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Are you interested in wildlife and would you like to get involved in practical work on our Culbin Sands reserve? We are looking for new volunteers to get involved and help us manage our remote and fascinating Culbin Sands reserve. We rely on the hard work and dedication of volunteers to keep the habitats on this reserve in fine condition. To do this, we are running work groups, usually once or twice a week between Monday and Friday, from September to April. This role is suitable for under 18’s. We will carry out habitat management tasks during these work groups, which will include the removal of scrub and small trees with hand tools and burning brash on bonfires. We are looking for volunteers to help out with these management tasks by joining our dedicated team of volunteers. The tasks are running as part of our LIFE 100% for Nature Project, which aims to improve the condition of sand dune and vegetated shingle habitats on the reserve, to benefit a range of rare and threatened species. In this role you'll learn about the management and ecology of this important reserve while developing new skills in habitat management or just enjoying this remote and wild reserve. Due to the remoteness of the reserve, there are no indoor toilet facilities at this reserve. You will need to make sure you have an up-to-date tetanus injection. Volunteers will need to bring their own food, drink and outdoor clothing, including wellies. The RSPB will provide appropriate Personal Protective Equipment relevant to the tasks, such as work gloves and protective glasses. You don't need to have any previous experience, and volunteers can try a session to see if the role is for them. You can apply for this role online https://volunteer.rspb.org.uk/opportunities/36060-practical-reserve-work-reserve-work-party-volunteer-culbin-sands-2022-08-08

Moray Handyperson Services are looking for new DIY-ers to join their team, especially in the Elgin area. Volunteers complete small/minor maintenance jobs that some older or vulnerable people cannot do by themselves in their own homes. Each year, this local charity helps hundreds of people stay safe and independent in their own home. Small jobs can range from changing a light bulb, to fitting curtain rails, from assembling flat-packs, to even doing a bit of decluttering. These jobs usually take less than an hour and you can choose to do a job at a time that is convenient for you. Volunteers are usually matched to a job in their local area, and if you can't help out, that isn't a problem either, as you can say no or yes to a job. Now that's flexible volunteering! Contact them if you think you could part of their volunteer team. How It Works: The MHPS staff receive requests from clients and collect relevant details, usually over the phone. They then find a volunteer who has the skills, is nearby and is available. If the volunteer accepts the job, MHPS send the volunteer all the details they need to do the job. Most jobs require the volunteer to visit the client in the client’s own home. The volunteer first makes a brief assessment to ensure the job is as described and it is safe for them to proceed. Once the job has been carried out, there is usually opportunity to chat with the client to determine if they are well, need support in any other areas. Completion paperwork (easy and quick to do) is returned to the MHPS office.

The woodlands in and around Forres are highly valued community assets. Forres Community Woodlands Trust aims to utilise the potential of these woodlands to provide a wide range of community benefits. These include providing local people and visitors to the area with ready access to special places to enjoy peace and quiet, healthy exercise, education and recreation. Our vision, therefore, is to maintain and enhance the Trust’s woodlands as bio-diverse habitats which provide recreational and educational opportunities. Our volunteer activities take place mostly in our FCWT woods, that is either Sanquhar Wood or Muiry. On average we meet one Saturday morning each month from 10 to 12 o'clock and we carry out maintenance work, for example removing young foreign species with loppers and hand saws like rhododendron, sitka spruce or Douglas fir or we plant trees or cut back bracken. Our aim is to remove as many foreign species as possible and replace them with native trees.

Supported Volunteering provides an excellent opportunity to learn new skills, develop existing ones and to meet like-minded people in an outdoor environment. You can get stuck into gardening, bushcraft and woodland management activities using a variety of tools. You can enjoy hammocks around a campfire and use the time to relax and unwind in nature if you wish. Although you may want to bring your own; light refreshments will be provided and a lunch will be offered from our Nest Café each week. A volunteer’s parent has said “The smile on his face when he comes home after being at the Ecology Centre and how he can't wait to tell me about his day makes my heart burst with pride and brings a tear to my eye” The Ecology Centre look forward to giving you the same warm welcome.

An opportunity to care for the garden and grounds of Historylinks Museum. Weeding, attending vegetables and tubs, looking after outdoor exhibitions, emptying the bin and taking care of the carpark area.

3D Drumchapel is a Charity which has been working with children and families in Drumchapel and surrounding areas for 25 years. We journey with children, families and communities to build strong foundations for families to thrive. We aim to strengthen family relationships, support parents to be the best parents they can be, improve family health & wellbeing, support children's development and build capacity in communities for family support delivery. Our services include a perinatal programme, parent & child sessions, parenting programmes, learning & development sessions, outdoor play, peer support groups, 1-1 support, family support in schools and practical support including Bairn Necessities which redistributes clothing and equipment for 0-5 years. This is an exciting new role for volunteers to develop and maintain the garden at our premises at Drumchapel St Andrews Church. The garden will be used by our families who will learn to grow flowers, fruit and vegetables. We aim to use the vegetables for making soup for our families and provide healthy fresh fruit & vegetable packs to the families that come along to our play sessions. This is a small private garden which requires some development, upkeep and to be free of litter. We will also be creating a multi-use nurturing and safe space for young children to play with their families. This role requires a PVG membership.

Community volunteering is a great way to meet new people, connect with nature, learn new skills and improve health. Sessions involve maintaining parts of the nature reserve for people and wildlife. Sound interesting? Then feel free to come along to one of our volunteer days meeting at the reserve Farmhouse at 10am every Saturday (weather permitting). Please wear suitable clothing - all tools and PPE will be provided.

Springhill Community Garden seeks to provide a space which includes growing opportunities for food and beauty, as well as supporting wildlife. Raised beds are available for individuals to grow food for themselves, as well as communal beds for growing larger crops such as potatoes and beans. Through community links with local schools, youth groups and businesses, the garden seeks to promote a sense of community working together to build something for others. We are looking to create a community of gardeners - no experience necessary. As well as growing your own food, the garden presents an opportunity to develop educational workshops and social events, cultivate wildlife, and engage with other community groups in the area. A fantastic opportunity to help in a wonderful Community Garden. For more information please contact Pamela McEwan, Committee Member at email: springhillcommunity@gardener.com or telephone: 07842 261037.

Do you like spending time outside, and in the company of others? Do you want to make new friends, share and learn skills together? Are you interested in gardening, ecology and/or nature? If this is you, come and join us as a volunteer Garden Caretaker as part of a year-long project with Lindy Young and Deveron Projects called Caretakers’ Garden. Garden Caretakers will work together with Lindy and the team at Deveron Projects to care for two public gardens just off Huntly town square: one behind the Brander Building on McVeagh Street and the other tucked away behind Square Deal. Both gardens are overflowing with life, rich with wildlife and (hopefully) food for all to enjoy. Through regular meet ups, workshops and work parties, Caretakers will be involved in developing and caring for all areas of the gardens, from the veggie beds and greenhouse, to the new wildflower meadow, forest garden and accessible raised beds…

No matter how good our services are, we can't properly support our users/community well if we don't have skilled people in the team. If this sounds like you?... we would love you to consider volunteering with us for a few hours per week. Tullochan Training Academy gives young people the opportunity to learn from more experienced people to develop their own gardening and landscaping skills and put them to some good use. Tullochan Training Academy need volunteers who are keen to undertake a level of garden maintenance including weeding, mulching, edging,raking, digging over ground, staking and tying in plants, pruning plants, dead heading, preparation of flower beds, tidying and path maintenance in addition to Seasonal maintenance, composting, bed renovation and development of grounds, clearing overgrown areas, training will be provided. The gardening project is designed to support local charities and businesses in keeping their greenspace/grounds clean and tidy so that we can create better public or private spaces for the benefit of the local community. We will provide volunteers with an induction, including health and safety procedures. Specific horticultural skills will be developed whilst on the job. So, whether you are looking to use your time well, update your skills or have the chance to do something a bit new, we would love to hear from you. In return, we can offer you a warm welcome and all of the support and help you could need. We are seeing a rise in demand for our services, everyday. Having your help will allow us to be there for the people who need us. Any time you can give will make a real difference.