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Disability Equality Scotland is a national charity working to make life more accessible, equal and inclusive for disabled people in Scotland. We are the umbrella organisation for all local disability Access Panels in Scotland, providing them with support and guidance to improve the lives of disabled people at a local level throughout Scotland. Our Nairn panel is currently operating in Moray and would welcome new volunteers to support their work. What is an Access Panel? Access Panels are groups of volunteers who work to improve access and inclusion for disabled people in their local community. They do this by raising awareness and helping to change attitudes among the general public about the need for inclusive access. Access Panels are made up of people of all ages and abilities who share a passion for the issues faced by disabled people. With the help of Disability Equality Scotland as the national umbrella body, Access Panels support their communities to become as accessible as possible, particularly in relation to the built environment, healthcare, employment, education, and transport.

You will be providing a puppy with a vital foundation for its future role as a guide dog. This is a full-time volunteering opportunity as a puppy will live with you in your home for around 12-16 months. It should be noted that although it is possible for another Puppy Raiser to look after a dog on your behalf for short periods of time that this may not always be possible. Consideration should be given to your future plans such as holidays abroad. “It’s so rewarding to know that the dog will go on to help people with sight loss gain independence and freedom.” – Chris, Puppy Raiser We rely on volunteers like you to help us improve the lives of people with sight loss. In this role your support will include: • Developing, caring and providing for the needs of one of our puppies using Positive Reinforcement Techniques and following Guide Dogs Puppy Raising for Excellent Partnerships (PREP) programme • Familiarising a puppy to a wide range of environments including shops and outdoor off lead exercise areas in all climates and seasons. • Teaching a puppy it’s ok to be left alone by gradually building up from a few minutes to a maximum of 4 hours • Attending regular puppy classes • Regularly meeting with Guide Dogs representatives to discuss your pup’s development • Completing regular on-line questionnaires to help us monitor puppy progress Ideally you will: • Be able to handle large breed dogs (around 25-40kg) • Have access to a car on a weekly basis for training and vet visits • Have your own home or written permission to have a dog in the home • Have access to a secure area where the puppy could go to the toilet during the day, especially first thing in the morning and last thing at night • Be able to access online content and training materials (you will need your own email address) If you don’t feel you tick every box but are sure this role is the one for you, please drop us a message and tell us why. We’re open to suggestions and happy to chat with you to find out what’s possible! Volunteering is a two-way street, so in return for your time you will get; • A dedicated volunteer manager/key contact who will help you settle in and support you during your time with us. • The challenge and reward of seeing a puppy develop in your home. • The opportunity to learn and develop your understanding in dog body language, learning theory, the human animal bond and the life of a Guide Dog. Volunteering for Guide Dogs should never leave you out of pocket. We’ll make sure we pay any expenses related to your volunteering with us in line with our policy. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the role further before applying please email volunteer coordinator Aaron Puckrin at aaron.puckrin@guidedogs.org.uk. Thank you.

The Trust provides free holidays with one-to-one care for over 140 children aged 4-16 every summer in various locations around the United Kingdom. The holidays are provided at no cost to the children’s families. Due to the high level of skilled care they require or financial circumstances, the children selected for these breaks would not otherwise receive a holiday. The holidays provide a range of fun activities in a safe and supported environment and use a care ratio of one helper to one child at all times. Each holiday includes at least one fully qualified nurse whose sole task is to take care of the children’s medical needs. The Trust is an entirely voluntary organisation and owes its success to over 200 people who dedicate their free time to helping these children. This voluntary structure ensures that every penny raised goes directly towards a child’s holiday. Being a volunteer helper on a Newman Trust holiday is a wonderfully rewarding experience. You will enable deserving children to have a holiday of a lifetime and contribute to a unique experience for all involved. The holidays are FUN, FULFILLING and strangely ADDICTIVE! That said, the holidays are tiring and sometimes emotionally demanding. Real commitment is required before the holiday and on the week. All new helpers are required to attend a recruitment session to meet a representative from the holiday so we can complete background checks. On the holiday itself it can be tough work looking after someone with additional needs and you'll need to put every effort into helping your child and working within the group. However, there's a lot of support, it’s great fun, and incredibly rewarding. No prior training is needed - just a strong will to help others, lots of energy, and a sense of humour. There is also a very supportive and friendly environment with the more experienced helpers actively helping those newer to the role.

Wee County Veterans was set up as a charity in 2022. Originally run by Duncan Paterson, the former chair. Their office in Sauchie, Clackmannanshire called Duncans Den, has been set up for Former armed forces personnel and their families who are encouraged to head in when the shutters are up, with the kettle always at the ready for a cuppa and volunteers on hand to provide support on a wide variety of issues. Come in and socialise with other veterans, tell your stories. They can also hopefully resolve any problems or signpost you to other groups such as SSAFA or ASAP where they will get the help or information you need. Wee County Veterans are looking for a veteran, good at arithmetic to help with their accounts. No experience in accountancy required, training will be given on a basic excel spreadsheet. Flexible working, 2 -4 hours a week Volunteer must be a Veteran (but does not need to have accountancy experience, just basic arithmetic).

An exciting opportunity to undertake a maintenance role within a dedicated team, with the Hard of Hearing Group, providing life changing support to people with hearing loss. You will be responsible for assessing the needs of our service users and carrying out any practical maintenance of their hearing aids. You will play a vital role in helping people manage their hearing loss by providing practical and emotional support. You will also be sharing information with clients, signposting and referring to other agencies in your local area. Successful people in this role will be organised, sociable and able to communicate comfortably particularly with people with hearing loss and the elderly. Full induction and appropriate training will be given for this role, with ongoing support from the Service Coordinator as we want you to feel part of the team and enjoy your experience with the group. You will receive the satisfaction of giving back to others through their hearing aids and you will be working in an inclusive environment sharing knowledge and experiences. The role requires a person to be able to dedicate at least 8 hours a month, from home and the drop-in session. Once trained, volunteers will support service users by: • Undertaking an assessment of any problems or needs the Service User is experiencing • Where the assessment requires the intervention of professional services; by agreement with the Service User make a referral through the appropriate procedure to their GP, NHS Audiology or Social Work. • Providing advice on the use of Hearing Aids and other related Hard of Hearing matters. This may include the provision of equipment through the Social Work Sensory Support Unit. • Communicating with the relevant parties in order to ensure there is sufficient stock available locally. Once trained, where practical assistance can be provided: • Check and change batteries when appropriate • Re-tube and clean hearing aid where required • Replace the hearing aid hook where required • Clean through slim fit tubes where required.

An exciting opportunity to undertake a maintenance role within a dedicated team, with the Hard of Hearing Group, providing life changing support to people with hearing loss. You will be responsible for assessing the needs of our service users and carrying out any practical maintenance of their hearing aids. You will play a vital role in helping people manage their hearing loss by providing practical and emotional support. You will also be sharing information with clients, signposting and referring to other agencies in your local area. Successful people in this role will be organised, sociable and able to communicate comfortably particularly with people with hearing loss and the elderly. Full induction and appropriate training will be given for this role, with ongoing support from the Service Coordinator as we want you to feel part of the team and enjoy your experience with the group. You will receive the satisfaction of giving back to others through their hearing aids and you will be working in an inclusive environment sharing knowledge and experiences. The role requires a person to be able to dedicate at least 8 hours a month, from home and the drop-in session. Once trained, volunteers will support service users by: • Undertaking an assessment of any problems or needs the Service User is experiencing • Where the assessment requires the intervention of professional services; by agreement with the Service User make a referral through the appropriate procedure to their GP, NHS Audiology or Social Work. • Providing advice on the use of Hearing Aids and other related Hard of Hearing matters. This may include the provision of equipment through the Social Work Sensory Support Unit. • Communicating with the relevant parties in order to ensure there is sufficient stock available locally. Once trained, where practical assistance can be provided: • Check and change batteries when appropriate • Re-tube and clean hearing aid where required • Replace the hearing aid hook where required • Clean through slim fit tubes where required.

Your role as the Telephone Befriender is to engage in conversation with a client over the phone, building a rapport and engaging with them on a weekly basis (note: some befriending matches require more than one call per week). Most of the referrals come from our partners and other agencies but some are self-referrals. All referrals are due to the client being lonely and feeling isolated. It should be noted, that does not necessarily mean they are an older person living on their own. Some referrals are for younger adults who may live in a ‘busy’ household. As a Befriender your co-ordinator will match you to a suitable client. This will be done after finding out more about both yourself and the client to see if there are similarities in personality, hobbies etc. It will not be done purely on age – often the perfect match is with different generations. Your role will be to chat to the client, using your own phone from your own home. You will be required to actively engage and encourage conversation – sometimes this needs to be led by you, the volunteer, as there could be barriers with the clients such as: confidence, disability, speech issues etc. The Telephone Befriender will not be expected to offer advice or to ‘counsel’ the client – you are simply someone to have a chat to and be a listening ear – something for the client to look forward to each week. Befrienders should give minimal personal details about themselves and should never ‘off-load’ their own issues to a client. Your coordinator will always be there to deal with any concerns you have about any of your matches. VASA induction training will be given and guidelines issued around safety protocols for volunteers and clients. Workshops will be available from time to time to cover areas of interest around Befriending. A PVG check will be carried out prior to commencement as a befriender. It should be noted that this role does not include any face-to-face befriending and no volunteer should arrange to meet with a client. Post COVID, if a one-to-one, face-to-face service was developed, appropriate training would be given then if deemed applicable. DUTIES: The role of the Telephone Befriender will be as follows: • To offer friendship and encouragement, via a telephone call, to a client who is isolated and lonely. • To provide a listening ear. • To facilitate conversation and engage with clients. • To build up a relationship with the befriendee, giving them something to look forward to on a weekly basis. • To commit to a minimum of 20min per week to the service.

Volunteers to help support people with Hearing loss and visual impairment in Caithness, offices in Wick and Thurso. volunteers wanted to help in office and support people with sensory impairment by providing advice and equipment. Training provided.

We are looking for experienced Bowlers to support blind and partially sighted players to access Indoor and outdoor lawn bowls. Visual Impairment awareness training will be provided

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to work as part of a team with the Agape Family Support Worker to provide a Sensory Play Group for children aged 0-3 years and parents/caregivers in the community. We hold Sensory Play Group Sessions everyday from Monday to Friday within Agape Sensory Hub. You will help to prepare and set up sensory-based activities and tidy at the end of the Sensory Play Group session. You will offer a welcoming reception to children and parents/caregivers and assist with leading the Sensory Play Group by supporting participation during the session and helping to watch over the children's safety. You will also carry out administrative tasks including recording sign-in and debrief notes for the Sensory Play Group. The Sensory Hub space is specially designed to allow parents/caregivers to ‘play’ alongside their children. Using senses to enjoy the world around them. This will improve health, wellbeing and attachment for all members of the family.