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At Macmillan we give people with cancer everything we’ve got. Are you a good listener and clear communicator? Then we would love you to join our team as a Macmillan Community Buddy and help Macmillan support people living with cancer. *Why we want you: Bring your listening and communication skills to support people living with cancer to feel less isolated and lonely and to help with practical tasks that they are temporarily having trouble with. By joining us you’ll be doing something amazing for people, so they can continue to feel connected to the world outside and helping them find their best way through. Together, we can be right there for people with cancer. *What you will be doing • Providing face-to-face support in the community or in people’s homes to alleviate loneliness and help with simple practical tasks • Adopting a non-judgemental and supportive approach to understand the needs and concerns of people living with cancer • Supporting 1-3 people living with cancer every week for up to 12 visits • Completing post call ‘records of activity’ reports and using all required systems • Joining group catch up calls every 4-6 weeks to get key updates and/or share good practice • Volunteering within agreed hours and following all best practice guidelines • Signposting to additional support if required and raising any further concerns with the Macmillan team *The skills you need • Good listener and clear communicator • Patient, flexible and reliable • Ability to respect others’ differences and choices • Ability to demonstrate empathy and understanding while maintaining boundaries • Ability to recognise when to ask for support • Ability to work independently with guidance and support • Understand the need to maintain confidentiality • Ability and willingness to travel in your local area • Good IT skills in order to access required systems and resources • Ability to commit to 4 hours of online training *What's in it for you • Meet new people as part of a friendly team that makes a difference • Use and develop your communication and people skills • Have a rewarding experience making a difference to people living with cancer who are especially isolated • Receive an induction, relevant training, the support you need to carry out your role, and agreed out-of-pocket expenses (reimbursed within our guidelines) By sharing your skills and time, you’ll have the opportunity to utilise and develop your skills and will make a difference to people’s lives. Together, we can be right there for people with cancer. If you would like to join our team, please apply to volunteer today! For further details/to apply please visit: https://volunteering.macmillan.org.uk/opportunities/193-macmillan-community-buddy-scotland-2022-09-27

VoiceAbility is an independent charity and one of the country’s largest providers of advocacy and involvement services. We support people to be heard in decisions about their health, care and wellbeing. We currently have great opportunities in Orkney to volunteer with us as a Support Session Volunteer helping our clients with general advocacy, supporting people with a variety of challenges. The focus of the role will be on supporting those with complex needs who self-disclose as having a disability to use our toolkits and helping them understand their rights and access their benefits. Volunteer support helps us to reduce waitlists and support more individuals by: • Helping clients understand about advocacy • Supporting clients to self-advocate with our tool kits • Signposting clients to other services where required • 1:1 casework • Supporting the service to deliver “collective” advocacy sessions • Keeping detailed notes and records of casework • Promotion of services through events and community engagement Full training and excellent support is provided to all volunteers. All help makes a real difference and is greatly appreciated.

We're looking for an adult volunteer who will provide a supportive friendship for a socially isolated young person aged between 8 and 18 who lives in South Ayrshire. Ideally this will involve meeting with their young person every couple of weeks for a few hours, spending time together accessing local activities. This includes: • Be matched on a 1:1 basis with a young person. • Go on regular outings and activities with the young person. • Have the opportunity to participate in group outings/activities and also volunteer support sessions. • Keeping in touch with the Project about the young person’s achievements / growth and activities, and to receive ongoing support from the Bfriend team. • Open minded as we work with young people from a wide variety of backgrounds. • Following training, to be able to have empathy and understanding of some of the issues encountered by young people referred to the team. • Continuous focus on the needs of the young person who you are matched with. • Willing to participate in a broad range of activities mutually agreed with the young person. • To be a positive adult role model for the young person and, very importantly, to have FUN! • Have an awareness of and be able to adhere to Bfriend’s policies and procedures.

Braeburn Court provides respite care and short breaks in St Margaret’s Hope for older people. We are looking for volunteers to help with social activities such as visiting for a chat, reading newspapers or books aloud, making crafts or playing music. This is a great opportunity for anyone wishing to gain experience of volunteering in social care but also anyone who has a fun skill to share, some time to give or just loves having a blether.

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.

As SISG, we currently have 14 hearing hubs in Ayr, Prestwick, Troon, Girvan, Alloway, Largs, Arran, West Kilbride, Saltcoats, Kilwinning, Cumnock, Kilmaurs, Galston and Kilmarnock. We also support 27 battery pick up points across North, South and East Ayrshire libraries. We also carry out visits to over 2,000 older people with hearing and/or sight loss throughout North, South and East Ayrshire each year. We wouldn't be able to carry out all this work without the help and support of our volunteers. If you would like to volunteer with us, we currently need peer support group volunteers to offer support and information to people struggling with hearing and/or sight loss in informal settings. Our volunteers meet in cafes and restaurants in Irvine, Troon and/or Ayr to share a cup of coffee and a scone whilst supporting and share learning experiences. Even as little as 2 hours a month make a difference to our service users and help us run our support services. If you have any queries, please get in contact and we will do our best to support you with your volunteering journey. Full training will be given by professionals.

Coffee Club – This group is aimed at autistic adults aged 26+ it meets online once a month, and we hope to be able hold some face to face meetings soon. We do different activities each month and this may be having a quiz or chatting about a specific topic we would ideally like volunteers aged 26+ for this group What you will be doing At virtual groups, the sessions take place on Microsoft Teams - Monitoring the chat box and responding to questions/queries posted there - Reading aloud comments members have posted in the chat box (as required) - Keeping the conversation to the topic being discussed - Supporting the group leaders in running the group smoothly - Helping to organise and plan activities for the group e.g quizzes etc We can let you know more about the different groups and discuss which group you could volunteer with when we have an informal chat with you when you have received your application form. The skills you need: - Understanding of autism (we provide training) - Empathy and understanding - Open-minded and willing to learn - Good communication and Interpersonal skills - An ability to volunteer in a group setting, using initiative and common sense - Reliable, consistent, dependable and trustworthy - A broad range of interests would be an advantage but not essential You will need access to a computer/tablet, a good internet connection and a quiet space away from others in the household All volunteers will need to provide 2 reference and the roles require a PVG check What's in it for you - Improve support to autistic individuals in your local area - Access free training and learn new skills - Meet new people - A great opportunity to add to your CV

NAS Café – this group is for autistic young people age 16 to 24 it meets online once a month and we aim to gain the views of our members and if face to face meetings are important to them then make these events happen whilst being user led. What you will be doing At virtual groups, the sessions take place on Microsoft Teams - Monitoring the chat box and responding to questions/queries posted there - Reading aloud comments members have posted in the chat box (as required) - Keeping the conversation to the topic being discussed - Supporting the group leaders in running the group smoothly - Helping to organise and plan activities for the group e.g quizzes etc At Face to Face Meetings, attending the social group - Supporting individuals to build their self-coping strategies and promote their self-management - Giving all members of the group the opportunity to talk and interact if they wish to - Help support self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth of people at the group - Building up positive relationships with people at the groups and other volunteers Keeping in touch with the group leader and notifying if you are unable to attend We can let you know more about the different groups and discuss which group you could volunteer with when we have an informal chat with you when you have received your application form. The skills you need: - Understanding of autism (we provide training) - Empathy and understanding - Open-minded and willing to learn - Good communication and Interpersonal skills - An ability to volunteer in a group setting, using initiative and common sense - Reliable, consistent, dependable and trustworthy - A broad range of interests would be an advantage but not essential You will need access to a computer/tablet, a good internet connection and a quiet space away from others in the household All volunteers will need to provide 2 reference and the roles require a PVG check What's in it for you - Improve support to autistic individuals in your local area - Access free training and learn new skills - Meet new people - A great opportunity to add to your CV

Social Navigation Programme – this group meets for up to 2 hours every week with a rolling 15-week programme. Social Navigation is designed to support autistic young people aged 12-18 years it runs for 15 sessions with fun activity pack's sent out every week to support with social navigation. This programme is designed to support autistic young people to navigate the social world while building existing skills. Social navigation provides you with the opportunity to become more confident, make new connections, grow their skills and have fun! What you will be doing At virtual groups, the sessions take place on Microsoft Teams - Monitoring the chat box and responding to questions/queries posted there - Reading aloud comments members have posted in the chat box (as required) - Keeping the conversation to the topic being discussed - Supporting the group leaders in running the group smoothly - Helping to organise and plan activities for the group e.g quizzes etc At Face to Face Meetings, attending the social group - Supporting individuals to build their self-coping strategies and promote their self-management - Giving all members of the group the opportunity to talk and interact if they wish to - Help support self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth of people at the group - Building up positive relationships with people at the groups and other volunteers Keeping in touch with the group leader and notifying if you are unable to attend We can let you know more about the different groups and discuss which group you could volunteer with when we have an informal chat with you when you have received your application form. The skills you need: - Understanding of autism (we provide training) - Empathy and understanding - Open-minded and willing to learn - Good communication and Interpersonal skills - An ability to volunteer in a group setting, using initiative and common sense - Reliable, consistent, dependable and trustworthy - A broad range of interests would be an advantage but not essential You will need access to a computer/tablet, a good internet connection and a quiet space away from others in the household All volunteers will need to provide 2 reference and the roles require a PVG check What's in it for you - Improve support to autistic individuals in your local area - Access free training and learn new skills - Meet new people - A great opportunity to add to your CV

As SISG, we currently have 14 hearing hubs in Ayr, Prestwick, Troon, Girvan, Alloway, Largs, Arran, West Kilbride, Saltcoats, Kilwinning, Cumnock, Kilmaurs, Galston and Kilmarnock. We also support 27 battery pick up points across North, South and East Ayrshire libraries. We also carry out visits to over 2,000 older people with hearing and/or sight loss throughout North, South and East Ayrshire each year. We wouldn't be able to carry out all this work without the help and support of our volunteers. If you would like to volunteer with us, we currently need the support of sensory loss volunteers. Even with as little as 2 hours a month to help us run our services from the different 'Hearing Hubs' which are usually based in the local libraries. Volunteers give support and information to people struggling with hearing and/or sight loss. If you have any queries, please get in contact and we will do our best to support you in your volunteering journey. Full training will be given by professionals.