Are you passionate about volunteering? Do you want to help others? How about joining PKAVS Third Sector Interface as a Volunteer Opportunities Assistant and combine the two? We are currently looking for a volunteer to provide administrative support to our Volunteer Support Service. We are looking for an enthusiastic volunteer who would be willing to help the local TSI with the following tasks: • Gathering volunteer opportunities • Making sure volunteering opportunities are up to date. • Support online Volunteer Drop-in when necessary If you have any questions about this opportunity, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

LinkLiving are recruiting new volunteer Board Members, they invite applications from people who can use their skills and knowledge to help LinkLiving achieve their new mission and strategy to support people, with a focus on young people affected by trauma and disadvantage, in East and Central Scotland (namely Forth Valley, Fife, and Edinburgh). They will recruit up to 8 motivated and committed individuals who share the charity’s values of empathy, respect, integrity and care and are particularly keen to encourage applications from those who are currently under represented on the Board. The closing date for applications is Thursday 11th March 2021 at 12pm. Groups of people who are currently under-represented on the Board include: • People who have a disability • Men • Young people aged 18-30 • People from BME communities • People with lived experience of the types of services that LinkLiving provide

LinkLiving are looking for up to eight motivated and committed volunteer board members who share the charity’s values of empathy, respect, integrity and care. LinkLiving is a health and social care charity working in East Central Scotland to support people to overcome the negative impacts of trauma and disadvantage. We provide truly person-centred support through a range of models including self help coaching, employability, care at home, housing support and supported accommodation. The charity is particularly recognised for supporting young people to develop the personal resilience, practical and emotional skills as well as the experience necessary for successfully managing key transitions in their lives. This includes leaving care, moving on from homelessness, moving into their own tenancy, and achieving positive destinations such as a course or a job. We aim to ensure that today's young Scots are in a position to achieve their full potential. This is a fantastic time to join the board as we are in the process of developing and rolling out a new vision and five year strategy for the charity. In line with this we have taken the opportunity to review our governance needs and now wish to increase the size of our board as well as bringing in people with a range of skill sets and experiences to help us achieve our new enhanced mission. We are keen to encourage applications from all sections of society especially from people who are currently under represented on the board: disabled people, men, young people (18-30), BAME, and people with lived experience of the types of services that we provide. We are particularly interested in applications from individuals who bring experience or a background in one or more of the following areas: social work, homelessness, housing support, health, social care, working with charities and/or the public sector, fundraising, marketing, people with lived experience of the fields in which we operate: mental health, trauma, disadvantage, homelessness, people with experience of the care system, those with knowledge of the communities in which we operate in East Central Scotland namely Edinburgh, Forth Valley and Fife. If you have experience outside this which you feel would be relevant, we would be equally interested to hear from you.

Mentoring Young Talent (MYT) is seeking new volunteer mentors… MYT works with young people between the age of 12-26yrs, supporting them 1-1 to gain confidence, explore their strengths, help make future plans to either increase their educational attainment or secure a destination like work, training or further education. Our younger project (12-16yrs) provides mentors to care experienced school attendees while our project for 16-26 year olds aims to support young people locally who may be unemployed, struggling to identify their next steps, need to strengthen their skills and gain from the interaction with a positive role model. Everyone is welcome to apply to be a mentor, it’s a great way to give back, support local young people and share your knowledge and experience. We provide training, support and fund some great activities to take part in alongside your matched young person. This volunteer opportunity is also a great career development opportunity, increasing your own employability skills as a result. During Covid 19 we have seen many young people’s future plans dashed, unemployment rise and increased insecurity for this age group. Mentoring provides a positive way to help this generation, If you can manage between 1-2 hours a week please get in touch. We are seeking volunteers of all ages and life experience and have young people waiting.

Aberlour Sycamore Services offer a safe and loving place to live for children and young people who have experienced abuse or trauma. As a volunteer Befriender, you can play an active role in supporting a child or young person emotionally, socially and helping them to enjoy a range of opportunities and activities. Volunteer Befrienders spend regular 1:1 time with a child or young person to build up a trusting relationship, to develop interests and hobbies, and to be a consistent figure in their life to support them through life transitions. Children and young people living in our Sycamore Residential Services can benefit hugely from having a Befriender. Spending time on a 1:1 basis allows children and young people to develop their communication skills and build their confidence and self-esteem through sharing in a fun activity. By volunteering as a Befriender in our Sycamore Residential Services, you can gain valuable experience of working with children and young people and developing an awareness of the issues affecting them. Volunteers can gain a sense of satisfaction knowing they are helping others to develop new skills and achieve their potential, while developing their own confidence and having fun. Volunteers are valued members of Sycamore Residential teams. Volunteer Befrienders typically spent time with a child or young person once every 2-3 weeks, during evenings and weekends.

The MCR Pathways programme was founded in 2007. In 2018, the programme began expanding across Scotland with the Young Clackmannanshire Talent (YCT) programme launching in 2019. YCT is helping young people find, grow and use their talent throughout Clackmannanshire. When one person mentors, two lives are changed. Volunteer mentors spend one hour a week listening to and encouraging their young person. The only qualification you need to be a mentor is the desire to help. Young people are matched with a mentor based on their personalities, interests and career aspirations. All young people are different and have different needs, so it’s important that mentors come from all walks of life. Mentors are role models, who make a life-changing difference to young people. Additionally, mentoring has been shown to make a powerful and positive impact on those who give their time and support. If you are interested in spending one hour a week with a local young person, assisting them to realise their aspirations, MCR will provide all the support and training you require! For more information, or to sign up, please visit https://mcrpathways.org/become-a-mentor/