Volunteering Matters is a national volunteering and social change charity. We harness the unique power of volunteering to bring people together and build stronger, more resilient communities across the UK.

By bringing people together, we aim to resolve some of society’s most complex issues and have a real impact in communities. From tackling social isolation and loneliness; improving health and wellbeing; building skills, confidence and opportunities; and ensuring people can become change makers within their community.

And we won’t stop until everyone in the UK has the opportunity to thrive.

Volunteering Matters work to support people to get on in life, through the power of volunteering. We support people 16+, including those facing multiple barriers or disadvantages, to achieve positive outcomes for their future. We provide people with personalised emotional and practical support, meaningful and supported volunteering opportunities through charity partners, and access to a reliable and positive Volunteer Mentor.

Role Purpose

We are looking for a talented, dynamic, and professional Engagement Manager to join our team in Aberdeenshire. The right candidate would be someone who can work flexibly and demonstrate an understanding and total commitment to our organisational values.

As our Engagement Manager, you will directly support people aged 16+ who may have complex and challenging barriers preventing them from securing a positive pathway. The role will include identifying barriers and to help build the tools needed to remove them. Supporting with pre volunteering activity as well as volunteering placements in their local area.

Your role will also support them with identifying a dedicated volunteer Mentor should this be required, along with pre and post placement support. Your role will be a positive bridge to supporting into further employability programmes or opportunities.

You will play a key role in identifying, developing, and managing partnerships with stakeholders along with charitable and not-for-profit organisations across Aberdeenshire and the surrounding areas. You will develop and build an effective presence within the third sector locally. You will create diverse, high-quality, structured volunteering opportunities with partner organisations, ensuring that volunteering roles reflect the needs and interests of those you are supporting. You will work closely with partner organisations and create a strong referral pathway into our service, and beyond it, building on a knowledge of existing provision.

We are looking for a customer-focused, friendly, helpful, and well-organised administrator to support us in delivering the Social Enterprise Schools programme across the UK.

The Social Enterprise Schools programme – part of the Social Enterprise Academy – is an extra-curricular programme which inspires young people (aged 5-18) to become social entrepreneurs. We ask young people to identify a social or environmental issue they care about, before supporting them as they create a trading social enterprise over the course of a school year. Through Social Enterprise Schools, they build critical skills for life and work, connect with their communities and impact a social problem. Over the years, young people have created a range of innovative social enterprises, from tackling local unemployment through coding classes to selling books with diverse heroes in them.

You will be joining the team at an exciting time. Initially launched in Scotland in 2007 the Social Enterprise Schools programme has now worked with over 1200 schools across the UK and this figure is set to grow.

Your role will be to support the Education Teams to provide administrative, clerical and logistical support for the roll out of Social Enterprise Schools across the UK. The role is mainly internal facing – providing support to Schools Coordinators, Education Managers and Education Facilitators across a range of functions. You will also work with schools and teachers to ensure the smooth running of Workshops, and national and regional events.

Work closely with the Education Managers and School Coordinators across the UK you will provide administrative support based on the activity requirements across the UK. Tasks primarily include diary management, recording of activity, and supporting with event logistics. You will implement agreed processes and provide clerical and logistical support to ensure the achievement of annual team-based targets.

This role will be fully remote, based from anywhere in the UK. The Social Enterprise Academy has shared working space and offices in three locations (Muir of Ord, Edinburgh, London) which you will have access to, if required. It is anticipated that there will be some travel requirements within the UK for events and team days.

We are looking for someone who wants to work with vibrant, entrepreneurial and dedicated people and colleagues and with a good value-fit with our organisation.

Having the right mindset, attitude and approach is as important for us as having the right experience and skills. We appreciate that the best person might not have all the listed criteria yet so if you feel your experience, skills and attitude will help you to make a great contribution in this role and you have the right mindset, we would welcome an application from you.

Job Purpose:

• To support the effective delivery and maximise the impact of the Academy’s Social Enterprise Schools programme:
• To provide exceptional administrative support to the two Education Teams to ensure high-quality delivery of Social Enterprise Schools across the UK.

Key Responsibilities:

• To be a point of contact for general enquires to the Education Teams in the UK, providing excellent customer service and signposting them to the relevant colleagues.
• Support the Education Teams with a range of tasks relating to day-to-day online and in-person programme.
• Leading on the administration of CPD sessions, pupil workshops and business mentoring sessions by managing school and facilitator diaries.
• Coordinating facilitator bookings and arrangements and ensuring they have everything they need to deliver their sessions.
• Responsible for gathering and accurately recording Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning data from pupil workshops, and business mentoring sessions, and management information for key annual projects/events on HubSpot.
• Support the Education Teams with management and recruitment of facilitators - tasks will include the maintenance of the database of Education facilitators contact details, contracts, PVG/DBS checks and biographies.
• Providing administrative support for facilitator gatherings and team days.
• Work closely with the Education Teams to support with logistics at Education Awards across the UK, and events and for key annual projects such as the Big Issue Launch Event.

For a full set of criteria and information on how to apply please download the recruitment pack from our website.

Organisation profile:

At the Social Enterprise Academy, we believe social entrepreneurs play an essential role in changing the world.

We strengthen their role in local communities through transformational learning programmes that will increase their community impact.

Our programmes are accredited, responsive to learner needs, and are delivered by experienced facilitators who are social change leaders themselves.

Since 2004, we have delivered over 1,900 learning programmes to 28,000+ learners in over 30 countries. We have also engaged over 55,000 young people around the world, using social enterprise as a tool to help them reach their full potential and create positive change in their communities.

Come and be part of something Amazing!

We are delighted to be recruiting an Inclusive Employment Programme Lead to manage and deliver Down’s Syndrome Scotland’s new Inclusive Employment Programme for adults with Down’s syndrome seeking meaningful employment to reach their fullest potential.

For too long, people with Down’s syndrome have experienced barriers to employment and we want to change that, for good. Can you help us do that?

Passion, innovation, and integrity are at the heart of our culture. So, we are dedicated to bringing together highly skilled people who are also passionate about making a difference. In return, we offer a flexible, professional and friendly working environment in which our staff team are truly valued and fully supported.

As our Inclusive Employment Programme Lead you will drive our Inclusive Employment Programme by working in partnership with a host of willing employers who truly value the contribution that people with Down’s syndrome can make to their workforce. You will get right alongside people with Down’s syndrome and support them to reach for the stars in seeking employment opportunities across a wide range of settings, right across Scotland.

You will recruit and lead a new team including Training and Mentoring Workers with lived experience, support staff and volunteers.

This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate individual with a strong track record of success in this area.

Our Routes Young Persons programme is currently expanding in West Dunbartonshire. Due to an internal promotion, we have a vacancy for a Young Persons Support Worker to join our existing team.

Are you looking for a role where you can truly make a difference to young people’s lives? Routes is our youth work programme which launched in 2019. We support young people in East and West Dunbartonshire aged 12-26 years who are affected by family alcohol and drug use. You will play an integral part in creating a supportive and nurturing environment for young people, helping them to thrive in all aspects of their lives.

The post is predominantly located in West Dunbartonshire but will involve travel throughout both East and West Dunbartonshire for weekly groups. The post has an area-wide remit and will involve significant travel throughout the area and some to our offices in Glasgow, as well as occasional travel elsewhere in Scotland. Some home working is involved. Due to the nature of this post, access to a car is essential. This post will be part of Scottish Families’ staff team and be managed by the Senior Family Support Development Officer – Young People. There will be a close working relationship with young people and with local partner agencies in West Dunbartonshire.

The post-holder will support the delivery of Routes; ensure that young people engaged with the project are properly safeguarded and supported; co-facilitate a range of group activities with the young people; support young people to develop coping skills and strategies to help reduce the negative impact that other’s substance use may have on them; transport young people to and from groups, trips, and activities; plan, organise and facilitate trips and activities; and support young people to source and apply for Education, Training and Employment opportunities.

Applicants should be educated to HNC level, vocational qualification (level 3) or relevant experience; with an understanding of the emotional and developmental issues for children and young people. Experience of community-based youth work experience via employment or as a volunteer, and experience of delivering group work activities, are an advantage. We are seeking someone who is able to build rapport, positively engage and support young people; with the ability to listen and talk to young people from differing abilities, understanding and backgrounds. You should be available to work flexible hours, including some evenings (rarely beyond 7pm). Due to the nature of this post, access to a car is essential.