Volunteering Fair

Aberdeen Arts Centre is an independent arts venue and registered charity in the heart of Aberdeen, Scotland — delivering a varied programme of theatre, dance, music, spoken word, comedy, film and creative learning events.

For over 60 years, we have been passionate, ever-present supporters of creativity and the performing arts in Aberdeen, and we are proud to champion an approach that emphasises openness, participation, lifelong learning and engagement with a wide range of audiences, artists and communities from across North East Scotland.

With a storied history at our back, we're equally excited about the future — and greatly look forward to welcoming new and returning audiences for more memorable moments, inspiring shows, big nights out and exciting new creative projects.

The Aberdeen Befriending Network is an alliance of befriending organisations working together to reduce loneliness and social isolation across Aberdeen. The Network strengthens collaboration, volunteer capacity, shared learning and advocacy, helping services provide consistent, compassionate befriending support that improves mental wellbeing and builds more connected communities.

Aberdeen Linking Lives Befriending Service is an initiative of The Bridge Scotland. Our objective is anchored on the provision of support to the elderly who are lonely and or socially isolated. The Campaign to End Loneliness, declared loneliness as a public health crisis in the UK. Currently 9 million people in the UK identify as lonely, of which almost half (4 million) are older people. This figure has continued to increase.  Additionally, many people find themselves alone after their partner’s demise or are isolated due to illness or disability. We match trained and PVG-checked volunteers with older people who would like to see a friendly volunteer visitor on a regular basis. Such arrangements can be through physical visits, or telephone conversations for a minimum of one hour weekly. The volunteer and service user can also go out for short outings to local places of interest, subject to mutual understanding.

Aberdeen SANDS is run by volunteers who  have experienced pregnancy and baby loss and we rely on donations from funerals and fundraisers for our funding to help support bereaved parents and families.
  
Sands vision for the future: A world where fewer babies die and when a baby does die, anyone affected receives the best possible care and support for as long as it's needed. It’s important to state that SANDS will support anyone at any stage of their loss, whether it’s some years after a loss, or if its early on in the pregnancy. We are a Pregnancy and baby loss charity.

We require volunteers to help maintain every month the Forget Me Not Garden at Hazlehead Crematorium. We also would like a few helpers to help us once a month at our Family Afternoons at Airyhall Community Centre, helping set up, serve tea and coffee and tidy up at the end of the afternoon.

Aberdeen Street Pastors seek to be a visible Christian presence in our city; listening, caring and helping people through practical acts of compassion. We aim to empower every volunteer to be an agent of positive change, working in small teams on the streets during Friday and Saturday nights or as part of our midweek School Pastor team.

Student Union

AVA are part of a Scotland-wide network of Third Sector Interfaces (TSIs) called the TSI Scotland Network - we are one of 32 working with communities across the country. AVA is Aberdeenshire’s TSI, and our mission is to promote the growth of strong, resilient, communities in Aberdeenshire by connecting, supporting, and promoting volunteers, charities, community-led organisations, and social enterprises collectively referred to as the Third Sector. We support organisations to recruit support and recognise their volunteers. We also help to match up  volunteers to organisations that need their help.

ACVO is the third sector interface for Aberdeen. We help build and support the important and tremendous contribution volunteers make. Details of volunteer opportunities registered with us are available at www.volunteeraberdeen.org.uk Any students/volunteers 25 years or under can also gain Saltire Awards endorsed by the Scottish Government in recognition of any volunteering undertaken -  https://saltireawards.scot/

Local community iniative which champions growing your own. We have a beautiful, nature-friendly community garden, and over the summer we collect excess allotment produce from across Aberdeen and run market stalls to make it available to the public.

The Archie Foundation transforms experiences and outcomes in healthcare and bereavement for babies, children and families across north Scotland. We provide emergency funding for families, tailored support for bereaved children and specialist equipment to enhance NHS paediatric services. We’re here for children and families when they need it most.

Archway is a small, parent-led Aberdeen charity, established over 35 years ago. We support nearly 200 children and adults with learning disabilities, many of whom also have complex health needs, physical or sensory impairments, autism, or additional challenges. Our residential and respite services operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, offering vital care and support to families across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

At the heart of all we do is a deep commitment to valuing the uniqueness, upholding the rights, and respecting the dignity of each individual we support - empowering them to reach their full potential, whatever that may be.

Aspire North delivers the Scottish Funding Council's Schools for Higher Education Programme as part of the National Schools Programme. We work across the North of Scotland with selected pupils to support their transition to Higher Education, anything from a HNC at college to a university degree. The project delivers a range of activities which encourage the pupils to think about how they can continue their education once they leave school.

Asthma and Allergy Foundation (AAF), is Scotland’s only dedicated asthma charity, which provides evidence-based health information, confidential advice, and practical support to children, young people and adults with asthma, their families, carers, and friends across Scotland. The charity also provides targeted asthma training to schools, businesses and healthcare professionals.

A young carer is someone up to the age of 18 who provides unpaid help and support to a relative, friend or neighbour who due to illness or disability cannot manage to live independently without the carer’s help. It may involve practical support like cooking, housework, or emotional support.
A group volunteer with Aberdeen Young Carers will assist staff members in delivering any planned activities e.g. cooking, dancing, arts & crafts etc. They will actively participate with the activity, encourage young people to join in and have fun and build up positive relationships with the children and young people by being friendly and non-judgemental. They will also have the opportunity to lead groups if they wish to. At this time our Saturday groups run on the 1st Saturday of every month, and Sports Groups which run in partnership with Sport Aberdeen weekly during term-time. Hours expected can be discussed at application stage.

Befriend a Child is a local organisation supporting children and young people who are experiencing complicated home lives. They are matched with an adult volunteer who is a positive adult role model in their lives and introduces them to new and fun experiences that they may not have had. We also support the wider family with our family support project and our group activities offering.

We are the world's leading independent cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research, influence and information.

Volunteers are essential in helping Clan to provide a wide range of services, free of charge, to anyone affected by cancer. No matter what time you can give or what skills you can bring, Clan can offer you a special and rewarding volunteering experience.
Each role contributes significantly to our mission of providing support to anyone impacted by a cancer diagnosis.

Cruse Scotland is a bereavement charity. We support adults and children who are struggling with their grief following a bereavement. We offer training in grief and bereavement online and in person, workplace support, workplace support in bereavements by suicide. We provide resources and toolkits for schools and other organisation regarding bereavement.

We take on placement students at 2nd year level who are studying for diploma/degrees in counselling.
We have other opportunities particularly on our Helpline, which is a listening and referral service. Training provided.

The Denis Law Legacy Trust is a registered charity that operates and delivers a number of ‘free to access’ programmes and positive destination activities that enable young people to take part in and gain access to sport and other creative activities within their local communities. Supporting and empowering young people to be confident, capable, independent and responsible citizens within their own communities. We aim to reduce instances of youth crime and anti-social behaviour; promote health and wellbeing and encourage inclusivity through sport, physical activity and creative endeavour.

Doric Books is a community interest company which exists to promote north-east culture, especially the Doric language. We do this through publishing books written in Doric and community outreach projects with schools, care homes and community groups.

FACEYOUTH is a charity that support young people from under-represented groups and socially disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve their full potential. Through culturally sensitive and inclusive programmes, we aim to break down barriers, nurture potential, and build a better tomorrow – one child at a time.

Four Pillars offers Mental, Emotional, Physical and Sexual Health support amongst the LGBT+ Community across the whole of Grampian, as well as a coffee shop which is open five days a week as a way to make friends and socialise.

FOSMA is a group of volunteers who are working to preserve the unique and important Sivell Murals. These paintings are part of the heritage of Aberdeen. Robert Sivell, who was Head of Drawing and Painting at Gray's School of Art accepted the commission in 1939 and worked on the project until his retiral in 1954.
He intended that his former students would gain valuable experience and 2 artists who contributed were Alberto Morrocco and Gordon Cameron.
The paintings are in the building which was the former Student Union on the Gallowgate. They are in the Hall which was repurposed as the Sivell Bar until the building was closed in 2004. The paintings are currently covered by protective paper. 
The members of FOSMA have researched the history and traced photographs. They aim to promote knowledge of these art works and to collaborate to ensure their preservation.

Guide Dogs is the UK’s leading sight-loss charity, dedicated to helping individuals who are blind or partially sighted live actively, independently, and well. They do this by providing specially trained guide dogs, mobility training, family services, and advocacy for accessibility and disability rights.

We are one of Aberdeen’s leading family support charities. Every year we provide practical and emotional support to around 200 families with young children in Aberdeen. We help them to create a secure and loving home environment where their children can grow up happy, healthy and confident, and able to achieve their full potential.

From advice and information on day-to-day issues, through to detailed support and specialist topics, we can help.

LATNEM is a free, comprehensive mental health peer support charity for mothers and birthing people in Scotland. Our core mission is to promote and protect their mental health by providing a safe, judgment-free space for support. Mums are at the heart of what we do.
We deliver our services through a multi-faceted approach to ensure accessibility and effectiveness, some examples are: 

• Peer Support Groups across the North East and Moray as well as an online and virtual group.
• Access to practical and financial support.
• Social Prescribing through our ‘Next Steps’ project. 

Mamacita Foundation is a registered charity based in Aberdeen, with a strong operational presence in Woodside community and across Aberdeen City. Our work focuses on food security, community wellbeing, social inclusion, cultural integration and practical support for individuals and families experiencing hardship, particularly but not necessarily limited to migrants, refugees, single parents, and low-income households.

Marie Curie is a leading UK charity dedicated to caring for people with terminal illness and supporting those who love them. Through expert nursing, hospice care and community-based services, Marie Curie helps people live as well as possible for as long as possible, with dignity, comfort and compassion. We support families with emotional, practical and bereavement care, offering reassurance at one of life’s most difficult times. Marie Curie also invests in training, research and campaigning to improve end-of-life care for everyone. Working in partnership with the NHS and local communities, Marie Curie is there day and night, ensuring no one faces terminal illness alone.

For too many young people, an unfair start means navigating life's toughest challenges alone. Changing lives through mentoring. Our award-winning programme believes in the power of connection, communication, and the overall transformational potential of mentoring in school and community settings.

At MCR Pathways we match adult volunteers from all walks of life, careers, and experiences with young people experiencing a range of challenging circumstances, to build confidence, overcome obstacles, awaken ambition, and much more. 

Just one hour a week can ignite the vital spark in a young person, helping them find a path to positive futures. Change a life. Be the difference in ensuring young people don't have to navigate life's toughest challenges alone.

We are a charity offering free, confidential support to anyone in Scotland impacted by pregnancy loss.

We provide one-to-one sessions, virtual support groups, and a range of resources including memory boxes, support packs, podcasts, and a private peer support group.

Whether you’re grieving a loss, trying again, or pregnant after loss, MISS are here to support you.

Heritage Charity, protecting Scotland's places.

The North East Scotland Climate Action Network (NESCAN) is a regional network of local people, community led organisations, and non-profits that are or want to act to reduce and adapt to climate change in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Students from any subjects / degrees are welcome to volunteer on our Envirolution Project.  Our project focuses on climate change, adaptation, sciences, human behaviour, conservation.

North East Sensory Services (NESS) supports people who are blind and/or deaf to live as independently as possible. We provide personalised, one to one tailored practical and emotional information, advice and support about living with sight and/or hearing loss, as well as a range of other support to promote social inclusion, enable access to communication and information and improve confidence , life skills, self esteem and improve quality of life.

Childline is an essential service for children every single day, and having volunteers at the end of the phone supporting children is vital in keeping them safe and feeling valued. Young people are seeking support from our counsellors on a range of issues including loneliness, their mental health, and suicidal thoughts and feelings.
We are looking for new volunteers to join our Childline family and help children and young people who need us in their darkest hours. The service is here for children 24/7, but as a volunteer you offer a few hours a week. Many more volunteers are needed so we can continue to provide this vital service to children nationwide. Childline is a service delivered by NSPCC.

Oxfam is a global community of people who believe in a kinder, and radically better world, where everyone has the power to thrive not just survive. We believe we can overcome poverty by fighting the injustices and inequalities that fuel it.
Oxfam retail volunteers make a real impact every shift and help us work towards a kinder and radically better world, one without poverty. For example, by giving just 4 hours a week for a year, you could help fund two Oxfam Water Tanks that provide safe, clean drinking water to a crisis-affected community.

You can volunteer in one of our shops from the age of 14. Volunteering at Oxfam is the perfect way to make friends and gain new skills, whether you're looking to improve your CV, take on a new challenge or just have fun!

Paws on Plastic is a charity which encourages dog owners to pick up a few bits of litter on walks to protect animals, communities & the environment. We also educate on the consequences of littering.

We are keen to recruit students from all disciplines who are interested in volunteering to protect animals, their community & the environment.

Charity for empowering girls and women in menstrual health.

Rape Crisis Grampian is the only service dedicated to providing support to survivors of sexual violence in Aberdeen City and Shire. Among our services, we provide person-centred one-to-one support, as well as legal advocacy, prevention workshops and raising awareness in the community. Our clients are aged 11+, any gender, and from a wide range of backgrounds and histories.

Charity providing support and training to teachers in Uganda.

The River Dee Trust is a community-based charitable company set up in 1998 with the aim of improving our knowledge of the ecology and biodiversity of the River Dee so that practical improvements and restoration of the River and the wildlife it supports can be achieved; and to  deliver educational information to schools, organisations and individuals living in the North East of Scotland. Our work is guided by the principle of how we can better understand and improve the River so that we may look after it for this and future generations.

The RSPB is a charity for the conservation of birds and nature. We bring people together who love birds and other wildlife, and who want to take action to restore the health and diversity of the natural world. We carry out conservation on a large scale, protect and restore habitats, and save species from extinction. We’re living in a nature and climate emergency, and we won’t stop whilst the threats persist.  
Our work is driven by science and evidence. It’s rooted in five areas: species, science, place, policy and people.

Many of our volunteering opportunities are open for anyone to apply, while some may require specific skills and experience best suited to students in a particular discipline.

Since 1923, SAMH has been Scotland’s national mental health charity.

The mission of SAMH is to lead by example - to be innovative, purposeful and challenging in all that we do. SAMH campaigns for rights and rights-based services, challenges stigma and discrimination and promotes inclusion. 

We work to raise the aspirations and expectation of people who use services, people who deliver services, and society as a whole, 

SAMH is a beacon of excellence delivering 70 services in communities across Scotland; cities, areas of multiple deprivation, remote rural spaces, villages, towns and islands: 

We're here for people, where and when they need us.

Our services cover 30,090 square miles and support 20,000 service users per year.

Our services are person-centred and based on an ethos of recovery. We provide social care support, supported living, addictions and employment services, among others.

SC&T is an Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire based organisation. Our aim is to advance the education of the public in Scottish Culture and Traditions by the promotion of Scottish traditional music, song and dance through learning and participation in a way that fosters enjoyment, enthusiasm and a sense of community.

We provide holistic family support services to promote emotional wellbeing, offering hope and compassion and relieving the needs of parents, unpaid carers and families in conditions of stress or financial hardship due to their caring responsibilities. Our services include:

• Parents Cafe - peer networking
• Information, advice and guidance
• Training and skills for unpaid carers
• 1-1 emotional support 
• Music therapy session
• Inclusive recreational activities
• Skill development support

Charity that provides free, confidential and impartial information and advice to the citizens of South West Aberdeenshire.

Sport Aberdeen is an award winning registered charity committed to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives through sport and physical activity.

Within Sport Aberdeen, the Community Sport Team are passionate about the power of sport and it’s ability to positively impact lives throughout the city.  We aim to connect communities with opportunities to get active and we work hard to coordinate a number of projects across the city.

The Community Sport Cycling Team are passionate about the power of sport (especially cycling!) and it's ability to positively impact lives throughout the city. The team consists of two projects, Rock Up and Ride - who provide cycling opportunities to people who might not traditionally have a chance to take part, and make cycling fun and accessible, and Grampian Inclusive Cycle Bothies - who provide opportunities for ASN participants to try out a wide range of adapted cycles at their weekly sessions.

We exist to help the community of Udny to develop and are working hard to re-shape local facilities to best serve the needs and wishes of Udny.

Udny is a rural community in Aberdeenshire which includes the villages of Pitmedden, Udny Green and Hattoncrook.

We are mainly funded by our subsidiary organisation, Udny Community Wind Turbine Company, which manages the community owned wind turbine at Tillymaud (just outside of Pitmedden going towards Aberdeen).   The funds produced from selling locally produced clean energy are ploughed back into the community.

We have a range of  free activities that relate to heath and wellbeing for all our users. We have recently become a community health point. We work collaboratively with schools different community groups and other charities to support those in the parish of Udny the best we can.      

We are based at The Medan Centre at 14 Oldmeldrum Road in Pitmedden along with our successful community cafe, Cafe48.

Voluntary Services Aberdeen (VSA) is Aberdeen's oldest social care charity, having been caring for the most vulnerable children and adults in the city for the last 155 years.

We Too! is a parent-led charity in Aberdeen City & Shire supporting families of children with life-long disabilities. Known for our green Ninjas, we provide inclusive Relaxed Sessions that remove barriers—no diagnosis needed. We also offer advice, signposting, and a free ASN magazine to help families feel supported and included.

YAHYAS Hub, standing for Young Adults help Young Asylum Seekers, is a small charity based in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. We provide unaccompanied young asylum seekers and refugees, aged 16-25, with support by organising group activities where they can socialise with local young adults in a friendly, non-judgmental environment. 

Our fun events and workshops explore various themes while strengthening interpersonal skills. Helping reduce isolation and boredom while increasing employability after they receive a positive decision. 

Our goal is to improve their wellbeing, boost confidence, and support community integration, giving them the tools they need to thrive and rebuild their lives in the UK. 

We're looking forward to hosting workshops covering, music, fashion up-cycling, bike repair and photography. As well as our ESOL course returning for new comers to Aberdeen and our Nowrouz party in March which is open to the public.

Yogi & Cindy Bears SC054134 provide 24hr medical support with Animal Intervention and Water Safety Drowning Prevention.  
We also provide educational workshops on K9 First Aid, Dog Grooming, Dog Training.