Burghead Amenities Association has a wonderful community garden in Burghead which is enjoyed by people of all generations and abilities. They have various flower beds, a sensory garden, play area for toddlers, and hopefully soon they will have an outdoor gym for all ages and abilities. There is ample scope for people to help with all aspects of the garden, from simple weeding, to assisting them on maintenance, designing and caring vegetables. No Skills are required as there will be people around to learn from, to do whatever is needed. The garden is run totally by volunteers, most of whom have no horticultural training, but they all learn from each other and help each other. This is mostly physical work, so people that have difficulty or pain bending and kneeling may want to restrict their time allocation for helping. The local primary children come over with their teachers from the school. All ages are welcome, but children will need to be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers help one hour on a Monday evening and two hours on Saturday mornings. Get in touch if you would like to find out more! https://www.facebook.com/pg/burgheadstationyard/about

This wonderful railway is operated entirely by volunteers and maintenance work to keep this railway in top shape has not stopped during the pandemic. Throughout the year a vast programme of work is undertaken by volunteers, ranging from working on the track, running the trains to rolling stock maintenance and building maintenance… and the list goes on. In fact, many of our volunteers try their hand at most of these various jobs as and when required – and a significant number started volunteering without having specialist skills in these areas in the first place. If you would like to lend a hand at the Railway, spend some time doing something truly hands-on, let us know.

The volunteer bike mechanic role in Bike Revolution presents a great opportunity to increase your understanding of various types of bikes, how they work and how to keep them in good working condition. Volunteers will work alongside a team of highly qualified bike mechanics, gaining quality experience from our professional team and, once past the initial induction phase, you can look forward to learning how to diagnose and repair problems as well as assisting the mechanics in the day to day running of the workshop. Bike Revolution are looking for those who live and breathe biking, be it throwing themselves down the sides of mountains, touring the length and breadth of the country, or jumping into some lycra and treading the tarmac. We are looking for people who are keen to get their hands dirty recycling, refurbishing and repairing the bikes we get donated, up to a standard ready for resale. In return, we can offer the opportunity to learn from our experienced mechanics, as well as trade deals on bike parts and cycling kit. A successful and proven bike recycling project, Bike Revolution takes bikes that are either in disrepair or just unused, and refurbishes them for re-sale ensuring they meet strict in house quality standards.

One of Scotland's Great Trails, The Dava Way, is maintained entirely by volunteers...Could you join the team for the occasional Saturday? The Dava Way links the 24 miles between Forres and Grantown mostly following the route of the dismantled Highland Railway Line and is used by thousands of walkers, cyclists and horse riders each year. It is maintained by members of the Forres-based Dava Way Association and funded by donations and occasional grants from local and national charities. The Association organises monthly maintenance days to clear drainage and cut back undergrowth and fallen trees so that the path remains usable. As well as maintenance tasks, the volunteers are progressively improving the track as and when funding permits. Key to the ongoing success of the Dava Way is the team of volunteers who give their time to maintain the trail. Please consider joining the team on a regular or even occasional basis.

Scotland Versus Arthritis is looking for individuals willing to lead short health walks in your area, lead on other physical activities, or facilitate virtual support groups. Full training and on-going support for volunteers will be available. We are also looking for expressions of interest from anyone keen to become an instructor of Tai Chi or Qi Gong for arthritis. The current Covid restrictions have meant that for many the wait for treatment may be a year or more away. Painkilling prescriptions are seldom more than a temporary relief. Support and exercise can however offer a better way to self manage the daily on-going pain and fatigue. In readiness for the eventual lifting of lockdown we are asking, can you spare an hour or two each month to help? Please contact your local Development Officer, Dr. P. Neville, p.neville@versusarthritis.org or phone 07501 501114 for details.

Outfit Moray is looking for volunteer drivers to support the delivery of their outdoor learning and adventure opportunities. Not all of Outfit Moray's outdoor instructors can drive a minibus, so we often need drivers to transport our groups from our base in Lossiemouth to the activity location in Moray. Transport requires trailer towing, for which a D1/D1E category licence is required. They are looking for confident, competent drivers. Trailer towing experience is preferred but not essential as training can be given.

The Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway are operated by volunteers of the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS) and we need your help to keep everything running smoothly at our heritage railway station! In particular, we are looking for train crew for our upcoming season of rail tours. We need volunteers who are confident and friendly for: -Guards -Stewards We also need to expand our maintenance team to help us with: -Grounds maintenance -Track maintenance If you think you can help then please do get in touch! We also have a wide range of volunteer roles available, so if you’re interested in the steam trains or the railway line, and would like support us with your efforts or expertise then get in touch to see what else there is you could do.

The Jock Neish Scouting Centre is looking for a volunteer to undertake general maintenance duties around the site, joining a small team on Wednesday mornings from around 9.00 am until lunch time.

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.

A Young Carer is someone up to the age of 18 who provides unpaid support to a relative, friend or neighbour who due to illness or disability cannot manage to live independently without the carer’s help. Responsibilities may include practical support such as personal care, cooking, housework, or emotional support. Aberdeen Young Carers are looking for volunteers to spend some quality time with a child or young person between the ages of 5-18 on a regular basis, getting to know them, and building up a positive relationship by being reliable and non-judgemental when listening to them. A befriender volunteer will support the Young Carer to enjoy activities and experiences within the Aberdeen community to reduce isolation, and promoting self-esteem and confidence. This is a flexible opportunity and you can commit to meeting with a Young Carer for a few hours on a fortnightly or monthly basis depending on what time you have available. This would take place out with school hours, predominately over evenings or weekends. To be a befriender volunteer we ask for a minimum time commitment of six months, so that the child or young person benefits from consistent visits and has time to build a professional relationship with the volunteer. To apply, please visit: https://volunteer.barnardos.org.uk/opportunities/16050-befriender-aberdeen-young-carers-2020-11-24 or contact the Volunteer Coordinator below: Andrew McGettigan E-Mail: andrew.mcgettigan@barnardos.org.uk Phone: 07724287057