An introduction to Volunteering Matters and RSVP

Volunteering Matters believe that everyone across the UK should have the opportunity to thrive. We bring people together through the unique power of volunteering, to overcome some of society’s most complex issues. The Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme (RSVP) is supported by the Volunteering Matters family. RSVP is a volunteer-led project that encourages, facilitates, and supports older people aged 50+ to keep active by volunteering in their community. RSVP believe by volunteering and using their life experience and skills, older people are less likely to be socially isolated and suffer from poor mental and physical health and wellbeing. RSVP groups are coordinated by a team of Volunteer Organisers. Current activities include volunteering within NHS hospitals and schools, charitable knitting groups, walking groups, and a Handyperson scheme. Over 1000 older people have engaged over the last 21 years.

An introduction to the role

We are looking for a Development Worker who can work flexibly, is driven, and is passionate about supporting older people to volunteer in their community. It is important that the post holder can commit to our organisational values – being Compassionate, Empowering, Inclusive, Positive and Straightforward.

The coronavirus pandemic caused major disruption to RSVP. Risks to older people meant that our volunteers were asked, overnight, to shield at home. RSVP activities closed for a prolonged period of time. While these have since re-launched, a significant number of Organisers and Volunteers have not returned to volunteering. As our Development Worker, you will provide staff support to re-build RSVP activities across Forth Valley. You will help to decrease social isolation and loneliness, and improve older people’s mental health and wellbeing, by engaging them in regular, ongoing volunteering roles suited to their needs and interests. You will work closely with a small team of Volunteer Organisers, supporting and empowering them to deliver and develop RSVP activities across Forth Valley. Over the next year, we aim to engage a minimum of 60 new volunteers in our activities across Forth Valley. You will lead a volunteer recruitment campaign while also developing and implementing sustainable infrastructure for the future such as Organiser guides, and other volunteering and project resources. These local resources will supplement the nationally developed “RSVP toolkit” and resource materials already available. This role is funded by the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing fund, in Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire.

Information on Employee Benefits

Our ambition is to be the best place to work in the charity sector. We offer lots of employee benefits including:

•Fully flexible working

•Unlimited annual leave, to achieve a positive work-life balance

•Cycle to Work scheme

•Interest free season ticket loan (public transport)

•Competitive and supportive maternity/adoption/family leave provision

•Competitive and supportive sick leave provision

•Access to our free Employee Assistance line

Our ways of Working:

We offer flexible working by default. This means that our staff have significant flexibility when it comes to place of work, working hours, and are empowered with the responsibility of managing their own diary and workload.

Part of your working week will need to be based in local communities within Forth Valley, meeting older people, volunteers, and other stakeholders. For the remainder of the time, you will work from our Alloa office, or from home (must be based locally). If working from home, you will need good internet access and a suitable home working environment. All I.T. equipment, mobile phone and other infrastructure will be supplied.

A full Job Description and Person Specification is available for download below.

Every day people with chest, heart and stroke conditions are leaving hospital scared and alone. You can be part of our mission to make sure that there is no life half lived in Scotland.

By joining Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) as a Health Defence Coordinator you can be the difference between people just surviving and really living.

You will be part of Scotland’s leading charity providing support to people at risk of developing, or living with chest, heart and stroke conditions to live life to the full again. Our services form a nationwide network of local support groups, nurses, volunteers and one-to-one support teams helping people live a healthier life and supporting families adjust to life with a heart or lung condition or after a stroke.

The Health Defence Coordinator will be responsible for the delivery of the Health Defence programme covering the Tayside area. The role includes delivering health checks; healthy lifestyle workshops; and supporting lifestyle change to reduce the risk of our conditions in local communities, particularly where there is a high prevalence of health inequalities and deprivation. The role will also involve the development and line management of volunteer roles to optimise our reach.

The Health Defence Coordinator will also be expected to support integration of Health Defence across CHSS while working closely with colleagues in the services directorate to enable CHSS activities where appropriate.

CHSS colleagues enjoy a variety of organisational benefits including Company pension scheme, generous holiday allowance, company sick pay, employee welfare support and life assurance.

CHSS also supports flexible recruitment through Working Families and we are “Happy to Talk Flexible Working”.

In line with our commitment to safeguarding, this role is subject to a Basic Disclosure check. CHSS is committed to equality of opportunity and to providing a service which is free from unfair and unlawful discrimination. We therefore aim to ensure that no applicant, volunteer or member of staff is unfairly treated on the grounds of offending background.

The Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (“SOC”), one of Scotland’s leading wildlife bodies and a registered charity, is excited to be seeking to fill a vacancy that has arisen for an Admin Officer, working from the Club’s attractive headquarters on the East Lothian coast.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone who is highly organised and thrives on a varied work schedule. The successful candidate will play a key role in assisting the Club Manager in the running of the Club. They will become the key initial point of contact for members and others and fundamental to the smooth running of member services.

We are looking for a strong team player to work as part of the SOC’s small, dedicated team of staff. As well as excellent verbal and written communication skills, we are seeking an individual with experience of working with membership databases and who is confident with IT. Events-related administration skills and an interest in ornithology in Scotland are desirable.

Do you have previous experience of providing volunteer development support? Are you interested in working in the community and voluntary sector? If so, then we would love to hear from you!

About the role

Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire is the respected and valued support organisation for the community and voluntary sector in North Lanarkshire.

VANL is a supportive employer and provides good benefits including:

• 25 days annual leave pro rata (increasing up to 27 days after 5 years, 29 days after 8 years and 30 days after 10 years) and two special leave days for birthday and Xmas shopping)
• 12 public holidays pro rata.
• 6% employer’s contribution and minimum 3% employee contribution
• Flexible working arrangements regarding hours and home-based working