One of the foundational purposes of the University of Aberdeen is ‘Service of Others’ and we aim to achieve this through excellence in research and teaching. We train people in conducting research that ultimately aims to transform lives. All research must be conducted in an ethical manner. To do that we have an ethics review committee which reviews research plans and need the input of members of the public to join this committee as well. We are looking for non-expert lay members to contribute to our ethical review processes. We are looking for individuals who are willing to give us some of their time to work with University staff from the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition to look at research proposals that are submitted to our committee. You will work with a small group of friendly people at the university. Passion to contribute to ethical research and some commitment is all that is needed. By joining us you will play a part in making research better at the University of Aberdeen. For further information please contact Helen Galley or Amudha Poobalan at email: h.f.galley@abdn.ac.uk or a.poobalan@abdn.ac.uk

Talkable offers a talkline to anyone affected by panic or anxiety. We currently have a range of ways that you can help as a volunteer as we continue to grow and provide ever more vital support to people. Opportunities to join our team of volunteers include: *Phoneline Volunteers – you will be required to provide anxiety relief over the phone to our service users. *Phoneline Team Leader – you will be required to manage the phoneline volunteers as well as be available on the phone. *Message Line Volunteers – you will be required to provide anxiety relief to our service users over our Facebook page, full training will be given. *Promotion Volunteers – you will be required to create social media posts and reach out to companies to make our services known more. *Funding Volunteers – you will be required to help come up with funding ideas to support our vital services. *Policy Assistance Volunteers - we are also looking for a volunteer(s) who can help us with policy work. Excellent support and any relevant training is provided to all volunteers. All help makes a difference and is greatly appreciated. For more information about any of these volunteer roles or any other ways you wish to help us as a volunteer please contact Chelsea Birkett at E Mail: recruitment@talkable.online or tel: 07999 453655.

Volunteers have the opportunity to shape the delivery of the international Universal Basic Income conference (BIEN Congress), hosted virtually in Glasgow.

Scottish Communities Climate Action Network (SCCAN)’s purpose is to inspire and promote, connect and support community-led action in Scotland to address the Climate Emergency. Please see our website: https://www.scottishcommunitiescan.org.uk/ Would you like to help take climate action to the next level? We have a new volunteer role available with our Events working groups! You would be helping once a week with the following: -Events organizing and facilitating -Taking part in regular events working group meetings -Contacting potential speakers and facilitators -Promoting events by writing blog posts and promoting on social media. -Compile a report on the event. As a volunteer led organisation, our capacity to offer thorough training on events coordination is limited so we would expect you to have some experience or to be adaptable. There will be some initial training on the way SCCAN operates. The start date is flexible to suit your availability. Our events and meetings are currently done online through zoom. Commitment could range from once / week to twice a month. If interested, please drop us an email at info@scottishcommunitiescan.org.uk

>Who we are: The African Council is an independent voluntary organisation with a mission to promote the social and economic welfare of African People. We celebrate the best in African culture(s), history and values. We promote the attainment of education and life skills especially among Africans. We also advance active citizenship among Africans through engagement in civic and political process, institutions and leadership. >Some of our projects: 1. Employment/Enterprise coaching events • The event seeks to provide coaching and empowerment for Africans through education, guidance and support, to increase Africans involvement in employment, enterprise and entrepreneurship opportunities. 2. Civic and Political structures coaching events • The event seeks to provide coaching that encourages and provides guidance to Africans, to increase involvement and participation of Africans in civic and political life in Scotland, 3. Engagement events • Our engagement events seek to understand the challenges and barriers that Africans face in participating in all areas of Scottish life and ways to mitigate these challenges. >Volunteering Opportunities: Volunteers are vital for delivering the African Council's projects and services. We are looking for volunteers to join our team and we currently have volunteering opportunities available in the following areas: 1. Website Support 2. Corporate Communications 3. Social Media Management 4. Legal 5. Digital marketing and advertising 6. Event planning, support and management 7. Research 8. Administration 9. Help desk >Benefits of volunteering with the African Council include: 1. Opportunities to learn new skills 2. Employability training 3. Meet new people 4. Networking opportunities 5. Flexible working times 6. Develop your skills and talent and turn it to something employers will be excited about 7. Boost your CV with relevant work experience\n8. Fun hangouts, as well as, 9. Satisfaction of being a part of team that will make a significant difference in Scotland Fantastic opportunities to help at a very exciting time in the development of the African Council. All help is greatly appreciated. For more information please contact Ca-ananay Maduka, Volunteer Coordinator at E Mail: info@africancouncil.org.uk or Tel.: 01224 579218.

Research Ethics Committees consist of up to 18 members from both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds. Our committees review health and social research, check that people are provided with the information they need to help them decide whether they wish to take part, and provide an opinion as to whether the research is ethical. We currently have vacancies for members of the public who are not currently healthcare professionals, and who are interested in thinking about issues from the perspective of a potential research participant and would like to develop knowledge of research ethics. Members receive training in ethical review and have opportunities to debate challenging issues. Positions are voluntary but expenses are paid for. The Committee meets on average for half a day per month and carry out additional work by email correspondence. Contact us for an application form or an informal chat on tel: 01224 558458, email gram.nosres@nhs.scot Interest can be registered at any time.

*Are you interested in being involved in Health Services Research? *We are always looking for members of the public to advise us and join our research teams. *We carry out a wide range of healthcare research and clinical trials. At the Health Services Research Unit (HSRU), we are committed to making our research relevant and accessible, as well as excellent. To achieve this we involve patients and the public in our projects from the earliest stage possible to ensure that we are asking and answering research questions that are important for society. We are looking to recruit members of the public to our public involvement group. The main role of our group is to provide a public perspective on the activities of our research unit. Activities can range from: >Reviewing unit documentation to ensure that it can be understood by the lay person. >Being part of an advisory group of a research study. >Helping researchers to write in plain English. >Helping to write about research findings for the public. >Taking part in research. >Helping plan educational events for the public. Good support and any role specific training required will be provided to all volunteers. You will also be reimbursed for any volunteering expenses e.g. public transport rates are reimbursed as and when required. A fantastic opportunity to help and all volunteers are greatly appreciated. To find out more, please contact Dr Katie Banister, Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Research Fellow at email: k.banister@abdn.ac.uk or tel.: 01224 438092.

This role provides an exciting opportunity to write short stories to be used on the “Discover Tweedsmuir” website, helping to preserve and promote the areas’ history and heritage. Role Description : This role involves researching various events and accounts associated with Tweedsmuir’s history and distilling these into short, engaging stories. These stories will be used on the new “Discover Tweedsmuir” website to provide locals, the wider community and visitors with information on the history, and heritage of Tweedsmuir. These stories will sit within descriptions for local walks to enhance the experience for walkers. They will also be used to give people a flavour of our heritage, encourage people to visit Tweedsmuir, or to explore further using the Eco museum. Much of the information required to write these stories will already be stored within the Heritage database, but candidates may need to do further research. A number of key stories and events have already been identified, but there is scope for candidates to explore topics that particularly interest them, and discuss new ideas within the group. Skills/Experience Required: Candidates will require a reasonable internet connection, access to a laptop or desktop computer, and have email and internet browser (Chrome is preferred) Candidates will need to be computer literate with experience of using word processing packages. They will have an interest in reading, give attention to detail and be able to write clearly and concisely way. An interest in local history and heritage is essential and some knowledge of Scottish Borders History would be advantageous. Full training will be given on how to use the database, and support will be available, including working in small groups.

This role is a research-based opportunity to discover heritage materials to be stored within the Tweedmuir Eco Museum. It will be an opportunity to investigate some of the fascinating history of Scotland that has connections to Tweedsmuir, and uncover some of the characters that have played a part in the community of Tweedsmuir. This role will require research online and in other heritage archives to locate new information about the heritage of Tweedmuir. We have already identified various themes that need to be explored, and there are opportunities for individuals to explore their own particular area of interest. There is also the opportunity to interview local residents and collect stories and stories to be included within the database. The database has the functionality to store the recordings of the interviews. Skills & Experience required: Candidates will require a reasonable internet connection, access to a laptop or desktop computer, and have email and internet browser (Chrome is preferred) Candidates will need to be computer literate, and have good reading and writing skills. They would need to be conscientious and have experience of using word processing packages. Candidates would benefit from having some historical knowledge, particularly relating to Scottish Borders History. Experience of online research would be an advantage. Skills in referencing materials. People keen to be involved in interviewing would need to have good personal skills, and an engaging manner. Full training will be given on how to use the database, and support will be available.

We seek archive research volunteers to help us uncover untold Union Chain Bridge stories. The research results will be made available to the public in exhibitions, the Union Chain Bridge website and educational resources. Archive volunteers will carry out research using documents held at Berwick Record Office, Paxton House, and the National Records of Scotland. Using digital copies at home, or real copies held in the archives, volunteers will read, transcribe and interpret the contents of the documents. Once the original archive and online resources have been consulted, we will ask volunteers to extract and analyse information from their contents and collate information on specific themes. This information will contribute to educational and public exhibition materials, as well as forming a legacy archive for the project on the history of the Chain Bridge and the neighbouring communities in Scotland and England. For further information about the project generally please see www.unionchainbridge.org