Are you passionate about the importance of green spaces within our communities? Do you have an interest in gardening? Do you have the knowledge, skills and experience to lead an organisation that is playing an important role within the community? This year Amisfield Preservation Trust (Amisfield Walled Garden) celebrates its 25th year anniversary. We are looking to recruit a new Chair who can lead the organisation forward to the next stage in its development.

About Amisfield Preservation Trust

Amisfield Preservation Trust provides a regenerative community space (Amisfield Walled Garden) just outside of Haddington for a wide range of groups. The project is volunteer led. Since project inception, volunteers have recreated a beautiful, historic and peaceful 8 acre walled garden which had fallen into disrepair. The project helps improve the life chances of those most vulnerable in our community, through support for individuals with barriers to employment; drives inclusion through involving volunteers with a range of additional support needs; promotes learning through educational activities for school groups with their teachers, and for the general public through a variety of training events; helps the community to flourish through increased social connection and regenerative activities that improve mental and physical wellbeing and resilience and help increase pride in the local community and place. Amisfield Walled Garden is a beautiful, tranquil garden. We are a 3 star Visit Scotland attraction which is open to the public (free of charge) for 6 days in the week.

We are looking for a volunteer Chair to lead the Amisfield Preservation Trust, the small charity that looks after the garden. The role involves working with our volunteer Board of Directors, Volunteer Coordinator, Wellbeing and Outreach worker and garden volunteers to ensure that the garden continues to play an important and much-loved role at the heart of the local community.

The qualities and experience we’re looking for in our new Chair are:

• An enthusiasm for gardening (whether amateur or professional)
• Great leadership skills
• A real sense of community, with great networks across the county or a willingness to create them
• Knowledge or experience of the voluntary/charitable sector
• Somebody comfortable with being the public face of the garden
• Ideally somebody based locally in East Lothian or willing to travel to Haddington.

Chair Role Description

Specific duties:

• Organising and Chairing monthly Amisfield Preservation Trust Board meetings
• Promoting good governance amongst fellow Board members and ensuring activity is in line with the garden’s charitable purposes
• Leading the Board in planning and coordinating a programme of garden developments and improvements
• Leading the Board in planning and coordinating a range of community events
• Working with fellow Board members to support and manage the garden’s two employees.
• Contributing to regular communications to the garden’s volunteers, supporters and stakeholders across email, the website and social media
• Being a key contact for the garden for stakeholders, funders and donors, including East Lothian Council
• Working with fellow Board members to compile applications for funding and collate impact reports to funders
• Representing the garden in the local media and with stakeholders across East Lothian

There are currently 8 members of the Board. The Chair role will be for a term of three years, with an initial probationary period of six months.

The Community Links Worker programme, funded by EVOC & Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership, is delivered in partnership with GP Practices and the 3rd sector to support people to live well through strengthening connections between community resources and primary care.

The Community Link Worker will be employed by Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust and will work as part of three practice teams (Gracemount, Liberton and Inch Park) in the South East locality of Edinburgh to provide 1:1 person-centred and practical support to people in contact with the GP practice team.

Taking a person-centred approach, you will work with individuals to enable them to identify personal outcomes and priorities for their health and well-being and link them to local, city and national activities and support services.

The postholder must have experience of working with people who are facing complex social and emotional circumstances, a strong understanding of the challenges affecting people living in areas of disadvantage in relation to living well, extensive effective interpersonal skills in working with people on a 1:1 basis as well as experience in networking and relationship building with other professionals and organisations.

PVG: This post requires membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. Application will be processed for the successful candidate.

Ayr Housing Aid Centre (now SCIO) was established in 1986 following a Shelter homeless conference. The project is governed by the Board consisting of dedicated, committed people passionate about helping those in housing need. The Board provide direction, expertise and oversee the Centre’s work. As Trustees step down we recruit new Trustees with a commitment to our aims and objectives of providing quality advice and engagement services to those in housing need while alleviating poverty. Our commitment includes positively campaigning for local and national change and new legislative measures to improve the lives of those we help. There is no greater housing need than having no home!

The Centre has been contracted with South Ayrshire Council for many years to provide Advice and Homeless Prevention Services. Our current Contract cycle is 2021-25 and includes a Prison Housing Advice service for East and South Ayrshire Council. The Centre often seeks additional funding to complement our core Council services to meet additional demand and reach out to more people in need. We also generate income to support our work through providing housing related training and fundraising. The Centre’s Advice services are accredited under the Scottish National Standards and Housing Support service is regulated by the Care Inspectorate.

AHAC are looking to appoint a new Treasurer to join our volunteer Board. The Treasurer is responsible for overseeing financial processes and obligations including ensuring the organisation remains compliant with meeting its legal and constitutional requirements through robust financial policies, procedures and processes. You will be supported by the Chairperson, Vice-Chair and liaise regularly with key management staff and our Accountants to oversee the charity finances and processes.

We would encourage applications from candidates with financial management, accounting and experience using accounting packages such as Xero to apply although training is available for the right candidate.

This role includes a minimum of 5 board meetings per year including our AGM (currently a mix of in person and online). Additional specific meetings are scheduled throughout the year including 4 online Office Bearer (Sub-committee) meetings.

Job Description

You will provide a key role in our front of house service, ensuring that our retail space offers a friendly customer experience. As part of your role, you will support the team with general administrative and financial tasks to ensure the smooth running of the office and retail area, all within a very busy retail and manufacturing environment.

Company Profile

Glasgow Wood Recycling is a social enterprise and charity established in 2006. We are committed to achieving a sustainable population and planet. We aim to reduce the amount of wood going to landfill by finding creative, and socially inclusive ways to reuse this valuable natural resource. We create this image to our customers, and try to encourage them to limit the amount of wood going to landfill.

The wood waste that we collect from all over Glasgow and further afield is gathered, and sorted at our South Street workshop. This helps achieve our enviornmental goals. We then reuse the wood waste to make quality furniture and design bespoke pieces for home, businesses and social sector organisations, anything from tables in bars to eco-gardens in schools.

Through these activities, and at the heart of what we do, we provide volunteer and training opportunities to local people, as a practical way of tackling unemployment and social exclusion. Our volunteers either participate in our workshop, help our drivers for delivery/ collection services, and offer support in our retail area, to ensure this is tidy and stock is in the correct piles.

Key Responsibilties

• To provide high quality front of house service to customers in store, as well as processing sales and payments.
• To maintain accurate filing systems & keep up to date record of finances, sales and customer order information.
• To process customer orders accurately for the workshop to manufacture, and answer telephone calls, electronic communications and correspondence.
• To contribute to the day-to-day facilities management e.g. recycling, storage waste and housekeeping.
• Helping ensure the office and retail environment is attractive to both customers and staff.
• Be willing to support volunteers and trainees, and undertake appropriate career training.
• To laise with workshop assistants to ensure the retail space is continusly maintained.
• Be committed to helping Glasgow Wood uphold its values in relation to people and the environment.

Key Skills

• Excellent customer service skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Be flexible and able to complete tasks when asked at short notice.
• Confident with I.T. including using excel/ office and Xero - full training will be provided.
• Excellent time management skills, and able to prioritse tasks approately.
• Appropriate literacy and numeracy skills.
• Competent problem solving skills.
• Able to give attention to detail and being accurate.

Experience & Knowledge

• Essential that candidates have some experience of office work.
• Retail/sales experience is desirable.
• A passion for working with customers and offer a high quality service.
• An understanding of the importance of enviornmental sustainability.
• An understanding of the challanges involved working for a social enterprise.
• Experience of working with wood is deserable, but not essential.
• Experience of working in a volunteering environment is deserable, but not essential.

Training

• Health and Safety including manual handling and work on site safely.
• Waste minimisation training.
• Ongoing proffessional development opportunities.