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Volunteering Matters Overview At Volunteering Matters we believe everyone in the UK should have the opportunity to thrive, so we bring people together to overcome some of society’s most complex issues through the power of volunteering. We partner with communities to overcome adversity, tackling social isolation and loneliness, improving health, developing skills and opportunities. And because we’re a national charity, we do this at scale, sharing our expertise and building partnerships to make an even bigger impact. We turn local knowledge and energy into action and progress, building stronger communities and a better future for all. Project Overview Our Family Supporters in Edinburgh project offers practical and emotional support to families across the city of Edinburgh, empowering them to face a range of life challenges. We recruit, train and match dedicated, local volunteers to help families every step of the way, spending 1-1 time together on a personalised set of goals chosen by the family, for the family. We can help in many ways, such as improved living standards, budgeting, healthier eating, better school life and behaviour, access to health and wellbeing aid, as well as introducing parents to community resources, to name a few. So far, thousands of families across the UK have benefitted from our service and we are now delighted to extend the programmes reach to families in Edinburgh. Who can volunteer with us? Our volunteers are locally based people with an understanding of the challenges that families are facing. Aged 18+, each volunteer brings different life experiences and skills that they can use to help the family they are matched to, offering support on a weekly basis for an hour or so each week, usually for 6-9 months at a time that suits everyone. They build a strong relationship based on trust and mutual respect, acting as a friendly face who listens and cares about the family. All volunteers are interviewed, trained to the highest standards and undergo disclosure checks before being matched with a family. We also encourage and welcome volunteers who have the ability to speak multiple languages join our team! What can we offer volunteers? As well as the sense of achievement that comes through supporting a family, our volunteers will have the opportunity to learn and develop new skills, attend social events with other volunteers and enhance their employability. Certificates are provided upon completion of induction training and at the end of the commitment, with project staff happy to provide references for future studies or employment.

- Willing to participate in activities and learn about new cultures? - Ready to create social change and improve peoples lives? No matter where you are in Scotland, you have access to training and learning opportunities abroad that can help you gain skills, boost confidence, and earn qualifications. Our organisation offers multiple trips throughout the year, with mentors available to provide support. We partner with other organizations to offer placements in Ghana, Romania, and potentially Eastern European countries, each with a unique set of activities and tasks that focus on developing various skills. We offer shorter 3 to 4 day trips for young people, aged 16-30, as well as longer trips of 2 to 3 weeks for anyone over 16. An exciting and great opportunity to help and make a difference. For more information please contact Megan Beattie, Project Delivery Lead at email: start@standinternational.org or telephone: 0131 659 9943. Further information is also available at: https://www.standinternational.org/

Have you ever wanted to volunteer all to do within the concept of Football? Well look no further! Street Soccer Scotland is currently looking for volunteers to join their team. No two days the same, working alongside our players developing them personally and mentally. The role includes working with coaches and players pitch side, monitoring games, inputting data, building relationships with partner organisations. We work with all ages from 10 years old all the way to past retirement . We currently run in Aberdeen: Walking Football, Kids 10-13 Year olds, Street 45 (Women's Programme) and Adult Sessions. Opportunities are available Monday to Friday - Please get in touch with Peter Wood, Programme Co-ordinator at email: peter@streetsoccerscotland.org or telephone: 07487603708, if you would like to know more.

ProjectScotland supports young people to reach their potential through tailored support, the opportunity to experience the benefits of a volunteering placement themselves and the support of volunteer mentors. This is a national programme which we have recently secured funding to deliver in the Aberdeen area. As a guide -6-month commitment – 1 hour weekly although this will be flexible and may fluctuate to meet mentor and mentee availability, this meeting would ideally be face to face however given the COVID situation many matches are virtual using email/telephone/video chat/WhatsApp. In the role you may be assisting a young person to identify personal goals and aims and support them to work towards these in a planned and thought through way. e.g building self-esteem, feeling more confident in social situations, expressing themselves effectively, recognising personal strengths. In other matches you might be working on softer outcomes such as helping them to develop life skills, routine, planning for the day, managing their time effectively and in many cases just checking in to make sure all is well and they are doing alright. For further information please contact Emma Hanlon, Mentor Manager at email: emma.hanlon@volunteeringmatters.org.uk or tel.: 07746938237.

Give the gift of your time and become a volunteer mentor for young people. It could be life changing for you both! Would you like to support a young person on their journey to gaining new skills and experience, becoming more self-confident and achieving their goals? If the answer is yes, we would love to hear from you. Why mentoring? Mentoring is at the heart of what we do here at ProjectScotland and we offer every young person we support, the opportunity to be matched with a volunteer mentor. We are searching for people in and around Aberdeen who are able to offer one hour of their time once a week or fortnight for up to 12 months to help transform the life of someone else. The young people we work with all face different challenges in their lives such as; mental ill health, long term unemployment, low confidence and self esteem, care experienced, limited English communication skills due to being new to this country or disabilities. As a volunteer mentor, you could support your mentee with whatever is important to them. This could be: goal setting; identifying interests and strengths; confidence building; helping to establish a routine; support to explore job, training and further education opportunities; social connections; or just someone consistent to talk to and check in with to see how they are. The support you can offer is invaluable and can be life changing. How does it work? • Following recruitment, we provide training, support to join the Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme, ongoing support, access to lots of resources and a wonderful community of mentors across the country to connect with, learn from and build friendships with. • you are matched to one young person and meet with them once a week or fortnight for around one hour • meetings can be face to face or virtual using email/telephone/video chat/WhatsApp. There is also an opportunity to do a mixture of the two which offers a flexible and accessible approach to this volunteering role in addition to the match itself. •matches can last from 3-12 months depending upon the relationship and the needs of the mentee What’s in it for you? • Help transform your mentee’s life • Develop communication and interpersonal skills e.g. coaching, motivating others, adaptability • Gain transferable skills and experience volunteering with disadvantaged people • Participate in regular support and training • Meet new people, connect and have fun! • Learn about yourself and gain a sense of achievement supporting others • Learn more about your community and the challenges that people can face If you are interested in this opportunity please email: asia.wieloch@volunteeringmatters.org.uk We would love to hear from you! More info about ProjectScotland: ProjectScotland (now part of the Volunteering Matters Family of Brands) works with people (predominantly young people) across the country who are struggling to overcome challenges such as social isolation, mental health issues, low confidence and general uncertainty about their futures. By providing wrap around support and the chance to complete a voluntary placement with a local charity; not only can this enhance confidence and self-belief, but it gives that individual the opportunity to build on their skills and experience and potentially move on to a job, further education or training. Everyone we work with is also offered a volunteer mentor.

>Who we are: The African Council is an independent voluntary organisation with a mission to promote the social and economic welfare of African People. We celebrate the best in African culture(s), history and values. We promote the attainment of education and life skills especially among Africans. We also advance active citizenship among Africans through engagement in civic and political process, institutions and leadership. >Some of our projects: 1. Employment/Enterprise coaching events • The event seeks to provide coaching and empowerment for Africans through education, guidance and support, to increase Africans involvement in employment, enterprise and entrepreneurship opportunities. 2. Civic and Political structures coaching events • The event seeks to provide coaching that encourages and provides guidance to Africans, to increase involvement and participation of Africans in civic and political life in Scotland, 3. Engagement events • Our engagement events seek to understand the challenges and barriers that Africans face in participating in all areas of Scottish life and ways to mitigate these challenges. >Volunteering Opportunities: Volunteers are vital for delivering the African Council's projects and services. We are looking for volunteers to join our team and we currently have volunteering opportunities available in the following areas: 1. Website Support 2. Corporate Communications 3. Social Media Management 4. Legal 5. Digital marketing and advertising 6. Event planning, support and management 7. Research 8. Administration 9. Help desk >Benefits of volunteering with the African Council include: 1. Opportunities to learn new skills 2. Employability training 3. Meet new people 4. Networking opportunities 5. Flexible working times 6. Develop your skills and talent and turn it to something employers will be excited about 7. Boost your CV with relevant work experience\n8. Fun hangouts, as well as, 9. Satisfaction of being a part of team that will make a significant difference in Scotland Fantastic opportunities to help at a very exciting time in the development of the African Council. All help is greatly appreciated. For more information please contact Ca-ananay Maduka, Volunteer Coordinator at E Mail: info@africancouncil.org.uk or Tel.: 01224 579218.

Absafe is a unique safety education charity dedicated to saving lives and reducing harm by instilling a positive safety culture in our communities and inspiring a passion for safety through education and engagement. No one else does what we do locally! Our vision is for a safer future; free from life-changing unintentional injury and harm, with protective communities inspired by a passion for safety, so that no one has to learn by accident. We are passionate about the power of educating in a participative and engaging environment, using fun to create lasting change in children’s lives and in the communities in which they live. We believe in the transformative impact that a positive safety culture can have on the health and prosperity of future generations. Absafe provides health, safety and well-being education and risk awareness. Protecting people and places from harm, helping communities thrive by building a strong positive safety culture, and giving individuals the confidence, skills and attitudes to create a safer future. We deliver a range of unique projects and interactive training programmes designed to inform, instruct and engage to reduce vulnerability to unintentional injury and harm, and support positive decision-making in relation to harmful behaviour. We are looking for a Volunteer Treasurer to join our Board of Trustees, so we are able to continue to deliver education to the children and young people of Aberdeen, we would like you to have an interest in Education, health, safety risk management, and also health and wellbeing. We are a small Charity and every member is important, joining Absafe means that you will be making a real difference to the children and young people of Aberdeen. For more information please contact Louise Richardson, CEO at email: Louise@absafe.org.uk or tel.: 07748654105.

If you like to keep active and stay in shape, volunteering in one of our local furniture store warehouses could be the answer you’re looking for. We need helpful and active people to help keep our stock moving from the van to warehouse and onto the store and from store back to the van for delivery! This role involves keeping active but it’s not just moving furniture. There are other opportunities to help our warehouse team such as booking in and checking over stock for sale, putting together our flat packed furniture and testing electrical items. For more information please contact our Store Manager at email: A25@bhf.org.uk or tel.: 01224 432910.

Fresh Community Wellness is a growing grassroots charity, registered Scottish Charity Number, SC051346. We operate out of Aberdeen city, working within a (S.I.M.D) high neighbourhood to create lasting change and build a legacy for the future. Predominantly in Seaton neighbourhoods and outdoors, we work with volunteers/residents, with a salutogenic approach to community wellness. To help with this we have great opportunities and need people to help out as volunteers for a range of roles including: *Food growing, gardeners, greenspace management, tidy ups volunteers. *Mentors, community engagement, events, entertainers (kids, adults, 55+). *Outdoors games & sports volunteers, building outdoor areas for residents (sheltered housing seating), health. *Artists/ Sculptors to begin on our Street Art & Design projects, and sculptures. *Admin, coordinators, team lead volunteers, advisors & support volunteers. *Drop-in café helpers, advisors, cooking assistants. All are fantastic opportunities to make a real difference for people and communities in Aberdeen. Excellent support and relevant training is provided to all volunteers. For more details about these volunteer roles or other ways you can help support the important work and volunteering at Fresh Community Wellness SCIO, please contact our website www.freshcom.org.uk or email us at chair@freshcom.org.uk or secretary@freshcom.org.uk

**All our volunteering activities are outdoors and managed carefully with covid in mind** Are you passionate about cycling and walking? Could you inspire young people to cycle or walk more? Volunteer with I Bike! I Bike is a really fun and rewarding project to volunteer with that offers plenty of opportunities to get outdoors for cycling-related activities, boost the CV, gain experience of work with children and young people, meet new people and learn new skills. Good training and support is provided to all volunteers including an online Welcome Session, Child Protection Training, Cycling Skills and Bike Repairs. For most activities you don't have to own a bike to join in - bikes and helmets can be provided depending on availability. I Bike aims to help children and young people become more active through taking part in cycling and walking activities. You would be volunteering alongside a dedicated I Bike Officer in schools, supporting activities for children such as learn to cycle, playground cycle skills, led bike rides, led walks, bike maintenance and much more! What could be better than helping children to ride their bike without stabilisers for the first time? Hear from some of our fantastic volunteers via our website link below. We advocate for volunteering for all - please talk to us if you have any accessibility requirements or other specific requirements.