Early Intervention is a neurodivergent safe space for neuro divergent children and their families. A non-judgmental environment where you can be your true authentic self. Managed by volunteers we offer specialist support - Speech and Language therapy, Music Therapy, Pet therapy, and opportunities for children up to 9 years old to socialise with their neurokin whilst empowering them to embrace their identity, we also offer opportunities for semi structured play, arts and crafts and sensory messy play. Looking for friendly volunteers to help us support families at sessions, no experience necessary but would especially love to hear from those with lived experience - neurodivergent adults and or people with a close connection to neurodiversity or ASN for example an autistic family member. Although no experience is necessary, we would love to hear from any practicing/retired or student Speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, play therapists, teachers, or those with experience in social care and early years childcare. Early Intervention is a volunteer-led organisation which has been providing services to neurodivergent children and their families since February 2022. This is an exciting time to get involved with us as we are seeking to develop the services we offer and to look at making the transition to becoming a Scottish Charity. A fantastic opportunity to help and make a real difference. All volunteer assistance is greatly appreciated. For more details please contact Linda Lumsden, Early Intervention Founder/Volunteer at email: info@earlyintervention.org.uk or telephone: 07867 524150.

Caithness KLICS support young people with Care responsibilities for a family Member. To enable the young person to socialise with peers, they affer a social club in Fridays, Tuesdays & Thursdays in Thurso. Volunteers are needed to help with activities, set up and tidy up. It could be board games, or activities inside or outside games, help with snacks and general hanging- out with the young carers while at the centre.

Volunteers play a vital role within GCBN. We currently have over 40 fully-trained volunteer responders working across Grampian to support bereaved children and their families. If you live within Highland, are over the age of 18 and eligible to join the PVG Scheme and would like to help a bereaved child as they come to terms with the loss of a loved one then we’d love to hear from you! Take a look at the role descriptions below to see which of the two options are most appropriate to your interests and skills and if you feel you would could join our team, then please get in touch! Volunteer Responders: Our trained volunteers receive referrals and visit families within their own homes to provide appropriate support and guidance to the families this can include direct work with the young person/s involved.

This is a fantastic opportunity to use current child care and hospitality skills or to develop new ones. The playgroup is well attended and is a wonderful atmosphere. Duties include helping with setting out toys, craft activities, snacks and occasional help with teas and coffees for parents/carers. There is opportunity to develop skills in leading craft, story time and games if desired. Volunteers would engage with the children during free play, being mindful of health and safety, modelling sharing, praising children's creative ideas etc. Volunteers would be warm and welcoming to parents and carers encouraging them to engage in play with their children and stepping in to play while parents/carers have a chance for a cuppa. Duties also include tidying up, cleaning the assigned toy set , and putting away toys and crafts. This is a joyful, fun team who work hard to ensure the children and families have a positive and enjoyable experience while they are with us. You would be a welcome member of our team. This is a term time opportunity on Thursday's. The group runs from 1pm until 2:30pm. Volunteers are needed from 12:30 until 3pm each week. If you are interested in helping and for more details please contact Claire van Geete, Children and Families Development Worker at email: CVanGeete@churchofscotland.org.uk or tel.: 07526465105.

**All our volunteering activities are outdoors and managed carefully with covid in mind** Are you passionate about cycling and walking? Could you inspire young people in Aberdeen to cycle or walk more? Volunteer with I Bike! I Bike is a really fun and rewarding project to volunteer with that offers plenty of opportunities to get outdoors for cycling-related activities, boost the CV, gain experience of work with children and young people, meet new people and learn new skills. Good training and support is provided to all volunteers including an online Welcome Session, Child Protection Training, Cycling Skills and Bike Repairs. For most activities you don't have to own a bike to join in - bikes and helmets can be provided depending on availability. I Bike aims to help children and young people become more active through taking part in cycling and walking activities. You would be volunteering alongside a dedicated I Bike Officer in schools, supporting activities for children such as learn to cycle, playground cycle skills, led bike rides, led walks, bike maintenance and much more! What could be better than helping children to ride their bike without stabilisers for the first time? Hear from some of our fantastic volunteers via our website link at https://ibike.sustrans.org.uk/home/volunteers/ We advocate for volunteering for all - please talk to us if you have any accessibility requirements or other specific requirements. A fantastic opportunity to help. All volunteers make a real difference and are greatly appreciated. For further details please contact Anna Whealing, Project Officer, I Bike Volunteering, Sustrans Scotland at email: Anna.Whealing@sustrans.org.uk

A young carer is someone up to the age of 18 who provides unpaid help and support to a relative, friend or neighbour who due to illness or disability cannot manage to live independently without the carer’s help. It may involve practical support like cooking, housework, or emotional support. A group volunteer with Aberdeen Young Carers will assist staff members in delivering any planned activities e.g. arts and crafts, baking etc. They will actively participate with the activity, encourage young people to join in and have fun and build up positive relationships with the children and young people by being friendly and non-judgemental. They will also have the opportunity to lead groups if they wish to. At this time we are predominantly looking for volunteers for our weekly sports groups alongside Sport Aberdeen – these will be held at multiple schools in Aberdeen City on various days at various times. Some will be after school or at lunchtime and we will be looking for a commitment of an hour a week during term-time. There will also be the opportunity for volunteers to help with our monthly groups, school holiday programmes, on an ad-hoc basis or at events. Events typically include summer outings, Christmas parties and Young Carers’ festivals. Further opportunities are available to assist in promoting our events e.g. putting up posters and spreading the word, in helping us at groups. To apply for this role – please visit: https://volunteer.barnardos.org.uk/opportunities/16049-children-s-activity-support-group-helper-aberdeen-young-carers-2020-11-24 or contact Jacqui Hall, Volunteer Coordinator at email jacqui.hall@barnardos.org.uk / telephone: 07783 848410 for any more details.

*Active Schools Aberdeen on the lookout for new volunteers to boost local children’s involvement in sport* Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team is seeking new volunteers who are eager to play an important role in improving the health and wellbeing of Aberdeen’s young people. The invitation to volunteer extends to anyone over the age of 13 with an interest in sport and a desire to give back to the local community, who is inspired to help young people. Secondary school pupils who opt to volunteer will be accompanied by an adult when helping to deliver sessions. A sportscotland national initiative that aims to provide all children with high quality opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity, Active Schools is delivered in Aberdeen by award-winning charity Sport Aberdeen. The team engages with all local authority primary and secondary schools across the city, with a responsibility to encourage young people to participate in free physical activity sessions and join extracurricular sports clubs. Prior to Covid-19, a notable 89% of Active Schools activities were carried out by volunteers including parents, teachers, students, secondary school pupils and family members. The 2018 to 2019 school academic year saw 891 volunteer deliverers, with some 9588 pupils attending sessions. Eilidh Shanks, former Active Schools volunteer during secondary school, said: “I really enjoyed volunteering for Active Schools. I was involved in helping at netball clubs, holiday activity camps and fun runs. I loved that I got to work with kids of all ages, encouraging them to take part in sport. It was rewarding to see the kids enjoying themselves and improving each week.” Volunteering can also help to shape a career in sport. Rory Anton, former Active Schools volunteer, commented: “During my time volunteer coaching for Active Schools, it really helped me see the power of sport for young people and allowed me as a young coach to develop my leadership capabilities. There are definitely aspects of my job as a Club Development Officer at RGU SPORT supporting the development of our Student Leaders that I couldn’t do without the experience of leading so many sessions for Active Schools.” This is a key opportunity to join a supportive team and individuals will receive full training to ensure safe delivery of all sessions. Those who have the desire to make a difference, acquire new skills and positively impact the lives of local children through sport and physical activity are urged to get involved. To find out further information about becoming an Active Schools volunteer, please visit sportaberdeen.co.uk/active-schools/volunteer-with-active-schools/ or contact the team directly at activeschools@sportaberdeen.co.uk

*Summary of the role: The Mum and Toddler Group aims to lead discussion amongst local women, and provide a space to build connections and community. The children range from 0-4 years old. At this age range, children are active, inquisitive and developing their personalities! The main goal of this volunteering role is playing with and caring for the children. *General responsibilities: • Getting out appropriate toys and games for free play; • Leading simple activities organised by the WFW; • In time, and if they have appropriate experience, volunteers may wish to plan activities or games themselves; • Adhering to training and guidelines given to ensure the safety and well-being of the children. All help makes a difference and is greatly appreciated. For more details please contact Stevie Stacy, Homelessness Prevention Coordinator North at E Mail: steviestacy@bethanychristiantrust.com or tel.: 07436251810.

We believe every child and young person deserves the same opportunity to succeed and so we provide free, immersive, instrumental music tuition to pupils and pre-school children. This leads to an enhanced ability to learn in school, improvements in emotional wellbeing, confidence and esteem, as well as the acquisition of a range of social and life skills. To achieve this, volunteers are vital for our Big Noise Centre in Torry. As a Big Noise volunteer, you'll be helping us transform children's lives through music. You don't need to have any musical experience, just a passion for making a difference to the lives of young people. Volunteers help in a variety of valuable ways, including: • Helping children stay focused and engaged during music lessons • Walk children from school to the Big Noise Centre • Helping set up for rehearsals and music lessons and assisting the children and young people to play their instruments if required • Supervise children during snack times, breaks, time-out etc. • and much more... You can become a positive role model in children’s lives and someone they look forward to spending time with. You will benefit from this by receiving training, developing skills in communication and gaining experience of working with children and young people. Big Noise Torry/Sistema Scotland have also achieved the Investing in Volunteers Award-a national quality standard for good practice in involving volunteers as part of our commitment to volunteering and providing excellent support to volunteers. A fantastic opportunity to help with a major charity in Aberdeen and Scotland. All volunteer help is greatly appreciated and makes a real difference. For more details please either: -Visit our website at https://www.makeabignoise.org.uk/volunteering/ and apply online at https://www.makeabignoise.org.uk/volunteering/apply-online/aberdeen/ Or -Contact us at email: torry@sistemascotland.org.uk or telephone: 01786 462923.

Food and Fun was introduced by the Council as a pilot to deliver free meals and activities to children in key areas of Aberdeen during school holiday periods and has been rolled out on a permanent basis. Over Christmas, as an extension of the project, special events were hosted for young people to enjoy the festivities – from ice skating and crafts to a disco and visit to Santa. For everyone involved in Food and Fun there’s a busy period ahead. The main aim is to ensure children continue to be fed, recognising the importance of school meals during term time for a large number of families, and also to provide the opportunity to take part in physical activity in a nurturing environment. The initiative has been recognised with awards – but the reward and motivation for the many people who have put their heart and soul into developing the programme is in the positive impact there is on children, families and communities. When we talk about our purpose – about caring for our city and our people – we think Food and Fun is a shining example that we can all be incredibly proud of. Many participants obtain great life skills which has assisted them in securing other opportunities as well as the personal development and satisfaction that this also brings. All help makes a difference and is greatly appreciated. To volunteer / for more information please contact Martin Smith, Locality Inclusion Manager at E Mail: martinsmith@aberdeencity.gov.uk or Tel.: 01224 788538.