We are excited to be hosting a Volunteer Recruitment Fair on Wednesday 26th February 2020, from 1-6 p.m. at St John’s and King’s Park Church in Dalkeith.

The event will give local folk the opportunity to find out more about volunteering and the types of volunteer roles that are available at the moment in Midlothian. Did you know we have over 140 roles listed here on our website currently? You can learn more about what local organisations are looking for, and what they can offer you in return if you do decide to get involved and volunteer your time. We have been advertising widely to local organisations and there will be plenty of friendly faces there to chat to about roles in the care sector, retail, gardening, youth work, childcare, befriending and more.

There will also be free tea and cake, so come in and say hi! If you work for a local organisation, we still have a couple of spaces left for stall holders. See you there! 

The lovely team at Glencorse Centre are looking for cafe volunteers. The centre is very near to the main Penicuik bus route and not difficult to get to. This is an excellent cafe catering for all members of the local community, and the opportunity would be ideal if you’re looking to improve your kitchen skills/experience in a friendly, supportive environment.

The café is normally open from 10am-2pm Monday-Friday. The simple menu includes fresh coffee and other drinks, homebaking, soups, sandwiches, toasties and paninis which are prepared on-site. A full induction and training of volunteers will be provided including food handling certification.

If you’re interested contact Kate Williamson on 01968 670 264.

Last month Volunteer Midlothian and Midlothian Voluntary Action hosted ‘Core Skills in Volunteer Management’ training in Dalkeith. The course – designed and delivered by Volunteer Edinburgh – is a veritable ‘tour de force’ in how to support and manage volunteers. It was great to work in partnership with Volunteer Edinburgh to provide this valuable opportunity to local organisations, whilst learning some really interesting facts about volunteering along the way.

For example, did you know that the number of people volunteering at any given time in Scotland tends to sit at around a third of the total population? In Midlothian the rate is currently around 32% according to the most recent data from the Scottish Household Survey (2018), although this does vary considerably depending on the type and duration of volunteering. We also learned that people from disadvantaged backgrounds and people with protected characteristics under the 2010 Equalities Act (for example minority ethnic groups) are less likely to volunteer. The training reminded us that volunteer involving organisations need to be proactive about ensuring that everyone is represented and supported to participate, no matter what background they are from. The CVSM course runs regularly and we would highly recommend attending if you are involved in supporting or managing volunteers.

For more info about future dates in Edinburgh, contact Volunteer Edinburgh on 0131 225 0630 or visit the Volunteer Edinburgh website.