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Would you like to support people who have served in the Armed Forces? You don't need a military background just patience, and an ability to get on with people from different backgrounds and age groups. If so, this could be the role for you. SSAFA Visitors provide support to isolated people living at home or in residential care. Whilst a friendly chat about the old days over a cup of tea, playing cards, looking at old photo albums or military momentum is an important aspect of the role you will also be able to recognise any other support needs and explore how to link your client into their local community and arrange for a SSAFA caseworker to assess the client for other support needed. The essential part of the role is visiting the client. Whilst you will visit a client on a regular basis for a period you will not be developing a kind of relationship where you will provide personal care, handle money or support someone in an emergency. SSAFA can help clients to arrange other types of support if needed.

Everyone can feel lonely and isolated at times, especially if experiencing hardship. In response to the effects of loneliness and isolation on peoples wellbeing (physical, emotional, social and mental health), that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated, TLC have responded to this need and further developed our befriending service to combat the loneliness and isolation felt by many in our city. Our service is provided to anyone aged 18 years and over in Aberdeen who is experiencing or at risk of loneliness or isolation. Your help as a volunteer would therefore make a real difference. Our expertly trained and compassionate volunteers not only provide a lifeline to people, in the form of friendship, but also a helping hand to reconnect to the community, bringing joy and passion back into people’s lives. If you would like to be a beacon of hope to someone in need, please do apply to join our fantastic team of volunteers. For further information please email us at volunteer@tlc.org.uk

Are you passionate about supporting veterans and making a positive impact in your community? Erskine Care Home in Gilmerton, Edinburgh, is looking for dedicated and compassionate individuals to join our team as Volunteer Befrienders. Erskine has a long-standing tradition of providing exceptional care for veterans, and you can be part of this meaningful journey. By becoming a Volunteer Befriender, you will play a vital role in enhancing the well-being and quality of life for our residents. Why Volunteer as a Befriender: Make a real difference in the lives of veterans who have served our country. Build meaningful connections and friendships with residents. Contribute to a positive and supportive community environment. As a Volunteer Befriender, you will engage in 1:2:1 interactions with residents, offering companionship and support. This could involve friendly conversations, strolls in the garden, or engaging the resident in activities like crosswords. Your time and commitment will create moments of joy and connection for those who have served our nation.

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of those affected by dementia? Erskine Care Home in Gilmerton, Edinburgh, is looking for compassionate individuals with an interest in dementia to join our team as Volunteer Companions for our Dementia Café. About Erskine Care Home: Erskine is committed to providing specialised care, and we are seeking volunteers to support our Dementia Café, creating a warm and supportive environment for both residents and their families. Why Volunteer for the Dementia Café: Make a meaningful impact on the lives of those affected by dementia. Provide companionship and support in a caring and nurturing setting. Join a community that values empathy, understanding, and connection. Your Role as a Volunteer Companion: As a Volunteer Companion for the Dementia Café, you will be a source of comfort and companionship for residents and their families. Your presence and support on Saturdays, once a month or every two months, will contribute to the well-being and joy of those living with dementia.

Do you thrive in organising unforgettable experiences and love to be part of creating memorable moments? Erskine Care Home in Gilmerton, Edinburgh, is searching for enthusiastic individuals to join our team as Volunteer Activities & Events Volunteers. Erskine is more than a care home; it's a community. We are seeking volunteers to assist, in the organisation of events ,with outings, and group activities to bring joy and excitement to the lives of our veterans. Why Volunteer in this role? Play a crucial role in creating memorable experiences for veterans. Contribute your organisational skills to make a positive impact. Join a community that values your creativity and enthusiasm. As an Activities & Events volunteer, you will be the magic behind our big events, outings, and group activities. You will assist to ensure that our veterans have engaging and enjoyable experiences.

Are you a fitness enthusiast with a passion for making a positive impact on the lives of others? . Erskine Edinburgh Care Home in Gilmerton, is seeking dedicated individuals with a background in personal training or similar to join our team as Active Lifestyles Volunteer Erskine has a long-standing tradition of providing exceptional care for veterans, and you can be part of this meaningful journey. By becoming an Active Lifestyle Volunteer, you will play a vital role in enhancing the well-being and quality of life for our residents. At Erskine, we believe in promoting holistic well-being for our veterans. We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to bring their expertise in the exercise field to enhance the physical health and vitality of our residents. Make a meaningful difference by promoting health and well-being for veterans. Utilise your skills and support staff to create engaging and tailored exercise classes or gym sessions for residents Contribute to a positive and supportive community environment. As an Active Lifestyle Volunteer, you will have the opportunity to assist with exercises, gym sessions and even cycling. Your expertise will play a crucial role in improving the overall fitness and mobility of our residents.

Role Summary: To support the work of Spinal Injuries Scotland (SIS) who are the national voluntary organisation concerned with helping new and long-term spinal cord injured people to see the possibilities of living life beyond their injury. Role Description : Your involvement as a volunteer will be focused – if a non-spinal cord injured person - on helping to organise monthly coffee meets for members within the Borders area. If you have a spinal cord injury yourself you will also have the opportunity to contribute to the discussions that take place, offering empathy and understanding as required. This opportunity offers volunteers an invaluable insight into the challenges faced by those living with a spinal cord injury as well as access to information about how these same challenges can be managed.

A befriender will be matched with an older person (50 and over) in their area that is isolated or lonely. They will spend time with them offering companionship to build their confidence and link them back into social activities. Many of our clients have very few visitors or people to go and see them so our volunteers spend time with someone whether through a cuppa and a chat in the clients home or a walk locally, with the hope that the volunteer will improve wellbeing, alleviate loneliness and isolation. We also run local friendship groups that the client can be linked into if able to get out and about.

We are looking for some friendly helpers to take a group of Afghan women who have recently arrived in Inverness to swimming lessons. They are learning to swim in specially organised women's only sessions which are being facilitated by Highlife Highland. The feedback so far is that they are really enjoying learning to swim for the first time. Unfortunately challenges in organising transport to and from the pool may put a stop to the program, unless we can find some amazing volunteers to help out. Could that be you? You would pick up the 9 Seater Community Centre Minibus at 6pm (Wednesday) and then the women from their houses, before going to the swimming pool. You are invited to join the swimming session with the women (for free), which runs from 8-9pm and then drop everyone and the bus back. You don't need to commit to doing every week, but signing up for even just a few sessions will be a huge help. Starting Jan 2024 It will be a wonderful opportunity to support recently arrived Afghan women to learn a new skill and settle into Inverness, as well as a chance to share a fun activity, make friends across cultures and have a good swim together! We aim to have two volunteers helping for each session to support each other (we know volunteering alone can feel a bit daunting!) and you will be well supported by the coordinators at HLH who run the program. Due to the nature of the program, we can only consider women volunteers. You will have a clean driving license (No minibus license required) be able to provide a PVG check, or be willing to do one (we can help you get this).

Equine Outreach are a Social Enterprise Company that allows disadvantaged people from Falkirk and the surrounding areas to interact with horses and people, improving their communication skills and confidence. This helps them to integrate further into society and also improve employment opportunities. We are currently looking for caring and compassionate volunteers to support our efforts by helping the individuals that visit us interact with our horses and related activities. This role involves spending time with the variety of people that visit us and walking them through the daily duties of a stable, such as animals husbandry (grooming, feeding, leading) and day-to-day tasks (mucking out, yard maintenance). Someone who is good with people and who loves animals and the outdoors would suit this role. We're a small and welcoming team, we take a flexible approach and our goal is that all our volunteers get something out of their time with us - whether it's being around people and animals that they enjoy, gaining experience of support work or training towards British Horse Society accreditations, for example.