Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS) runs the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway and Museum of Scottish Railways, as well as operating of SRPS Railtours. We understand that our volunteers are vital for our continued work, and we encourage young people to get involved with a range of activities at the railway. We currently run a youth volunteering programme that runs the last Saturday of every month, and we need volunteer youth leaders and youth supporters to help us manage these sessions, and to support individual youth volunteering too. If you are passionate about accessibility, youth involvement or have experience working with young people then we would love to hear from you!

Are you looking to gain experience in youth work? The Crew would be a great place to begin. The Crew is based in a group setting and supports young people from P7-S3 and runs every Thursday 5pm to 7pm term time. The Crew takes place in our Arbroath office and is for young people who have been affected by others’ substance use, not engaging in school, and/or have struggles in their home or the wider community. This group can help support young people and provide structure and security. We run sessions which focus on confidence building and life skills such as cooking and budgeting. We also do information sessions on how to keep safe in the community including awareness on drugs, alcohol, vaping and anti-social behaviour.

Do you want to help support children and young people aged 5-18 years with additional support needs living in Angus? Angus Special Playscheme provides holiday playschemes for children and young people aged 5-18 years with additional support needs living in Angus. Our volunteers play a valued role in the work of the organisation. Our main opportunity is as a Playscheme Volunteer which can be summed up as "supporting the children who attend our schemes to ensure they are safe and enjoy their time there", Duties are varied but may include: • To ensure the children you are matched with are safe. • To complete at the end of the day a ‘my day sheet’ with the guidance of the Playleader as necessary for each child you were matched with that day. • To report to the Playleader/Depute Playleader any issues with the children or any negative behaviours. • To ensure first aid treatment is sought as needed for the children you are matched with. • To work in accordance with the National Care Standards, Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16 • Encourage and support individual children to participate in the planned programme of activities • Assist the Playleader in being responsible for and ensuring that adequate precautions are taken to safeguard children and minimise risks • Develop a stable friendly and trusting relationship with the children • Ensure high standards of cleanliness and hygiene are maintained by yourself and the children at all times • Ensure all aspects of play promote equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practices • Work as part of a team The Playschemes run during the Easter, Summer and Autumn holidays but there may be opportunities to volunteer outside of these times and within different roles.

We are a not for profit community interest organisation supporting young people and children's mental health and wellbeing. We are currently seeking volunteers to provide support during the week at our mum and child sessions. These sessions are provided to help families connect and support one another. Your main role would be set up room, hosting and speaking to parents and tidying the room. If you have small children they can also be there whilst you volunteer. A fantastic opportunity to help and make a real difference. For more information please contact Zara Grant at email: yourloveraracic@yahoo.com or telephone: 01358 741874.

OUR YOUTH BEFRIENDING SERVICE IS DELIVERED THROUGHOUT EAST LOTHIAN TO YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 8 TO 16 YEARS. We aim to have lots of fun and choice in activities while fostering a culture of healthy self-respect, positivity, increased self-confidence, and motivation. We hope to bring positivity and nurture to young people that are experiencing very difficult and challenging lifestyles.

The Jock Neish Scouting Centre is looking for a volunteer to undertake general maintenance duties around the site, joining a small team on Wednesday mornings from around 9.00 am until lunch time.

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.

Event Makers Co. are a group of four final year RGU students who are fundraising for Erskine Veterans Charity. We are putting on a large makers market and workshop event and require a few volunteers to help the day run more smoothly! It is a pop-up event that aims to raise as much money as possible for Erskine, and raise awareness of the charity and their Forres Activity Centre project, which will support the large number of Veterans across the North East. The North East has a large number of Veterans, and the new activity centre will provide life-changing, and likely life-saving, support for our Veterans. Their existing activity centre in the Erskine's Veterans Village (near Paisley) has proven this. Erskine have been supporting our Veterans since 1916, and support over 1,000 Veterans across Scotland every year. Roles include: - Refreshment stand - Fundraising stand - Car parking attendants / giving directions - General assistants (floating) - Possibly wearing the Erskine mascot costume! Similar events have attracted a few hundred people in the past. We're also happy to provide verification of volunteering hours if required for personal development, CV and so on. We are so grateful for any help in ensuring this event runs smoothly and helps us raise as much as we can for Erskine Veterans! We are fully backed by Erskine and RGU to host the event.

Grandmentors is an award-winning, inter-generational mentoring programme, operating in various locations across the UK. We are currently looking for new Volunteer Mentors to join our programme in Perth and Kinross which launched in 2023. It is widely recognised that care-experienced young people are some of the most disadvantaged in society. Many are in care because they have experienced, or are at risk of, neglect and/or abuse. Security and stability are often missing from their lives. We recruit, train and support volunteer mentors (normally but not exclusively aged 50+) who draw on their wealth of professional and personal life experience and skills to support young people (aged 16-26) through life transitions on their pathway to independence. Grandmentors is all about empowering and positive relationships, aligning to “The Promise” that Scotland made to its care experienced population. Young people are listened to, heard, and responded to. They benefit from safe, consistent loving relationships, and access to meaningful support to boost mental & physical wellbeing, resilience, and confidence. Grandmentors facilitate conversations around keeping well, coping strategies, self-care, and self-management. Each young person alongside their Grandmentor co-produces a bespoke support plan and set goals based on their needs. They explore and review the young person’s challenges, and priorities. These range from enhancing mental & physical health and wellbeing, dealing with stress and conflict, support to access sustainable and appropriate housing, career, and education goals, budget planning and more.

Would you like to go on fun adventures, explore and laugh with friends? At Girlguiding we do everything from camping to campaigning! We’re all about girls and young women laughing, learning and having adventures. Why not join the fun? Meetings usually run on weekday evenings for about an hour, and you can choose how much or how little you can help out! Our different sections cover ages 4-18, so there’s something for everyone. Youth volunteering with Girlguiding Scotland looks great on a CV, and can improve skills like teamwork, leadership, communication, creativity and IT. It’s great experience if you want a career in youthwork or education. You can get extra training like First Aid, the disclosure check for working with children is paid for by us and we’ll help you every step of the way. There are loads of meetings happening all over Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire, so you can join one close to you. Our volunteers are what makes Girlguiding amazing, and we welcome people of all backgrounds and walks of life. Come have a chat with us, you won’t regret it! We have units across Aberdeen looking for volunteers. To find out where your nearest unit is, register online or get in touch to have a chat please visit https://www.girlguidingscotland.org.uk/become-a-volunteer/ or email: acclc@girlguidingaberdeenshetland.org.uk