VOLUNTEER EDINBURGH is looking for new board members.
Volunteer Edinburgh’s aim is to inspire more people to become active citizens and volunteer. We’re looking for people of all backgrounds, ages and experience to join our board of trustees and to help us achieve our goals.
You can find out more about applying to join the board, and what’s involved in the role, in the nomination pack on the trustees page of our website here.
Now is the time to apply – deadline for nominations is 16.00 on Friday 20 May.
If you have any questions, or if you would like information in a different format, please get in touch with us at finance@volunteeredinburgh.org.uk.
20 national charitable organisations to be recognised by The Queen for their work empowering young people
The UK Government yesterday announced a special one-off addition to the annual Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS), in honour of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Her Majesty has displayed a life-long commitment to public service throughout her 70-year reign, and the annual QAVS is the highest award given to small volunteer groups across the UK. Awardees cover a wide range of activities such as dementia support clubs, community theatres and therapeutic garden projects.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award for Volunteering will now shine a spotlight on 20 national charities working to empower young people aged 16-25. The number 20 has been chosen to reflect 20 years of QAVS.
A special judging panel has been convened for the award, comprising civil society sector experts and youth representatives including Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Fionnuala Jay O’Boyle and Ndidi Okezie.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “Since The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service was set up 20 years ago to commemorate the Golden Jubilee, thousands of hard working local volunteer groups across the UK have been recognised for benefiting their communities.
“We’re delighted to be extending our recognition this year to some outstanding national charities through this special Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award for Volunteering.
“We want to celebrate the important work done by national charities to empower young people with the skills they need to develop and grow. This is a fitting way to recognise the 70 years of selfless service Her Majesty has given to this country.”
Sir Martyn Lewis CBE, the QAVS Chair said: “Her Majesty’s faithful service to the nation over 70 years has been an inspiration to us all and is mirrored by countless acts of volunteering happening each day across the UK.
“For this special Jubilee Award we are looking forward to celebrating outstanding work with young people, helping them to flourish and be the best they can be. It’s a theme that’s important to all of us and is close to Her Majesty’s heart.”
The Platinum Jubilee Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is now open for applications until 17 June. Nationally registered charities helping young people (aged 16-25), who have had a national impact either on a UK-wide, or England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland basis are invited to apply.
A judging panel including sector experts and young people will select 20 winners to be announced in The Gazette in October. Winners will be presented with this special award at a ceremony in November.
Recent QAVS winners include:
Small Acts of Kindness who provide practical gift bags to lonely and socially isolated older people in Hertfordshire and signpost them to support services.
Equation in Nottingham who deliver projects in schools and the community to help prevent domestic abuse and encourage healthy relationships.
Gurnos Men’s Project in Glamorgan who get disengaged young men involved in community volunteering and horticulture, as well as helping them improve core skills.
Second Wave Centre for Youth Arts in London who run creative projects with young people and work with them to explore key issues such as knife crime and grooming.
Friends of M.V. Freedom in Dorset who take disabled people out to sea on a specially adapted boat.
Via Wings in County Down who provide a wide range of support to those in need, including a food bank, teenage supper club, homework support, learning, and counselling.
Westhill & District Men’s Shed in Aberdeenshire where socially isolated men can share skills, make friends and work together on repairing/refurbishing projects for the community.
Nominations for the 2023 QAVS awards are now open until 15 September 2022.
We’re inviting outdoor enthusiasts among your readers to join charity Meningitis Now on an exhilarating but scenic adventure to take on a Three Peaks Challenge and help us beat the deadly disease.
The Three Peaks Challenge between Friday 10 and Sunday 12 June entails climbing Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis, the highest peaks in Wales, England and Scotland over just 36 hours.
It is not for the faint-hearted, but those taking part will take an enormous amount of satisfaction from the challenge whilst enjoying the beautiful scenery and supporting our fight to beat meningitis in the UK within a generation.
Sadly, meningitis and septicaemia continue to affect thousands of people in the UK and kill more under-5s than any other infectious disease. Help us to fund research to eradicate this devastating disease, raise lifesaving awareness and support those affected.
Our weekly drop-in community gardening sessions, on Thursdays from 1 – 3pm, are open to everyone.
The community garden is inside the allotment, go through the gate from the back of Toby Carvery car park, past the containers, and its the gate on your right.
Last week we prepped beds, planted strawberries, beans and peas. More bed prep and making paths and areas for fruit bushes for this week.
Dress for the weather, wellies for the mud are best”
Statement from the CCC Management Committee (25/2/22):
We can now confirm that as of 23rd June 2022, CCC will be vacating their current premises at 191 St John’s Road after being served formal notice by the site’s owners. This is in line with neighbouring units.
We are currently in the process of assessing alternative sites for the continuation of activities currently undertaken by the various groups who use the Hub and are consulting with the group leaders.
In respect of the charity shop, this will continue to operate as usual up until the end of the lease and in the meantime we are also looking at alternatives as to where the shop may be based in the future. We are also communicating with the shop supervisors.
We will continue to update the local community, our members, volunteers and staff as we make progress to identify and hopefully secure other premises.
If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for alternative premises for the shop or activities please let us know via admin@ccchub.online’
Did you know you can volunteer with Police Scotland as a Special Constable?
Police Scotland will be hosting an online event and Q&A with the aim of offering insight into the role of a Special Constable, the recruitment process and the training involved.
The event will take place on Microsoft Teams on Wednesday, 23 February, 6.30pm – 8pm.
If you’re interested in learning more about the unique skills you can develop and how you can give back to your local community, please email:
The countdown is on to nominate local young heroes for the Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards 2022, which recognises the extraordinary young people who are making a real difference to the lives of others.
Now in its sixteenth year, the awards highlight the triumphs of young people across a range of categories – from sport and the environment to enterprise and volunteering – and shine a light on the invaluable contributions made by remarkable young people across Scotland.
Nominations are still open at youngscotawards.com and will close on13 February 2022.
The results are set to be announced on 27 April 2022 by BBC Radio 1 DJ Gemma Cairney at a star-studded red-carpet awards ceremony hosted at Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre.
The winners will join a prestigious roll call of previous recipients including RuPaul’s Drag Race champion Lawrence Chaney and social media star Jamie Genevieve. Charitable duo Jack Mullen and Alfie King were crowned 2021’s ‘Young Scots of the Year’ for their work raising donations and keeping community spirit alive during the pandemic.
“It’s an honour to be able to celebrate their achievements, so if you know someone who’s gone above and beyond to help others – we want to hear about them! Please make your nomination today.”
Awards host Gemma Cairney said: ‘I’m over the moon to have been chosen to host the Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards again this year!
“There’s still time for people across Edinburgh to celebrate the young people who have made a real difference to their communities so make sure you get your nominations in. I can’t wait to meet your local young heroes.”
The categories for 2022 include:
· The Arts
· Community – Sponsored by the Scottish Government
· Enhancing Education – sponsored by Skills Development Scotland
· Enterprise
· Entertainment
· Environment – sponsored by First Bus
· Equality and Diversity – sponsored by Arnold Clark
Edinburgh Leisure is on the search for new volunteers to step this way to train as walk leaders for their award-winning Active Communities programme, Ageing Well.
A Walk Leader training course will take place on Friday, 18th February from 10.00am – 1.30pm. The training is laid back and friendly and there are no exam or tests.
The Ageing Well Project is run by Edinburgh Leisure in partnership with NHS Lothian and delivers a range of city-wide activities which support people to become, and remain, active in later life. The emphasis is on meeting new people and making physical activity accessible and enjoyable.
Ryan Dignan, Health Development Officer (Older Adults) at Edinburgh Leisure explained: “Our programme relies on the generous support of volunteers – older adults who give up 1 or 2 hours a week to help and support other older adults to get or stay active.
“No previous experience is necessary – just enthusiasm, the ability to get on well with people from differing backgrounds and ages and a love of walking.
“It’s not just Ageing Well who benefit from the volunteers’ gift of time, our volunteers say that they develop deeper connections within their communities, feel better physically, mentally and emotionally; and are better able to manage health conditions such as stress.
“On completion of their training, they will lead or support one of the many weekly walking groups that take place across the city.
In 2018 the Ageing Well programme was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS), which is the highest award given to UK volunteer groups and is the equivalent of an MBE. The award reflects the tremendous contribution of Edinburgh Leisure’s Ageing Well volunteers and the positive difference they make to the lives of participants.
Ageing Well activities have been developed to cater for a wide range of tastes and abilities and all activities are either led by or supported by fully trained volunteers, who are all older adults themselves.
Jerry Gregson, one of Ageing Well’s valued volunteers who gives up 2-3 hours of his time each week, and who has been involved with the programme for 15 years explains: “Being retired, I love having the regular social contact that being a walk-leader brings, as well as the satisfaction of knowing I am doing something that is useful to others in our age-group.
“It’s also an excuse to explore the many highways and byways across the city. We take walkers to places they didn’t know about and wouldn’t go themselves, certainly not alone. Even after 15 years, I get a kick from someone saying, ‘I’ve never been this way before’.”
Anyone interested in volunteering as a walk leader and to join the training course on 18th February should email: ryandignan@edinburghleisure.co.uk
NHS Lothian have announced that Sammy McKee has won the Helpforce Champion Volunteer of the Year Award.
The Helpforce Champions Awards are a national awards designed to celebrate the invaluable contributions made by volunteers across the UK during the past turbulent year, fundamentally defined by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Head of Volunteering, Jane Greenacre, explains this is not just recognition of one person’s contribution but of all of the volunteers, past and present: “The contribution Sammy has made over the last 18+ months is incredible, and we are so pleased it has been recognised in these national awards.
“However, in the eyes of the Voluntary Services Team, all of the volunteers are winners. The roles that Sammy has taken on as Ward Helper, Vaccine Clinic Welcome Guide and at the Meaningful Activity Centre are really representative of support provided by 500+ volunteers so everyone can share in this success.”
“Sammy, like all of our volunteers, embodies NHS Lothian’s values of care and compassion, dignity and respect, quality, team work, and openness, honestly and responsibility.”
If you would like to volunteer, know more about NHS Lothian volunteer roles or if you work for NHS Lothian and want to know what support can be offered contact:
Sammy joined the volunteer team at NHS Lothian in March 2020, as he was keen to support his local community and the NHS during the pandemic.
Since then Sammy has given over 750 hours of his time volunteering twice a week (often three times a week) in a variety of roles and he has done all of this alongside family and other commitments and with continual professionalism and good humour.
From his first contact to date Sammy has embodied NHS Lothian’s values of care and compassion, dignity and respect, quality, team work, and openness, honestly and responsibility. Sammy has demonstrated his care and compassion for others as a volunteer in a care of the elderly ward where he supports patients (many of whom have complex needs) where he has volunteered since March 2020.
He has consistently treated the patients with dementia using the meaningful activity centre at St John’s Hospital with dignity and respect spending time getting to know patients, their likes and interests and planning activities to do with them one-to-one or in small groups.
Sammy has demonstrated his commitment to quality by actively participating in the Voluntary Services Team’s optional training programme giving up yet even more of his time to learn and develop his skills.
There is not a single person (staff or volunteer) who has worked alongside Sammy who would not agree that he is a team player. Sammy offering to change his usual volunteering site to support another volunteer who was lacking on confidence and his willingness to take on extra shifts to cover for colleagues unable to attend at the vaccination clinics are just two examples.
In addition Sammy is open to new ideas, honest about his experience and takes responsibly for the commitment he has made to those he supports. Sammy has two main roles with NHS Lothian as a Ward Helper in a Medicine of the Elderly ward In Findlay House and as an Activities Volunteer in the Meaningful Activity Centre at St John’s Hospital. Alongside these roles, he has also volunteered as a Vaccination Clinic Guide for 5 months.
In each of these roles, his volunteering was designed to achieve different things. The Ward Helper role aims to support positive health outcomes for patients by supporting day-to-day tasks and providing stimulation and to free staff time to allow them to focus on specialist tasks.
Many of the patients in this particular area have complex needs which can result in challenging behaviour or low mood. The support provided by the Ward Helpers enables patients to maintain their abilities and physical health, to improve mood and to support patients in the most difficult of circumstance to have the best possible experience. This support also helps families of patients by allowing them to take breaks from visiting safe in the knowledge that their loved one will not be alone.
The Meaningful Activity Centre was developed to provide a therapeutic environment for patients within the hospital. Patients with cognitive impairment can frequently become distressed in the hospital environment as not all their needs can be met on a ward through a medical model.
At the Meaningful Activity Centre, the volunteers aim to meet unmet needs that are related to boredom and lack of activity. However, it is not just playing some games to relieve boredom. By engaging in meaningful conversation and using excellent listening skills, the volunteers have been able to find ways to understand what is causing the distress of the person and to take steps to reduce distress.
As a Ward Helper Sammy completes many practical tasks including helping with meal distribution and the tea trolley (key to tackling issues with dehydration common in hospital settings) and the mealtime tidy up after eating, he will support patients to eat by providing company, encouragement and also practical assistance having been trained to safely feed patients who need assistance.
Outside mealtimes Sammy will help with practical takes such as answering the door to welcome visitors, top and up supplies like hand gel, masks. However, the key to Sammy’s Ward Helper role is the building of relationships with patients so that he can support them in a person centred way through small therapeutic interventions such as taking a patient in a wheelchair to spend time in the garden, taking short walks in the ward to maintain mobility, reminiscence and conversation to maintain mental stimulation and support good mood, sitting with a nonverbal patient listening to music to calm and relax them.
As a Vaccination Clinic Guide Sammy welcomes people to the clinics, guides them through the process giving explanations about what would happen next, how long things might take, giving directions, reassuring the nervous/making conversation with those who had been isolated often for months previously and supervising the post vaccination observation bay. Sammy’s cheerful manner and easy confidence help ensure that everyone feels valued and supported as they attend the clinic.
At the Meaningful Activity Centre Sammy supports patients one to one or in small groups through a range of person centred activities. There may be games or bingo to enjoy, looking at books and newspaper articles from yesteryear, listening to music or even karaoke to some old favourites, afternoon teas and the occasional dinner dance.
Whatever the activity Sammy is there leading the way and encouraging everyone to get involved, working at the understanding, confidence and enthusiasm level of the patient so that they feel comfortable and have a good time. contribution is invaluable.
While many of the patents Sammy supports are not able to articulate their gratitude verbally, it is obvious from the changes in their demeanour (not just while interacting with Sammy but following) that their time with Sammy has helped them to feel calmer, more settled and more at ease in the hospital.
A community podcast, highlighting events in and around Leith, which will be run by the Leith Festival volunteers.
Our vibrant community was recently named the fourth coolest neighbourhood in the world by Time Out and this podcast will provide a platform for local connections, storytelling, news, reviews and so much more.
To become a volunteer & get involved with our FREE workshops, where you will learn all the skills involved in podcasting from presenting, promoting and content creation to market research and project management – click the link below:
