Volunteer Drivers If you love driving and want to make a difference to young people who are struggling right now .. please join our volunteer team. If you have 4 hours on a Monday or Wednesday to come to Wiston at 3pm to pick up our minibus and collect young people from Lanark or Biggar to bring them to Wiston for our new Afterschool club and then to take them home to take young people back to their school. While you wait you can get involved or enjoy a walk around our beautiful estate, read a book in the garden grounds or enjoy a bowl of homemade soup while you wait.. We will provide induction and Midas training, familiarisation on the bus and volunteer expenses.

Join Our Hospitality and Events Team! As a member of the Hospitality and Events Team you may have a passion for cooking or serving amazing food, or be motivated by making our facilities better or our accommodation welcoming and clean. At Wiston Lodge we look to develop all your skills and hidden talents, encouraging you to inspire others. We strive to be a place to grow for our staff, volunteers and trainees as well as for all the young people and groups who visit. You might have more skills in certain areas but our teams work together to fill any gaps and jump in to provide the best experience we can for the young people and vulnerable groups we are here to support. If you would like to volunteer in beautiful surroundings, with incredible people and make a real difference to people’s lives, then this may be the opportunity for you. Hours: for the early birds join our breakfast team , for the mid-dayers, help out at lunch or if you fancy a dinner date then a later shift might suit you better. Seasonal – April to October You will receive induction and training in food hygiene, allergens, customer care, and health and safety. Responsibilities  Assist the cook to cater for large groups, clearing and dishwashing as required.  Serve meals to visiting groups, including any special dietary requirements  Make tea and coffee for groups and keep the refreshments area clean and well stocked.

The Transform Gardening Project is a supported volunteering opportunity for young people aged 15 to 24 who would like to volunteer in a gardening or landscaping capacity. If you would like to volunteer in the community garden you will need to complete an application form, which involves agreeing to our terms and conditions. Once we receive this you will be invited to come along to the garden, meet the coordinator and take part in induction training. The garden is open on Thursdays from 1.00 p.m. - 3.00 p.m. we expect a minimum commitment of one hour, anything more is up to you! There will always be a garden coordinator on hand to offer support and guidance. Training We want all of our volunteers to feel safe and supported while they garden with us. Before volunteering you will join the garden coordinator for a garden tour and safety talk that covers what we expect from volunteers, our guidelines as well as safe gardening practises. Once you have been through induction training, we will get you started in the garden. Here is some of the work you may find yourself doing Planning - You will be helping us plan gardening sessions and learning about what is planted throughout the seasons. Sharing - It’s not just all about gardening, we will share in lots of other outdoor activities, like the big garden bird watch with the RSPB and the big butterfly count. Tending - This includes, planting, pruning, watering, weeding, mowing, composting, feeding, harvesting. Trying - You will be able to taste and try lots of what we grow and learn lots of new skills. Making - We like to encourage lots of wildlife to the garden so you might find yourself making a bug hotel or birdbox. Mending - There’s a lot more than plants in the garden to look after, we need to maintain, fix and paint fences, planters and raised beds. Learning - Not only will you learn lots of new gardening skills, previous volunteers have found they have increased their confidence, their communication and team working skills, they have also learned how to plan and problem solve. This has helped young people apply for jobs, given them something interesting to write about on their CV and talk about in interviews. Interested? Please get in touch with carey@volunteermidlothian.org.uk for further information and an application form.

volunteers to assist with maintenance and practical tasks at Dunnet Forest, Caithness. This is a community woodland supported by volunteers. The green Gym meets Thursdays weekly and is a great way to meet people, get outdoors and make a difference in this wonderful woodland.

The Royal Scottish Forestry Society, formed in 1854, is an educational charity focussing on promoting the understanding of trees, woods and forestry. Every year RSFS puts on what we believe to be the most extensive programme of practical forestry events across Scotland. This activity is being expanded into practical training events. The Society has published a semi-academic journal, Scottish Forestry, since 1858 promoting all aspects of good practice in forestry. All back issues are available to Members via our website. The Society has a mix of individual and organisational Members. Our membership includes professional foresters and managers, woodlands owners and many others with an interest in trees and woods. RSFS is also the parent entity of Cashel Forest Trust, a charity based near Balmaha, in East Loch Lomond. Cashel Forest Trust owns a 1,300-hectare estate comprising a visitor centre, 5 km of recreational paths, a hydro-electric scheme, 300 Ha of native woodland, 500 Ha of peatland under restoration and 500 Ha of montane and open hillside. Cashel welcomes more than 10,000 visitors a year with an interest in natural ecosystems, native woodland and citizen science. We would like applicants to: • Empathise with our vision, mission and aims; • Demonstrate a willingness and ability to devote the necessary time and effort; • Experience of exercising sound and independent judgement; • Think and apply knowledge creatively and strategically; • Keep themselves and the charity mission-focused; • Analyse and evaluate information and other evidence in the execution of their duties. Email recruitment@rsfs.org.uk for a trustee pack to find out more about us.

Our visitor centre is getting ready for the new osprey and visitor season and we are looking for volunteers for one or more of the following roles: Guide in the Hide volunteer – This role is perfect for volunteers with enthusiasm for birds and a desire to communicate this to visitors, providing them with a quality bird watching experience in our viewing hides overlooking the loch Visitor Centre Volunteer – This is a front of house type role, meeting visitors, making them feel welcome and ensuring they have an enjoyable visit to our centre. There are also retail and membership aspects to the opportunity. Reserve Maintenance Volunteer – Help keep the path network and access to the centre clear and safe for visitors. A more practical volunteer opportunity with less visitor engagement aspects.

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.

The Orkney Library and Archive in Kirkwall are looking to start a Seed Library and are looking for volunteers who know about cultivating/drying seeds and would be keen to get involved. The main duties will be to: Liaise with library staff to help get the seed library up and running and organised; Helping to write instructions to guide people on what to do and when; Keeping a check on the seed stock, seed health and the presentation of seeds; Helping to prepare seed packets, labelling and display in the library; Assisting with seed library events in the future.

Alcohol and Drugs Action (ADA) are seeking volunteers to help at our wonderful garden project based at the Grove Nursery, Just off Hazeldene Road (close to Hazlehead Park and Recycling Centre), AB15 8LD (free parking available or 10 minute walk from nearest bus stop. Any travel costs are reimbursed to volunteers). Your support and contribution as a volunteer can play a vital role in developing other’s personal development, social inclusion and active participation in their local community. • Full volunteer training provided • Access to Trellis therapeutic Gardening course. • Opportunity to network with other local community groups • Participation in annual plant sale • Support marginalised and vulnerable group in their personal growth and development A fantastic opportunity to help and make a real difference. All volunteers are greatly appreciated. For more information please contact: Gavin Wright, Depute Service Manager at email: gwright@alcoholanddrugsaction.org.uk or telephone 01224 577120.

Welcome to Compass; a project navigating healthy, sustainable living! *About the project: In September 2020, medical charity, Camphill Wellbeing Trust, took on the former Waldorf school site at Craigton Road to transform it into a centre demonstrating practical solutions for healthy, sustainable lifestyles. The mixed natural environment of Compass with its woodland and garden areas offers a wide range of opportunities including fruit, vegetable & flower growing, working in & enjoying the outdoors and observing & encouraging wildlife, including beekeeping. We use organic methods onsite and reuse/recycle as much as possible. Compass has 4 buildings onsite which we are sustainably refurbishing with the support of various funding bodies. This also gives opportunities for those with suitable skills to help with the project. *We need your help at Compass! Compass offers a wide range of volunteering activities to suit a all sorts of interests and skills. Activities are generally outdoors so will vary according to the weather and the season. *Volunteer support can often be related to: • Gardening: preparing ground, planting, potting up, watering, weeding, harvesting •Woodland care and monitoring: counting trees, pruning, collecting fallen branches, chipping wood, stacking logs • Painting: sheds, fencing, plant/tree markers and signage • Constructing: raised beds, compost bins, green pathways • Equipment maintenance: cleaning and storing handheld tools • Refurbishment: helping strip out buildings prior to refurbishment. We hope in the future to offer further indoor activities: for example, upcycling furniture, candle making, food processing. During your first session, one of our Compass team will go over Compass Health & Safety, explain more about the project and share the current tasks we need support with. To find out more, get in touch for a Volunteer Pack: compass@cwt.scot Compass is a project of Aberdeen medical charity Camphill Wellbeing Trust (CWT). Find out more about the project, visit www.compassaberdeen.org.uk or for the charity: www.camphillwellbeing.org.uk