Are you interested in making a difference in your local community? Do you want to raise awareness of stroke and the Stroke Association support and information in your local community? If Yes, we are looking for Community Connectors over the age of 18 years, based in Inverclyde and surrounding areas. You’ll be volunteering on a flexible basis. Dates and times to be agreed with volunteer. Volunteers will be: Engaging with your local community to help build relationships with people, places and organisations to raise awareness of stroke and the Stroke Association. Represent the Stroke Association while delivering talks or presentations (either face to face or digitally), share your experience of stroke with others and attend any potential fundraising events. A Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) check is required for this role.

Role Summary: To support the work of Spinal Injuries Scotland (SIS) who are the national voluntary organisation concerned with helping new and long-term spinal cord injured people to see the possibilities of living life beyond their injury. Role Description : Your involvement as a volunteer will be focused – if a non-spinal cord injured person - on helping to organise monthly coffee meets for members within the Borders area. If you have a spinal cord injury yourself you will also have the opportunity to contribute to the discussions that take place, offering empathy and understanding as required. This opportunity offers volunteers an invaluable insight into the challenges faced by those living with a spinal cord injury as well as access to information about how these same challenges can be managed.

As a Volunteer Collection box Coordinator you will support the charity to raise awareness and funds by placing and managing collection boxes within businesses in your local community. Role Description : Specific tasks may include: • Placing charity collection boxes in shops, pubs, chemists, doctor’s surgeries etc in your area. • Making follow up visits to businesses where boxes have been placed to empty contents and reseal boxes for further use. • Counting and receipting contents of each box emptied. • Maintaining accurate records of venues holding boxes and how much each collection box placed raises – you will be provided with a spreadsheet to facilitate this. • Ensuring boxes are clean and in good condition and replacing where needed. • Banking income and providing detailed report of income to Regional Development Manager within agreed timescales. Skills and Experience required: • Enthusiasm and commitment to supporting the work of MDUK. • To maintain and uphold the reputation and good name of the charity. • To listen to, and work co-operatively with paid members of staff and other volunteers – treating all with courtesy and respect. • To take reasonable care of your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. • To support the charity’s equal opportunities and diversity policy – helping to promote this to all our supporters. • To provide us with feedback on how we can improve your volunteering experience with the charity. • To inform us if your commitment to us, for any reason, can no longer continue. • Have a welcoming, friendly manner. • Good organisation skills and ability to maintain records. • Initiative in order to recognise opportunities to place boxes. • Have good written English and basic computer skills with a good knowledge of Microsoft Office. • Can volunteer flexible hours. • The ability to work well with staff and other volunteers as part of a team but also able to work on your own initiative. • Have good money managing skills.

As an Ambassador you will be the local MDUK representative who will: • Influence small businesses and individuals in your area. • Speak about the cause passionately. • Raise awareness of who we are and what we do. Role Description : What you’ll get out of the role: • Meeting new people in your community and working as part of our skilled and friendly fundraising team • A flexible volunteering opportunity that you can fit around your lifestyle • Relevant training by MDUK Specific tasks may include: • Introduce your Regional Development Manager to decision makers in local companies and community organisations. • Promoting small business involvement in our Go Bright day and Bake a Difference and/or any other suitable initiatives and events. • Using your experience to help Muscular Dystrophy UK maximise returns from our small business partnerships and local media partnerships. • Making introductions to key community figures, groups and networks (e.g. MPs, mayors, WI, golf clubs, rotaries etc). • Helping us to recruit skilled volunteers from your networks. • Providing feedback to help us improve and develop the way we work. • Attending events and meetings on behalf of Muscular Dystrophy UK. The events and activities the charity is invited to vary from large conferences or fundraising balls through to other fundraising activities such as supporter coffee mornings, quiz nights and cheque presentation opportunities. • Speaking about muscular dystrophy and the work of the charity in fighting muscle disease. • Recognising opportunities to exchange contact details and develop relationships. • Feeding back to the Regional Development Manager on events, key individuals and any actions to be followed up. What we expect from you: • Enthusiasm and commitment to supporting the work of MDUK. • To maintain and uphold the reputation and good name of the charity. • To listen to, and work co-operatively with paid members of staff and other volunteers – treating all with courtesy and respect. • To take reasonable care of your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. • To support the charity’s equal opportunities and diversity policy – helping to promote this to all our supporters. • To provide us with feedback on how we can improve your volunteering experience with the charity. • To inform us if your commitment to us, for any reason, can no longer continue. What you can expect from us: • A volunteer induction to provide you with the knowledge needed to help you succeed. • As a volunteer you may be handling personal or sensitive data and if so, will complete our GDPR training so you can confidently carry out your role. • Your local Regional Development Manager will inform you of any relevant training, development opportunities, events or meetings you may need to attend. • Regular email updates on the charity’s work. • Contact with other volunteers working with MDUK. • Your main contact will share the Volunteers’ handbook with you, which will act as a summary of the information within the Volunteer Policy. Your main contact will also work with you to provide any support and training you need to fulfil your role. • You can claim back pre-agreed reasonable expenses as per the MDUK expenses policy. • Insurance cover, under MDUK’s public liability insurance, as per the insurance policy is available to you while volunteering. • A formal, written procedure for resolving difficulties; if you have a complaint it will be dealt with promptly and fairly. Skills and Experience required • Excellent oral communication. • Confident to deliver key messages clearly and enthusiastically. • Strong communication and influencing skills, especially over the phone and on email. • Relationship building – when attending events you are the eyes and ears for your Regional Development Manager. There is great potential to develop leads and opportunities for the charity. • An understanding of how a charity partnership can benefit a company. • You will need be adaptable to different situations and ensure you research and prepare material appropriate for your audiences. • Flexible to attend events at irregular dates and times throughout the year. • A commitment to and an understanding of disability issues, equal opportunities and diversity. • A willingness to engage new audiences. • The ability to work well with staff and other volunteers as part of a team but also able to work on your own initiative.

Do you enjoy making a difference in your community? We are setting up an osteoporosis support group to be based in the community in Galashiels and are looking friendly, welcoming people to help. An amazing opportunity to support and help others in a community setting with the newly formed Galashiels Osteoporosis Support Group. Help individuals to improve their quality of life, whilst helping them learn to live well with this debilitating condition. The (CAMEO) Osteoporosis Support group (Come and meet others with Osteoporosis) will meet up in the community in Galashiels. The group will be welcome to all, but is mainly for people with osteoporosis or those touched by the condition to meet up and be given the opportunity to speak to others in a similar situation. The group is being set up in the community with a local volunteer team, but will have ongoing support and guidance from the Volunteer and Public Engagement team at the ROS. The Galashiels Osteoporosis Support Group will be run in a relaxed fun and informative way. Osteoporosis Support Groups can be another great source of information and can help other people in similar situation by helping to raise awareness about all things Osteoporosis, especially if newly diagnosed. There are lots of ways to get involved, but this could include: • With the Volunteer Lead, helping to plan for and organise upcoming meetings. • Sending and replying to emails, sending meeting invites, writing newsletters and updates. • Help to set up before and clear away after the meeting. • Meet and greet attendees on the day, being a point of support for group attendees, answering questions and helping them in ways that best meets their individual needs. Giving peer support, helping to guide and assist others on their Osteoporosis journey. • Work as part of the team, helping to support the group and the Volunteer Lead, with the support and help of the ROS and the Borders Volunteer Action. • There may be the opportunity to take part in community awareness events and to take on other volunteer role if interested. Times: No minimum commitment, but to help secure the future of the group, a long term commitment would be preferred. We plan for meetings to be held four times a year for two hours.

Our fundraising groups are the local face of MDUK, raising vital funds and consistently raising the profile of the charity in order to reach more people and their families affected by a muscle wasting condition. Role Description : What you’ll get out of the role: • Meeting and working with new and inspiring people. • Developing your communications, fundraising, PR and organisational skills. • More experience to add to your CV. • Developing your leadership skills. • Making a difference to your local community by raising funds and the profile of MDUK in your community. • Having fun, sharing your enthusiasm and doing something new. • Guidance on fundraising, finance and health and safety. What you’ll be doing: • Planning, organising and promoting fundraising events and collections with other group/committee members. • Collecting funds on behalf of the charity and servicing collection tins. • Attending group meetings. • Acting as an ambassador for MDUK through building community networks and in talking enthusiastically about the work of the charity. • Giving presentations to community organisations / schools. • Distributing promotional leaflets for MDUK. • Collecting and delivering MDUK merchandise to local supporters. • Liaising with your local Regional Development Manager to keep up-to-date with MDUK local and national events and our future direction as well as sharing our successes. • Complying with legal requirements e.g. health & safety legislation for fundraising events and MDUK’s internal policies. • If you have an interest in finance or accounts: using these skills in keeping records of the group’s financial activities and overseeing the submission of monies and year end accounts in line with MDUK guidelines and keeping with the Charities Act. How we will support you: • Support from your local Regional Development Manager with guidance on fundraising, event organising, planning and finance. • Fundraising merchandise/materials supplied as appropriate. • Opportunities to meet and network with staff and fellow volunteers during the year. • Updates on the success of the team as well as MDUK’s campaigns, events, achievements and future direction. • We will provide any relevant training to give you confidence in presenting on behalf of MDUK, e.g. guidance on media work and press releases, photography of events and in written communications and thanking supporters. Skills and Experience required: • Organisational, communication and time management skills so you can work effectively with a wide range of people. • The ability to work well with staff and other volunteers as part of a team but also able to work on your own initiative. • Honesty, reliability, passion and enthusiasm. • An interest in muscle-wasting conditions and the services that MDUK provides and able to represent MDUK to members of the public. • Possible managing finances – numeric skills, book keeping skills and attention to detail. • Ability to respond proactively to new opportunities. • A welcoming, friendly manner. • Enthusiasm and commitment to supporting the work of MDUK. • To maintain and uphold the reputation and good name of the charity. • To listen to, and work co-operatively with paid members of staff and other volunteers – treating all with courtesy and respect. • To take reasonable care of your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. • To support the charity’s equal opportunities and diversity policy – helping to promote this to all our supporters. • To provide us with feedback on how we can improve your volunteering experience with the charity. • To inform us if your commitment to us, for any reason, can no longer continue.

The Community Connectors service will operate throughout the Scottish Borders to provide a service to people who have a Personal Alarm but do not have local friends or family who can respond to them if they need assistance at home. The service relies on volunteers from the local community to attend alarm calls through an informal relationship with the alarm client. When an alarm call in made it is received by trained Operators in the Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). Wherever possible the Operators try to resolve the call by providing an appropriate telephone based response. Where it is not possible to resolve the call over the phone, they will contact Community Connector volunteers to check on and reassure the caller by attending to them at home. Sometimes, alarms may be set off by accident. In this case the volunteer will be on hand to provide reassurance and to reset the alarm. Volunteers are required from local communities across the Scottish Borders. Volunteers will be required to: • attend alarm calls, providing reassurance to service users • Provide any help as necessary where able to safely do so • report back to necessary professionals (e.g. Alarm receiving Centre or emergency services)

Volunteers help ensure the shop is tidy and attractive; you can use your creativity to make eye-catching window displays, sorting and replacing stock to keep the shop looking fresh and stylish. Incoming donations are organised and labelled, and clothes steamed and tagged. Our polite, approachable volunteers assist customers; welcoming them through the door, ringing purchases through the cash register and encouraging signing up to the Gift Aid scheme. A bonus of volunteering in this role is having access to great quality items at reasonable prices, as soon as they hit the shop floor! In the shop volunteer role you will develop your understanding of stock management, marketing and customer service. These skills are valuable for personal development as well as very relevant to careers in retail, advertising and business. You will have the opportunity to meet lots of people, play an active role in your community and make friends.

At Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), all horses benefit the lives of over 25,000 disabled children and adults. With fun activities like riding and carriage driving, they provide therapy, fitness, skills development and opportunities for achievement – all supported by 18,000 amazing volunteers and qualified coaches at nearly 500 RDA centres all over the UK. RDA is an inclusive and diverse organisation. RDA welcome clients with physical and learning disabilities and autism, and there are no age restrictions. Through their network of member groups, RDA is at work in every corner of the UK, in cities and remote rural areas, bringing the therapy, achievement and fun of horses to as many people as possible. RDA is a charity, and they can only carry out our life-changing activities thanks to the generosity of donors, the dedication of volunteers and the good nature of fantastic horses. The Regional Chair role is a voluntary position and is vital in providing development and direction within their region whilst keeping open communication channels. They support their regional officer’s in their roles, which ensures volunteers are knowledgeable on RDA’s objectives and operations. The Regional Chair works closely with both National Office and their Regional team. In the role of Regional Chair, there are opportunities to contribute to the development of RDA UK through their membership of the Regional Chair’s Committee, which directly report to the RDA Board of Trustees as well as receiving ongoing support from RDA National office. Starting out as a Regional Chair includes the opportunity to attend an induction day at the National Training Centre or by video conference (subject to Covid-19 restrictions). Ideally, you will have: • Enthusiasm for RDA UK and the values it holds. • Experience of being part of chairing a committee and an interest in working with others to develop plans. • An interest and ability to visit and interact with groups throughout the region. • An open mind to supporting volunteers and groups in different ways. • An ability to communicate in a variety of ways including the use of email. Qualities: • A willingness to lead • Have the skills to run a meeting well • Have an efficient approach to the role • Organised

Would you be willing to help people access essential services and social activities in Angus? Could you be a volunteer driver? We are looking for drivers who can help us provide a volunteer driver service to assist service users to access school, appointments, meetings and access community activities as requested by Voluntary Services. The main tasks involve: • Safely transporting service users including young people, older people and people with disabilities • Assisting people in and out of the car • Helping people to their front door • Assisting with bags • Maintaining appropriate boundaries in relationships • Maintaining confidentiality • Taking responsibility for ensuring car seats are appropriate for car and child being transported. You will need to be: • A confident driver • Willing to use your own vehicle and have business insurance cover • Enjoy meeting people • Show empathy, patience and reliability • Availability 2-3 hours daily • Be comfortable working on own initiative but know when to seek support We are looking for volunteers who can offer 2-3 hours per week with a minimum period of 6 months commitment. Induction training is mandatory and includes confidentiality, personal safety, protecting people, lone working, communication skills and values. Other training may be offered, such as manual handling, dealing with difficult behaviour, working with people with disabilities. A PVG will be required.