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Willing volunteers to help with tea/coffee and general kitchen duties, wash-up etc at a pensioners lunch club in Wick on Wednesdays

Kingdom Companions is a befriending service for vulnerable, perhaps lonely or socially isolated adults who need support to achieve a goal for themselves. This might be getting back into the community, travelling independently, or becoming involved in volunteering themselves. Volunteers are asked to provide friendly, relaxed, practical, and encouraging support to the adult on a one-to-one, regular basis for up to 16 weeks. It could be within the adult's own home or in the community. There are roles all over Fife for community befrienders who have a couple of hours a week/fortnight to help someone with this. Could this be you? Befriending can be a terrific way to build confidence and skills for jobs such as social care or customer service, as well as helping you to get out, feel good about helping others and even go to new places. Your travel and other out-of-pocket expenses will be reimbursed. FVA aim to match you with someone who lives in your local area. You will get detailed training, as well as ongoing support. Get in touch now!

Our tea party drivers are a vital part of the Re-engage team. Tea parties provide a lifeline of friendship for our older people, and the regular, warm, friendly chats and companionship provide a vital link with the outside world from which they have become isolated. Drivers take older people to the parties and stay with them to enjoy the get-together. Over time, drivers and older guests get to know each other well and together you will spend many hours full of fun, laughter, and stories. As a tea party driver, you liaise with your group coordinator and take older guests to and from the tea parties each month. Staying at the tea party is part of your role, so it’s much more than being a driver. You will need to have a full, clean, driving license, and a PVG. You will also need to check that you are covered by your regular motor insurance policy to do this role. Tasks include: • Driving one to two older guests using your own car to a tea party venue and returning them home again after the event . • Staying at the tea party to help with conversation and serve refreshments. • Liaising with the group coordinator to confirm which older guests you will pick up. • Informing the group coordinator of any safeguarding concerns or issues you might have. • Following all guidance in your driver training modules to ensure that the tea parties are enjoyable, appropriate, and in line with our charitable aims. This is a flexible, voluntary role that can easily be fitted in around your own lifestyle and availability. Experience required: No experience necessary however we are looking for drivers with the following skills and attributes: • Organised • Good conversational skills • Considerate driving ability • Ability to navigate to new addresses • A friendly, and empathetic approach • Patience and understanding of supporting older people • Basic computer literacy (including the ability to use emails)

Our tea party hosts are a vital part of the Re-engage team. Tea parties provide a lifeline of friendship for our older people, and the regular, warm, friendly chats and companionship provide a vital link with the outside world from which they have become isolated. Re-engage needs enthusiastic volunteers to work as tea party hosts. This is a flexible, voluntary role that can easily be fitted in around your own lifestyle and availability. As a volunteer host you will run a local Re-engage tea party one to two times a year. You will host a group made up of volunteer drivers, the group coordinator and older guests in either your home or a community venue. The tea parties will last around two hours and will usually take place on a Sunday afternoon. You must be comfortable socialising with people and providing guests and other volunteers with refreshments. You will need one reference and to complete an ID check for this role. Tasks include: • Welcoming a group of older guests and volunteer drivers into your home or to the community venue. • Providing and serving refreshments for your group – usually food and drinks for afternoon tea. • Liaising with your group coordinator to ensure dietary requirements and the older guests' needs are met prior to the tea party. • Informing the group coordinator of any safeguarding concerns or issues you might have. • Following all guidance in your host training modules to ensure that the tea parties are enjoyable, appropriate, and in line with our charitable aims. The number of older guests attending your tea party will be confirmed by the group coordinator prior to the group meeting so you have plenty of time to plan. It is important for the older guests to have access to a downstairs toilet. They will also require seating; a combination of lounge chairs and hard back chairs is fine. Don’t worry if you don’t have chairs for all the drivers as they will be circulating and helping you if required, so you can enjoy the afternoon too. A lot of stairs can present problems, although just a few steps are usually manageable. Experience required: No experience necessary however we are looking for hosts with the following skills and attributes: • Organised • Good conversational skills • An enthusiasm for making genuine connections with older people in your community • A friendly, patient, and empathetic approach • Passion for entertaining, providing food and refreshments • Basic understanding of food hygiene • Basic computer literacy (including the ability to use email)

As a call companion, you will make regular telephone calls to an older person experiencing loneliness and isolation. These calls provide a lifeline of friendship for our older people, and the regular, warm, friendly chats and companionship provide a vital link with the outside world from which they have become isolated. Over time, you and the older person you have been matched with will get to know each other well and together you will spend many hours full of fun, laughter and stories. You will need one reference and to complete an ID check for this role. Tasks include: • Calling the older person you have been matched with two to four times per month at an agreed time. • Following the guidance in your call companion training modules to ensure that your calls are enjoyable, appropriate and in line with our charitable aims. • Keeping in regular contact with Re-engage. This is a flexible, homebased voluntary role that can easily be fitted in around your own lifestyle and availability. Call companions call the older person they are matched with between two and four times per month, and each call lasts around 30 minutes. During your first call with the older person, you will decide together how often the calls will take place and at what time. This is a long-term voluntary role, so we are ideally looking for individuals who are able to commit to volunteering with us for at least 12 months. Experience required: No experience necessary however we are looking for call companions with the following skills and attributes: • Good conversation skills • An enthusiasm for speaking on the phone and making connections remotely • A friendly, empathetic approach • The ability to really listen to people • Patience • A passion for improving the lives of lonely and isolated older people • The ability to volunteer as part of a mutually supportive team of call companions • Basic computer literacy (including the ability to use email)

Being a Community Facilitator is all about delivering a variety of lifesaving first aid skills in community engagement workshops and projects, within local communities, and primary and secondary schools. A lot of these projects involve talking about and demonstrating the basics of first aid to community groups that can include children, young people, and vulnerable adults. An example of events you could be delivering a first aid talk and demo to, are primary and secondary schools, small university groups, local community groups, charities, summer fairs, shopping centres. Some of the skills you could be teaching include how to provide CPR and apply a defib, different bandages and how to use them, and basic information on various health conditions. Not only that but all the training needed, is provided by us at no cost to you! A fantastic opportunity to help. All volunteers make a real difference and are greatly appreciated.

Do you own a friendly, outgoing, though not too boisterous dog who loves to have a fuss made of them? Then perhaps, you might like to thank about registering them in our THERAPET visiting service. You heard of it? Let me tell you about it. For some years now it has been recognised, more nd more, that pets are good for us! Indeed it has been scientifically proved that the mere action of stroking a dog, cat, slows down the heartbeat, reduces blood pressure, and makes someone who has already suffered a heart attack much less likely to have another. Through no fault of their own, many people find themselves deprived of the companionship of a much loved dog. It may be they have had to go into sheltered housing, residential care, a long stay hospital etc. The same applies to children and adults who have an additional support need and those suffering from a terminal illness. THERAPETS come in all breeds, cross-breeds, or 57 variety mongrels! They can be small, medium or large. The only vital statistic is a steady and happy temperament. The dogs are approved for temperament and general stability being accepted and are not considered until at least one year old. Volunteer owners must become actual members of CANINE CONCERN SCOTLAND TRUST - mainly so that we can be sure of insurance cover - although happily so far we only know of one, very minor accident, a happy day's tail sweeping a vase from a low table. Volunteers must be willing to make a regular commitment to visit, it need not be very often, once a fortnight, once a month or whenever, but the visits must be regular because the residents and patients look forward to them so much and are disappointed if they suddenly cease. Sometimes small miracles occur - people who have never spoken, turned their faces to the wall in fact - magically come to life at the first appearance of a dog in a ward! This to the surprise and delight of the nursing staff, in many cases the dogs and owners provide some light relief for them too. Sadly, it has to be said that some of the residents or patients the THERAPETS are their only visitors. We like to encourage them to regard the doggy visitors as their very own. There is no charge for this service which is organised and carried out entirely by volunteers. We fund raise in various ways to keep it going. More than anything else, we need MORE VOLUNTEERS! The service has proved so popular that they demand has overtaken the supply. So, if you think this might be for you, or once importantly, for your dog, please do contact us for more detail and perhaps an application form to register your dog.

Would you like to support people who have served in the Armed Forces? You don’t need a military background, just the ability to listen, some basic I.T and communication skills. If so, this could be the role for you. *What is a caseworker? Caseworkers visit clients to work out what type of help they need. Next, they find the right sources of support and arrange for clients to access it. This might be funds for special equipment for someone with a disability, adaptions to a property so an older client can remain at home or funds for a rental deposit. Caseworkers also sign-post clients onto specialist local services for advice on benefits, housing, mental health, debt, finding work etc. *Why do we need you? Volunteer Caseworkers are the lifeblood of SSAFA, supporting a growing number of people in need of financial, practical and emotional support. Clients come from all backgrounds and age groups and may have served in WW2 or in a more recent conflict like Iraq or Afghanistan. Our trained volunteers listen without judgement to assess and provide tailored support to help people navigate life in and beyond military service. We need you to join your local SSAFA team to help us achieve this. *When would you be needed and where would you be based? The essential part of the role is visiting clients at home or in a care home setting. There are a range of times available to volunteer and all help is greatly appreciated. *What does this role involve? • Contacting clients and arranging to meet them at a mutually convenient time • Meeting clients and completing a form to assess their circumstances • Sign-posting clients onto local services providing specialist advice • Applying on the client’s behalf to military and non-military sources of charitable funding • Keeping in touch with the client so they know how their case is progressing • Keeping in touch with your branch so they know your availability • Volunteering within the standards and values of SSAFA including observing our policies such as the Volunteering policy and data protection policy (these will be covered in your training and local induction). • Excellent support and relevant training is provided to all volunteers. A great opportunity to help. All help makes a real difference and is greatly appreciated. If you wish to volunteer/for further details please contact Julie Silva (Branch Secretary, Grampian) at email: Julie.Silva@grampian.ssafa.org.uk or telephone: 07879846200. More information about SSAFA is also available at https://www.ssafa.org.uk/

Quarriers Village Supported Living is a supported living service for people with disabilities. Are you friendly, outgoing, reliable and would enjoy working with adults with disabilities? Do you have a few hours each week to spare? Would you like to be part of this exciting new initiative that will make a lasting positive change in people’s lives? If yes, then this exciting new opportunity for you. We are looking for friendly, outgoing individuals to facilitate our weekly social groups within Quarriers Village. The groups are for a wide range of individuals with learning and physical disabilities. To achieve engagement, reduce social isolation and enable people to feel included in their community. Main Tasks: * Plan and organise weekly group sessions including various activities to ensure engagement, stimulation and participation. These may include Arts, Crafts, Health, Fitness, dancing and games. * Engage with people attending the social group and encourage them to meet new people, try new things to increase their social and physical skills and have fun! * To coordinate with staff around any financial aspects required in planning activities and resource. * Ensure tea, coffee, soft drinks available in “tuck shop” * Liaise with staff support teams around planned activities and budget. * Greeting members as they arrive and introducing new members to the group. * Feeding back any issues, comments, suggestions or incidents that have taken place during the weekly groups * To ensure venue is secure at the end of each session.

We are looking for some new, enthusiastic volunteers who are keen to provide transport for our members to attend our Social Café. Our Social Cafes are open to those over the age of 65 and want to get out to socialise and be a part of the community. You would be mainly helping with taking members to the café and back to their homes. However, you could also help in: - making teas and coffees for the members. - doing activities or assisting members with the activities. - socialise with our members. - setting up and clearing away. In return, you will be supported with appropriate training and regular supervision sessions with the named contact, invites to volunteer events and expense reimbursements.