At Sue Ryder Dee View Court we strive to help people to live lives as fully as possible. We offer a huge range of support including long-term residential care, supported living and specialist rehabilitative services designed to help people improve or regain their abilities. We focus on a person's wellness not illness and abilities rather than disabilities. A Community based service of excellence - care that liberates lives. We are currently recruiting volunteers for a recently established self management programme for people with neurological conditions in their own homes. Through volunteering with the programme for a few hours a week/fortnight you can make a difference to peoples lives-this can be through visiting someone and having a chat and a tea/coffee or assisting people in accessing community activities, building peoples confidence again. Good support, relevant training and reimbursement of any out of pocket expenses e.g.: any bus fares/car mileage etc. is provided to all volunteers. Through volunteering with this exciting and important programme you will make a difference to people’s lives. For more details about this and volunteering with Sue Ryder please contact Julie Schoullar on email: outreach.support@suerydercare.org / tel.: 01224 896339/ 01224 245920.

We are looking for volunteers to staff the office on Dumbarton Central train station platform. We have a small shop where we fund raise for the Association which involves working with the public, minimal cash handling and paperwork. There is also the opportunity to help create displays, conduct research and update our social media pages. We require individuals who have some time to spare, even a few hours per week, to help in our office. Our volunteers will work with the Co-ordinator and Secretary in keeping the office open and running. This role will include but is not limited to: Meeting members of the public, Helping at fundraisers, if possible; Counting of money raised; Helping maintain stock; Rotating of items in the office Helping out with the Heritage Centre. Managing the front desk, Filing duties Computer work ie word documents, spreadsheets, etc. Days within the office are fluid on a day to day basis and the individual would require to be flexible in turning their hand to many other tasks.

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a neurological condition caused by the premature loss of nerve cells in certain parts of the brain. Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD) is a degenerative brain disease that affects people from the age of 40. PSP and CBD are rare and little known. Education volunteers can help PSPA improve this situation. One of their aims is to make education and training available to as many health and social care professionals as possible, many of whom may have not come across PSP or CBD before. The education volunteer roole will increase the understanding of professionals about PSP and CBD, and will therefore improve their practice. The organisation also aims to have their volunteers raise awareness in local communities by offering informative talks to interested groups. The reward of being an education volunteer with PSPA include: the opportunity for self-development, the opportunity to meet new people and to be valued as part of a team. There is also the unique reward of making a difference to people living with PSP&CBD and their families.

The role will involve making sure each client is wearing a properly fitted riding hat. At the first and last lesson of each 12 week block there is also paperwork to be completed for each rider. We also need you to ensure that carers, parents and siblings are not patting/touching the horses at the mounting block as this is a very delicate part of the lesson.

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.

The Leprosy Mission Scotland is a member of a global partnership bringing Healing & Justice to people affected by leprosy. Together, our Just Cause is to defeat leprosy and transform lives. Ultimately we would like to see a world free of leprosy and its effects on individuals, families and communities. Working across the country, The Leprosy Mission Scotland seeks to educate, inspire and enable you, along with other people, their churches, schools, community groups and even our government, to join it in upholding and supporting people affected by leprosy. As a small charity, we print our appeals for donations in-house. We rely on volunteers to help us with our mailings several times a year when we send out postal appeals to our supporters. We require volunteers to join our small mailings volunteer team to help to fill envelopes with folded letters and inserts before sealing. Mailings volunteers help to sort and keep tidy all letters and packages for courier pick up. If you have skills and experience in creating mailings, you could also get involved in creating our mailings alongside our fundraising manager. We are looking for people who are available at least two hours a week over mailing times: March, September and December. This role is a great chance to socialize and help a small team create something with a big impact. You don't have to be a Christian to get involved with The Leprosy Mission; you just need to be respectful of Christian beliefs and ethos. We would like volunteers to be able to commit a minimum of 6 months to us if possible.

AbilityNet is a charity that exists to change the lives of disabled people by increasing access/use of digital technology at work, at home or in education. AbilityNet ITCanHelp has a nationwide network of wonderful IT support volunteers. We are looking for people who are interested and skilled in computers and technology to visit disabled and older people in their own homes to help with their IT needs. Volunteers may be asked to help set up a computer system for someone, install software or hardware, troubleshoot problems or even help to change a printer cartridge or give some basic training on how to use systems. We are looking for people with experience of Windows and Apple systems, people who know about using ipads, and android tablets as well as those who may have experience of adaptive technology, although this isn’t essential. Volunteers are provided with induction and ongoing technical support and training. All help makes a real difference and is greatly appreciated. If you are interested in finding out more information, please take a look at our website www.abilitynet.org.uk, email us at volunteers@abilitynet.org.uk or phone us on 0800 269 545 where one of our team will be happy to have a chat with you. You can apply online using the online form at https://www.abilitynet.org.uk/itvolunteers/itcanhelp-volunteer-application-form

Befrienders actively enable our clients to enjoy a more independent lifestyle. By offering your companionship and practical support you will be enabling people to have more choices and control over their lives. We are looking for people who love swimming, bowling, discos and trips to the zoo and city farms. You can help open the door to a wider social network for our clients and have some fun.

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.

Simple aids and equipment can help many thousands of older and disabled people live independently in their own homes, for longer. Your role will be to go out to communities across Lothian to demonstrate how equipment can help and where it can be found. Using the Disabled Living Foundation's resources, you will be confident in engaging audiences and raising awareness of the equipment that can change lives.