We are currently seeking volunteers to assist in our tea bar at Ayr Hospital. The service we provide is open to patients, visitors and staff who are all grateful for the work done by the volunteers. Main responsibilities: - Welcoming, greeting and serving customers - Operating the till - Preparing teas, coffees etc. - Other general duties Currently the tea bar opening hours are Monday to Thursday 11am to 4pm. Yet it can be extended to Friday and lengthier opening hours if there is a bigger pool of volunteers. Volunteering shifts are 2.5 hours minimum. There is no wheelchair access at present. We encourage anyone to register their interest, as we support all volunteers. Volunteers with support workers are also encouraged to apply. For more information contact Ms Joan Wells on 01292 614567. The phone is generally answered Mon to Fri 9am to 2pm, but anyone can leave a message and we will get back to the volunteer at our earliest.

Do you have an interest in pastoral care, some free time and a lovely, gentle dog? Then volunteering for Pet and Companion (PEACE for short) could be for you and your furry friend! PEACE is a charity providing Canine Therapy along with Pastoral Care for people in need of support and companionship, particularly: the elderly; patients receiving end of life care; students during stressful periods; and vulnerable women. Pastoral Carers and their therapy dogs (PEACE Teams) visit people in need of support and companionship in various locations, including: Care Homes; University and College campuses; and community hubs. Ideally, PEACE Teams will volunteer for a couple of hours a week/fortnight in order to build relationships with the people they visit. The PEACE dog helps to provide a relaxing environment (the basis of canine therapy), while the Pastoral Carer offers both a listening ear and a means of support, happy to talk through any concerns or fears a person may have (pastoral care). The role of a PEACE Pastoral Carer is similar to that of a befriender. All Pastoral Carers are therefore Christians, and are comfortable praying and/or discussing their faith with the people they visit, if requested. All PEACE Pastoral Carers receive training in Mental Health First Aid, attentive listening and dementia awareness. Volunteers will also become members of the PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) scheme. For information about volunteering or any other enquiries about PEACE, please contact Georgie Treharne-Hulks, Volunteer Manager at email: georgie@petandcompanion.com Further information is also available at www.petandcompanion.com

People living with cancer tell us they need emotional support to feel less isolated and lonely and sometimes need some help with practical tasks that they are temporarily having trouble with. By choosing to join us as a Buddy volunteer, you’ll be doing something amazing for people in these extraordinary times, so they can continue to feel connected to the world outside. Together, we can be right there for people with cancer. There are two types of buddy volunteer: -Community Buddy: provides face-to-face support in the community or in people’s homes to alleviate loneliness and help with simple practical tasks. and -Telephone Buddy: provides telephone support to alleviate loneliness and social isolation for people living with cancer -What we're looking for: *Good listener and clear communicator *Patient, flexible and reliable *Ability to demonstrate empathy and understanding whilst maintaining boundaries *Good IT skills in order to access required systems and resources *Understand the need to maintain confidentiality -What you can gain from this opportunity: *Meet new people as part of a friendly team that makes a difference *Use and develop your communication and people skills *Have a rewarding experience making a difference to people living with cancer *Receive an induction, relevant training, the support you need to carry out your role, and agreed out-of-pocket expenses (reimbursed within our guidelines) All volunteer help is greatly appreciated and makes a real difference. For further details/to apply please visit: https://volunteering.macmillan.org.uk/opportunities/200-macmillan-telephone-buddy-scotland-2022-09-27 or contact Clare Jamieson, Macmillan Cancer Support Volunteer Services Delivery Lead (North Scotland) at Email: CJamieson@macmillan.org.uk or telephone: 07561 853550.

Fancy volunteering in a nutrition study and being part of world-leading research? This is an opportunity to help develop future clinical research into pelvic cancers! We are looking for men and women over 60 years old, and the overall goal of our study is to explore the mechanism of action of dietary fibre on the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota includes all the small organisms that live in a healthy gut, for example bacteria. And we think that these bacteria enhance the way our body fights cancer cells. As these bacteria are influenced by what we eat, we think that adding specific dietary fibres to a cancer patients diet might help tolerate the cancer therapy better. However, there is a long way to go before we can prove this in clinical trials and implement this in routine clinical care. The current study is the first step in our journey. If you decide to be part of our study, we will ask you to take 3 different dietary fibre supplements for 14 days at a time. We will ask you to add these to water or orange juice and consume them twice a day. At the first and last day in which you will take the different supplements, you be invited to the Human Nutrition Unit, our study facility, for a test day. On these test days, once you arrive in the morning, we will receive your stool sample and provide you with breakfast. After breakfast, you will be asked to fill in a questionnaire about your quality of life in the last 2 weeks, to assess the effect of the supplement on your health and wellbeing. Lastly, we will take a blood sample 5 hours after breakfast, after which the test day ends. We will also inform about your diet with questionnaires, as your diet influences your gut microbiome. We do this using 2 different questionnaires; one enquires about your food intake in the last 3 months, the other asks you to keep a food diary to note down all the food and drinks you have consumed in the 3 days before the 6 test days. Your answers to questionnaires, and your stool and blood samples will help us better understand the role of dietary fibre in our gut. If you are interested in participating or would like to know more about the study, please click the following link https://www.abdn.ac.uk/rowett/volunteer/dietary_fibre_study.php or email m.vandenhaak.22@abdn.ac.uk

We believe everyone has the right to live life to the full following the diagnosis of a chest or heart condition, stroke or Long Covid. The care and support we deliver every day ensures everyone can live the life they want to. Across Scotland, we provide vital advice, information, and support through our No Life Half Lived strategy. Join our amazing team of Kindness Callers, who provide a listening ear to people who have had one of our conditions via a weekly telephone call to reduce the feeling of isolation and loneliness. For more details and to register your interest in volunteering please visit: https://volunteer.chss.org.uk/opportunities/51993-kindness-volunteer-area-wide-2023-08-15 or email the CHSS Volunteering Team at volunteering@chss.org.uk

This is a great opportunity to be involved with a Christian Medical charity to raise funds for a neglected tropical disease. Leprosy still exists in over 120 countries with approximately 200,000 new cases every year despite there being a cure. The group has been in existence in the local area for over 50 years. We meet 4 times per year to organise events eg coffee mornings, concerts, participating in sponsored walk such as the Kilt Walk and running events. Speaking opportunities are available to inform others of the charity. We have a good relationship with various local churches who support us and send in donations. You would be volunteering with a small group of friendly , welcoming people to use your ideas to participate in and enhance fundraising events. All new ideas for fundraising are always welcomed. We feel new members to the group would enhance and refresh what we do. A warm welcome is extended to attend a meeting to decide whether this is something you would enjoy and find as rewarding as we do. The Leprosy Mission Scotland ( Registered Scottish Charity SC022411 ) is part of The Leprosy Mission International. For more information/to help please contact Stella Anderson, Chair at email stellaanderson20@gmail.com or telephone 07946626568.

Patient Partners are members of the public who assist in the practice and learning sessions by being available to speak to and be examined by our students. There is no prior training or experiences necessary to be selected to join the Programme, all we ask is that a Patient Partner be willing to help, reliable and most importantly have a good sense of humour! Patient Partners may role play a health problem from a scenario (short description of symptoms and how they have been affecting you, as well as a social and medical history) so that medical and dental students can practise interviewing patients away from the hussle and bussle of a busy hospital ward. Patient Partners may also be used for non-invasive procedures/examinations (for example, the taking of a blood pressure, listening to a patient’s lungs or having joints examined/put through normal movements). There is no prior training or experiences necessary, all we ask is that you are willing to help, reliable and most importantly have a good sense of humour! Good support is provided to all volunteers and all help makes a difference and is greatly appreciated. For more details please contact us at Email: patientpp@abdn.ac.uk or Tel 01224 437887. Further information about volunteering with us is also available at: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/suttie-centre/clinical-skills/patient-partner-programme.php

British Heart Foundation is looking for volunteers to join our shop teams, volunteers are the lifeblood of our organisation as well as contributing to a worthwhile cause. Volunteering is something practical you can do to help fight heart disease the UK's biggest killer. You will make new friends, learn new skills and have opportunities to develop within the British Heart Foundation, the shop manager will support you in your training and for your contribution you will also receive a 25% discount.

Everyone has the right to live life to the full. After a diagnosis of a chest or heart condition or a stroke, many people experience fear and isolation and struggle with the impact on their lives. The care and support we deliver every day ensures everyone can live the life they want to. Across Scotland, we will provide vital advice, information, and support through our No Life Half Lived strategy. Join our amazing team of Community Support Volunteers, who support people with one or more of our conditions to develop autonomy and confidence in self-management, enabling them to fully engage with their community and activities of their choosing. The service follows a pathway from hospital to community and can be delivered in a one-to-one and/or group setting in person, virtually or via telephone.

To support the staff by providing hospitality and company for people attending wellbeing cafe. Serve light refreshments to visitors throughout the day. Spend time with visitors and take part in activities. Respect patient confidentiality. Comply with NHS Tayside Volunteer Policy. Attend induction and training sessions as required. To wear staff id badge at all times Reporting to Voluntary Services Manager/Well-being café coordinator