ACVO News February 2022

ACVO NEWS

NEWS FROM ABERDEEN'S THIRD SECTOR

DANCE AS A MECHANISM FOR CHANGE INTERVIEW WITH

CHIEF EXECUTIVE, HAYLEY DURWARD P.36

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Communities MH & W Fund Phase 1 Projects

Absafe announce details of rebranding

Guest interview with Ian Watt of Code the City

FEBRUARY | 2022

acvo.org.uk

ACVO News

CONTENTS

6 Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund Phase 1 Projects

February 2022

22 Absafe announce details of rebranding

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42 Code the City - Interview with Ian Watt

4 ACVO Updates 14 News from you and other networks 48 Volunteering The latest from Mike Melvin and Volunteer Aberdeen 58 Volunteering Opportunities

DANCE AS A MECHANISM FOR CHANGE Interview with

Hayley Durward Chief Executive Citymoves Dance Agency SCIO

62 Funding ACVO Funding Officer, Claire Shaw, brings you the latest funding news and opportunities 66 Health and Social Care Updates The latest from ACHSCP and our other partner organisations in the city 68 Vacancies Latest opportunities from the third sector in Aberdeen and beyond 78 Event highlights Find out what's happening soon and how to submit your event

P.36 Not on the mailing list to receive ACVO News Direct to your inbox every fortnight? Sign up here.

Scottish Charity No: SC036845

ACVO News

February 2022

Want to be part of a hardworking and passionate team who work to involve, represent, support and develop Aberdeen's vibrant third sector?

JOIN THE ACVO TEAM As part of our ongoing development, we are pleased to announce that we will soon be recruiting for two new and exciting positions at ACVO TSI; Development Officer (Strengthening Communities) & Digital Media Assistant

The two new roles support our commitment towards developing and involving the third sector in our city.

The Development Officer (Strengthening Communities) role will see the successful candidate work closely with ACVO’s Development Officer team to build upon ACVO’s range of support available to Aberdeen’s third sector organisations and local community groups.

Throughout the pandemic the voluntary and community sector in Aberdeen has been active in supporting their local communities and communities of interest, through a diverse range of activity and we have seen first hand evidence of the wonderful work that has been going on. We want to see it continue and grow, but we are all too aware of the pressures on the sector through our work as the Third Sector Interface.

This role is about supporting community groups and third sector organisations to access available support locally and nationally, whether that is in the form of funding, volunteering capacity or

access to expert advice and training to enable them to find support easily and quickly. This role is also about the potential of connecting like minded individuals and groups with each other in supportive peer networks that can share knowledge and pool resources for greater impact in Aberdeen.

The Digital Media Assistant is a new position where the successful candidate work closely with the Communications Officer to build upon the organisation’s digital media output through the planning and implementation of digital storytelling projects which highlight the work of the Aberdeen’s vibrant third sector.

To demonstrate the impact of the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund, ACVO is coordinating a digital storytelling project to put recipients’ work and projects in the spotlight through the creation of original film, audio and web based content. The Digital Media Assistant will play an integral part in the realisation of this, as well as other exciting projects, alongside assisting in the day to day operation of ACVO’s digital platforms.

Applications for both positions open Monday 7th Feb 2022 Keep an eye on our social media feeds for details of the announcement

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be part of

the collective voice of the Third Sector in Aberdeen

ACVO are pleased to offer a

year’s free membership to existing and new members.

OFFER EXTENDED UNTIL MARCH 31st!!!

apply online now at a acvo.org.uk/membership We are stronger with you behind us.

ACVO News

February 2022

Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund With Phase 1 now closed, and Phase 2 well underway, we are glad to share news about the fund and some details of organisations who have been successful in their applications.

Since opening for applications in November 2021, The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund has seen a fantastic response from organisations and community groups in Aberdeen City, and currently 48 organisations have been awarded grants totalling £400,000.

Established as a response to the mental health need arising from the pandemic, the Scottish Government has made over £570,000 available to support grassroots community groups and organisations in the city region. With the intension of developing a culture of mental wellbeing and prevention within local communities, the fund, through the varied and diverse projects and organisations it supports, will make a huge positive impact on the lives of people within Aberdeen.

To ensure the fund has as wide a reach as possible, the team at ACVO TSI has taken the decision to close applications for Level 3 grants (£10,001 - £50,000) as of midnight on February 1st 2022. This decision aligns with the Scottish Governments guidance that the majority of funding is to go towards small scale community projects, amounts of less than £10,000.

Applications for Level 1 grants (up to £2000) and Level 2 grants (£2001-£10,000) are still open but will close, as previously announced, on Tuesday 15th March 2022 (or once all funds have been allocated, whichever is sooner).

Funds can be used for a wide variety of community purposes under the banner of supporting and facilitating adult mental health and wellbeing in Aberdeen. Smaller grants have been awarded to support new community centre groups, a variety of sporting activities from yoga to rugby, a seed potato growing project and the expansion of a pet therapy service in the City.

Further details about the fund, as well as our online application forms, and dates of our next online Information Workshops can be found at acvo.org.uk/mhgrants.

Any groups or organisations thinking of applying for the fund are urged to get in touch with ACVO TSI’s Funding Officer, Claire Shaw at claire.shaw@acvo.org.uk if they have any questions about the fund or the application process.

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ACVO News February 2022

NEWS

Future Choices Amount awarded: £1000 David Forbes, Chairman, Future Choices What kind of work does your organisation do in Aberdeen?

Future Choices provides a weekly social setting for adults with a physical disability to come together so that they can enjoy themselves rather than being alone and isolated at home.

What will your grant from the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund be spent on?

The Fund that we have been awarded will be used for two very special social outings and bring everyone together, which has not been possible for a very long time. One will be a visit to Peterhead Prison Museum and the other, The Ashvale Restaurant.

The main aim is breaking down those social isolation barriers so many face.

Why did you decide to apply for the fund? What benefit will it bring to your organisation?

The fund matched our aims and objectives for the work we wanted to do in terms of improving people's mental health & wellbeing as well as breaking the barriers of social isolation within the community. Friends going out together to spend quality time is vital to improving mental health & wellbeing.

Why do you think the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund is so important for Aberdeen City?

This fund is so important for the city of Aberdeen as there are many groups and organisations doing wonderful projects to help others most in need. Full credit to ACVO for distributing the funds to those that need the support.

ACVO News

February 2022

Aberdeen Amateur Athletic Club Amount awarded: £1480

Brian Pahlmann, Club Manager What kind of work does your organisation do in Aberdeen?

AAAC hosts athletics training sessions and competitions year-round at Aberdeen Sports Village for athletes aged 9 to over 70 years. The club also delivers recreational, entry-level runjump-throw sessions for children in satellite groups at various sites around Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

AAAC uses athletics to empower people to achieve their personal bests and as a catalyst for positive change in the community, welcoming all and engaging diverse groups, endeavouring to be truly inclusive.

What will your grant from the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund be spent on?

These funds will be used to support AAAC’s jogscotland group. This group was created to engage adult beginners and joggers who participate for fitness and health, providing a fun and supportive experience. The group welcomes all ability levels for once-weekly, recreational jog sessions.

Why did you decide to apply for the fund? What benefit will it bring to your organisation?

The grant will cover the majority of the group’s expenses for 2022, allowing the group to develop, possibly expanding our offerings and engaging more people, without the worry of whether it is profitable. By the end of the year, our hope is that with this security, the group will be self-sustaining.

Why do you think the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund is so important for Aberdeen City?

The pandemic has made apparent the importance of addressing mental health and, fortunately, people are talking about it more than ever. This fund is quickly and easily putting money in the hands of the people who can improve Aberdonians’ mental health today. I feel the key factor is that ACVO realised that a positive impact on mental health can be made by people in the community, utilising for example, physical activity or social events, not just medical means.

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ACVO News February 2022

The Allotment Market Stall Amount awarded: £8050 Greg Welsh, TAMS Coordinator What kind of work does your organisation do in Aberdeen?

The Allotment Market Stall (TAMS) is a community project collecting and selling allotment produce in Aberdeen. It reduces waste, reduces food miles, makes fresh local produce available to the public and promotes growing your own.

What will your grant from the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund be spent on?

The grant goes towards developing a new nature friendly growing space. It brings together volunteers to grow fruit and veg.

Why did you decide to apply for the fund? What benefit will it bring to your organisation?

This will really help the project in developing our own new growing space. This will give opportunities for volunteers to come together and to learn how to grow their own, increase local fruit and veg growing and will showcase what can be grown in NE Scotland by everyday folks.

Why do you think the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund is so important for Aberdeen City?

The fund will help bring communities together, reduce isolation and encourage people to live healthily and engage in beneficial activities such as gardening

ACVO News 10 February 2021

Create Aberdeen Amount awarded: £9456 Alex Constantinides, Service Development Manager What kind of work does your organisation do in Aberdeen?

Create Aberdeen were established in 2010 to meet an urgent need for community based day activities for adults with learning disabilities in Aberdeen City. Our aims were to provide art and performance activities, promote community participation and inclusion and ensure people with learning disabilities have equal opportunities for self-development, creativity and to realise their potential. Our sessions include drama, dance, music, drumming, storytelling, photography and art, we often add to the activities on offer to meet needs and demand. Over the course of the last two years our activities moved online, with only the essential face to face services continuing for those who were at risk without any support. We have recently restarted some of our activities while managing risks and following guidance to keep everybody safe. This has meant we have had reduced numbers in all of our sessions, so many service users are not yet receiving the full service they had before COVID-19.

What will your grant from the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund be spent on?

We applied to the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing fund in the hope of restarting some more of our activities, namely to put on a drumming and music making weekly session at Inchgarth Community Centre. Pre COVID our drumming sessions were very popular and well attended, and we wanted to be able to get these up and running again. The funding we have received will be put to good use to pay for a drumming tutor, and support staff and to purchase musical equipment.

Why did you decide to apply for the fund? What benefit will it bring to your organisation?

We were encouraged to apply to the fund and felt it was a good fit with our aims to run therapeutic and creative activities which have great benefits in keeping people fit and healthy, promote mental well-being and reduce isolation and loneliness. The funding will enable us to add to our activities which have been a lifeline to the people we support.

Why do you think the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund is so important for Aberdeen City?

The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund will enable a great many charities and social enterprises in Aberdeen to restart their valuable work, or set up new projects to deal with issues that have arisen or worsened during the pandemic.

Create have been very fortunate that we were able to adapt and make use of online services to ensure that people’s needs were being met, many third sector organisations had to close or reduce services, leaving a huge gap for people in need in the City.

This fund plays an important part in ensuring that the Third sector in Aberdeen is able to thrive again.

ACVO News 11 February 2022

Four Pillars Amount awarded: £17554.51 Deejay Bullock, CEO What kind of work does your organisation do in Aberdeen?

Four Pillars’ supports the LGBT+ community with Mental, Emotional, Physical & Sexual Health. Providing information & support on a person to person basis to build a community that supports itself dthrough peer education; thereby allowing individuals to make informed choices to improve their overall health & wellbeing

What will your grant from the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund be spent on?

Our grant will be used to provide an LGBT+ Outreach Coordinator across the city, allowing us to reach even more people. Support individuals in their own locations and educate the wider community through events and training where needed.

Why did you decide to apply for the fund? What benefit will it bring to your organisation?

We applied for the fund as we are aware LGBT+ Individuals have disproportionately suffered and become more isolated throughout the pandemic. Therefore now is the time to reach out to them, increase confidence and rebuild a community together.

Why do you think the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund is so important for Aberdeen City?

Funds like the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund are vital to organisations like ours. It enables us to apply for the right funds in order to reach the right people. Small charities suffer greatly from a lack of core funding as pots across the country are starting to run dry. Therefore these funds are sometimes the only way we can support the most vulnerable in our society.

ACVO News

February 2022

Grampian Grampian Regional Equality Council (GREC) Amount awarded: £21800 Maria Jose Pavez, Policy Officer and Project Co-ordinator What kind of work does your organisation do in Aberdeen?

Grampian Regional Equality Council (GREC) is committed to advance equality across North East Scotland. We work to tackle prejudice and discrimination, celebrate diversity, build positive community relations, and provide evidence to change policy and practice. We have a wide range of services and projects available for the community, such as support, advice and counselling for individuals experiencing discrimination, Language cafes and English classes, interpreting & translation to name just a few. You can visit our website to learn more about us: www.grec.co.uk

What will your grant from the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund be spent on?

The fund will enable us to expand the work of our existing Project Health and Diversity Network, where we work with a network of health champions (volunteers) from diverse ethnic minority communities with a special focus on mental health and wellbeing. The fund will enable us to work with community connectors to grow the network, adapt and promote key health messages from reliable sources, and organise engaging activities and trainings with the goal of increasing awareness and understanding of how to promote positive mental health within diverse communities.

Why did you decide to apply for the fund? What benefit will it bring to your organisation?

Through GREC’s work with health champions and community members we know the challenges around stigma and the need to promote open and positive discussions on mental health is something communities are interested in working on.

We expect that participating in the Health & Diversity Network through a flexible model of community engagement will empower individuals to provide support and sign-posting within their own communities, and this will enable opening up new spaces for conversations around mental health.

These efforts look to tackle health inequalities that ethnic minority communities face in Aberdeen and therefore are part of our general effort to advance equality in NE Scotland.

Why do you think the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund is so important for Aberdeen City?

Though we have all been affected by the pandemic, its impact on mental health and wellbeing has been worse for some groups, especially for those experiencing prejudice, discrimination and isolation due to their identities. This fund allows a flexible approach to focus support on these groups working alongside the communities and increasing capacity within them to improve resilience in the long term.

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ACVO News 13 February 2022

NEWS

TLC Befriending Project Amount awarded: £20372 Jonny Astill, Development Manager What kind of work does your organisation do in Aberdeen?

TLC is a local Aberdeen-based charity that has operated for 20 years and has sought to respond dynamically to the issues facing our community. TLC has been active in providing food bank services and has been affiliated to the Trussell Trust since early 2015, operating ‘Aberdeen South Foodbank’, supporting those in need of food provision.

In April 2021, in response to the devastating effects of loneliness & isolation that many in our community were and are facing, TLC established the ‘TLC Befriending Project’ to not only offer a listening ear, but also to support and encourage befriendee resilience and community connectedness.

We have been wonderfully supported by our steering group, made up of members from the Aberdeen Health & Social Care Partnership, the Primary Link Practitioners (SAMH) & the Aberdeen Council for Voluntary Organisations (ACVO), alongside other specialist TLC volunteers.

What will your grant from the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund be spent on?

We are very thankful to the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing fund who are supporting TLC to expand our services, supporting us to recruit two new staff posts, allowing us to build our organisational capacity to manage upwards of 70 befriender/befriendee placements over the next 12 months.

Why did you decide to apply for the fund? What benefit will it bring to your organisation?

TLC was required to source match funding to support us in expanding our befriending services and was very keen to apply to this fund as our project aims dovetail very closely to that of the fund aims.

Why do you think the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund is so important for Aberdeen City?

The Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund is a lifechanging fund that will benefit so many people in our community experiencing the devastating effects of loneliness & Isolation, that the Covid-19 pandemic has only exacerbated.

Want to join the TLC team and work on the project? Find details of Coordinator and Senior Coordinator vacancies on page 74!

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ACVO News

February 2022

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News from you and other networks

'Great Days Out' initiative extended at Aberdeen Science Centre

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national initiative which allows families to explore Aberdeen Science Centre for half price has been

extended into February and now also covers weekend visits.

The Great Days Out in Scotland offer has already attracted hundreds of visitors to the science centre during the week and will also now be extended to Saturdays and Sundays until the limited allocation of tickets runs out (or up to February 13).

The campaign is being run by VisitScotland to inspire people to brighten up winter days by taking part in a day out with family or friends at one of the many visitor attractions or experiences on offer across the country.

Around 140 businesses have received funding to subsidise the cost of tickets, allowing visitors to take advantage of up to 50% off admission.

Bryan Snelling, chief executive of Aberdeen Science Centre, said: “The scheme has been a big success for us so far and we are pleased to be able

to extend the offer to include weekends.

“It will also run into February so we can welcome more visitors to the centre to enjoy a great day out exploring our 60 hands-on exhibits, as well as our chatty robot RoboThespian and the OPITO Theatre of Energy.”

Aberdeen Science Centre reopened to the public last November after the major project to create an aspirational science centre which reflects the STEM priorities for both industry and education.

The centre’s exhibits are aimed at all ages and are themed into six zones: Energy; Space; Life Sciences; Make It, Test It; and a dedicated area for the under-6s, as well as the Shell Learning Zone, where science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are brought to life.

Aberdeen Science Centre’s £4.7million redevelopment was made possible by generous support and funding from the Inspiring Science Fund – a partnership between the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), UK

Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Wellcome - with additional funding provided by Opportunity North East (ONE) and Aberdeen City Council.

The project secured a further £1.5million from funders and sponsors including OPITO, Shell, Equinor, bp, The Robertson Trust, TAQA and CNOOC International to deliver quality exhibits and programmes to enhance the overall visitor experience at the venue, as well through outreach work.

To claim the discount, visitors must book in advance via the Aberdeen Science Centre website and use the special code ‘ascjan22’ at the checkout.

Tickets are limited, expire on February 13 and are only valid on online bookings. For more information, visit aberdeensciencecentre.org/50-off-injanuary22.

Want to join the ASC team? Find out more about their Fundraising Manager vacancy on page 69

News 15 ACVO February 2022

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ACVO News 16 February 2022

Youth Scotland Games Training 6th February 2022, 10.15 – 12.15

Aberdeen City Council’s youth work team, in partnership with Youth Scotland, are offering free youth work training in February.

The training session will be very practical, focusing on games tailored towards engaging young people and encouraging team building.

About the sessions, the youth work team at Aberdeen City Council said "this fun, interactive session will build your skills to deliver team building sessions with young people and explore ways to encourage participation.

"You will participate in a range of practical activities which you can take back and use in your own youth setting.

Please make sure to wear comfortable clothing, suitable footwear and please bring a water bottle."

Climate Week North East Returns 18th -27th March 2022 Climate Week North East is a week packed full of fun, inspiring and interesting events, designed to raise awareness of climate change but, more importantly, show what we can all do to make a difference and reduce our carbon footprint. It is about showcasing what is going on here in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire to tackle climate change and provides inspiration on how we can all live sustainably.

Come along and learn more about how you can make positive changes for the planet from individuals and organisations who are working to create a better environment for us all.

Be inspired by the incredible actions your own community is taking to live sustainably! If you would like to make a change but don’t know where to start come along! The events are fun, there is something for everyone, providing knowledge and inspiration to take small (and big) steps in the fight against climate change.

Right on your doorstep and online are green family fun days, tips to make your

The sessions are due to take part on Sunday 6th Feb at Cummings Park Centre in Aberdeen.

Booking is essential and can be done online at https://bit.ly/3r8yVi1

home warmer and bills cheaper, how to grow your own veg, wild meadows and orchards, upcycling, movie nights and more!

With over 70 events there is something for everyone. For more information please visit the Climate Week North East events page - climateweeknortheast.org CWNE is supported and promoted by the newly formed NESCAN, North East of Scotland Climate Action Network Hub. NESCAN Hub aims to be an information, education and collaboration hub for organisations within Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire that are working on projects that reduce carbon or increase biodiversity to build the capacity and skills of those organisations and support members and the local community to deal with climate change, biodiversity loss and help develop sustainable thriving communities.

News 17 ACVO February 2022

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The new FACEYOUTH Get ready for multipurpose community Time to Talk support centre in Aberdeen Day 2022 looking for furniture and equipment donations The Foundation for Advancement of Child Education and Youth Empowerment (FACEYOUTH) is a grassroots inspired charitable organisation committed to improving the lives of youths and children, using the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, as a framework for action.

For over five years, FACEYOUTH has been supporting individuals, families, and communities through various projects - from awarding full scholarships to indigent students to hosting sessions on Mental Health Awareness, with the aim to relieve disadvantage of any sorts and give people the opportunity to lead fulfilling lives.

Recently, the organisation was donated the use of rent free premises by Belmar Engineering Services Ltd. In Aberdeen and are on the lookout for furniture and equipment to help them run sessions from the centre.

Ify Anyaegbu, Executive Director of FACEYOUTH said “We would be hugely grateful of donations from organisations of any equipment they no longer have use for. At the moment we are looking for folding tables and some computers in order to setup virtual streaming rooms for our mental health seminars as well as office furniture to furnish our new support centre.

“We also really need sports and music equipment to setup a music room for our music lessons and soft sports centre for children.

“Our multipurpose centre will serve as a focal point for the community, where programs and services will be provided that will enhance the mental health and wellbeing of our young people.

“Any help people can offer will make a huge difference to the individuals and families we support!”

If you are able to help, or know of any organisations who can, please contact Ify at faceyouthcharity@gmail.com

Time to Talk Day is the nation’s biggest mental health conversation. Taking place on Thursday 3rd February 2022, it’s the day that friends, families, communities, and workplaces come together to talk, listen and change lives.

Talking about mental health reduces stigma, helping to create supportive communities where we can talk openly about mental health and feel empowered to seek help when we need it.

The more conversations we have, the more myths we can bust and barriers we can break down – that’s why opening up the conversation about mental health problems is so important. By talking about it, we can support ourselves and others.

One in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year.

Everyone should feel comfortable talking about mental health whenever they like. That’s why opening up the conversation about mental health problems is so important – by talking about it we can support ourselves and others.

Find out more about Time to Talk day and access downloadable resources at timetotalkday.co.uk

ACVO News 18 February 2022

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Clan CEO set to hand over the reins to successor

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ortheast cancer charity, Clan Cancer Support announced in January that its CEO Dr Colette Backwell is to step down in Spring this year. Dr Backwell will hand over the reins to Fiona Fernie, current Head of Income Generation & Business Development at Clan, in March.

A born and bred Highlander and alumna of the University of Aberdeen, Fiona has a background in commercial development, spending 10 years at Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce developing their training offering and working as the Chamber lead for members in retail, the third sector and culture and creative industries. Her role at the Chamber of Commerce also included involvement in notable regional projects, including the inaugural Great Aberdeen Run in 2017.

Fiona joined Clan as Head of Income Generation & Business Development the same year and has transformed Clan’s commercial approach to income generation. This, alongside her active role as part of the management team, helped equip Clan to positively respond to the challenges of Covid. Fiona also led the recent ‘Light the North’ project across the North-east, Moray, Orkney and Shetland raising awareness for Clan and over £300,000.

Dr Backwell will continue with her nonexecutive roles at the University of Aberdeen, the Chamber of Commerce and Developing the Young Workforce North-East Scotland. Speaking of her time as Clan CEO Dr Colette Backwell says, “It is with a mix of excitement at the prospect of new adventures, tinged with sadness that I have decided to step down as CEO of Clan. I am delighted to announce the appointment of Fiona as

left to right – Dr Colette Backwell, Clan CEO, will hand over the reins of the Northeast cancer charity to Fiona Fernie, current Head of Income Generation & Business Development at Clan, in March this year.

my successor, and it is with pride and

“There is no question that Colette has

confidence that I hand over the

achieved a lot in her time at Clan and

leadership of this great charity to her in

has fundamentally changed the

March. By the time I leave I will have

direction of the charity, enhanced the

held the position for six and a half

team and laid firm foundations for

wonderful years.”

future growth. While we are sorry to

Dr Backwell continues, “I am incredibly

see her leave, we wish her well as she

proud of what has been achieved against the most difficult environment and of our collective impact on the lives of cancer patients and their families,

hands over to Fiona who I know has the knowledge, experience and passion for our great charity and a drive to see us further develop our strategic aspirations

truly making a difference to thousands

for the future.”

of people experiencing the traumas

Talking of her appointment Fiona Fernie

associated with a cancer diagnosis. I

says, “I am delighted to be appointed as

continue to be humbled by the team’s

CEO. Having been with the charity for

dedication and commitment to Clan

almost five years and having learned so

clients, to Clan and to each other. This

much from Colette during that time, I

has been crucially important as we

have many personal aspirations as to

responded and adapted to the

how we grow our vital service delivery

pandemic, and I thank the team for their

for individuals and families across the

amazing creativity, resilience, and

North-east of Scotland, Moray, Orkney

support during this time. Clan emerges

& Shetland.

from the pandemic stronger than we

"We have an outstanding team of

were at the start and is in good shape to hand over to my successor.”

people with a passion for our charity, our values and our purpose and I am

Stuart Cochrane, who took over as

excited to see what we can achieve

Clan Chair in November 2021, said

collectively over the coming years.”

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ACVO News 20 February 2022

Global network Common Goal renew Denis Law Legacy Trust membership

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enis Law Legacy Trust has had their membership with a prominent global network renewed once again.

“Our goals are very similar in that we

developed over the years and is now a

both believe fundamentally in the

full-time programme operating across

power of sport and how affective it can

the city every week night. This growth

be in improving the lives of young

would not have been possible without

Admitted in recognition of its ‘leading work in the field of football for good’, it means the Trust is one of only two members of Common Goal operating in Scotland and only the sixth in the United Kingdom.

people, whether that be locally in

the continued partnership of these

Aberdeen or elsewhere around the

organisations, something which

world”.

continues to this day.

Denis Law Legacy Trust has already

Participations at sessions has grown

benefited greatly from the network by

significantly over the years, particularly

Common Goal, a creation of streetfootballworld, exists to use football for good and has gained significant prominence worldwide due to the players who join and commit to pledge 1% of their earnings to a central fund which is then allocated to highimpact organisations.

being part of the Play Proud initiative;

since Denis Law Legacy Trust became

partaking in a global virtual exchange;

first involved. In 2019 they eclipsed

becoming FIFA volunteers; and through

18,000 participations for the year and

sharing and learning best practice from

were on course to improve this number

like-minded members.

further before CV19 caused mass

Streetsport is the flagship programme

disruption. A growth in attendance has

Manchester United player Juan Mata sits on the organisation’s steering board while other stars such as Serge Gnabry and Giorgio Chiellini were also early members. Vivianne Miedema and Adama Traore are recent sign-ups while Ianis Hagi of Rangers is a prominent Scottish-based member.

Mark Williams, Chief Operating Officer, said: “As a small organisation committed to doing big things, we’re delighted to renew our membership with Common Goal and look forward to working with them more in the months and years to come.

of The Denis Law Legacy Trust and delivers free week-nightly sports and creative activity sessions for young people across Aberdeen City.

They deploy into areas of high youth annoyance, as identified by Aberdeen City's Community Safety Hub, utilising mobile sports arena and equipment in various locations including car parks, parks and local facilities.

Streetsport was established in 2006 as a partnership between RGU Sport, Gray's School of Art and Police Scotland. Initially running as a part-time programme delivered in a handful of locations, the programme has

correlated with a reduction in antisocial behaviour among young people in the targeted areas which was the main premise of Streetsport’s launch.

News 21 ACVO February 2022

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I

nterested in gardening and horticulture and looking to learn new skills and grow in confidence?

Then the CFINE Community Growing Employability Skills Programme could be for you!

This course is part of the wider Communities Employability Project which offers pre-employment support to those looking to (re)enter the job market.

The main course sessions will take place at The Grove Nursery, Hazeldene Road, Aberdeen but there may also be some sessions at other locations within Aberdeen City.

The course starts in March 2022 and is expected to run for 3 hours per week for 10 weeks (day of the week TBC).

To take part you must be able to commit to attending 3 hours a week for 10 weeks. It’s OK if you must miss one or two but missing more than that will not allow you to gain the best from the course.

The course is free, and refreshments will be provided. If you need to travel to get to the course location, we will cover the costs.

If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in taking part, or have any questions, then please get in touch with Rebecca Dunn (phone: 07588471390 / email: rdunn@cfine.org)

CFINE Community Growing Employability Skills Programme

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ACVO News 22 February 2022

Absafe announce new look with branding relaunch

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bsafe, an Aberdeen based non-profit charity that prides itself in the delivery of health and safety education to children, young people, families, and the community, recently announced details of their brand refresh and logo redesign.

Kairn McKee, Project Facilitator at Absafe said about the change "it all began when and 11 year old asked us why we had a heart as our logo? At that moment no one could tell him why, so we decided as a group that we were going to refresh our brand.

"Refreshing our logo was a very collaborative and rewarding experience with staff, volunteers, and community members becoming actively involved.

We all wanted a logo that would explain to anyone what we do, to confirm our passion for preventing harm and saving lives for your communities.

"As a group, we wanted to change our brand voice to a more current and accurate reflection of where Absafe is and where we want to move towards, infuse a new excitement, and have an image that defines Absafe's mission and strength in what we do, as we are the only charity that delivers health and safety education the way that we do, in Scotland. We wanted to be able to get our new team and community behind

Kairn McKee, Project Facilitator at Absafe

News 23 ACVO February 2022

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the message of Absafe letting us tell our story differently, have a logo that aligns with our strategic goals, and give fresh energy to the brilliant staff and volunteers we have and the vital work that we do.

"The new colours are bright, red, amber, and green which echoes our risk assessment matrix. The young people have loved the new colours, which are now echoed throughout Absafe, the website, and social media.

"Our young community was influential in designing the new logo, we have had feedback from various community members from police officers to our postman, school children to university students, and of course our brilliant volunteers. We wanted to make sure that our new logo was designed by our community for our community, and the feedback has been 100% positive.

"We are also looking to increase our volunteer numbers and have started 'Safety Warrior Awards'– if you want to come and make a difference to the children and young people in your community while boosting your skill set give me a shout at Kairn@absafe.org.uk "A refresh is like a new lick of paint in your house, what we do here has not changed, we feel our updated logo now reflects Absafe - relevant, bright, and fun - this definitely matches the ethos and purpose of our organisation."

"We are also offering Spaces for rent and had our first birthday Party at Absafe. If you need a space for a meeting or gathering let us know, we can provide a unique space with ample car parking for more information or to book to come and see us, contact Charley at charley@absafe.org.uk."

find out more at absafe.org.uk

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Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership Draft Strategic Plan Consultation The Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership are delighted to present for consultation the Strategic Plan for 2022 to 2025.

The plan has been co-produced with community representatives and is the result of a yearlong engagement process closely aligned to consultation activity with our statutory partners in developing the refreshed Community Planning Aberdeen’s Local Outcome Improvement Plan and NHS Grampian’s Plan for the Future.

The team at ACHSCP said "Our aim is to provide a high level overview of the strategic aims and direction of the work of the partnership over the next three years to address the specific challenges we face in Aberdeen, improving the health and wellbeing of our residents and working collaboratively with them, and with our partners to achieve this.

"We would welcome any feedback or comment you may have on the plan in advance of it being presented to our Integration Joint Board in March for final approval.

"The final date we can accept comments is Friday 25th February 2022."

Please email your comments to ACHSCPData@aberdeencity.gov.uk.

ACVO News 24 February 2022

Aberdeen Care and Repair offer help with new fire detector installation Everyone will be aware that the Scottish Government will require all homes to have adequate Fire detection by February 2022. This means that homes should have interlinked fire detection – meaning if one alarm goes off, all of them do, providing an immediate alert to a problem. It is understandable that many people will be confused or worried about the expense of putting a new system Aberdeen Care and Repair are delighted to confirm that they can help with purchase and installation at a fixed price, and some Aberdeen Care and Repair clients may qualify for free installation under the Scottish Government Fire Alarm Assistance scheme.

To be eligible for a free installation from Care & Repair Scotland, you must live and own your home that has a Council Tax banding of A-C. You must also either be of state pension age and in receipt of guaranteed Pension Credit or have a disability and be in a support group for Employment and Support Allowance.

For all other older people in Aberdeen, Care and Repair is offering a fixed price Supply and Fit cost based on the recommendation of the Scottish Government. All households contacting the service for assistance with this work are being offered a free Homesafe Assessment and please contact the Care and Repair team if you want to further discuss costs.

These prices are for standard properties with 1 gas appliance and no front or back lobby’s. If you have more than one gas appliance a CO2 will be required at every appliance which will increase the cost. The Care and repair team will be able to advise you further.

Fixed Prices for Fire Alarms Supply & Fit - 1 Storey without Gas £194.00/ with gas £222.00; 2 Storey without Gas £246.00/ with gas £274.00; 3 Storey without Gas £298.00/ with gas £327.00 They can also offer a equipment only price for households that wish to fit these themselves If you live out with the city, they recommend you contact your local Care and Repair and see if they are providing a similar scheme. If you require any further information or wish to get assistance with this work, please contact Aberdeen Care and Repair on 01224-251133 or email gencareandrepair@castlehillha.co.uk

News 25 ACVO February 2022

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Make a Difference Weekly Lottery Launched to Raise Funds for Aberdeen Families

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amily support charity, Home-Start Aberdeen has launched a weekly lottery as a new fundraising initiative available to supporters to help make a difference in the lives of families with young children living in Aberdeen.

The Make a Difference weekly lottery is affiliated with Affinity Lottery, the weekly lottery specifically designed for smaller charities to benefit from the fundraising power of offering a big prize lottery, without the administrative burden.

Supporters can sign-up for the charity’s weekly lottery now, starting from £1 per line per week up to a maximum of 5 lines per week.

Each week supporters will have the opportunity to win one of 37 cash prizes: 1st Prize: £25,000, 2nd Prize: £1,000 and 35 guaranteed Runner-up Prizes: 5 x £20, 10 x £10 and 20 x £5.

Individuals who would like to learn more and to sign-up to the Make a Difference Weekly Lottery can do so online at homestartaberdeenmakeadifference.a ffinitylottery.org.uk Eleanor McEwan, general manager commented: “All the money we raise through the weekly lottery will go towards making a difference to the lives of young families in Aberdeen who are struggling to cope. Demand for our services is increasing and every day Home-Start Aberdeen’s trained volunteers are providing compassionate, confidential, emotional and practical support to families.

“Fundraising is always challenging, but even more so since the start of the pandemic with restrictions on fundraising events and other activities. The weekly lottery adds an additional fundraising stream to our income and we hope to encourage local people to get behind it, take part and help us make a difference. Our goal is to help families create a secure, loving home environment where children can grow up happy, healthy, confident and able to achieve their potential.”

For over 30 years Home-Start Aberdeen has been supporting vulnerable families across the city to prevent family crisis and breakdown.

Support is provided via carefully selected and trained volunteers who are there for families, providing them with compassionate and confidential help.

For more information on Home-Start Aberdeen visit www.homestartaberdeen.org.uk

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ACVO News February 2022

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Doric Skateboards Announces Mental Health Aberdeen Fundraiser

Creative Lives Open call for creativity inspired by your local area

Creative Lives is working in partnership with music group the Scottish Ensemble on an open call for art/craft works made by amateur artists and makers, to form part of an exhibition that will accompany the Ensemble on their tour of Scotland in May 2022 (including the Music Hall in Aberdeen!).

Local independent skateboard brand, Doric Skateboards, has announced that they will be running an online fundraiser to support the work of Mental Health Aberdeen.

Doric Skateboards, formed by Gary Kemp, focusses on exploring the people and culture of Aberdeen and North East Scotland, with many of their iconic designs drawing inspiration from the region.

Mental Health Aberdeen has provided our City with support for over 70 years.

With counselling for both adults and youth as well as training they offer vital help and support to those who need it in Aberdeen.

About the fundraiser, Gary from Doric Skateboards said, “last year and continuing this year I’ve been fortunate enough to be helped by the services offered by Mental Health Aberdeen and so I want to try to give something back and encourage others to give what they can.

“The fundraiser is now live via our Just Giving Page and I’ve kicked it off with a £250 donation. Those who donate have the chance to get their hands on a one off Doric Skateboards Plenty of Pop deck. This was used for a similar fundraiser a few years back and the winner back then, Steven decided he’d like to see it go back to some good use.

“Each donation (unless you want to remain anonymous) will be put into a hat and a winner pulled. We are planning on running this until 13th February or longer if it’s still going strong!”

Doric Skateboards are also keen to use their platform to raise awareness about the work of Mental Health Aberdeen and will be sharing content from the organisation on their social media platforms over the coming weeks.

You can donate to the fundraiser at https://bit.ly/34gAv8t Find out more about Doric Skateboards at doricskateboards.com

Kelly Donaldson, Scotland Communications & Engagement Manager with Creative Lives said "We're looking for a wide range of creations inspired by people's local area which can be anywhere in Scotland. All art and craft forms are welcome drawings, paintings, poetry, sculpture, photography, quilting, knitting - any possible way of being creative!

"Initially, we're asking people to send in a photo of their creation, and we'll then choose some for the physical exhibition but everyone who enters will have their work displayed in the digital exhibition online."

Deadline: 31 March 2022 Find out more at https://bit.ly/3uhtrDv

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ACVO News 28 26 February 2022

Can you help? The Bread Maker look for Aberdeen based premises to accommodate training course Aberdeen based social enterprise, The Bread Maker, is on the lookout for local premises which would allow them to host their training courses for adults with learning disabilities.

The Bread Maker is a commercially focused social enterprise, and as well as producing high-quality bread and confectionery which is sold in some of the top restaurants and coffee shops within Aberdeen and the shire, they also provide meaningful training, educational and social activities to adults with learning disabilities who are excluded from mainstream society.

Alistair Reid, CPD Manager at The Bread Maker said, “recently we have started to run further training courses for our adults with learning disabilities, some of our own using the ASDAN model and others following the ASDAN programme itself, which makes up part of the lifeskills challenge programme.

“Unfortunately we are very tight for space at our premises and are limited on the numbers we can train so would be interested to hear from any organisations or businesses who may have a space we could use.

“What we are ideally looking for is a space with good Wi-Fi connectivity with enough room to accommodate four trainees and one tutor. Desks and chairs would be handy to have within the space too.

“As a lot of people who attend the courses travel by bus, being on or near a bus route would be an advantage.

“It would be great to hear from anyone who thinks they may have a suitable space and be able to help, so please do get in touch” If you think you could help, please contact Alistair at alistair.reid@thebreadmaker.org.uk or call 01224 641520

Early Intervention Aberdeen SALT & Music Therapy Sessions Early Intervention Aberdeen are delighted to announce their forthcoming therapy sessions, made possible by funding they recently secured from the National Lottery Community Fund.

Early Intervention Aberdeen are a team of professionals, parents & volunteers based in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, who specialise in providing early intervention services for neurodivergent children & their families.

The new lottery funding will allow them offer two extra group therapy sessions for children with additional support needs. These sessions will concentrate Speech & Language (SALT) and Music Therapy.

Amanda Nicolson of Early Intervention Aberdeen said: “The benefits of these therapies for the child and their families are vast. We believe they are wholly necessary to ensure the child can develop these skills at the earliest opportunity. They may help minimise a need for further support, usually at a greater expense later in childhood years.”

“SALT sessions typically involve a range of exercises that model sounds and syllables. This includes interaction through talking and playing, while using books, pictures other objects to help stimulate language development.

“Music therapy sessions will involve supporting children with social interaction and emotional regulation

"A single session will last approx. 45-60 mins. We can support around 4-6 children at each session. We are working to launch the first session, week of 28th Feb 2022. A block of 5 sessions will be available to pre-book mid-February. To ensure your child can fully benefit from them, parents should be fully committed to attend all 5 sessions and continue with advised approaches at home. A venue in Aberdeen city, will be confirmed in due course.”

To keep up to date, and to find out when bookings open, follow Early Intervention Aberdeen on Facebook or find them online at www.earlyintervention.org.uk

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ACVO News 30 February 2022

Volunteer Mentors Changing Young Lives MCR Pathways in Aberdeen

An interview with Pathways Coordinator, Tracy Duncan

"We work with young people of all backgrounds but do have a particular focus on supporting those that are care experienced...

Our activities are all delivered within the school setting where with S1 and S2 pupils, we conduct group work and, for S3 onwards, we run our mentoring programme where young people are matched with volunteer mentors which best reflect their interests.

We match them on things like their hobbies and pastimes, their likes, dislikes, and of course personalities too. Sometimes we will look at what our volunteer mentors do for a living and link them up with young people who have expressed a particular interest in that field.

The ultimate goal is positive destinations for young people; we want to encourage them to stay on at school with the aim of going on to college or university, or looking to take on apprenticeships or job roles which reflect their interests and skills.

What is your role with the organisation?

I am the Project Coordinator, so I get to know the young people we support and work with them directly which is a really important element of the project. I mentioned previously that it’s important to match young people and mentors based on shared interests so it’s crucial that I know the young people so we can offer them the best experience we can through the programme. I’m also responsible for mentor recruitment and matching.

In my day to day work I set up meetings, maintain close relationships with the schools we work with, as well as keeping things ticking over with the young people and mentors. I’m the go between for everyone involved in the programme – keeping things gelled together!

Why do you think it's important to have a mentor programme like the one MCR Pathways offer for young people in Aberdeen?

I see the benefit it brings to the lives of young people every day. I think the proof is in both the longevity of the programme, it’s been running for 15 years in Scotland, and also in the detail surrounding

News 31 ACVO February 2022

the statistics gathered over that timeframe which show a real positive impact with so many young people going on to better destinations.

That may not have been the case without the support of mentors.

I think, especially in relation to the pandemic in recent years, it has been really nice for the young people we work with to have someone by their side cheering them on. As I mentioned, a lot of the young people that we support are care experienced and as a result may have had intervention in their lives from social work or counsellors but mentors are slightly different; the young people recognise mentors choose to be there to help, to listen and are not being paid to do so.

They are not there because they have to be and don’t ask probing or specific questions. They're just basically there to say, ‘how are you doing?’, ‘do you want to chat?’ you know. A lot of them will maybe just sit and play games, or go for a walk, and have a chat. Nothing intensive or that puts pressure on the young people.

And then when it comes to exam time they can be there to support them through that, help with subject choices, just really act as somebody to bounce ideas off of and say, ‘Oh, I'm thinking of this, what do you think?’ when maybe they don't have that kind of person there for them elsewhere in their lives.

What other kind of people would you generally look for to become mentors?

We are looking for mentors from all walks of life.

We’ve got so many young kids keen to be part of the programme and all have varied interests. Our need is so diverse and some of the young people I work with have asked for mentors who are professional footballers or mechanics to name but a few. I know a lot of people think, oh no, I couldn't do that, but they can. It’s just it's such a positive thing to do and mentors are matched based on experience and interests so there will be a young person out there who would benefit from their experience and their time.

Are you currently looking for a mentors in Aberdeen?

Yes, we are looking to recruit all over the city but have a particular need at Lochside Academy at

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the minute. We also recruit within Aberdeenshire too so there is plenty of opportunity for people to volunteer with the programme.

So why would you recommend that people volunteer with MCR Pathways?

I just think it's such a great thing to do, especially if you're looking to give back. I know a lot of people have been working from home recently so it’s a good excuse to get out and do something different for an hour in your week.

Participation in the programme is also voluntary for the young people who take part, and the fact that they turn up every week through their own choice shows that they value the mentors and their time.

especially in relation to the pandemic in recent years, it has been really nice for the young people we work with to have someone by their side cheering them on.

It's so good to see the difference it makes to the young people in school. Just the small things can make a huge difference. Sometimes though, they don't really show their feelings. But I know from working with them and getting their feedback that the difference it makes is phenomenal, they do often let it slip about how excited they are about working with their mentors. And it's great for mentors too, keeps you young and keeps you on your toes!

If people were interested in getting involved, what would be the first steps.

Get in touch with MCR Pathways and we can start the process. You have to get PVG check, which the company will put you through, and once that's done you'll be put onto one of our training sessions.

Find out more and start your mentoring journey at mcrpathways.org

ACVO News 32 February 2022

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Aberdeen Cyrenians launch new Peer Support Programme

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berdeen Cyrenians is excited to launch its’ new Peer Support Programme.

With over 50 years experience providing care and support for vulnerable people in the North East, Aberdeen Cyrenians walks alongside people facing crisis. Whether at tipping-point or facing deep-rooted challenges, we provide support to anyone in crisis, struggling with overwhelming circumstances by building positive change, resilience, and recovery.

Aberdeen Cyrenians helps people to achieve their goals by working alongside them, reducing and overcome barriers that they face and empowering them to build skills and resilience.

Peer support is the process of giving and receiving non-clinical assistance to achieve long-term recovery from severe psychiatric, traumatic or substance use challenges. This support is provided by peer supporters - people who have “lived experience” and have been trained to assist others in initiating and maintaining long-term recovery and enhancing the quality of life for individuals and their families.

“The Peer Support Programme is a new and innovative service bringing people together in a safe and supported environment. Peer support differs from the other types of support that we offer because the source of support is a similar person with relevant experience. People, families and communities can play a key role in taking responsibility and managing their own health and wellbeing. Peers will be encouraged to

openly discuss ideas to develop groups

not have been possible without the

and activities which will assist the

passion and enthusiasm of the team of

recovery journey. We are very excited

staff and service users with lived

to create this opportunity to further

experience who co-designed our

assist the people that Aberdeen

programme, so our deep thanks go to all

Cyrenians support" said Paul French,

involved."

Programme Lead, Peer Mentoring

Chris Bennett-Taylor Aberdeen

Programme.

Cyrenians CEO said "we are really

"Our Peer Support Programme is an

excited about our new Peer Support

exciting step forward for us as an

Programme which at its most basic level

organisation as we have worked with

is about people helping people. The

service users and staff with lived

impact of peer support in terms of

experience to design and develop

helping people to heal and to sustain

something that works for the

recovery is well documented and we

participants. One of the most important

are particularly pleased that we have

aspects of the design of our programme

co-designed this programme with our

is our desire to 'do no harm' and to

service users from the outset. Through

ensure that we do not negatively impact

the peer support programme, we will

on the recovery of either supported

also be able to offer work placements

persons or Peer Supporters, so we have

and limited employment opportunities

paid particular attention to how we will

to those with lived experience which

deal with situational challenges, such as

we hope will help them in their

relapse and relationship and boundary

recovery and to regain their sense of

issues. We hope that in doing so, we are

self worth and citizenship.’

as prepared as we can be. Our intention

Find out more about Aberdeen

is that our programme will grow and evolve over time."

"The Peer Support Programme would

Cyrenians and their work at weareac.org

News 33 ACVO February 2022

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The North East Scotland Climate Action Network online mapping event - Saturday 5th February

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re you looking to create or develop further a community project that reduces carbon emissions or increases nature and biodiversity? It could be a project to get people in your area or school on a bike, or involved in a community garden, getting people growing, running a repair café, a renewable energy project or just insulating your community hall.

Whatever it is, The North East Scotland Climate Action Network are interested in finding out more and helping you to succeed.

The North East Scotland Climate Action Network, NESCAN for short, was created in early 2021 to enable community groups to talk to each other, find out what was going on and support each other in developing on climate action projects in the North East of Scotland and creating happy thriving resilient communities. They were lucky to be picked and fully funded by the Scottish Government to be 1 of 2 regional hub pilot schemes in Scotland. The Hub is there to support people and organisations in developing more community climate action.

Alison Stewart, Director, Aberdeen Climate Action said "We aim to be an information, education and collaboration hub for individuals and organisations within Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire that are working on projects that reduce carbon or increase biodiversity. We want to build the capacity and skills of those in our communities and support members and the local community to deal with climate change, biodiversity loss and help develop sustainable thriving communities.

"If you are interested joining NESCAN

"The first bit of the event will be the

and being part of a wide membership of

actual mapping bit when everyone talks

other community groups to learn from

about the projects going on

or simply want help and advice on how

communities to reduce carbon

to develop a community carbon

emissions and increase biodiversity in

reduction project whether that be a

Aberdeen City and Shire. There will

community growing space, food waste

then be some drop in session with

project, insulation or retrofit of

organisations that provide support

renewable energy, active travel or

services such as Community Land

anything else get in touch with us by

Scotland, Home Energy Scotland,

emailing info@nescan.org . We can help

Sustrans etc. and a fundraising expert,

you to access the help, support and

so you can ask them the questions you

finance that you need.

need answers to. This will be followed

"In order to be able to see what projects

by a workshop on how to effectively

are currently going on here in Aberdeen City and Shire to help support them and enable others to know and be able to learn from them, as well as see where the gaps are, we are having a mapping

work with your community and increase community participation. You will also be able to look at the expo stalls of experts in climate change and biodiversity, before and throughout the

event. We will be asking everyone who

whole event. "

comes to add in what they know of

You can find out more details and

existing community climate and

register at

biodiversity action and projects on a big

aberdeenclimateaction.org/nescan-hub

map which will then go on our website.

or email info@nescan.org

"This online mapping event will take

NESCAN Hub is also organising this

place online on Saturday 5th February,

year’s Climate Week North East. CWNE

in association with Strathclyde

is running from 18-27th March 2022

University and University of Aberdeen’s

with 50+virtual and physical events on

‘Community Participation in a just

throughout Aberdeen City & Shire. Full

transition to net zero in the North East

details and full event information can be

of Scotland’ project, between 10am-

found at climateweeknortheast.org/.

1pm.

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ACVO News 34 February 2022

Aberdeen Foyer secures funding from ETZ to provide Lorry Licence training to ex oil and gas workers North East charity Aberdeen Foyer has secured funding for LGV (Large Goods Vehicles) training to support at least 20 people to find new careers in the transport sector who are currently unemployed or transitioning from oil and gas.

T

he grant, secured through the Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) Ltd, a partner in The North East Economic Recovery and Skills Fund, will support people to gain a HGV/LGV Cat ‘C’ driving licence, enabling them to drive rigid vehicles over 7.5 tonnes such as tippers, flat-beds and curtain-sided vehicles.

Training will be delivered by one of Aberdeen Foyer’s social entrprises – Roadwise Driver Training, with support from The Foyer’s Employability team, who will provide practical advice on CV writing, interview techniques and other skills development. In addition, The Foyer will also use its wide network of employer contacts to identify available positions that match the newly attained skills.

To be eligible, individuals must reside in

Anne Kain, Aberdeen Foyer’s head of

either Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire, be

employability said “We’re delighted to

aged 18 years or over and hold a clean

receive this funding from The ETZ,

driving licence (Category B). Priority will

which enables us to provide valuable

be given to those who have been

reskilling support for people impacted

displaced from the oil and gas sector

by the recent downturn in the oil and

and/or those from under-represented

gas sector. Many companies are

communities. The courses will be

experiencing high demand for LGV

available to access from now until the

drivers due to Covid, Brexit and other

end of March 2022.

economic issues. This funding opens up

News 35 ACVO February 2022

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training to connect people with employment opportunities that they may not have been able to access otherwise.”

ETZ Ltd Director, Andy Rodden, said: “It

projects that will benefit more than

is widely recognised there’s a skills

3,000 people across the region. The

shortage within the transportation

project’s focus is on entrepreneurship;

sector and this has adversely impacted

accelerated business start-up,

Jurgita Mikeleviciute, Roadwise Driver Training Lead commented: “An HGV/ LGV (Category C) licence provides great opportunities for employment across many different sectors - shorthaul to international distribution and logistics. Being a lorry driver has long been regarded as a stable career choice with plenty of options and career progression, so we’re delighted to be able to offer these funded spaces to people who find themselves out of work and looking to transition out of oil and gas. Thanks to The ETZ we can provide further support to help people in the North East turn their lives around.”

the North East’s domestic supply chain.

development and growth; increasing

I’m delighted that ETZ Ltd is allocating

digital skills in the workforce; equality

funding to help address this issue by

and inclusion; and upskilling and

providing LGV training courses to

reskilling people to enter or remain in

unemployed individuals allowing them

work and take advantage of new, green

transition into new careers. We’re also

jobs as part of the energy transition.

pleased to be partnering with Aberdeen Foyer to deliver this programme. It’s an

If you’re an individual who is interested

exceptional organisation helping lift

in applying for the training, or an

many people out of poverty.”

organisation who is looking for LGV

The North East Economic Recovery and

drivers, please email Pauline Dick,

Skills Fund (NEERSF), which is managed

by Aberdeen City Council with its supporting partners, is delivering 29 employment, upskilling, reskilling, business growth and innovation

Aberdeen Foyer Development Coach at: Pauline.Dick@aberdeenfoyer.com

ACVO News 36 February 2022

Interview with

Hayley Durward Chief Executive Citymoves Dance Agency SCIO

DANCE AS A MECHANISM FOR CHANGE "I'm

hugely passionate about Citymoves and the work that we do for outreach communities, but also for professionals as well.

We get people that come through Higher Dance and Fusion, our youth dance group, they go away and train and they come back and they become our tutors and are also part of our residency programmes. Often they will create their own work too and tour that around Scotland and the UK, so it's a nice self sustaining cycle that we have as an organisation.

People come to us for a lot of different reasons, and that's why I like it so much. As well as offering that platform for professional development we engage with the wider community and offer a place for people to come

together and explore dance - you could come to us for one of our classes as a way to keep fit, or could attend our Dance for Parkinson's Sessions, which are more therapeutic and help with physical mobility while helping individuals and their family members deal mentally with the disease. Our sessions provide a way for people to connect to others within the group and allow for the formation of relationships so we try to build in that social time either side of the sessions so we are not rushing people out the door to prepare for the next one.

Providing that social space is what we have been focusing on more during the pandemic and it’s something I think we'll keep, it’s really important for the sense of community that we build.

News 37 ACVO February 2022

What are some of the core activities Citymoves offer as an organisation?

Well there’s the class programme as I mentioned, that’s one of the big things we do with around 30 classes on offer for people of all ages, abilities and interests. We host a spring show in April where people who attend classes have the opportunity to perform for friends and family at the Anatomy Rooms which is a great way to bring things together.

We also do a residency programme, based at our premises on School Hill which is our designated residency space. Companies can use it for seven days a week, for one or two weeks at a time; they come and they can use it for long hours which allows them to focus on their work which could be a completely new R&D process or it could be something that's pre production that's ready to go in a theatre, but they just want to run it and rehearse it until they take that to the stage.

Sometimes we work in conjunction with Aberdeen Performing Arts and the space is always heavily used in the lead up to DanceLive in October.

Some artists will come to us through touring funds. We have an exciting work in progress at the moment called Buff and Sheen that’s going to tour round care homes and nurseries in March which is based around window cleaners who perform outside buildings, so it’s a fun, interactive COVID safe piece as the audience is behind a pane of glass.

Outreach work is also a main focus for us as an organisation. Our ‘Strive’ project for young people takes dance straight in to the heart of communities and targets hard to reach groups, keeping them off the streets and headed toward positive destinations. And our Horizon project which was established in partnership with YDance (Scottish Youth Dance) Integrates young people with additional support needs with young people of a similar age, bringing them together to create a new piece of work. It's about breaking down barriers and encouraging integration.

Those are just some of the projects we have going on at the moment, things are always busy throughout the year.

Would it be fair to say that although obviously dance is a central to what you do, there are a lot of other streams of work that come off the back of that?

Definitely, yes. Dance is just the mechanism for change. The issues we address through our work overlap those tackled by other charities whether that be social isolation, mental health, physical health or inclusion. By using dance we help people progress and enhance their abilities around their physical movement but there’s always that social aspect and element of confidence building.

Our work is about connecting communities and encouraging people to take part in activities without health, ability, age, socio economic or circumstantial barriers to restrict them.

You mentioned the Parkinson’s Group Citymoves hosts, this was recently supported by the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund in Aberdeen - can you tell us a little bit more about that?

Yeah, it's fantastic, the funding is going allow us to expand our group. Dance for Parkinson's is something we've been running in Aberdeen for about five years. It’s a national programme and was originally established with support from the Robertson Trust, Scottish Ballet and Dance Base.

Dance for Parkinson's classes are done throughout Scotland and we are trained brilliantly

by David Leventhal, from Mark Morris Dance Group in New York. He is phenomenal, I used to attend the training sessions myself, he is very inspiring. To be honest, the way he can engage with people online actually kept a lot of our tutors going through lockdown and gave us the confidence to run the group online which was so important as there are so many people in the city who depend on the group, especially the spouses and carers looking after our attendees who have Parkinson’s disease.

ACVO News 38 February 2022 Our other sessions are conducted within Community Centres. The point of the programme is that it is very cost effective, it's free or a pound for participants to come to, so cost is not a barrier, and it's about really engaging young people and having them work together.

Teamwork is a huge aspect and it makes them feel as though they have achieved something together. Dance can do that. The adrenaline and the endorphin rush you get through dancing, it makes you feel as though you have achieved something by the end of a class. It also instills the confidence to be able to step forward and do

The adrenaline and the endorphin rush you get through dancing, it makes you feel as though you have achieved something by the end of a class.

We can now meet again in person and that money is going to allow us to expand that group and also host another one in the community which is particularly important as some people still don’t feel comfortable travelling in to the city centre so this way we can go to them in places they are already gathering. We really see this as an opportunity to expand the reach; we have had a core group attending for years but now we want to use our contacts within the community and NHS Grampian to really get the word out there and target people – the more we raise the profile of the sessions, the more people we can help.

You also mentioned your Strive programme, it sounds like another interesting way to reach people directly in communities.

Yes, Strive originally started with funds from Cashback for Communities, which was a Creative Scotland fund and we've now been running that ourselves for a few years with support from the Aberdeen Mental Health Fund.

We run the programme in four different hotspots in Aberdeen. One location is outside in a community park which is great because we can engage directly with young people in a space they are familiar with. We keep going throughout the winter but if the weather does turn a little bit we do have an undercover place we can go to take shelter!

something with your body. Some people might just sit and watch the first week, and when they feel they are ready they can step in and join the group. It’s about bringing people together within this safe, non judgmental and inclusive space.

The young people help curate the sessions whether it's the style of dance or the choreography or they might even want to make some original music to accompany the piece - it's something that can grow and take on its own path. It also fosters that feeling of ownership over the project where they can see their contribution.

News 39 ACVO February 2022

So why do you think it's important to have activities like this for the wider community which involve dance?

their own community, in every community in the area.

What other plans do you have a for this year?

I think it's even more important now than it ever has been. Citymoves been doing this for the past 35 years and we are always moving and evolving as an organisation and continuously looking for new opportunities . Our outreach community work is very important – it can be quite daunting to walk in to a dance studio with sprung floor bars and mirrors so it's about breaking down those

Links with education and schools will be a big one for us. We haven’t been able to go to schools over the past couple of years so are looking forward to getting back into those spaces. We took the time during the pandemic to redo our education pack so we have a fresh programme on offer and schools are now starting to come back to us to

Citymoves been doing this for the past 35 years and we are always moving and evolving as an organisation and continuously looking for new opportunities

barriers and showing that dance is for everyone, it's not reserved for a few.

As I mentioned, I think it is an important mechanism to allow us to reach people, to go in to communities, to improve lives. The pandemic showed us how important bringing people together is but also the importance of community spaces. We are committed to adapting the ways we deliver our work to make it as easy to access as possible. We also want to continue to go in to communities to reinvigorate that sense of place and to show people that dance and art is not just for the city centre, it’s something that happens in

book our 6 weeks blocks.

It's something we love doing as we are supporting the school curriculum and get to work with teachers to focus on area that best suits them; it might just be fitness or maybe it could be around something they are working on in class like a history theme or something about Scotland. We plan the way we deliver our work accordingly so it’s flexible and adaptive and keeps what we do interesting and varied.

DanceLive in October is always a big one for us, as well as the Sound Festival at the Anatomy Rooms.

ACVO News 40 February 2022

We are also part of Culture Aberdeen and the Culture Collective, working in partnership with other cultural organisation in the area.

Spectra festival involves Fusion, our youth dance company, they're performing in the Mercat Cross underneath Together by Lucid Creates which has large rings and LED lights, it’s really quite spectacular.

We have been working with Curated Place on this project, as we have done similarly over the past few years, and it’s great because Fusion get the opportunity to perform, feed something in to Spectra and they also get huge crowds to appreciate their performances. From an audience perspective it gives a different way to view the artwork, particularly since this one is huge (it sits almost 5 meters above the performers) it really has that epic scale and there is no prescribed way of engaging with it. A lot of the choreography is based around reaching up so it will really draw focus.

Why do you think it's important to host big public art displays and festivals in Aberdeen?

I think it's very important, especially in relation to festivals because they provide a platform to transform the cityscape and encourage people to rediscover and explore their own cities. I especially like Spectra because it reflects that idea of bringing back in the light at the end of winter, it’s about looking forward and bringing people together which is especially poignant after the past two years.

When Spectra first came to the city it was largely based within Union Terrace Gardens but since it is currently unavailable, it has been forced to utilise less explored spaces."

More information about Citymoves, the outreach porgrammes mentioned in this interview and details of their class timetables, can be found at citymoves.org.uk If you wish to get in touch with Citymoves regarding any opportunities or projects contact citymoves@citymoves.org.uk

News 41 ACVO February 2022

ACVO News 42 February 2022

A GUEST INTERVIEW WITH IAN WATT OF

CODE THE CITY

News 43 ACVO February 2022

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND FORMING CODE THE CITY? Code the City came about as a result of a 2014 European project, Code4Europe, that two of our co-founders, Ian Watt and Andrew Sage, were part of: Andrew as a developer and Ian representing Aberdeen City Council. Our initial event brought together various public sector and third sector groups together with citizens so we

could identify civic projects that the public actually wanted to see happen. The event created a buzz of excitement and interest that confirmed that there was both a demand and audience for civic hacking initiatives that Code the City believed in. Our further 22 similar events since, show that there is a continued interest.

ACVO News 44 February 2022

CODE THE CITY IS DESCRIBED AS ‘A CIVIC HACKING INITIATIVE INTERESTED IN HACK WEEKENDS, OPEN DATA, WORKSHOPS, AND IDEA GENERATION TOOLS’, WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS DO YOU WORK ON? The projects range across a wide variety of themes. Mostly we have collaborated with local and regional groups, many in the public and third sectors, who have sponsored themed events. This has been our preferred approach. A sponsor can help ensure that those with the specialised knowledge in the theme are available to help the developers and design working projects over the weekend. The domain expert can guide other participants down relevant paths, challenge assumptions, and help to avoid wasted work.

The themes themselves have ranged from health, the environment, sport, and archeology, to the future of cities, and many others. Each is different, yet similar: there is a buzz as the first day starts and people explore topics and settle into teams based on their own goals for the weekend, which might be learning new skills, or working with specific people as well on the topic itself of course. Then it’s a matter of working on projects in short bursts with periodic feedback sessions so that all teams know what the others are working on, and so that teams can get help with specific challenges. The first day normally ends by late afternoon, with some continuing a bit longer. Then everything starts up again on the second day, finishing around 4pm. More recently we’ve run these sessions entirely online, which has worked surprisingly well and has attracted attendees from all over the UK, as well as the Netherlands and Sweden. While we will return to physical events from Feb 2022, we will make these hybrid sessions allowing those more distant attendees to continue to participate and contribute.

News 45 ACVO February 2022

AT HACK WEEKENDS, CODE THE CITY OFTEN LOOKS TO CREATE SOLUTIONS FOR PARTICULAR ISSUES – COULD YOU GIVE US SOME DETAILS OF THESE? There are variations, but the general idea is that each team works on a small project which addresses a different topic/issue around the theme. For example, at an air quality one we had teams looking at how to build an application, another was looking at how to create a programme of work/action, another at how devices might visualise air quality with coloured lights. The most organised version of this was with Aberdeenshire Archeology in CTC14, where we had teams coordinating their work so that the output from one would be the input for another, and we’d end with a virtual reality space showing the historic burial plots of bodies in St Nicholas Kirk.

HOW DOES THIS WORK BENEFIT ORGANISATIONS? HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO FURTHER DEVELOP THIS SIDE OF YOUR WORK GOING FORWARD? The work we do with organisations enables them to validate assumptions about how they might do the work they envisage. In the event with Aberdeenshire Drugs and Alcohol Partnership we worked on a project to create information on safe spaces for people to eat and drink when in recovery. And in a Health event we had people from ALISS test the potential to create an SMSbased advice signposting service. The latter was then built and deployed for real within weeks of the event. Similarly, we have been able to show that uploading data such as museums collection data to Wikidata means that more people can access and work with their data instead of it being hidden away and ignored.

VOLUNTEERS PLAY A BIG PART IN SUPPORTING YOUR WORK – HOW ARE THEY INVOLVED WITH CODE THE CITY? Our volunteers are key to the success of our events, Many bring a wide range of skills in coding and data. Others bring experience in project management or communications skills. Without the volunteers giving up their weekend to attend, and contributing ideas - and creating solutions to the challenges pitched at our events - there would be nothing created. Between our events they also spread the word of what we do and achieve and help keep us in the public eye.

ACVO News 46 February 2022

IN ONE OF YOUR RECENT PROJECTS, OPENING THE DATA ON ABERDEEN CONVICTS, VOLUNTEERS HELPED TO MAKE ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR THE FIRST TIME – HOW DID THIS PROJECT COME ABOUT?

We had run a project with Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives in 2020 to open up seven years of records of ships arriving in Aberdeen Harbour between 1914 and 1920. They asked if we could do something similar with the Aberdeen Register of Returned Convicts 1869-1939.

This involved setting up the means for volunteers to transcribe data into a shared spreadsheet and have that validated by another volunteer. The data was then uploaded in bulk to WIkidata - and the photos to Wiki Commons - each with a permissive licence to reuse the data.

WHAT WERE THE AIMS OF THE PROJECT?

The aim was to open up the information in the register to a wider audience - by turning it into data, and by sharing the photos from the register on Wiki Commons, allowing for their reuse. This aligns well with the aims and core mission of Code The City. We were fortunate to gain the assistance of Sara Mazolli, a postgraduate student at Edinburgh University who became our intern and who coordinated much of the project for us.

WHY WERE VOLUNTEERS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS?

The process of converting old written registers into publishable data is relatively straightforward, but time-consuming: 1. Create some sort of spreadsheet to hold the data 2. For each record type in the information in a single row into the right columns 3. Check it all for errors 4. Extract it from the spreadsheet and upload it to somewhere for it to be shared openly We’d developed this approach for harbour arrivals. The second and third steps are the most time-consuming and where the volunteer transcribers come in.

The final outputs saw 248 convicts records, and 59 photos being shared with permissive licences to reuse these.

News 47 ACVO February 2022

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR CODE THE CITY GOING FORWARD?

Pre-pandemic we were on the brink of expanding what we do, coming up with a long-term business plan, securing better funding and hiring our first staff. But all of that was paused as the lockdown started. We’ve now got past that. We’ve just recruited two new trustees - adding to three existing founders and making the board more diverse. And so we’ll revisit those plans to solidify and expand what we do.

We’d recommend that to anyone who is interested in how we work, to see how we could help your organisation and to get some exposure to the principles of open data, open source and open working all of which would improve your own work.

Code the City will be running their 25th hack weekend, CTC25 – Creating and Sharing Openly, on 19th and 20th February 2022. This event will be predominantly online but may (subject to Covid restrictions then in place) include a face to face option.

While challenges are still being agreed with sponsors, Wikimedia UK have agreed that they will hold a Wikipedia Editathon as part of the event. This is a great way to learn how to edit Wikipedia and work on some community challenges. All are welcome regardless of skills, experience or ability.

More details will be added to the event page as they develop codethecity.org/what-we-do/hack-weekends/ctc25/ tickets are available now.

VOLUNTEERING

ACVO News 48 February 2022

Volunteering Latest from Mike Melvin and Volunteer Aberdeen Find out more at volunteeraberdeen.org.uk

"Here's to a great year ahead for volunteering!"

February update from ACVO's Volunteering Services Manager, Mike Melvin

As we find ourselves heading further in to 2022, volunteers are, as always, continuing to provide important and incredible help across Aberdeen.

Volunteers are more essential than ever, providing a real lifeline for people and communities as we recover and build back from the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is always a great honour at ACVO to assist in the outstanding volunteering we have in Aberdeen.

If you are interested in joining the thousands of people in the city who volunteer each year, here's what you can do to get involved: Find your ideal volunteering opportunity - If you are interested in volunteering please visit our dedicated Volunteer Aberdeen web-portal at www.volunteeraberdeen.org.uk to search the latest volunteering opportunities. All help always makes a real difference and is greatly appreciated Keep up to date with what's going on - tune into the So Why Don't You... programme ACVO has on the excellent SHMUfm community radio which showcases the latest third sector, community and volunteering information and news, with good music mixed in as well. It is broadcast every Wednesday, 2-3pm on 99.8fm and online at: shmu.org.uk/fm Become a young volunteer, or encourage a young person you know to get involved and help their community ACVO co-ordinate the Saltire Awards locally for people aged between 12-25 years. The Saltire Awards are national awards endorsed by the Scottish Government and delivered in each local authority area by Third Sector Interfaces

(ACVO in Aberdeen) to recognise the marvellous contribution young people make volunteering and the achievements of young volunteers. Certificates are awarded in recognition for undertaking 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 hours of volunteering. For more details about the Saltire Awards please visit saltireawards.scot/ and volunteeraberdeen.org.uk/volunteers/young-volunteers/ Involve volunteers with your organisation - If you already involve volunteers, or are considering it, we can help as well.

Visit volunteeraberdeen.org.uk/organisations/ for more information.

Learn more about our work - ACVO is also involved nationally in important volunteering developments, such as the Volunteering Action Plan for Scotland which is scheduled to launch in June this year. The Action Plan will take forward the aspirations of the Volunteering For All – Our National Framework for Volunteering in Scotland into practical ‘action on the ground’ for the benefit of volunteering and its contribution to society. This further highlights how crucial volunteers are and is an exciting opportunity and prospect for volunteering both locally and nationally. Volunteering For All – Our National Framework for Volunteering in Scotland is available at: https://bit.ly/3DkALAp Please feel welcome to contact Mike Melvin, Volunteering Services Manager at ACVO anytime can be of any help at email: mike.melvin@acvo.org.uk or tel.: 07814902083.

News 49 ACVO February 2022

NEWS

Jenna Greig, from Northfield, is up for Young Volunteer of the Year at Aberdeen's Sports Awards having excelled in many years of volunteering for Streetsport, Denis Law Legacy Trust’s flagship programme in partnership with Robert Gordon University.

Streetsport volunteer nominated for annual award

A

Streetsport volunteer has been nominated for an annual award with the results to be announced during a glitzy ceremony at P&J Live.

to coach while also

The pathway of participant to volunteer is an increasingly common one for young people at Streetsport and a route which Jenna has proven to be a great ambassador for.

leadership and a

The 20-year-old has clocked up a huge number of hours volunteering, regularly attending sessions in Northfield, Mastrick, and the two Cruyff Courts in the city.

when she turned 16

She also helped out at the recent Denis Law Legacy Trust Annual Fundraising Dinner as well as being involved in the coaching masterclass sessions with Judy Murray and the Battle of the Brits Community team.

role has never faltered since joining us

Hannah Clews, Streetsport Development Officer who has worked extensively with Jenna down the years, praised her growth and part in making Streetsport what it is.

She said: “Jenna is an excellent example of what can be achieved by taking up an opportunity. As a participant she was always a lot of fun

being a little bit… challenging!

“However, she showed flashes of genuine kindness for others which is why I encouraged her to start volunteering – a limit we’ve now lowered to 14 thanks to young

Accord Rotary at RYLA in 2019. She

volunteers like herself.

overcame fears, made new connections,

“Her enthusiasm and dedication to the

and developed her leadership skills which became a catalyst for gaining full-

almost four years ago and she’s now a

time employment.

full-time care worker while still

“I don’t think our team would be quite

managing to maintain her volunteering

the same without Jenna. She is always

hours”.

on hand to provide entertainment

During her time with Streetsport, Jenna

thanks to her never-ending list of

has grasped opportunities to enhance her skills and attended numerous workshops and training courses as well

sayings and questionable TikTok dances, but rest assured we can always count on her when called upon”,

as becoming one of the go-to volunteer

Hannah added.

media representatives.

The Aberdeen Sports Award was due to

One of Jenna’s most significant

take place on January 20 at P&J Live

moments as a volunteer was

but has now been delayed with a new

representing Streetsport and the Bon

date yet to be announced.

VOLUNTEERING

ACVO News 50 February 2022

Let's Talk.........Youth Volunteering - online event Thursday 10th March 2022, 11.00am-12.00pm Young people in Aberdeen and across Scotland are providing tremendous help volunteering and are crucial for the future of volunteering.

youth volunteering such as the Saltire Awards, Volunteering for All and the development of Scotland’s Volunteering Action Plan.

There will also be plenty time for discussion and to catch up with one another as well.

Aberdeen Volunteer Coordinators Network, ACVO, ProjectScotland Volunteering Matters and Young Scot are delighted to invite you to our online event, Let's Talk....Youth Volunteering on Thursday 10th March 2022 from 11.00am-12.00pm.

The event will also include input from guest speakers including Emily Breedon, Co Design Officer, Young Scot: Mike Melvin, Volunteering Services Manager, ACVO (third sector interface for Aberdeen); Sue van Horen, Engagement Manager-Youth VIP, ProjectScotland Volunteering Matters.

Booking is essential, register your place for the event at https://bit.ly/3AQ8vor

At this important event latest updates will be provided regarding youth volunteering, best practice in involving young people in volunteering, Youth VIP - Volunteering Innovation Project, a report back and actions from the #YouthVIP Summit: Changing The System Through Volunteering, Youth Volunteering recommendations and guidelines, opportunities to recognise

For any further details please contact Mike Melvin at email: mike.melvin@acvo.org.uk

"Join our Board of voluntary trustees" a message from Grampian Women's Aid "An exciting opportunity has arisen to become part of our board of volunteer trustees responsible for the effective governance and strategic direction of Grampian Women’s Aid. Grampian Women’s Aid offer refuge accommodation for 10 families, 1:1 support, group work, information, crisis intervention and advocacy to women and their children who experience domestic abuse. Our work also includes participation with external agencies, communities and individuals for prevention, training and awareness raising. We are currently based in Aberdeen, although we provide support services across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

sections of the community are welcome.

We are committed to diversifying our Board so women representing all

The Board currently meet 6 weekly via Zoom. The frequency and the method

We are keen to add to existing skills and knowledge to our current trustee skillset, so we particularly want to hear from women with the following professional backgrounds: human resources/employment law, organisational development and change management, finance/charity accounting, fundraising, IT and women from a legal background. We also strongly encourage women who have personal experience of domestic abuse to offer us their personal insight into accessing and using the range of services offered by women’s aid and partners.

of meeting will continue to be reviewed regularly to meet the needs of the organisation. It is important that prospective trustees recognise that they will also be, at times, responsible for progressing pieces of work in between meetings, either on an individual basis on behalf of the Board or as part of a sub-group of the Board.

There is also an expectation that new trustees will fully participate in a comprehensive induction, as well as ongoing training and support. The role of the trustee is highly rewarding but unpaid, although any expenses incurred will be reimbursed.

If you are interested and would like an application pack, please contact: aileen.forbes@grampianwomensaid.com Tel: 01224 593381"

VOLUNTEERING

ACVO News 52 February 2022

Aberdeen University Student Association relaunch volunteering database Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) aims to support and empower all students at the University of Aberdeen. They work with various stakeholders to enhance students’ experience during their time at the University.

AUSA is relaunching their volunteering database! Volunteering is a big part of student life, and their goal is to match students with organisations that are looking for help. It truly benefits both the students organisations. Students can make the most of their student experience, utilise opportunities available to them, enhance employability skills all while helping their local community. Organisations can benefit from help, skills and a different point of view.

Karolina Kubala of the AUSA said "We’re hoping to have the website and the database operational for students and providers at the beginning of February. Students will be able to scroll through available opportunities and apply directly on our website. Organisations will be able to upload their existing or upcoming opportunities on our website. You will receive the notification of application through email, access any details and offer their own application process to prospective volunteers.

"For students to be able to make the most of it, we are looking for relevant providers to share the volunteering opportunities they have to offer to our students through our website 'Volunteering on ausa.org.uk'."

"AUSA is signed up to the Scottish Volunteer Charter, so we are looking to work with partners who share the same values to ensure we are offering the best opportunities to our students.

If you are interested in advertising opportunities to our students, please get in touch with us by emailing volunteering@abdn.ac.uk. We can provide additional information and support to allow you to connect with our database of students."

News 53 ACVO February 2022

VOLUNTEERING

Volunteer your graphic design Make a skills to help the Charlie House difference to young lives 'Big Build Appeal' Volunteer with Charlie House are urgently looking for an experienced graphic designer to work

with them to develop the resources required to deliver the next phase of their 'Big Build Appeal'. They are due to launch a campaign in March that will see them break ground and begin the build, but first they need to raise the funds. The role

Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools

of the graphic design volunteer is to assist with the design of the range of resources that are needed to communicate the project and secure support from a range of audiences.

The Charlie House ‘Big Build Appeal’ was established to raise the £8m required to support this long-term goal. The building and planned services provided by the centre will dramatically change the support available to these children and their families locally, when they need it. The 8-bedroom facility will vitally offer parents and carers the chance to recharge their batteries, safe in the knowledge that their children will be in the care of specially trained medical staff.

They require help with the creation of various visual assets including; Flyers, posters, presentations, and brochures; Social media graphics and other assets for use by Charlie House and partners; Infographics; Assets for web including banners, tiles and images The team at Charlie House said, "Your creative output will shape the next phase of the big Build project, allowing us to reach the £8million target and commence the build of the Charlie House facility. With your help we will be able to continue to provide our team with the tools they need to communicate and secure funding to provide this vital service to the families that so desperately need it."

Get in touch with Leanne Rayner, Marketing and Communications Manager at Charlie House by emailing Leanner@charliehouse.org.uk to find out more.

Sport Aberdeen’s Active Schools team is currently seeking new volunteers who are eager to play an important role in improving the health and wellbeing of Aberdeen’s young people.

The invitation to volunteer extends to anyone over the age of 13 with an interest in sport and a desire to give back to the local community, who is inspired to help young people.

Secondary school pupils who opt to volunteer will be accompanied by an adult when helping to deliver sessions.

Volunteering with Active Schools can help young people to try new sports or activities, make new friends and improve their attendance at school, along with many other benefits.

Similarly, if you choose to volunteer then you can improve your communication and leadership skills, potentially gain qualifications and make a real difference to children’s lives.

Volunteers can be teachers, family members, senior pupils, students, community members, club coaches or anyone interested in helping! Training and support is provided by Active Schools Coordinators across the city.

Contact the team directly at activeschools@sportaberdeen.co.uk for further information.

VOLUNTEERING

ACVO News 54 February 2022

"We are here to reach out to vulnerable people who need help" An interview with Karen Fong Service Manager for the Grampian Area with Royal Voluntary Service "Royal Voluntary Service has been in Aberdeen since 1992 when it opened The Stroke Club, which is still going strong to this day. In 1999 it opened its retail shops, current sites are the Maternity Hospital, Cornhill Hospital and Royal Children’s Hospital. For our community services this opened in 2011 where our aim was to help older vulnerable adults in the community, this included the Meals on Wheels and Home from Hospital services. Over time our commitment has stayed true to helping vulnerable people reflected in our services which has adapted to meet the needs of the community – Community Transport; Shopping; Social Companionship. In 2018 we introduced our Supporting you at Home and Supporting your Recovery 12-week support services to help people who have been recently discharged or due for discharge to settle back home. In 2021 we began working in partnership with NHS Grampian to offer a response Patient Discharge service and provided transport to patient attending dialysis treatment. As a service we continue to grow and merged with the Aberdeenshire and Moray services to form a Grampian Service, while still being able to provide local services and support volunteers.

Royal Voluntary Service is committed to offering services to help the community. We are here to reach out to vulnerable people who need help with tasks we take for granted such as getting to medical or social appointments if they can’t use public transport or a taxi service is too expensive.

News 55 ACVO February 2022

VOLUNTEERING

Our volunteers can help with getting shopping if someone is physically unable to do so or they can accompany a volunteer to the shops. Social interaction is a key part of what we do, whether that be our Safe and Well calls or home visits as part of the Supporting you at Home/Recovery services – or simply through engaging with our volunteers during a car journey or at the front door dropping off shopping - our volunteers deliver more than a service, they are friendly positive people who bring a smile to people’s faces.

Has the pandemic impacted the way you operate as a service?

Yes, during the first national lockdown we had to change our model of delivering services to postpone face to face support. Our focus was to continue transport to essential medical appointments such as those who required transport to chemotherapy. Our volunteers continued shopping (shop and drop) and as a charity we introduced the Safe & Well (social companionship through telephone calls). We saw an increase in people stepping forward to volunteer which was amazing. Referrals for Safe & Well calls was in demand. As lockdown eased, we slowly reintroduced services ensuring COVID safe practices was in place. We introduced shopping (assisted shopping); home visits/garden visits/ 1-1 assisted walks. We are now permitted to transport clients to any appointment. During the pandemic we reached out to all adult client groups, in addition to older people, as a response to unprecedented times we all faced. We continue to help vulnerable adults of any age.

Volunteers play a vital role within the organisation, what are some of the things you rely on them to deliver?

Volunteers assist in the delivery of our core reliable, friendly and professional services including Community Transport, Shopping, Prescription Collection, Safe & Well calls and 1-1 Home visits.

Could you tell us a bit more about the transport service in particular?

With our Community Transport programme, volunteers will take someone to a medical or social appointment. In the past this has included transport to things like GP, dentist, opticians appointments and also to visit family or friends, attend lunch clubs or visit people in care homes.

We always adhere to current government guidelines and require both drivers and passengers wear a mask with the window open, passenger to sit at the back seat furthest away from driver. There is a small charge - £4.20 for the first 3 miles and 65p per mile thereafter. We send a monthly invoice.

In partnership with NHS Grampian we deliver a Discharge Patient Transport service which is coordinated by NHSG. We have volunteers on duty who we contact if a request comes in. We also help the Renal Ward with driving patients to their dialysis treatment. These services are not chargeable to the patients.

Are you actively looking for volunteers at the moment? How can people offer their time?

Yes, we always welcome more volunteers for any of our services. Our roles are designed to be flexible, so you can choose to do as little or as much as you want. We operate Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm so a member of the team is always at hand. Volunteers can claim reasonable expenses (mileage is 45p per mile).

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact the office 01224 937110 or email grampiansupport@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk.

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES

ACVO News 58 February 2022

Spectra – Scotland’s Festival of Light 2022 Volunteers The latest from our team.

Curated Place (the production team behind Spectra – Aberdeen’s Festival of Light 2015-22) are looking for volunteers to work alongside them to deliver ‘Spectra – Scotland’s Festival of Light’ 2022. On the evenings of 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th February 2022, Aberdeen City Centre will be transformed by immersive light and sound installations inspired by the Scotland’s “Year of Stories”. There will be award winning international, UK and Scottish artists creating a series of artworks around the city which will engage Aberdeen audiences. A full description of the artists and the works can be seen here – https://www.spectrafestival.co.uk/artists.

An exciting and fantastic opportunity to help out and be part of a major event. All help makes a difference and is greatly appreciated.

We look forward to hearing from you. If you are interested, please fill in this form at https://forms.gle/x3w5gxuutkNrhHUN7 and we’ll be in touch.

Please direct any queries to – Alison Brodie (Creative Producer) at email: alison@curatedplace.com or tel.: 07738113493.

Pushing Out The Boat: Volunteer Treasurer The latest from our team.

Pushing Out the Boat magazine (North-east Scotland’s Biennial Magazine of New Writing and the Visual Arts) is looking for a new treasurer to join our team of unpaid volunteers.

We are a small registered charity (SCIO No SC044919). We get our main income from selling our magazine and holding events. Our main costs are printing the magazine and administration.

Your duties would include: 1. Management of our receipts and payments through our bank and PayPal accounts and in cash 2. Using Excel spreadsheets to keep our financial records and prepare our annual accounts.

The Treasurer is also a member of our management committee. Whilst the basic skills required to perform the duties described above are essential, we will provide help and support on other aspects of the role. A general interest in the arts would be an asset but is not essential.

We are a friendly group of volunteers whose meetings and occasional events are held in or near Aberdeen. Please browse our website at https://www.pushingouttheboat.co.uk/ to get a feel for what we do.

Contact us at info@pushingouttheboat.co.uk to discuss this opportunity. If you’re interested and qualified, we’ll invite you to meet a small group of trustees to confirm that we’re suited for each other.

Bonny Café Volunteers and Kitchen Helpers – Bonnymuir Green Trust The latest from our Community team.

Bonnymuir Green Community Trust is a thriving community owned green space.

Bonny Café is a community café, run by volunteers at Bonnymuir Green Community Centre. We serve drinks, hot food and baked goods from 10.30 -1.30, takeaway and indoor table service. The café has recently increased its opening hours and is now running Friday to Sunday, so we are hoping to find new volunteers to support these extended opening times.

We are particularly looking for people to help with kitchen duties in the cafe: cooking hot food. making up bacon/sausage rolls. making up sandwiches.

You will be given a warm welcome and all the help and support you need to learn the ropes. Bonnymuir Green is a fantastic place to be involved with and has really developed and grown since it opened to the public three years ago. There is no set commitment – we appreciate any time that you have to give!

For further information please contact Liz Brown, Bonnymuir Green Community Trust Centre Coordinator at email: centrecoordinator.bgct@gmail.com or tel.: 07799 206258

News 59 ACVO February 2022

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES

Butterfly Trust Volunteers The latest from our team.

The Butterfly Trust are a Scottish registered charity that offer direct one to one support to people living with Cystic Fibrosis.

We are helping to empower people with Cystic Fibrosis in Scotland. To assist in this we are currently seeking volunteers to join us as: *Befrienders for young people with Cystic Fibrosis *Mentors *Volunteer support All are great opportunities to make a real difference for people. 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 the Butterfly Trust please contact either Dr Miles Tew or Helen Tew, Volunteer Managers at E Mail: miles@butterflytrust.org.uk / helen.tew@butterflytrust.org.uk or tel 07712 606891.

Age Scotland Friendship Callers The latest from our team.

Having a conversation can have such a positive impact. That’s why we offer a Friendship Service which listens, provides friendship and offers support. We can talk about all sorts, from current interests, hobbies, personal and professional goals, top tier biscuits, time travel – the list is endless!

The role of a Friendship Caller Volunteer is to provide friendship, companionship and a listening ear to people who are 50 and over and would benefit from a weekly chat. We are looking for volunteers who can volunteer 2-3 hours of their time on the same day each week.

Excellent support and relevant training is provided to all volunteers. Including: *Full training on call-handling and our systems will be available to ensure you’re confident taking your first call! *In addition, on-going training, support and Age Scotland In-House training will be made available to volunteers. *If you enjoy a blether over the phone and commit to 2 hours per week on the same day, for 6 months we’d love to hear from you!

All help makes a difference and is greatly appreciated.

For further details please contact Ashley Marr or Sheona Dorrian, Age Scotland Friendship Service Co-Ordinators at E Mail: ashley.marr@agescotland.org.uk

Webmaster Volunteer – Grampian 50+ Network The latest from our team.

Grampian 50+ Network is a network of Older People’s Walking Groups from across Grampian. Established in 1998, it currently has 55 member groups with total of 1300 members from Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire & Moray. The Network offers support and training as well as running large events, and producing a newsletter “AGEnda” three times a year. The Network is a registered charity and is run totally by a committee of older volunteers with help from members when running events like our Spring or Autumn Walks, Spring Fling or Ramblers’ Rendezvous. For information about these, we have a website www.grampian50plusnetwork.comand members only Facebook Page.

We are now looking for a volunteer who has the skills and interest in developing and maintaining our website. This would include bringing the site up to date, liaising with the committee for up to date information to be added as well as attracting more older people to join our walking groups.

Excellent support and relevant training is provided to all volunteers. The volunteer would initially meet with one or more members of the committee and if possible attend a committee meeting. Ongoing support from a designated member of the committee.

A fantastic opportunity to help. All help makes a difference and is greatly appreciated.

For more details please contact Marjory D’Arcy, Chair, Grampian 50+ Network at email m.c.darcy@talk21.com or tel: 07989 063989.

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES

ACVO News 60 February 2022

Welcome to Aberdeen and shire Volunteers The latest from our team.

Are you are interested in meeting new people, learning new skills, showing your passion for the all things Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire? We are currently seeking people in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire to provide a warm North-east welcome for visitors to our wonderful region? *What is a Welcome to Aberdeenshire volunteer?

First impressions count! Our Welcome to Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire volunteer initiative is looking for friendly, passionate and proud people keen to share local knowledge of our wonderful area with visitors. *Role Purpose: To give a warm welcome to visitors arriving in the region and provide information and assistance to make their time in the destination a fantastic experience. *Interested in this volunteering opportunity?

Please go to https://www.visitabdn.com/about-us/volunteers/ for more information and to apply or please email volunteer@visitabdn.com

Aberdeen City Health & Social Care Partnership Vaccination Support Volunteers The latest from our team.

We are looking for individuals to take up an exciting opportunity to support the delivery of the vaccination programme in Aberdeen city. Working with the team at the Aberdeen City Vaccination Centre in the former John Lewis site in the city centre, you will be an integral part of the team supporting the flow of patients through the centre and providing help to the public where required.

Duties will include greeting patients as they attend the centre, assisting those with mobility issues as they move through the centre, and escorting patients to other areas (i.e. toilet facilities) where required. You may also be asked to help with restocking of supplies, assist with queue management, and support the team with other tasks where required.

All help makes a difference and is greatly appreciated.

For more information please contact Ali Macaulay, Support Manager at email: alison.macaulay@nhs.scot or tel.: 07790 713260.

Big Noise Torry Volunteers The latest from our team.

We believe every child and young person deserves the same opportunity to succeed and so we provide free, immersive, instrumental music tuition to pupils and pre-school children. This leads to an enhanced ability to learn in school, improvements in emotional wellbeing, confidence and esteem, as well as the acquisition of a range of social and life skills. To achieve this, volunteers are vital for our Big Noise Centre in Torry.

As a Big Noise volunteer, you’ll be helping us transform children’s lives through music. You don’t need to have any musical experience, just a passion for making a difference to the lives of young people.

Volunteers help in a variety of valuable ways, including: Helping children stay focused and engaged during music lessons Walk children from school to the Big Noise Centre Helping set up for rehearsals and music lessons and assisting the children and young people to play their instruments if required Supervise children during snack times, breaks, time-out etc. and much more…

You can become a positive role model in children’s lives and someone they look forward to spending time with. You will benefit from this by receiving training, developing skills in communication and gaining experience of working with children and young people.

-Visit our website at https://www.makeabignoise.org.uk/volunteering/ and apply online at https://www.makeabignoise.org.uk/volunteering/apply-online/aberdeen/ or contact us at email: torry@sistemascotland.org.uk or telephone: 01786 462923.

News 61 ACVO February 2022

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES

Guide Dogs – Puppy Raiser The latest from our team.

You will be providing a puppy with a vital foundation for its future role as a guide dog. This is a full-time volunteering opportunity as a puppy will live with you in your home for around 12-16 months. It should be noted that although it is possible for another Puppy Raiser to look after a dog on your behalf for short periods of time that this may not always be possible. Consideration should be given to your future plans such as holidays abroad.

“It’s so rewarding to know that the dog will go on to help people with sight loss gain independence and freedom.” – Chris, Puppy Raiser -For more details and to apply to be a Guide Dogs – Puppy Raiser please: *visit: https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/how-you-can-help/volunteering-for-guide-dogs/ or *If you have any questions or would like to discuss the role further before applying please email Guide Dogs Volunteer Coordinator, Aaron Puckrin at aaron.puckrin@guidedogs.org.uk Thank you.

Volunteer Befrienders – TLC Befriending Service Thecan latest from team.

Everyone feel lonely andour isolated at times, especially if experiencing hardship.

This year, in response to the crippling effects of loneliness and isolation on peoples wellbeing (physical, emotional, social and mental health), that the pandemic has only exacerbated, TLC have responded to this need and developed a befriending service to combat the loneliness and isolation felt by many in our city.

Our aim is that our expertly trained and compassionate volunteers will not only provide a lifeline to people, in the form of friendship, but also a helping hand to reconnect to the community, bringing joy and passion back into people’s lives.

If you would like to be a beacon of hope to someone in need, please do apply to join our team.

For further information please contact Jonny Astill, Development Manager at email: jonny@tlc.org.uk or tel.: 07859 771292.

Details also available at: https://www.tlc.org.uk/befriending

Aberdeen North Foodbank Warehouse Volunteers Thethink latest from team.should have to face going hungry. That’s why we provide three days’ nutritionally We don’t anyone in ourour community balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to us in crisis. We are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the country. To assist in this we are currently seeking help with the following volunteer role: > Warehouse Volunteers – Aberdeen North Foodbank This role involves supporting the food bank team in managing their food donations. Food donations are sorted, weighed and packed ready for distribution.

The warehouse is located at: The Bridge, King’s Way, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, AB23 8BL. People can help volunteering here on either a Tuesday or Thursday evening (or both if you wish).

Excellent support and relevant training is provided to all volunteers. You will be given all the required training and support before starting your role.

A fantastic opportunity to help. All assistance makes a real difference and is greatly appreciated.

For more details please contact Matthew McArthur, Project Manager, Aberdeen North Foodbank at email: info@aberdeennorth.foodbank.org.uk or tel.: 01224 518936.

FUNDING

ACVO News 62 February 2022

Funding Funding news and highlights from ACVO Funding Officer, Claire Shaw

Fairer Aberdeen Fund

closing date for applications 7th February 2022 The Fairer Aberdeen Fund is allocated by Aberdeen City Council and managed by the Fairer Aberdeen Board. The purpose of the Fund is to tackle poverty and deprivation. The Fund focuses on priority neighbourhoods that fall within the 0-20% most deprived in Scotland, as well as supporting vulnerable groups across the City.

Your application should demonstrate how your project will contribute to the Local Outcome Improvement Plan and Locality Plans, and target one or more of the priority neighbourhoods and/or one or more of the vulnerable groups. If your project does not contribute to any of the priority outcomes and target priority areas or groups it will not be considered for funding.

Priority areas: Cummings Park, Heathryfold Middlefield, Northfield, Mastrick, Seaton, Tillydrone, Woodside, Ashgrove, George Street, Stockethill, Torry and Kincorth Priority Groups: People living in poverty, Lone parents and families with children, Unemployed people, Children & young people, People with health issues, Old People and Minority groups, or those with protected characteristics, who are affected by poverty or have been disadvantaged by the pandemic.

To discuss whether your project is eligible for funding, or to request an application form, please email faireraberdeenfund@aberdeencity.gov.uk

News 63 ACVO February 2022

FUNDING

Equality Fund launched to make Scottish workplaces more inclusive and diverse A two-year equality fund has been launched to make Scottish workplaces, including those in the legal sector, more inclusive and diverse.

The Scottish government-funded initiative has £800,000 available in its first year and aims to address barriers in the labour market.

Looking for funding for programmes that make a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing in Aberdeen?

Applications for the 2022-2024 Workplace Equality Fund are now open, and for the first time will be administered by Advice Direct Scotland, the country’s national advice service.

Charities, third sector organisations, public sector organisations and private sector businesses can apply for up to £75,000 in each year of the fund to carry out activities that will help to improve diversity in the workplace.

The funding is used for projects focused on one or more priority groups from the following list: women; minority ethnic workers; disabled workers; older workers (those aged over 50); people who experience gender-based violence; workers who are experiencing social isolation and/or loneliness; workers experiencing symptoms of the menopause; and veterans and spouses of veterans.

Projects can take place within any sector, industry or geographic area provided that they demonstrate the impact on priority groups through addressing systemic inequalities in the workplace.

Employment minister Richard Lochhead said: “Employment rates, pay gaps,

Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund

occupational segregation, workplace discrimination and progression opportunities within the labour market vary significantly across Scotland.

“The Scottish government is committed to inclusive economic growth and helping employers develop their workplace practices to address inequality is key to the Workplace Equality Fund.

“Promoting growth in employment opportunities and tackling inequality within the labour market is essential to the sustained, long-term prosperity of the Scottish economy.

“We encourage private, public and third sector organisations to apply for funding through the Workplace Equality Fund.”

Last year, funds offered immediate support during the pandemic to ensure that efforts to promote and embed workplace equality could continue so that equality groups were not further disadvantaged by the economic impact of Covid 19.

Organisations and businesses that wish to apply for funding should visit www.equalityadvice.scot.

apply now at acvo.org.uk/mhgrants

ACVO News

Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund applications still open for Level 1 (Up to £2000 inc. unconstituted groups) and Level 2 grants (£2001-£10,000 constituted groups only) until March 15th apply now at acvo.org.uk/mhgrants

News 65 ACVO February 2022

FUNDING

Aberdeen Harbour Board announce £30,000 fund available to local community groups Aberdeen Harbour Board has announced a £30,000 fund to support local community groups and charities in 2022.

The funding will be available to groups in the areas close to the port, including Torry, Balnagask, Altens, Tullos and Cove.

The 2022 funding programme will be bolstered by donations of time, resources, and equipment from the Harbour Board.

Bob Sanguinetti, Chief Executive of Aberdeen Harbour Board, said: “As a Trust Port operating in the heart of the city, we have a vested, proactive interest in ensuring our local communities can prosper and we look forward to partnering with local groups this year, so that children and adults can prosper.”

Since its establishment in 2014, the port’s community action programme has donated £600,000 to nearly 50 community groups and charities across Aberdeen. Its recent beneficiaries have included Greyhope Bay, Cultivate

Aberdeen’s St. Fittick’s Edible Garden, Big Noise Torry, the Fittie Community Development Trust and the Sue Ryder Neurological Care Centre, Dee View Court.

through the supPORT-all scheme.”

Maggie Hepburn, Chief Executive at ACVO TSI said “It’s always fantastic to hear when funding has been made available to support the vital work of third sector and community organisations in the city. As the third sector interface for Aberdeen, we see day to day how important funding is, and it’s most welcome to learn that more money has been made available

Find out more and apply at aberdeen-harbour.co.uk/aboutus/community/

Applications for funding open on Wednesday 2 February and close on Wednesday 2 March. Recipients will be announced shortly thereafter.

Mary Salmond Trust applications close 21 March The Mary Salmond Trust offers grants up to £500 to groups and individuals from the North East of Scotland.

The trust aims to support the advancement of community development, by encouraging activities that have a public benefit.

The Trust is also keen to promote projects which focus on children and young people’s health and welfare, training and education, civic responsibility, and volunteering.

During the year to 31 March 2021 the Trustees met twice

The amount of each grant was limited to a maximum of £500. Of these grants, 12 were made to community organisations or charities and 2 were made to individuals.

Since the Trust was established in 2007, 413 grants amounting to £164,091 have been awarded, an average of £397 per grant.

The next Trustees meeting is 23 March.

Completed applications should be submitted by 21 March.

and approved 14 applications for funding support totalling

Full details and application details can be found at

£6,409.

www.marysalmondtrust.com

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE UPDATES

ACVO News 66 February 2022

Health & Social Care Updates

Be part of the change with the Scottish Mental Illness Stigma Survey The Mental Health Foundation, See Me and Glasgow Caledonian University are undertaking a ground breaking research project to better understand how people living with severe, complex and/or enduring mental illnesses experience stigma and discrimination.

If you have experience of severe, complex and/or enduring mental illnesses, and would like to use your experiences to influence change and help others, the research team would love to hear from you.

You can find out more about the survey, eligibility criteria, and how to get involved on the See Me website.

Free Bereavement Support for Workplaces Affected by Suicide The Scottish Government is funding free bereavement support for workplaces affected by suicide, until 31 March 2022 Cruse Scotland recognise how devastating it can be when a colleague, client or patient dies by suicide. The feelings can be overwhelming – some people may experience shock and depression, others report feelings of guilt and blame – and managers are often unsure how to navigate the aftermath.

Cruse Scotland are highly trained and experienced in dealing with grief

following suicide. We are here to help you and your colleagues process what has happened and find a way to cope.

If this is something your team could benefit from, please contact us at info@crusescotland.org.uk and we will design a support programme to meet your needs.

News 67 ACVO February 2022

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE UPDATES

The British Red Cross offer free educational workshops to members of the community and are back to taking bookings across Scotland!

The workshops are fun, interactive and we cover life saving skills in a 1 hour workshop that takes place at your location or hosted by us online.

It would be great to get some workshops running for both staff, volunteers and those using your service.

Here’s a little more information about what we offer: For over 18yrs: First Aid We explore what first aid means and talk about different ways of helping We cover lifesaving skills including Recovery Position, CPR, How to use an AED & more We provide an opportunity to ask any questions about scenarios they might be worried about Adapt to and recover from adversity This workshop will help you speak openly about how challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic have impacted on you, positively or negatively. You will learn to help yourself and others adapt and recover by building practical and emotional skills that help when faced with a crisis.

Tackling loneliness This workshop gives participants the chance to speak openly about how it might feel to be lonely or isolated and learn skills to help others who may be suffering.

For 10-18yrs: First Aid We explore what first aid means and talk about different ways of helping We cover lifesaving skills including Recovery Position, CPR, How to use an AED & more

We provide an opportunity to ask any questions about scenarios they might be worried about Coping with challenges Young people face a variety of multi-layered challenges in their life.

This workshop aims to provide young people with a resilience building framework to help them cope with the challenges they face.

The workshops are completely funded by the British Red Cross so there is no charge.

This offer is intended to reach as many people in need as possible so multiple bookings with the same organisation are welcome.

If you are interested in booking an in person workshop you can do so here. (We cover from Ayrshire to Inverness) If you are interested in organising an online workshop via Zoom/ Teams you can do so here.

For multiple bookings please reach out to JamesDickie@redcross.org.uk to organise or call 07734 481728 for more information

VACANCIES

News 69 ACVO February 2022

VACANCIES

find out more and apply

VACANCIES

find out more and apply

find out more and apply

ACVO News 70 February 2022

News 71 ACVO February 2022

VACANCIES

find out more and apply

find out more and apply

VACANCIES

find out more and apply

find out more and apply

ACVO News 72 February 2022

News 73 ACVO February 2022

VACANCIES

find out more and apply

VACANCIES

find out more and apply

find out more and apply

ACVO News 74 February 2022

News 75 ACVO February 2022

VACANCIES

Let ACVO help you to find your new team member Get in touch with andrew.davidson@acvo.org.uk to find out how to advertise your vacancy on our site and in ACVO News.

ACVO COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR

View See the latest events from the third and voluntary sectors, as well as the wider community in Aberdeen and beyond

ACVO is delighted to announce the launch of our Community Events Calendar, a place for you to find out what's going on in Aberdeen and beyond and to share your own events, completely free of charge!

Submit Are you hosting talks, workshops, training sessions, exhibitions, volunteer days, charity

your calendar, your events, your community.

acvo.org.uk/events view now at

fundraisers or any other type of event?

Submit on our site now, it's easy and completely free!

ACVO News 78 February 2022

Event Highlig February

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Print-making Online – Cornhill Community Centre - 14:00 - 16:00

We have fun, artsy, family friendly online printmaking workshops on the following Sundays – 30/1, 6/2 and 13/2 from 2pm to 4pm. These are a bargain – from £7 including materials.

Come to all 3 for only £15 (£4 a session or £10 for 3 sessions for people receiving benefits).

These sessions are aimed at people in the Cornhill, and surrounding area, of Aberdeen.

For more information please email cornhillcommunitycentre@gmail.com with your name and contact phone number and we’ll get back to you.

Register now for this free, essential, climate emergency training for Youth Workers and those working with young people. Gain an understanding of the climate emergency: this course will equip you with the skills and tools you need to support young people in climate action. Following COP26 it has never been more important to support young people’s concerns about climate change and turn it into positive action.

Not only will you gain knowledge, skills and some real-life ideas for communicating and working with young people on this topic, but for those who successfully complete the course, you have the opportunity to earn a certificate of Carbon Literacy.

The training is part of the Scottish Government funded COP26 Youth Climate Programme and is being delivered by Keep Scotland Beautiful and YouthLink Scotland.

Find out more and book your place at: https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/cop26scottish-youth-climate-programme/

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Climate Emergency Training for Youth Workers and those Working with Young People - Keep Scotland Beautiful 9:30 am - 5:00 pm

News 79 ACVO February 2022

ghts find more event listings, and submit yours free of charge at

acvo.org.uk/events View Events Website Hear from the Scottish Government about what the revised Benefit take-up strategy means for Scotland and those that provide money guidance.

Last October the Scottish Government published Scotland’s new Benefit Take-up Strategy.

This outlines plans to make sure that nobody misses out on financial support due to a lack of awareness or barriers to applying.

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There’ll also be opportunities to network with other participants during this Money Guiders Scotland network event.

Find out more about the network and how to join There’s further information at Money Guiders Scotland network (www.moneyguidersscotland.org), brought to you by the Improvement Service in partnership with the Money and Pensions Service.

The Money Guiders Network run regular sessions on a variety of topics - check the online calendar for full listings

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Organek (support Barber Q) – (Polish Scottish Mini Festival) Polish Association Aberdeen 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

View Events Website The only such gig in the UK. ‘Organek’ at Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, doors 7.30pm (support Barber Q) ØRGANEK is well recognised and widely awarded in Poland. The raw garage sound along with the literary talent of the leader allowed Organek to quickly achieve huge success. He has platinum albums, awards of the music industry, he combines his literary talent with being a musician.

Barber Q’ our local talent will meet and play before our star.

In December 2021, they released their debut single ‘Dynamite’, the band has been playing since 2017 and their concerts are enjoyable. Getting a lot of interest. Vocalist Mateusz Psonak took part in ‘The Voice of Poland’, being part of Michał Szpak’s team.

Money Guiders network: Benefit Take-up Strategy – how it started and how it’s going 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Event Highlights

ACVO News 80 February 2022

find more event listings, and submit yours free of charge at

acvo.org.uk/events

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Training Webinar: Children & Young People’s Experience of Domestic Abuse 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Events Website Course participants will gain an understanding of the dynamics of domestic abuse and the effects that coercive control has on children and young people.

Learning Outcomes: Understanding how children and young people experience domestic abuse through theory, research and survivor testimony Knowledge of how domestic abuse impacts on the child’s relationship with the abusing parent and the non-abusing parent, and the role children take in this family dynamic Supporting children and young people experiencing domestic abuse Introduction to the key concepts of the Safe and Together model

Events Website Free virtual learning package for anyone who works with young carers.

ASH Scotland has developed a free virtual learning package to help those who work with young carers and their families to understand more about how children and young people are affected by smoking.

Supported by Carers Trust Scotland and Scottish Young Carers Services Alliance this online course explores ways to: – protect young carers from second-hand smoke – support young people to stay smoke-free – feel confident having non-judgmental conversations with families about smoking – Help improve the health and wellbeing of young carers and their families.

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Supporting young carers’ health and wellbeing - ASH Scotland 10:30 am - 11:30 am

News 81 ACVO February 2022

Events Website NESS Sensory Awareness Training is delivered to raise awareness of both the practical and the emotional impact of sensory loss. NESS’s Sensory Awareness Training combines e-learning and video conference to provide you and your team with the knowledge, skills, confidence, and awareness to be supportive and inclusive of people living with a sight and/or a hearing loss.

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The e-learning is divided into a section on Visual Awareness and a section on Deaf Awareness, and is designed to stimulate all types of learners by incorporating quizzes, videos, and exercises throughout the course. Sensory Awareness Training covers a wide array of topics including, but not limited to, the different ways that vision is affected by sight loss; the different degrees of deafness and how these impact on communication; mobility techniques someone who is visually impaired may use; what British Sign Language is; and much, much more.

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Free Art Classes for Adults - Inchgarth Community Centre 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Team Inchgarth is thrilled to announce that we will be offering free spaces in art classes for adults run by our amazing and experienced tutor Mandy Clubb at Inchgarth Community Centre thanks to the funding we have received from the ACVO Scottish Government Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund!

This is part of our efforts to 1) promote positive mental health and wellbeing, 2) make activities such as art classes accessible to people who might otherwise be prevented from participating due to a variety of economic, social or other barriers.

The class will be suitable for folks of all levels of artistic skill.

The class will be starting on the 23rd of February and will take place on Wednesdays between 6-8PM. In order to join, all you need is a centre membership, which costs £10 a year. To acquire membership or book, please contact us via inchgarthcc4@gmail.com or 01224 325191.

Sensory Awareness (Sight Loss and Hearing Loss) Awareness Training 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

acvo.org.uk