Become a volunteer Children's Panel Member The qualities you use every day are exactly what Scotland's infants, children and young people look for in a Panel Member. Children's Hearings Scotland is looking for people who care about making a difference in the lives of children attending hearings in Scotland. A Panel Member's role is to listen and make legal decisions with and for infants, children and young people, and to ensure that the young person is at the heart of every decision taken. There's no one type of person or background that makes the ideal Children's Panel Member. What is important is the qualities you can bring to the role such as being a good listener, caring, compassionate, and reliable. You will receive extensive training so that you are fully capable, and comfortable, making decisions at a hearing in the best interest of a child or young person. Children's Hearings Scotland is dedicated to recruiting a Children's Panel that represents Scotland's communities. If you are passionate about driving positive change in your local community, then this is a volunteering role for you! This years campaign opens on Wednesday 12th January 2022 with the closing date for applications being Wednesday 9th February 2022. Locally, an information session is being held virtually via Microsoft Teams on Thursday 27th January 2022 at 7pm. To register a place to attend please email childrens.panel@fife.gov.uk. For full details of the role and the link to apply please visit: chscotland.gov.uk

Could you provide invaluable support by ensuring prisoners’ human rights are upheld and that life in prison contributes to their rehabilitation, resulting in a safer Scotland? If yes, you may be the person who can make a unique contribution to improving Scotland’s prisons, listening to and supporting prisoners and positively impacting on their lives in your local community. We are currently recruiting Independent Prison Monitors (IPMs), a voluntary role that can be challenging and rewarding. As well as the opportunity to participate in one of the most unusual and valuable types of voluntary work, you will have the opportunity to meet and work with many people from diverse backgrounds and walks of life. We encourage diversity and particularly welcome applications from groups currently under-represented in the IPM Team. If you are interested please visit our website for more information.www.prisonsinspectoratescotland.gov.uk

Supporting positive relationships with pupils alongside developing a community garden - a climate responsive action and desire to bring generations together across the community. Activities will include establishing the growing area as a sustainable asset. Role Description :To work with young people from the school in small groups or one-to-one basis if required. Share interest, enthusiasm and learning around growing plants (both edible and attractive), supporting the development of the school garden project and re-wilding while building positive relationships with the children and young people involved. In time this may also lead to opportunities around recipes and cooking as well as reducing waste / zero waste ambition, supporting the town centre gardening volunteers with flowers grown, a small orchard, tree planting and tackling local food poverty as possible. Meeting people and spending time with different age groups – sharing experiences and enjoying time together and learning with / from each other. Some digital connections may be used initially, but this can be worked around. A community volunteer is also being sought to support intergenerational work involving school pupils as part of a core development group. Again, some digital connections may be used initially, but this can be worked around. Note: Some other supporting volunteer roles may be available for the garden project generally – including tree planting, building raised beds for the polytunnel, advice and support to plan planting and practical elements of the project and supporting the care and maintenance of the garden over school holiday times. Skills/Experience required: Patience and a sense of fun. Interest in engaging with younger people. Desirable / Particularly useful – an interest or experience in gardening. Previous experience of a community garden. Interest / previous experience connected to sustainable growing – “Plant to Plate”. Interest / experience in cooking fresh ingredients. Interest in all the above with commitment to reducing waste and negative impacts on the environment. Previous experience in working with children and/or young people. Ability to engage in tasks and activities relating to gardening in the polytunnel sited on campus grounds and other places as required according to Covid restrictions. Training and support will be given around the intergenerational work.

Creative people needed! You will be able to help manufacture & develop craft kits & handmade items, plus helping out at events and stalls. We are a small start up social enterprise and would love to offer volunteering and training opportunities to young people who are keen on art & creativity. The role will involve helping make up craft kits as well as testing out kits and helping to develop the ideas for kits further. We use a variety of materials and processes to make parts which then need assembled into kits. We also are developing a range of finished products that are handmade which we need help with making. This could involve working with wool, wood, metal and more. We also need help with making video content for social media about the kits. We will be attending market stalls and could be selling the kits/products in other settings so volunteers would be ideally able to come and help at times at stalls and events. The role could also be extended in the future to supervising younger volunteers at evening sessions if desired however this would require a PVG in addition.

Creative people needed! to help out at regular after school art classes, plus there will be opportunity to helping out at events, stalls and other classes if desired. We need two helpers for our after school classes which take place at the Selkirk Cricket Club, Philiphaugh. We have a 1 hour class for primary age and another afterwards for secondary age on Mondays in term time. Your role will be to support children with their creativity while they are in the classes, and assisting with all aspects of managing the class delivery. You will help to help set up before and clear away after the classes. You may also be helping to supervise children to stay safe during our short outings. The class is relaxed and fun and the children will be working with a wide variety of art materials and processes. Therefore it is a chance for the volunteer to gain creative skills as well as youth work skills. We also deliver other classes in the holidays and at weekends so there are further opportunities to get involved if desired.

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 OPEN Project runs a peer education project, peer mentoring project and a youth cafe project and currently falls under Voluntary Action Shetland. We are going to be exploring turning OPEN into an independent, youth-led charity. To do this we are setting up a steering group made up of young people aged 16-25 to lead the way going forward. The steering group members should have an interest in progressing in their leadership skills and contributing to making decisions going forward with the project.

Big Hearts Befrienders provides one-to-one befriending for children and young people aged 7-14 in kinship care, through supporting them to learn new skills and provide a social experience. Through the befriending relationship the child / young person and the befriender may touch on topics such as increasing self-esteem; dealing with worries; respect for others, with the main aim of building a trusting and reliable relationship with an adult and working towards set outcomes.

Our pupils have a range of additional support needs and have the opportunity to spend their S6 year preparing for post-school transitions. They do this by attending college on a weekly basis or by undertaking work experience placements. We need volunteers to help support our pupils in this transition process. The volunteer would be expected to accompany a small group of pupils to college, support them whilst they engage with their lessons under the direction of the lecturer and offer support and encouragement where needed. For those pupils undertaking work placements the volunteer would be required to go with them and support them in the tasks they were set by the workplace, and again, offer support and encouragement. This is a fantastic opportunity to directly support those who need that little bit more help. You will be at the forefront of helping prepare a young adult be successful after school, helping them to develop skills for a job with the ultimate goal of living a independent life. Not only will you get to build your own interpersonal and communication skills but you will also get the rewards of watching a person with additional support needs be presented with the idea of an inclusive life without limits. The time you spend with these young adults will have a direct impact on their lives, and, by enabling them to access these opportunities you will be promoting social responsibility and championing Inclusion and Diversity within our communities

At MCR Pathways, we know that all young people are talented. However, our country’s care-experienced and young people who have experienced disadvantage face challenges beyond their control that make it more difficult for them to succeed. These young people are in our communities but we don’t always see their struggles. As a community, we can change this. We recruit and train volunteer mentors who are matched with a young person based on personality, hobbies and career aspirations. Mentors meet with their young person at their school for just one hour a week and provide a compassionate, listening ear. MCR Mentors: • Build a relationship, improving the self-esteem of their young person • Help their young people discover their own passion for learning & achieving • Empower their young people to overcome the challenges thrown at them Education is the key to unlocking our young people’s potential. Our volunteer Mentors are supported every step of the way as they guide their young person onto a positive pathway. No experience is required and full training is given. A PVG (protecting vulnerable groups scheme) will be required prior to mentoring. This will be discussed in your onboarding process and is free of charge to obtain. How to become a Mentor Once you have registered your interest online at https://mcrpathways.org/become-a-mentor/ or by clicking the 'Apply' button below, you’ll be invited to attend an Information Session. The MCR Pathways Central Team will take you through the programme in more detail. After this, you’ll take part in an informal 1-to-1 chat which helps us understand more about you so we can make an inspired match between our mentors and young people. Lastly, you will be asked to complete a training session before you are then matched with your mentee by our expert panel. After matching, the central team and School Coordinator are always on-hand to offer advice and support throughout the year, while our online mentor community provides a platform to share experiences and access resources throughout the year. Can you volunteer just one hour a week and #BeTheBridge between a young person's talent and possibilities in life? Sign up and get involved today!