Volunteer Edinburgh prepares to open new HQ – in Leith
Lord Provost Rt. Hon. Donald Wilson will officially open Volunteer Edinburgh’s new HQ on Leith Walk next week. The Lord Provost, who is also the city’s Volunteering Ambassador, will be joined by local councillors, trustees, funders, volunteers and members of the local community at Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting event.
Volunteer Edinburgh helps people find volunteering opportunities, and also finds volunteers for organisations that need them. With one-in-four people in Edinburgh regularly volunteering, the organisation’s mission is to inspire even more people to get active and become involved in their communities, enhancing their lives, and the lives of others.
In the last year, more than 65,000 visitors browsed volunteering opportunities on the organisation’s website, using a fully searchable database. More information about the organisation, including its 45-year history in the city, is available on its website at: www.volunteeredinburgh.org.uk.
222 Leith Walk has been a prominent landmark building on Leith Walk for more than 150 years. It has been a Victorian upholsterers and cabinetmakers, an Edwardian auction house, a billiards saloon and a pub. In 2001, it received an all-new façade and traded as an upmarket lighting shop for a number of years.
The building was empty before Volunteer Edinburgh took it over, but it has now undergone a major internal refit to make it a functional and welcoming place for people to come and find out about volunteering. In acquiring the building, Volunteer Edinburgh has not only established a great base from which to operate into the future, but it has secured this highly recognisable and much-loved building for the foreseeable future.
After the official opening at 12.30, volunteer managers from around the city have been invited to drop-in between 1 – 5pm to learn about Volunteer Edinburgh’s services. Advisors will also provide free, bespoke information and guidance to anyone interested in volunteering.
Kris Von Wald, Chair of Volunteer Edinburgh said: “While our main office is now based on Leith Walk, we continue to serve the whole of the city. At Volunteer Edinburgh we love volunteering, and we are committed to making volunteering a great experience for everyone, helping them to find the volunteering opportunities they want, and helping organisations recruit the volunteers they need.”
Harriet Eadie, Chief Executive of Volunteer Edinburgh added: “We give face-to-face advice and support to 4,000 people every year about volunteering, as well as supporting and training 1,300 organisations in their recruitment and management of volunteers. We have designed our fantastic new headquarters to help us serve more organisations and attract even more people who can find out about the benefits of volunteering.
“Volunteering isn’t just great for charities and the wider community. It builds skills, confidence, helps you meet new people and try new things and improves your CV. It’s even is proven to be good for your health. Crucially ordinary people giving a little of their time to help others is what makes the city tick. There is more need than ever before and we desperately need more people to come forward and say, ‘yes I can and will make a difference’. We hope that this new facility will make it easier for people to do that.”
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