We are a registered charity offering an accessible, flexible, child-friendly and needs-led therapeutic service to children and families in the Lothians. We aim to recruit two new Board members to strengthen and broaden the skills of our existing Board of Trustees. New members would act as consultants/advisors, offering specific knowledge and experience in the following areas: • Human Resources – policy and practice • Finance –support of voluntary agencies in establishing good practice in line with legislation, and of developing self-sustaining business practices • Early Years – policy and practice (experience in one or more of the fields of health, social work, education, therapeutic support services, or voluntary sector supporting children and families) • Strategic Planning • IT- technical support and/or client database systems • Voluntary sector – as practitioner or board member • Children’s mental health - as practitioner or policy maker • Fundraising The Board meets every 8-10 weeks for around 1 ½ hours at our premises in Eskbank. Meetings take place on a Monday morning.

The Clackmannanshire Befriending Project recruit and train volunteers to befriend isolated, vulnerable and disadvantaged young people (aged 8-18) in the local area. Volunteers are matched one to one with a young person, meet them on a regular basis and participate in activities in the community. This could be after school, in the evening or at weekends, depending on volunteer availability. Befrienders are to be reliable, trusting and a positive role model. Activities are “timeout” for young people who often live in difficult circumstances. These young people often benefit from an adult befriender who they can talk to and trust, as well as providing them with a reason to get out of the house. The project helps young people with their social skills, self-esteem, school attendance/ performance, resilience, personal safety/ health and relationships. Young people are referred from local schools, social work or other partners. Befrienders are aged 18 years or over, have spare time on a regular basis and are committed to befriending for a minimum period of 12 months. If you are interested, contact us today for an informal chat.

About Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Everyone has the right to live life to the full. After a diagnosis of a chest or heart condition or a stroke, many people experience fear and isolation and struggle with the impact on their lives. Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland won’t stand for that. The care and support we deliver every day ensures everyone can live the life they want to. About our Services Across Scotland, over 1 million people – that’s one in five of the population – are living with the effects of serious chest and heart conditions and stroke. By 2021 we will double the number of people we support so that more people can live life to the full. We will do this by providing vital advice, information, and support through our No Life Half Lived Support services across Scotland. These services include our Advice Line, Stroke Nurse Service, Rehabilitation Support Service, Health Information, Health Defence, Education and E-learning, Financial Advice & Support and our Peer Support Groups. About the Role Rehabilitation Support Volunteers support people who have had a stroke to develop autonomy and confidence in self-management, enabling them to fully engage with their community and activities of their choosing. The service follows a pathway from hospital to community and can be delivered in a one-to-one and/or a group setting. The service can be delivered to provide specified person-centred communication support for those with a communication difficulty and/or to support a specific physical or everyday task. How you can make an Impact As volunteer contribution is so important to CHSS, here are some of the ways that you can have an impact: • You can ensure there is No Life Half Lived for people living with chest, heart and stroke conditions but supporting them in our peer support groups. • You will be an ambassador for CHSS and raise the profile of the organisation. What’s in it for me? We want your volunteering experience to be as rewarding for you as it is for CHSS. Here are some examples of the benefits to you in this role: • Meet new people • Improve health and wellbeing • Learn and develop new skills • Use your existing skills • Help you gain experience if you’re looking for a route to employment or study • Help you fulfil requirements to achieve an award • Have fun!

The North Lanarkshire Befriending Project are to help support vulnerable young people aged 8-18 in the local area through one to one outings. With social isolation, inequality and child poverty on the rise, the need for befrienders to help offer support to a child is higher than ever. Volunteers give a young person a positive role model in their life by passing on their skills and experience, enabling them to try new things and simply providing them with a few hours of fun. Your young person may have experienced social isolation, bullying, domestic abuse or neglect, parental drug and alcohol abuse, may have learning difficulties, may be a young offender, or any combination of these. By giving up just a couple of hours every fortnight, you could make a real difference where it is needed most. Volunteers are recruited, trained and matched 1-1 with a young person, meeting them on a regular basis and participating in fun activities within the local community. Victims of circumstance, vulnerable young people often benefit from an adult befriender who they can talk to and trust. Our project has helped many young people in the past with their social skills, self-esteem, school attendance/performance, resilience, personal safety/health and relationships. As a volunteer, you would have the satisfaction of helping a young person in need, increasing your own confidence, enhancing your skills and experience – all the while having fun as you do so! Please email sue.vanhoren@volunteeringmatters.org.uk or call 07746938237 to apply.

Give a young person the opportunity to grow and dream big, by becoming a volunteer mentor with Mentoring Young Talent. This programme supports young people in discovering and developing their talents to increase their employment options when they leave school or further education. Mentors are sought in Buckie and Elgin High School areas who are employed, can offer insights into their working days and provide support for just an hour a week. Care-experienced young people and other disadvantaged young people are participating in work related learning within their curriculum and 1:1 mentoring to boost confidence, gain skills and qualifications. Each young person is matched with an individual mentor as an impartial adult to talk to and build a positive relationship with. In previous programmes the young mentees have seen their confidence and self-esteem increase, and there are personal and professional benefits for the mentor too. Training and support for volunteer mentors is provided.

About Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland We are Scotland’s health charity supporting people and their families across Scotland with chest, heart and stroke conditions. We want to make sure life living with a chest or heart condition or after a stroke is a life lived to the full. We will fight for better health for everyone and work to make sure there is help and support in every community. Our new strategy No Life Half Lived will address the unmet needs – social, emotional and physical – of people and their families who are living with effects of our conditions across Scotland’s communities. Not everyone living with our conditions gets the care and support they need, and this is what makes living day to day harder. Help us to ensure no life is half lived in Scotland. Join Clan CHSS and make your time matter by volunteering to fight for better health in Scotland. About the Role Rehabilitation Support Volunteers support people who have had a stroke to develop autonomy and confidence in self-management, enabling them to fully engage with their community and activities of their choosing. The service follows a pathway from hospital to community and can be delivered in a one-to-one and/or a group setting. The service can be delivered to provide specified person-centred communication support for those with a communication difficulty and/or to support a specific physical or everyday task. How you can make an Impact As volunteer contribution is so important to CHSS, here are some of the ways that you can have an impact: • You can ensure there is No Life Half Lived for people living with chest, heart and stroke conditions but supporting them in our peer support groups. • You will be an ambassador for CHSS and raise the profile of the organisation. What’s in it for me? We want your volunteering experience to be as rewarding for you as it is for CHSS. Here are some examples of the benefits to you in this role: • Meet new people • Improve health and wellbeing • Learn and develop new skills • Use your existing skills • Help you gain experience if you’re looking for a route to employment or study • Help you fulfil requirements to achieve an award • Have fun!

What will I be doing? Aberlour Sycamore Services offer a safe and loving place to live for children who have experienced abuse or trauma. As a volunteer Befriender, you can play an active role in supporting a child emotionally, socially and helping them to enjoy a range of opportunities and activities. Volunteer Befrienders spend regular 1:1 time with a child to build up a trusting relationship, to develop interests and hobbies, and to be a consistent figure in a child’s life to support them through life transitions. The impact you can make Children living in our Sycamore Residential Services can benefit hugely from having a Befriender. Spending time on a 1:1 basis allows children to develop their communication skills and build their confidence and self-esteem through sharing in a fun activity. The benefits to you 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 once a month, during evenings and weekends.

What will I be doing? Aberlour Sycamore Services offer a safe and loving place to live for children who have experienced abuse or trauma. As a volunteer Befriender, you can play an active role in supporting a child emotionally, socially and helping them to enjoy a range of opportunities and activities. Volunteer Befrienders spend regular 1:1 time with a child to build up a trusting relationship, to develop interests and hobbies, and to be a consistent figure in a child’s life to support them through life transitions. The impact you can make Children living in our Sycamore Residential Services can benefit hugely from having a Befriender. Spending time on a 1:1 basis allows children to develop their communication skills and build their confidence and self-esteem through sharing in a fun activity. The benefits to you 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 once a month, during evenings and weekends.

What will I be doing? Aberlour Options residential service offers a safe and loving home for young people with complex needs and disabilities. Volunteer Befrienders play an important role in providing social interaction with young people, engaging in activities and encouraging young people to try new things. Volunteer Befrienders spend regular 1:1 time with a young person, helping them to take part in hobbies and pursue new interests. Young people build a trusting relationship with volunteers, who can be consistent figures in their life to support them through life transitions. The impact you can make Young people with disabilities can hugely benefit from having a Befriender. Spending time with someone on a 1:1 basis can increase confidence and develop communication skills by giving them someone to talk to. Having a Befriender can also give young people the confidence to take part in group activities, allowing them to meet new people and form new friendships. The benefits to you By volunteering as a Befriender in this residential service, you can gain valuable experience of working with young people with disabilities and developing an awareness of the issues affecting them. Volunteers can gain a sense of satisfaction knowing they are helping a young person to develop social skills and achieve their potential. As one volunteer in the Options residential service describes, Befriending is enjoyable for both the young person and the volunteer: ‘I think what I enjoy most about volunteering is being able to build a relationship with him and seeing it develop over a period of time. We now both look forward to our visits and never leave without having laughed. Volunteering is definitely a worthwhile experience in which you will gain just as much from volunteering as the person you are working with’. Volunteer Befrienders typically spent time with a young person once a month. If you are interested in this role, please enquire or apply now.

What will I be doing? Aberlour Sycamore Services offer a safe and loving place to live for children who have experienced abuse or trauma. As an Activity Buddy, you can play an active role in encouraging children to take part in activities, develop confidence and experience new opportunities. This can include in-house activities, day-trips and outings organised by staff. Activity Buddy Volunteers can bring a range of interests and a sense of fun to the service. The impact you can make Activity Buddy Volunteers can have a positive impact on children in the Sycamore Residential Services, by encouraging children to take part in activities and giving them opportunities to try something new. Taking part in an activity together can help a child to develop confidence, self-esteem and to form trusting relationships. Activity Buddy Volunteers can be a positive role model in the lives of children and young people. The benefits to you By volunteering as an Activity Buddy in our Sycamore Residential Services, you can gain valuable experience of working with children, learn more about supporting children in a group, and develop 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. Activity Buddy Volunteers typically support either in-house activities, day-trips or outings once a fortnight. If you are interested in this role, please enquire or apply now.