Human contact is vital. As we are all finding out, without it, life changes. Community Alcohol Related Damages Service is a befriending service run by Rowan Alba. Health care specialists, GP’s, hospitals and mental health services refer individuals to our service. These people, for various reasons have been living the way we experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of them for most of their lives. We need to recruit and train volunteers now so we can respond to those that have been referred to us during this time.

Many of our clients who engage with the CARDS Service become curious about or wish to engage in recovery or with dedicated recovery services. In response to feedback from clients and volunteers we now have dedicated Peer Volunteers who themselves are in recovery and have lived experience of that journey and can provide our clients with hope and belief that they can make a positive change.

We work with males over the age of 26 years who have had a drug or alcohol problem. Our aim is to give people back their self esteem and a purpose in life away from addiction. We do this through a variety of ways such as having monthly outings e.g.: fishing gorge walking, bowling. We also do a community garden. This helps people give something back to their communities and helps break down stigma. We meet on a Tuesday from 12-2.30pm. We also do a Thursday from 10am-12.30pm which is a drop-in with activities such as board games and arts and crafts. We have opportunities for people to volunteer to help out at the groups. It is very enjoyable, rewarding and you would gain good experience and make a very positive difference. All help is greatly appreciated and makes a real difference to people and the community. For further details please contact: Aileen Goymer-Davidson on: aileengoymer@hotmail.co.uk

ADA-Alcohol & Drugs Action have opportunities for Volunteer Gardeners. We are looking for a keen gardener to volunteer in our Timmer Market premises to help maintain our small garden area. We would be particularly interested in anyone that can maximize the potential of the garden and maintain it on a regular basis. As well as Volunteer Gardeners we also have a range of other volunteer opportunities such as Volunteer Complementary Therapists, Creative Group Volunteers, Mini Bus Driver, Volunteer Buddies and Volunteer Music Group Assistant. For further details please contact: Anne McAlister T: 01224 577120 / F-mail: amcalister@alcoholanddrugsaction.org.uk Web: www.drugsaction.co.uk

ADA-Alcohol & Drugs Action have opportunities for Volunteer Complementary Therapists to support people who require this service in their recovery journey. The DA Music Group is looking for a volunteer with musical background who would be able to tutor either individuals or a group in some aspect of music. The group does not stick to one specific style of music so the wider the volunteer’s knowledge and experience the better. The idea of the music group is to allow an outlet for clients musical creativity and to help them to reconnect with society and gain confidence and self-esteem. Essential qualities are patience, creativity, and the ability to bring people together. For further information regarding this opportunity, please download a Volunteer application pack from the web site www.drugsaction.co.uk or send an e-mail to amcalister@alcoholanddrugsaction.org.uk headed Music Group Assistant. or contact: Anne McAlister (Volunteer Co-ordinator) T: 01224 577120 / F-mail: amcalister@alcoholanddrugsaction.org.uk Web: www.drugsaction.co.uk As well as Volunteer Music Group Assistants Volunteer we also have a range of other volunteer opportunities such as Volunteer Buddies, Creative Group Volunteers, Mini Bus Driver, Volunteer Gardener and Volunteer Complementary Therapists.

Aberdeen in Recovery (AiR) was granted Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) charitable status in March this year. We are now looking to find talented, passionate and skilled people to fill some vacant seats on our Board of Trustees to help us grow and develop our innovative and solution focused new charity. This is a unique opportunity to help lay the foundations to ensure AiR has a long-term future as a charity with solid processes in place to ensure it meets its mission of: “To be a bridge from ‘dependence’ to ‘independence’ for the individual seeking to recover from problematic substance use and addictive behaviours”. This is such an exciting and invigorating prospect for individuals to get involved and be participant in the tsunami of change which is now gaining momentum and being driven by “Experts by Experience” and the vibrant Lived Experienced Communities which are blossoming, not only locally but are now established as a national phenomena. Since its conception, AiR and its members have worked tirelessly to establish and build collaborative relationships with professional services and third sector support agencies. We have consistently driven the message that individuals who have personal lived/living experience of active substance use, including Family members who have been affected by the addictive behaviours of a loved one, and the Recovery Communities they represent have something valid, essential and extremely beneficial to bring to described Recovery Orientated Systems of Care (ROSC). We can provide existing services and clinical structural systems with resources, skills and capabilities that they, no matter how much effort, time and money they invest, will never be able to offer or provide. So, it gives the greatest of pleasure to see this is now recognised on the highest levels that “Recoverists” can productively contribute to the design, development and delivery of truly person-centred ROSC. This being evidenced by the vision, philosophy and content of the Scottish Governments “Rights, Respect and Recovery” Drug and Alcohol Strategy. We also believe it is reaffirmed by the recent success in being granted funding from the Government’s National Development Fund, with our principle partner Alcohol and Drugs Action (ADA), for our ‘Recovery Peer Pathway’ joint two-year project. This collaborative venture will build on three years of pilot work to further establish and build proactive and productive Developmental Pathways within ADA and their Volunteer network while in synergy with AiR membership for individuals who desire to initiate change in their behaviours and outlook as they progress on their recovery journeys within, and imperatively out-with, statutory and formal support services. We believe that the blue sky thinking behind this project categorically and emphatically fits with the expectations, outcomes and concepts of the above Government policy. So, if you have lived experience, or a stakeholder interest, and a passion for recovery and are willing to give of yourself that another may learn, you will not find a better opportunity to indulge your appetite than from within Aberdeen in Recovery. For more information please contact Dermot Craig, Recovery Community Development Manager at E Mail: dermot@aberdeeninrecovery.org or tel.: 01224 638342 / Mobile: 07751 213108.

ADA-Alcohol & Drugs Action have opportunities for Creative Group Volunteers to support people who require this service in their recovery journey. Do you have a creative skill that you can share with our service users? We are looking for people with skills and knowledge in all areas of the arts who can help us to devise and deliver creative groups and sessions or one-to –one tutoring in all of our Aberdeen services. Anything from creative writing to crochet, upholstery to cake decorating we are welcome to any suggestions. As well as Creative Group Volunteers we also have a range of other volunteer opportunities such as Volunteer Buddies, Volunteer Complementary Therapists, Mini Bus Driver, Volunteer Gardener and Volunteer Music Group Assistant. For further details please contact: Anne McAlister T: 01224 577120 / E-mail: amcalister@alcoholanddrugsaction.org.uk Web: www.drugsaction.co.uk

ADA-Alcohol & Drugs Action have opportunities for Volunteer Mini Bus Drivers to support people who require this service in their recovery journey. Our Activity group helps people trying to get away from problematic drug use, who want to meet others on a similar journey and want to do leisure activities on a Friday afternoon. We require an enthusiastic, motivated individual to drive a minibus and assist our Activity Group by driving one Friday afternoon per month. For further information regarding this opportunity, please download the a Volunteer application pack from the web site www.drugsaction.co.uk or send an e-mail to amcalister@alcoholanddrugsaction.org.uk headed Volunteer Mini Bus Driver or contact: Anne McAlister (Volunteer Co-ordinator) T: 01224 577120 / E-mail: amcalister@alcoholanddrugsaction.org.uk Web: www.drugsaction.co.uk As well as Mini Bus Drivers we also have a range of other volunteer opportunities such as Volunteer Buddies, Volunteer Complementary Therapists, Creative Group Volunteers , Volunteer Gardener and Volunteer Music Group Assistant.

ADA-Alcohol & Drugs Action have opportunities for Volunteer Buddies to support people who require this service in their recovery journey. People who have had problems with substance abuse often say they can lose touch with friends and colleagues, as well as losing their confidence in social situations. Buddies aim to help people build up their confidence again by supporting the person to get out and about to rediscover old interests or find new ones. Once trained, our Buddies are matched with an appropriate client and alongside the Drugs Worker; they will jointly agree a plan which will enable the Buddy to support the client in their recovery. The specific plan agreed will be led by the needs of each individual client and could typically include the Buddy accompanying the client to social events, leisure activities or to appointments with other organisations. As well as Volunteer Buddies we also have a range of other volunteer opportunities such as Volunteer Complementary Therapists, Creative Group Volunteers, Mini Bus Driver, Volunteer Gardener and Volunteer Music Group Assistant. For further details please contact: Anne McAlister T: 01224 577120 / F-mail: amcalister@alcoholanddrugsaction.org.uk Web: www.drugsaction.co.uk

ADA-Alcohol & Drugs Action have opportunities for Volunteer Complementary Therapists to support people who require this service in their recovery journey. We are looking for volunteers to enhance the skills and experience of our staff so that we can offer a wider range of Complementary Therapies to our service users. We welcome applicants with the relevant qualifications and experience in any therapy and are looking for this type of volunteering at DA. The specific project ‘REFRESH’, at the moment will run on a Sunday between 1-5pm , but other opportunities are available. For further information regarding this opportunity, please download a Volunteer application pack from the web site www.drugsaction.co.uk or send an e-mail to volunteering@drugsaction.co.uk headed Volunteer Complementary Therapists or contact: Anne McAlister (Volunteer Co-ordinator) T: 01224 577120 / F-mail: amcalister@alcoholanddrugsaction.org.uk Web: www.drugsaction.co.uk As well as Volunteer Complementary Therapists we also have a range of other volunteer opportunities such as Volunteer Buddies, Creative Group Volunteers, Mini Bus Driver, Volunteer Gardener and Volunteer Music Group Assistant.