Find opportunities

Partners in Advocacy is a leading provider of independent advocacy across Scotland on behalf of children, young people and adults facing a range of challenges. This year is the 25th anniversary of our founding. To take us forward in our work, we are looking for inspiring, enthusiastic individuals to join our board of trustees. Our advocacy workers give people opportunities to voice their needs and life concerns, express their wishes and preferences, and to support and protect their human rights. Over the last 25 years, thousands of people in Scotland have succeeded in being heard due, in part, to our support. Our Trustees play a pivotal role in strategically guiding the organisation and fostering our values, principles, and objectives. The board ultimately ensures the charity complies with relevant legislation and policies. If you are passionate about supporting our cause and sharing your wisdom with us, then we’d be keen to hear from you. No matter where you are in the UK you can join us remotely. We welcome applications from anyone age 16+ and are especially interested if you have a lived experience of independent advocacy, a disability, a minority ethnic background, and/or a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Partners in Advocacy is a Disability Confident Employer. Time Commitment Board meetings, normally 4 per year (5.30pm-7.30pm), in Edinburgh with an option to join remotely. Annual Board Away Day. Annual General Meeting. Expenses As a charity we cannot offer payment for your time. However, all reasonable out-of-pocket travel and other expenses incurred on Partners in Advocacy business will be reimbursed. For an informal discussion about the trustee role please contact Robert McKay, Chief Executive Officer, on 07751 726531. The application form and role pack are available on our website - https://www.partnersinadvocacy.org.uk/vacancies/ If you are interested please click the ‘Apply’ button below (available when logged in and registered). You will then be contacted by the coordinator by email or phone call. If you have not heard back after 5 working days, the first step is to contact the organisation with the contact details provided. You could also check your junk/spam folder on your emails just in case the response is there. If that doesn’t work out then please feel free to contact Volunteer Glasgow on info@volunteerglasgow.org

Could you become a Community Support Services Volunteer and help people with chest, heart and stroke conditions live their lives to the full? Our Community Support Services Volunteers are vital in helping us run our services in the local community and supporting people to do more than survive and really live. You’ll be helping people to build the confidence to manage their condition and get back to doing the things they love. Support can be provided in a one-to-one or group setting, in person, virtually or via telephone and even become walk leaders This is a really rewarding volunteering opportunity where you will meet new people, learn new skills, and make a real difference to people’s lives. We’ll provide you with all the necessary training to support you in your volunteering role including Emergency First Aid. Find out more by contacting your local Community Support Services Coordinator, Joanne Carey on 07918690619, joanne.carey@chss.org.uk or contact our Volunteering Team on volunteering@chss.org.uk on 01312256963 or the link: https://www.chss.org.uk/volunteer-opportunity/community-support-service-volunteer-ayrshire-arran/

Euan's Guide is the small but mighty charity (SC045492) working to make it easier, safer and more rewarding for disabled people, their friends, families and carers to find and visit accessible places. There are many ways to get involved with us: EuansGuide.com We tackle the lack of trusted, up to date disabled access information through our website – EuansGuide.com – which is the go-to place for disabled access information written by and for disabled people. Visit our website to find out how you can find disabled access information and share your experiences. As a volunteer you can be a Euan's Guide ambassador and write reviews for our website. Perhaps you have visited Culzean Castle or Burns Birthplace Museum and you would like to share your experience. Maybe you have a favourite cafe or restaurant, that not many people know is accessible. Your review can help other disabled people get the most out of their visit. No matter whether your experiences are positive or negative, it's good to share them with other people in a similar situation.

We are a welcoming team who strive to promote and work together in the delivery of our radio passion. If this is you get in touch, No experience required and in most cases volunteer when suits you. As an internet station we work from home to bring our vision to the listener. We have a number of volunteers with a wealth of experience in radio and some who have none but have built up the confidence to try new experiences in radio production and presentation. We also meet face to face or by zoom and through Facebook so someone will always be there for advice and support. We currently need volunteers to write scripts, produce and/or voice new commercials for our Ayrshire Online Radio.

We are a welcoming team who strive to promote and work together in the delivery of our radio passion. If this is you get in touch, No experience required and in most cases volunteer when suits you. As an internet station we work from home to bring our vision to the listener. We have a number of volunteers with a wealth of experience in radio and some who have none but have built up the confidence to try new experiences in radio production and presentation. We also meet face to face or by zoom and through facebook so someone will always be there for advice and support.

Crossroads is a registered charity which has been operating for 37 years in South Ayrshire (although also with a national footprint). We provide a highly needed service in offering a respite service for at home carers. The charity runs with a small office team supported by a team of Care Attendants and over seen by a Management Committee comprising of volunteers who each bring a different set of skills and expertise to aid the operation of the charity. Our next aim is to raise our profile in South Ayrshire and we would gladly welcome the support of volunteers who would like to share our aim and interest by supporting us, as a volunteer fundraiser. Ideally the volunteer would have a sales and marketing background, yet it is not mandatory as the sales pitch can be delivered by one of the committee members. The volunteer fundraiser would support by identifying donors, raising the group's profile, writing applications for funding opportunities, organising events, etc. The group meets on a Tuesday of every second month at 7pm in a meeting room at Biggart Hospital, Prestwick (where the office is located), yet most of the volunteering can easily be done remotely and perhaps meet with the team occasionally as required. Kindly fill in the contact us form on https://crossroads-sa.org.uk/contact.asp and we will get back to you at our earliest.

Everyone has different experiences of health and social care. We need to hear about these to make sure that our work makes care better. Healthcare Improvement Scotland is part of the NHS in Scotland. Our job is to make sure that everyone in Scotland has the best possible health and care. The People’s Experience Volunteer role is a brand new role. It is one way that we hope to better hear people’s views in our work. You can help us put people’s different experiences of health services at the centre of the work we do by: • Sharing your views on some of our ideas and programmes to give us a better idea of what is important to people in your area • Helping us find out how people read and understand our reports, websites or information about health and care • Working with us when we are thinking about how to engage with people on a topic or a change. You can help us shape and test our questions, test understanding of the topic and discover what is most important to people. We are seeking to recruit volunteers from across Scotland with a range of different experiences and identities; you don’t need any healthcare related experience. The time commitment will be no more than half a day a month. Ideally we would like volunteers to be involved throughout our first year to help us get established. How you take part might vary depending on the activity and your personal circumstances. Activities may be face-to-face, online or by telephone. Volunteering has been shown to have a positive effect on volunteers. Volunteering in this role may give you a sense of purpose or may help you gain confidence and new knowledge. As a volunteer with us you can help improve the health and care experience of people receiving care in Scotland. This role may also give you opportunities to meet other volunteers in your own or other areas and be part of a community of volunteers within HIS. HIS is seeking to recruit volunteers with a range of different experiences and identities. We are particularly keen to involve disabled people, people who are black, Asian or from a minority ethnic group and people who are living on low incomes as we know that any of these things can cause differences in people’s health. It is important to us that we are able to listen to a broad range of people to hear about their different experiences of health and care. If you would like to find out more please contact us. Chris Third works for Healthcare Improvement Scotland as a Public Involvement Advisor. Chris will be pleased to hear from you and tell you more about volunteering with us. Chris Third Pronouns: He/Him Public Involvement Advisor email: christopher.third@nhs.scot telephone: 07929 025816

About Bookmark: Bookmark is a tech-led literacy charity supporting disadvantaged primary school children to give them a fairer chance in life. Currently one in four children leave primary school unable to read well. These children are more likely to experience poverty, face unemployment and have a lower life expectancy. At Bookmark we want every child to read, we make this happen this through our flexible, volunteer-led programme and making sure children have access to high quality reading materials as well as dedicated spaces to read in their schools. Bookmark is a registered charity in England and Wales, but you can volunteer online from anywhere in the UK. For the children who need us, we are changing their story. About the role: You’ll help a 5-10 year-old learn to read, developing their skills and confidence. You will read together, play games, and see your reader progress, all through our secure online platform. Our programme involves 30-minute sessions with the same child, twice a week, for six weeks at a time. You book your programme through our Volunteer Hub and select sessions at times that work with your schedule. “It was such a wonderful experience. I was very happy knowing that I was helping someone. The child really improved a lot during the 6 weeks. It was really rewarding for me to see the improvement.” — Joe, Bookmark volunteer If you are interested in volunteering, please find out more and apply on our website here! https://www.bookmarkreading.org/volunteer Why volunteer with Bookmark? Government data shows that the attainment gap is the largest it has been in 10 years. Redundancies, driven by tightening school budgets due to inflation and rising bills will mean that less children will receive one-to-one support. As a Bookmark volunteer, you’ll be helping to support one of hundreds of children waiting for one-to-one reading support right now. You’ll do this by: - Helping children who struggle with their reading to gain essential skills at a crucial age. This will prepare them to move up the school, ready to tackle new challenges without falling further behind. Three quarters of our volunteers noticed their reader become more confident with their reading. - Making learning to read fun by bringing your own personality into the sessions and getting to know your reader’s interests. It’s amazing when you introduce a book, comic or poem for the first time that they love! 90% of teachers said that pupils enjoy reading more after our programme. - Giving a child one-to-one attention and being a role model. Teachers have told us that children really benefit from this dedicated time and found it boosted their self-esteem and confidence as well as their reading. You can read more about this in our Impact Report. Helping a child with their reading is also really fun and rewarding. Over 60% of our volunteers said their own wellbeing had improved because of volunteering with Bookmark.

Volunteering Matters is a national volunteering and social change charity. We believe that everyone in the UK should have the opportunity to thrive. We bring people together, through the power of volunteering, to resolve some of society's most complex issues. Our national project, Getting Together Matters, operates across Scotland, England and Wales. Getting Together Matters deliver virtual activities; online zoom groups and telephone only groups, to help people aged 50+ feel connected & reduce social isolation and loneliness. We have a timetable of events and activities each week and we are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help run the activities. If you can spare an hour a week, have a computer & internet, and would be prepared to be consistent, enthusiastic & above all kind and considerate - we would love to hear from you! Running the groups means logging on to the specific platform (Zoom or Telephone), at regular times, facilitating conversations and enjoying communication amongst our 50 + groups. We would give training, arrange the set ups & show you how - cover the groups with you for a while, then you would facilitate one of our weekly groups. Ideally Mondays or Fridays are good days, but we are open to what people have to offer & we can work from there. Lots of explanations available, so do reach out if you are at all interested but would like more info.

Want to step out of your comfort zone and do something meaningful? This is your chance – join the team of volunteers at Forth Valley Migrant Support! Forth Valley Migrant Support Network is an inclusive grassroots organisation where people of all backgrounds and cultures feel included, welcomed and valued. We are committed to supporting, empowering and representing migrant workers and people whose first language is not English in Falkirk area. We offer free information, advice and advocacy support to people who are experiencing problems with accessing public services, housing, healthcare, education, welfare benefits, consumer rights and employment. If this sounds like a mission you're in-line with, and you have skills in social media, then this opportunity could be for you! We’re looking for a dedicated volunteer for a few hours a week to help keep our website up-to-date and manage and grow our Facebook community of supporters. You will work from home and a full induction will be given when you start. It is a great opportunity to make your CV more attractive, improve your employability, put social media skills to good use and gain experience whilst becoming part of the team at Forth Valley Migrant Support! If you're interested in this opportunity or just want to find out more email our Volunteer Coordinator: volunteer@fvmigrantsupport.com