Jobs in Torry & Ferryhill, Aberdeen

Post 1: Project Officer, Literacy Champions – North East Scotland

You will need to live in or around Aberdeenshire, and have an excellent understanding of the communities and families in the area

Post 2: Project Officer, Literacy Champions – West Scotland

You will need to live in or around Glasgow or Ayr, and have an excellent understanding of the communities and families in the area.

We empower people with the literacy skills they need to succeed in life. Together we're helping people change their stories. You could join us to help mobilise thousands of local volunteers in support of 2026 National Year of Reading.

What you’ll be doing

2026 will be a National Year of Reading, a once-in-a-generation, UK-wide campaign to engage new audiences in reading and change the national reading culture for good. The National Literacy Trust will lead, develop and coordinate the National Year of Reading, ensuring a powerful and engaging national campaign which redefines reading for a new generation.

A core part of our plans is to mobilise thousands of volunteers across the UK, including through our own Literacy Champions project, which identifies, trains and supports volunteers to promote literacy in their local area. This may be in person or online and includes everything from community book-swaps and reading corners, to setting up homework clubs and creating videos. Some of those volunteers are Lead Literacy Champions – volunteers who take on a planning and coordination role working with others.

Through the National Year of Reading, we want to expand the number of Lead Literacy Champions – who in turn will engage other volunteers through their networks and connections. You will coordinate this work across north east Scotland, with a focus on the Aberdeenshire area. You will identify and engage existing groups of volunteers and suitable organisations, providing training so they can become Lead Literacy Champions.

This is an opportunity to build a new network of volunteers promoting reading and enhancing the many offers and opportunities in Scotland.

These are home-working roles and will involve regular travel around your area. There will also be some national travel – for our organisational away days, which take place in London three times per year, as well as approximately three team days per year. All travel expenses will be covered.

What we’re looking for

You will be experienced in recruiting, training and supporting volunteers, and providing project support in a charity or educational context. You will also have experience of working with early years settings, schools or community organisations, and good knowledge of safeguarding practice in this context.

Experience of community mobilisation, and developing resources and training materials, would be an advantage, as would an excellent knowledge of literacy issues.

Due to the nature of delivery, you will need a full clean driving license and access to your own vehicle. You will also need to be able to manage physical aspects of the role, including managing book stocks and other resources.

Why our work is so vital

Literacy changes everything.

It gives you the tools to get the most out of life, and the power to shape your future. It’s the key to knowledge, confidence and inspiration. It’s better results at school, and better jobs. If children grow up without the tools to communicate, without books to read or opportunities to write, it’s harder to get where you want to go.

The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity helping people overcome these challenges and change their life chances through the power of words – reading, writing, speaking and listening. From first words, through school days to training, jobs and beyond.

• We work collaboratively in local communities, focusing our work in 20 areas of the UK that are facing the biggest challenges.

• We support schools, developing the most effective tools and techniques and providing resources and programmes to engage and inspire children.

• We campaign to make literacy a priority for politicians and decision-makers.

• We support vulnerable adults, people in the criminal justice system and young offenders’ institutions to build their literacy skills

What we offer you

Our team are passionate about our mission and we have a strong and positive working culture, based on shared values and respect. We offer a range of flexible working options and promote a workplace where you can be yourself and contribute to our success, whoever you are.

As well as a competitive salary, we offer benefits including a generous leave allowance totalling 39 days (including bank holidays and office closure between Christmas and New Year), pension contributions of 8% of annual salary, a cycle to work scheme, employee assistance programme and other health and wellbeing benefits.

Are you passionate about making a difference to the climate crisis by inspiring parents to take action? Do you have experience of community organising . If so, we’d love to hear from you!

We are particularly keen to hear from people who experience marginalisation and minoritisation or who are often excluded from decision-making processes. For example, people of colour; people from working-class backgrounds; people from LGBTQ and migrant communities; care-experienced young people and people with disabilities.

About us

Parents for Future Scotland became a charity less than 2 years ago as a result of grassroots parent organising across Scotland and are now a small staff team with a growing network of activists. We are seeking to make climate action the norm among all parents in Scotland. We are in the midst of a big step change, increasing our influence and reach across the country, and we need you to help us in doing that. This post will build on work undertaken in Aberdeen. It is the only post in the North of Scotland.

Main tasks

• Building and growing a solid network of parent volunteers in Aberdeen, and supporting them to mobilise to combat climate issues that affect them.
• Skilling up the network of volunteers by delivering appropriate trainings and supporting them to build their own networks.
• Collaborating with other climate organisations in Aberdeen to amplify each other's work and building a stronger climate network in the region which supports the sharing of information across groups at key times.
• Piloting our successful Air Pollution programme in Aberdeen schools; editing resources to be area-specific, building relationships with the education department and recruiting and training parent volunteers to deliver air pollution talks to parents in schools.
• Contribute to hustings taking part in Aberdeen and surrounding areas in the run up to the Scottish Parliament election.
• Share the work taking place in Aberdeen on our community WhatsApp channels and socials
• Travel to the Central Belt regularly to meet and exchange learnings with the wider PfFS team

Are you right for the role?

We want to create a world which is climate-safe for all children, everywhere. Forever. This is not just a job but an outlook, a vision and a way of being which inspires change through hope, love and connection….and work! Our key values which thread through all delivery are: Hope with Unity, Kindness and Compassion, Truth and Honesty, Self-responsibility, Dignity and Respect, Quality, Open Minds and Curiosity and a Learning Mindset - skilling ourselves up and others is ongoing. If this resonates with you then you’re in the right place!

• Our aim is to reach communities from marginalised groups whose voices are least often heard. Do you have lived experience or have you worked with communities who experience multiple barriers?
• Are you passionate about making a difference to the climate crisis by challenging the systems that perpetuate it, and do you understand the challenges of being a parent activist?
• Are you a good networker who can bring people together and undertake partnership working?
• Do you have experience of talking to different audiences and tailoring your messaging towards their priorities?
• Are you able to work both autonomously and in a team, and prioritise a busy workload?
• Do you have knowledge or experience of community organising? We can train you, but a basis in this approach would be extremely helpful.

What we offer

• Three days per week on a self-employed basis at £200 per day for 46 weeks until 31 December 2026 (£27,600)
• We offer a flexible working environment, ideal for juggling the pressures of being a working parent.
• Working from home
• We are a fledgling organisation so your skills/expertise will help shape our direction
• You will work closely with the CEO and our Community Organiser, who will support you throughout
• There is a high likelihood that we can continue the work undertaken in this role past the current funding period.

This role is key in building power in our movement to win a better transport system in Scotland – one that cuts climate emissions, connects communities and is run in the interests of passengers, not profit.

Transport is Scotland’s largest polluting sector, so tackling the transport system is vital for cutting fossil fuel use and climate emissions.

The focus of this role is our campaign for better buses. Our vision is of an accessible, extensive, publicly-owned bus network that’s free for everyone. A comprehensive, reliable bus network is essential for tackling climate change and reducing inequality – connecting communities and getting people out of private cars. However, the current network is run by private operators, often expensive and unreliable with routes cut and standards declining.

Friends of the Earth Scotland is committed to building a powerful movement for system change, and we believe that communities must take the lead in the transition away from our car-dominated system, so that what replaces it works for all of Scotland.

The successful candidate will have experience and skills in local organising or supporting volunteers. We are looking for someone who can bring new people into the movement, and support and motivate volunteers and local organisers in their communities.

We're looking for someone with excellent listening skills, who can build relationships with people and organisations and support them to campaign for change in their communities.

If you think you are a fit for this role, you can find more information about it in our recruitment pack.

Do you have a passion for building strong relationships and community connections? If so, we have an exciting opportunity to join Dates-n-Mates as a Community Engagement & Event Lead. You will be based in our North East Team covering Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Introduction to Dates-n-Mates

Dates-n-Mates Scotland is an organisation run by and for adults who have a learning disability. We are Scotland’s first friendship and dating agency connecting people in Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Falkirk, Aberdeen, Stirling, and Clackmannanshire.

Formerly a project of C-Change Scotland for 15 years, Dates-n-Mates became an independent charity in 2023. Our work is underpinned by a human rights-based approach, and we believe it is people’s right to live life free of discrimination and to develop relationships of their choosing, to love and be loved. We are award-winning and received a Scottish Charity Award for Pioneering Project in 2017 and were finalists in the category of Scottish Charity of the Year in 2024.

Role Requirements

This role requires the postholder to deliver high-quality, safe, fun, and empowering events and workshops in the local community for people with learning disabilities. You will be part of a small team working remotely and must have the ability to be proactive in managing your workload and meeting funders targets. The postholder should have the confidence and ability to engage in a variety of activities including delivering skills development workshops to members and delivering quality presentation to stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities include

• Coordinating and delivering events and workshops across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
• Recording, monitoring, and evaluating your work effectively.
• Building and maintaining positive relationships with Dates-n-Mates members, colleagues, volunteers, stakeholders, and partner organisations.
• Upholding and promoting the values of Dates-n-Mates.

Please refer to the detailed job description below.

You can learn more about Dates-n-Mates by visiting our website: datesnmates.org.uk