training courses, as well as free PVG (Protection of Vulnerable Groups) applications for our safeguarding process. We have the ability for immediate starts following application/references, to start the volunteer’s pathway. This is an excellent opportunity to give back. Also, if you wish it is a great way to boost your CV, prospects, gain experience and skills. Most of all you will be making a real positive difference for people and the community, which will be greatly appreciated by all. As a registered Scottish charity, we are happy to issue references for your volunteering with ourselves. For further details about helping volunteering with us please contact Sam Raion, Chair/Co-Ordinator at E Mail: samraion84@gmail.com or tel.: 07562689691.

At Duthie Park you will have the opportunity to work at one of best purposely designed gardens in Scotland. You will be given the opportunity to help out with the day to day maintenance of the community gardens, planting and there will also be an opportunity to learn more about the history and heritage of the Park. An ideal opportunity for those who are interested in a change in career, want to learn more about gardening or those who enjoy the outdoors, gardening or want to be a bit more active. You will be made to feel very welcome as we are a very friendly, dynamic group and greatly appreciate help that volunteers give. This is a great, enjoyable opportunity to help in the local community and be involved in assisting in the exciting development of one of the best gardens in Scotland. For more information please contact: Arthur Gill (Outreach & Training Officer) at E Mail: argill@aberdeencity.gov.uk or Tel.: 01224 585310.

We are on the look-out for budding gardeners to help transform our Sensory Garden and outdoor space at the Aberdeen Science Centre. An ideal opportunity for those who are interested in gardening; those who enjoy the outdoors; or want to be a bit more active, helping in the local community and supporting a local charity create an inspiring outdoor space and sensory garden for visitors. We are flexible with times and working days, as long as you are keen to get stuck-in, we want to hear from you! Please contact us at email: volunteer@asc.scot for more details. Further information is also available on our website at https://aberdeensciencecentre.org/garden-volunteer/

As a Voluntary Farm and Gardens Volunteer you will become part of a team within our farm and gardens, set in beautiful surroundings 5miles outside of Aberdeen city centre and close to the Deeside Railway line. The opportunity does not require you to have previous experience, we just ask that you are caring, patient and willing to help our pupils, have an interest in people and different ways of communications. Please note- our farm cares for cows, pigs, goats, hens and alpacas. Our pupils age from 12-25 years old and as part of your position, you will be with them when they attend the farm and gardens as part of their personalised daily routines and assist them with their tasks. Training provided in induction and support given throughout the volunteering time within Camphill School Aberdeen. A fantastic opportunity to help with all assistance making a real difference and greatly appreciated. For more details please contact Naomi Paton, Recruitment Administrator at E Mail: n.paton@crss.org.uk or tel.: 01224 866162.