WHO WE ARE

 We offer a range of both universal and targeted programmes and sessions, focusing on building strong family foundations, promoting self-esteem, developing support networks, enabling positive parenting and child development and promoting improved health and well-being. Over the years, the organisation has continued to grow and expand its service provision across the local area and currently delivers a dedicated Family Support Programme that focuses on the health and well-being of local families.

Our services are tailored to help each child, young person or family to be the very best they can be.  We support them to overcome significant challenges like growing up in and leaving care, living with a disability and dealing with the impact of drugs and alcohol on family life.

Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s national dementia charity. Our aim is to make sure nobody faces dementia alone. We provide support and information to people with dementia, their carers and families, we campaign for the rights of people with dementia and fund vital dementia research.

We have Dementia Resource Centres in 21 different locations across Scotland. Those centres provide a safe and friendly environment for people with dementia and their carers to visit and take part in a wide variety of activity groups.

We are very proud of our 24 hour Freephone Dementia Helpline which provides information and emotional support to people with dementia, carers, families, friends and professionals.

There is a network of Dementia Advisors employed by Alzheimer Scotland who work in local communities to support people with a diagnosis by giving advice and information.

We have over 9,000 members, over 90,000 Dementia Friends and we are supported by over 1,000 volunteers. We employ around 550 full and part-time staff, mainly in our service-provision projects across Scotland.

We provide care, information, and advocacy to ensure parents experiencing multiple disadvantages can give birth and parent safely and with dignity.

We offer pregnancy, birth, and postnatal companionship, along with antenatal education and peer support activities. 

Our volunteers are trained to deliver specialist trauma informed, culturally competend care to birthing people at every stage of their parenting journey. 

Be My Eyes is a free mobile app with one main goal: to make the world more accessible for blind and low-vision people. The app connects blind and low-vision individuals with sighted volunteers and companies from all over the world through a live video call.

Since we launched in January 2015 5,440,677 volunteers have signed up to assist blind and low-vision users. Be My Eyes users can request assistance in over 180 languages making the app the biggest online community for blind and low-vision people as well as one of the largest micro-volunteering platforms in the world! Every day, volunteers sign onto Be My Eyes to lend their sight to blind and low-vision individuals to tackle challenges and solve problems together.

The Be My Eyes story started in Denmark in 2012 with Hans Jørgen Wiberg, a Danish furniture craftsman, who is visually impaired himself. Through his work at ‘The Danish Association of the Blind’, he recognized that blind or low-vision people often needed a little assistance to solve everyday tasks. However, it wasn’t until a blind friend told him that he used video calls to connect with family and friends, who could help him with these tasks, that Hans Jørgen got the idea for Be My Eyes. He believed that the technology of video calls could be used to visually assist blind or low-vision individuals, without them having to rely on friends and family, but using a network of volunteers.

In April 2012, Hans Jørgen presented his idea at a Danish startup event, where he got connected with a team that was ready to make Be My Eyes a reality. On January 15th 2015, the Be My Eyes app was released for iOS, and within 24 hours the app had more than 10,000 users. Since the release of the iOS app, an Android version has been in high demand. The Android version was finally released on October 5th 2017. In December 2017 Be My Eyes was chosen as Google Play Best Apps of 2017 in the categories; “Most Innovative”, “Best Daily Helper” and “Best Hidden Gem”, and in May 2018 Be My Eyes won the Google Play Award 2018 for “Best Accessibility Award”.

In February 2018, the feature Specialized Help was launched with Microsoft as first partner company. Specialized Help enables blind and low-vision users to connect with official company representatives for accessible and efficient customer support. Be My Eyes now offers a variety of corporate solutions besides Specialized Help, including Be My Eyes for Work, Corporate Volunteering, Be My Eyes Experiences and Be My Eyes Careers.

About Us

We use participation in our Big Noise orchestra programmes to change lives by fostering confidence, discipline, teamwork, pride and aspiration in the children and young people taking part.  This enables the children and young people to reach their full potential, and lead successful and fulfilled lives.  This philosophy has a knock on effect for their families and the wider community in general. 

Our teams provide an intensive orchestral programme for school-age children and young people.  We use a variety of immersive music teaching methods delivered during school time, after school and during the school holidays.  We also provide opportunities for growth such as trips and residentials.  Regular performances help to keep the wider community as involved as possible.  There is no charge for the tuition, instruments, healthy snacks, trips and t-shirts.

Altogether there are more than 2,500 children and young people engaging regularly with the three established Sistema Scotland centres.  In addition to the Big Noise orchestras attended by children up to 11 hours each week, we run Baby Noise and Adult Noise programmes which enable the Sistema Scotland family to reach as many as possible in the communities where we are based.

Big Noise Govanhill was established in 2013, and currently engages with almost 800 children.'

Why should I volunteer with Big Noise Govanhill? 

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 Govanhill.  You can become a positive role model in their lives and someone they look forward to spending time with.  It’s really rewarding work where you will see children grow into proud young people with a sense of accomplishment

At Blue Triangle we use the power of Public, Social, and Private Partnerships (PSPP) to support young people and adults by:

• Going beyond, by providing tailored, supported accommodation 
• Delivering person centred, trauma informed support services that take a whole system approach
• Empower and support the development of positive connections and lasting relationships 
• Helping to build safe, supportive connected communities 
• Enabling those we support to live in supported housing - and ultimately beyond, when the time is right for them.

The Blue Triangle family is greater than the sum of its parts. The collective skills and passion of our volunteers and staff are what enables us to do all we can to support, and empower people, families, and communities to thirve across the country. 

Volunteers are crucial to Blue Triangle achieving our ambitious goals and our mission to Empower People to Thrive. Every volunteer opportunity makes a crucial impact and inspires our thinking and actions to ensure we are delivering the very best for the people we support.

We are a model for a better way to do business, one that is ethical and sustainable, not focused on profit but the impact of social good we can add to society. We use business principles through the sales of a product line of candles not for profit, but in order to fund our social impact. This ensures the work we do is sustained and not vulnerable to inconsistent grants and funding.

We partner with two local charities, the Women's Support Project and Hemat Gryffe of Glasgow Womens Aid to support their beneficiaries in women's refuges through peer support and skills workshops that are led by our members. BrightHer was founded to fill in the gaps of services to domestic abuse victims that often leaves their emotional needs behind. The nature of abuse isolated victims from support networks, disempowers them so that they believe they are not capable of rebuilding their lives after their abuse and trauma. We work to rebuild their confidence and their support network through empowering workshops that give them life skills and activities to help them heal and prepare for their new life.

If you are interested in entrepreneurship or helping vulnerable communities, there is a place for you here!

We deliver high-quality counselling, complementary therapy, podiatry and stress management services to promote mental and physical wellbeing and to enable those affected by cancer to continue to live the most active life possible in their community.

Founded by Sir Kenneth Calman in 1980, Cancer Support Scotland is a Scottish Charity dedicated to supporting people affected by cancer.

Cancer Support Scotland is based in the grounds of Gartnavel Hospital, Glasgow, and also has support groups throughout west central Scotland.

All the services we provide are free of charge to help reduce health inequalities, and in the last year we have been able to offer more than 6,500 appointments. However, demand for our services is rising and we rely heavily on fundraising, donations, and legacies to continue our work in supporting people at this critical time.

As the charity was originally started as a support group, we still pride ourselves on offering a drop-in centre for anyone affected by cancer, with free tea, coffee, cakes and WI-FI. This provides a group setting for those affected by cancer to come together, defeat loneliness and remain resilient, while encouraging individuals to champion their experiences to help others. This creates greater awareness of the cancer journey and ensures a better quality of public services.

If you would like to get involved, there are many ways to help change lives with Cancer Support Scotland.

Who we are

We are Scotland’s health charity supporting people and their families across Scotland with chest, heart and stroke conditions. We want to make sure life living with a chest or heart condition or after a stroke is a life lived to the full. We will fight for better health for everyone and work to make sure there is help and support in every community.

What we do

We provide vital services to support people and their families who are living with effects of serious chest and heart conditions and stroke. Our services are focused on making sure everyone in Scotland gets the care and support they need, when and where they need it. To ensure we reach more people, we will double our income, double the number of our volunteers and double the amount of people we support through our services. These services include rehabilitation support, specialist nurses, community groups, advice and information. Find out more here.

We have a new research strategy that will fund new research projects to continue the fight against chest, heart and stroke conditions and to improve the treatment, rehabilitation and long-term support of anyone affected by our conditions.

We also work hard to fight for better health services for people in Scotland. Find out about our campaigns and how you can make a difference.

Help us to ensure no life is half lived in Scotland. Join Clan CHSS and support us to fight for better health in Scotland.

About CodeYourFuture

We believe in a future where everyone has a real opportunity to lead a thriving life. 

CodeYourFuture (CYF) is a UK based non-profit organisation that trains refugees and other disadvantaged people to become web developers and helps them to find work in the tech industry.

CYF students are trained in full-stack web development by professional volunteers developers from the industry, putting a strong emphasis on collaboration and product development through tech projects.

CYF graduates work in companies like FT, BBC, STV, Ticketmaster and startups like Adzuna, Sensible Object, tlr and WeGotPop.

Our Values

1. We believe in creating a supportive family where everyone belongs
2. Everything we do, we do with kindness and respect
3. We believe in the equality of all voices
4. We firmly believe that through challenge, people can achieve their best
5. We empower our students and volunteers, and they represent us 
6. Everything we do creates a real impact in the world

Our Working Principles

• Empower volunteers through defined roles & responsibilities
• Events and classes with agendas and with assigned leaders running different sections
• Create interactive events that encourage the participation of all students and attendees
• Ensure interaction with students and attendees in smaller groups to promote collaboration and discussion
• Encourage feedback from all students and attendees after every event
• Create social spaces where people can meet and socialise - discussions are essential in any class or event

We use our range of experiences and expertise to support individuals, communities, and organisations to develop skills, systems, and services.  We support isolated communities and individuals, working with community-based organisations, the voluntary sector and local authorities. 

Our approach is to help developing groups and organisations to put their own ideas into action. Our activiities focus on joint projects building towards rights-based integration.

We recruit and train volunteers so they can get involved by working alongside us on our various projects.  It is a great opportunity that develops skills and improves employability. 

We create and run projects which address the needs of minority groups. These initiatives help us reach out to the poeple within the community.

We conduct research into issues which affect people's access to services, rights, or opportunities, particularly action research with researchers from the community.

We aim to do this by attending elections and empirically reporting our findings in an accessible way through statistical analysis and interlocutor meetings to support this objective. We do this through a strong methodology, based on the international standards for election observation as set out by OSCE/ODIHR and others.

We maintain strict impartiality and require our observers to abide by UK and international standards, as well as the relevant local legal framework, when acting as our observers.

We aim to report on our observations in a constructive and encouraging way to benefit the delivery of democracy and to benefit the electorate as a whole.

A key objective for Democracy Volunteers and our international partners is to campaign for better access for election observers to all elections. A key element of this strategy is persuading all OSCE member states to abide by their treaty commitments.

DIGIGALLUS CONNECT - IMPROVING DIGITAL INCLUSION IN GLASGOW

DigiGallus Connect is a University of Glasgow student-led project which addresses COVID-19 related isolation and loneliness through improving digital connectedness. A volunteer-run student organisation, DigiGallus Connect promotes digital inclusion in the community through the power of intergenerational relations.  

The project was established by students at the Adam Smith Business School in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was developed with the aim of assisting vulnerable and older people, specifically within the over 50’s population, who have limited access to internet and digital services. 

Being?digitally excluded?can exacerbate social and economic exclusion. Digital inclusion rates tend to be the lowest amongst the elderly population with over half of non-internet users being over the age of 75 and 49% of non-internet users being classified as some of the most deprived in society, according to the Good Things Foundation. 

Keeping Glasgow connected

The pandemic has fundamentally shifted our way of interacting with one another, with the vast majority of social interactions going virtual. Students at the Adam Smith Business School aware that COVID-19 had the potential to exacerbate isolation and loneliness amongst older people in Glasgow were keen to use their skills and knowledge to help address this. The challenge would also give them the opportunity to develop their skills and gain experience of intergenerational communication and collaboration.   

DigiGallus Connect is developing and running an intergenerational mentoring programme to increase digital accessibility and confidence amongst the over 50’s population in Glasgow. This programme will help support a key component of the Glasgow City Council’s strategy to improve digital inclusion and participation of older people in their ‘Digital Glasgow Strategy’.  

The initiative aims to establish 100 mentee-mentor relationships with mentors supporting their member of the community in learning how to send emails, make online video calls, increase internet usage and ensure safe online browsing.  

Professor Kathleen Riach, responsible and sustainable management lead at the Business School has been supporting the students. She said: “The ingenuity, entrepreneurial spirit and social conscience which the students have shown here is phenomenal. Their summer plans have changed with many furloughed from jobs or having their internships and work experience cancelled, and they’ve turned it into a positive learning experience that significantly benefits both them and their local community at the same time. " 

DigiGallus Connect will provide access to a personal device, one to one mentoring and home-based internet access for those who are unable to access internet resources. Des McNulty, Assistant Vice Principal, Economic Development and Civic Engagement comments, “As part of the University’s commitment to help close the digital divide in the city of Glasgow, the student run DigiGallus Connect project will?distribute internet-connected devices to elderly residents, with management students providing digital literacy and free technology training to those that most need it – an example of one generation supporting another."? 

We encourage inclusivity, the preservation of local buildings and, where appropriate, express views acting as a voice for the community and liasing with appropriate bodies and agencies. 

The Community Council 

Community Councils are the most local tier of statutory representation in Scotland. They bridge the gap between local authorities and communities, and help to make public bodies aware of the opinions and needs of the communities they represent. Local authorities consult Community Councils about planning applications and licensing matters as well as responding to local issues raised by the Community Council. The membership is elected from the local community, and is on a voluntary basis. We receive a modest budget from the local authority to cover administration costs
 

We meet at 7pm on the second Monday of every month, except July. Currently our venue is St. Bride's Episcopal Church, 69 Hyndland Road. Members of the public are welcome to attend as observers and may speak if they receive the prior consent of the chair.

We believe that people who are homeless and socially excluded have something to offer. We encourage people to use their skills to change themselves – and change the world!

The Emmaus community in Glasgow opened in 2006 and now operates a residential community of 27 former homeless men and women (“companions”) and a recycling/reuse business with two retail charity shops – Partick and Hamiltonhill  in Glasgow. 

We work closely with other organisations in the area to support those people who are homeless or trapped by poverty and to help them to develop skills and self-respect through working and contributing.

As well as working for the community business, companions are supported in whatever way they need to address the issues that have brought them into Emmaus, and encouraged to look outside themselves, working in projects to help others in the neighbourhood, and much further afield.

Emmaus offers homeless people a place where they can feel safe and secure, where they can enjoy companionship and the support of a community.

Each person has his or her own comfortable room, whilst living and working in the community. Everyone is accepted for who they are now, not judged on what they might have been. There are no conditions as to length of stay: a person can stay for as long as they need.

Above all, Emmaus is a way out of the humiliation of homelessness; a way that offers hope, care and a future.

Emmaus Communities offer these people much more than just food or shelter. We provide a lasting solution that restores self- esteem and confidence.

Who we are

ENABLE Glasgow is a membership organisation, working with people with learning disabilities, their carers, and other supporters to ensure people with learning disabilities in and around Glasgow have the best possible opportunities to get the most from life.

We do this by providing a range of services that reflect the needs and aspirations of the people who use them.  We don’t aim to become a large service provider – rather, we help develop services that our members tell us they want and need.

Another key part of our work is to support our members and supporters to campaign on issues that affect them, locally and nationally.  We provide information and advice, and a forum through which people with learning disabilities and their carers can find mutual support.

ENABLE Glasgow prides itself on being an organisation that is directly controlled by its members, supporting people to have a direct role in the services they rely on.  We are also part of the national ENABLE Scotland network.

What we believe

• We believe that everyone with a learning disability should be able to have a say in designing and running the services they need, even if they can’t always speak for themselves. 
• We believe that everyone with a learning disability is different and services that suit one person won’t necessarily suit others. 
• We believe that the best services are services which let the people who use them have a direct say over how they are run. 
• We believe that people with learning disabilities having a decent, safe, and fulfilling life is a basic human right, and that how any society respects this right is a reflection of how it respects human rights in general.

What We Do 

ENABLE Glasgow runs a range of services, including supported living (with both intensive and less intensive support), training for work, opportunities to make an economic contribution to the community, and social support. 

We also provide a range of social opportunities for people with learning disabilities, and host forums through which they can have a say in the issues that are important to them.  We  provide support services to carers, as well as supporting our members to campaign on a wide variety of issues.  We have almost 400 members, and provide direct services to more than 200 people.  Please check out the rest of our site for more details.

About Us

Equal Futures is a charity which was founded by a group of parents with a relative with a learning disability or autism spectrum disorder. We refer to these individuals as our focus people, and due to the unique viewpoint of our founders as parents, we are committed to supporting the family as a whole. Just like our founders, we want to support adults aged 16 and over with a learning disability or autism spectrum disorder to lead a good quality of life.

Many families feel isolated; unsure where to ask for help.

Most people with a learning disability will have social care services to provide support for daily living. But there is often a lack of understanding in these services that people want more than this.

Equal Futures was created to support families. We can build short-term Smart Circles of Support or self-sustaining lifelong Circles of Support around individuals and their families.

Everyone wants friends too – this is where Equal Futures can help.

We recognise the importance of social connections for a good quality of life. Consequently, we offer 1-to-1 befriending for people with a learning disability or autism. This involves matching the focus person with an adult volunteer befriender. The befriender will then accompany the focus person to activities, clubs, and events in their local community, where they can make social connections.

We also offer regular social events for our focus people and their families. Social events are supported by our volunteers and emphasise our welcoming Equal Futures Community in which everyone can feel a sense of belonging.

We provide support for people aged 16 and over and work across 10 local authority areas: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scottish Borders, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, Perthshire, East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire.

We do not require a formal diagnosis of a learning disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder as we know this can be a difficult process for families.

Who We Are and What We Do

Food Train is a registered charity, voluntary organisation and social enterprise. Since 1995 Food Train has been making daily life easier for older people, providing vital services to those who are no longer able to manage independently, through age, ill health, frailty or disability.

Food Train makes hundreds of grocery deliveries every week, ensuring those most in need have access to fresh groceries. Teams of dedicated local volunteers across the regions also go that extra mile by helping with household jobs, delivering books through our library service and providing much needed friendly social contact and meals through our Meal Makers and befriending services.
 

Our Growth

Following 15 years of successfully supporting older people throughout Dumfries and Galloway, in 2010, Food Train embarked on our ambitious project to make our services available to older people in other parts of Scotland. With support from the Scottish Government, Community Food and Health Scotland and the relevant health and social care partnerships, we are delighted that Food Train services are now available in many more areas.
 

Our Vision

In order to fulfil our vision for all older people in Scotland, we endeavour, in partnership with our public and independent sector partners, to continue growing and expanding our services and support for older people to enable them to eat well, live well and age well at home.

Victoria Park is one of the largest and finest parks in Glasgow. Located in the west of Glasgow, Victoria Park was officially opened on 2nd July 1887 and has been providing the local community with a place to explore and relax for over 100 years. As Friends of Victoria Park we want to make sure it’s well cared for and improved at a time when the budget for parks is under severe pressure. We keep in close touch with Glasgow City Council to highlight maintenance issues. We seek funding to make improvements for example for new play equipment. 
 

With guiding girls have fun, adventure and the space to discover their potential

They go to their first ever sleepover, canoe on rivers, learn about body confidence, and lead their own camp. Or sometimes they simply have fun and try new things with friends.

Girls take what they do in guiding with them as they grow up. Everything from working in a team, to taking the lead, to speaking out on issues they care about. It helps them develop the skills and confidence to become the young women they want to be. And to make a difference to the world around them.

Established in 1982

Glasgow Building Preservation Trust (GBPT) was established in 1982 as a charitable trust to rescue, repair, restore and rehabilitate significant, historic buildings at risk across the city. The retention of our historic built environment is pivotal to our sense of place and contributes to making Glasgow a beautiful and vibrant place to live, work and visit. Without the Trust’s interventions many fine buildings and landmarks would have been lost.
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In 1990, GBPT, with the Scottish Civic Trust, launched Glasgow’s first Doors Open Day, which has gone from strength to strength and is now one of the highlights of Glasgow’s events calendar.

Our Mission

GBPT aspires to be an exemplary Building Preservation Trust (BPT) that delivers high-quality, sustainable conservation projects which contribute to the regeneration of Glasgow’s built environment. We are one of the largest and most productive BPTs in the UK, with 4 members of staff and multiple projects underway at any one time. Over the last 30 years we have undertaken a wide range of work to help repair, enhance and promote Glasgow’s built heritage.

Our Aims

• To rescue, repair and restore buildings of architectural and historic merit in Glasgow
• To participate in the wider urban regeneration of the city
• To encourage the use of traditional building skills and materials
• To provide exemplars of best practice in building conservation and design
• To work in partnership with local communities and key stakeholders
• To increase awareness and participation in Glasgow’s built environment by delivering the city’s annual Doors Open Days event

Our Benefits

Often referred to as ‘developers of the last resort’, BPTs acquire, repair and find appropriate new uses for buildings which no-one else is willing or able to take on. We can access charitable and public funding unavailable to local authorities and commercial developers in order to deliver projects which drive social and economic regeneration. In particular GBPT can offer;

• An excellent track record of delivering successful projects – 12 major building projects to date
• Expertise in assembling increasingly complex funding packages
• Experience of developing strong partnerships and community involvement
• The pursuit of high standards of best-practice conservation combined with high-quality contemporary design
• Professional and dedicated Staff Team and experienced Board of Directors

Our History

GBPT was formerly known as the Bridgegate Trust, established in 1982 to take on the redundant Briggait Fish Market which at the time had been threatened with demolition. This Category A-listed building described as ‘Scotland’s most important surviving market halls’ (Historic Scotland) was successfully saved, and for a period operated as a speciality shopping centre, but a long-term viable reuse was actively sought for two decades.  Between 2001-09 the building was successfully converted by the Wasps Studios to the award-winning artists’ studios and cultural centre.
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In 1991, the Bridgegate Trust became Glasgow Building Preservation Trust. Over the years, with the continued support of Glasgow City Council, through revenue and capital funding and the consistent support of funders such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland and the Architectural Heritage Fund, our activities have expanded significantly and there is growing demand for our services.  ?

What we do

We provide initial intervention & give information on services, legal rights, housing issues, benefit advice and on issues of concern for women, children and young people. We signpost to specialist agencies and provide support to women to facilitate access to services.

We provide one to one counselling, support and refuge if needed. Any woman can get support whether or not accommodation is needed.

We also run support groups for women who are currently being or have been abused by their partner or ex-partner. Support groups are self help groups which meet on a regular basis to enable women to recover from their experiences of abuse.

As well as providing direct services for women, children and young people, GEWA works with a wide range of partners, including health services, the police, social work services, education, housing providers and voluntary organisations, to provide a safer, more resource effective response to survivors of domestic abuse through both multi-agency work and training provision.

Who We Are

We are a local environmental charity and social enterprise based in west Glasgow that coordinates and delivers a range of environmental activities and services.

We make a difference by facilitating and empowering local people in many different ways to be more eco-friendly including:

• to donate unwanted bikes and access affordable reused bikes;
• to walk and cycle more;
• to maintain and improve community spaces and community gardens;
• to come together to take action;
• to help people and communities to thrive;
• to use and develop their skills through volunteering and
• to improve their resilience and physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Glasgow Eco Trust delivers environmental activities and services across a range of Key Work Areas, many in partnership with other organisations, in order to protect and enhance the local environment and increase the wellbeing and resilience of local people and communities that we work with.

Our Vision

Our Vision is of vibrant, thriving and resilient communities where people are inspired and empowered to get active, get involved and make a difference for their communities, future generations and the planet.

Our Mission is to protect and enhance the local environment and to increase the wellbeing and resilience of local of local people and communities.

Our Objectives

Our current strategic objectives are to:

• Protect and enhance the local environment
• Increase the wellbeing and resilience of local people and communities
• Be an excellent organisation that delivers high quality services and added value to the people and communities we serve

And our charitable and company objectives are the:

• Advancement of education
• Advancement of citizenship or community development
• Provision of recreational facilities, or the organisation of recreational activities
• Advancement of environmental protection or improvement
• Relief of those in need
• Promote, operate and/or support other charitable projects and initiatives

Our Operational Area

Glasgow Eco Trust is based in west Glasgow and covers the neighbourhoods of Yoker, Scotstoun, Knightswood, Whiteinch, Thornwood, Broomhill and Jordanhill.

This area covers the seven community councils listed above and two electoral wards - Ward 13 Garscadden Scotstounhill and Ward 12 Victoria Park - and has a population of approximately 50,000 people.

We undertake work outwith these areas however this is usually in partnership with a range of other great organisations from across Glasgow and beyond.

Glasgow Flower Gardens is a community run project, made up of local people with a wide range of ages and backgrounds.  We presently have sites across Glasgow's West End, and grow mainly Scottish flowers, cutting out 'flower miles' to introduce unusual and beautiful flowers for volunteers, charities, and the general public. 

Our flower focus is on unique and traditionally Scottish blooms, especially ones with a scent. 

Are you interested in growing plants? Do you want to learn new skills and get to know others living in your community? Whether your skills are in gardening, IT, accountancy, marketing, or if you are just keen to get involved, let us know your level of experience, when you are available to volunteer, and how you would like to help!

We're Glasgow Marrow, and we save the lives of people with blood cancer.  Working on behalf of national blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan, we are part of the student-run branch of the UK's largest stem cell register.  We recruit new potential donors to the stem cell register, in the hope they will one day be a match for someone in need of a lifesaving stem cell transplant.  We run events across Glasgow and in 2018/19 we signed up over 750 new donors.  We also run regular fundraising events to raise vital funds to allow Anthony Nolan to carry out its lifesaving work.

About us

What we do 

Every year,  RDA Glasgow Group provides equine therapy to around 400 children and adults with disabilities from across the Greater Glasgow area. We provide 36 hours of riding and carriage driving sessions per week and rely on the help of over 100 volunteers to deliver our service.

Why we do it

Balancing on a horse works thousands of muscles, and the horse’s movement mimics a walking pattern in the muscles of the rider, which provides a highly effective form of physiotherapy. It also offers psychological benefits. This combination of physical and psychological benefits makes equine therapy appropriate for a very wide range of disabilities, from autism and Asperger’s to cerebral palsy, visual or hearing impairments to learning disabilities.

Our history

Starting life in Bearsden as The St Mungo Group of the RDA in 1967, the Group became the Glasgow Group of the Riding for the Disabled Association in 1987, moving to a purpose-built facility in the Summerston area of Glasgow. A member group of the national Riding for the Disabled Association, we are dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities across Greater Glasgow through the provision of opportunities for riding and carriage driving.

Our centre

The centre was officially opened in 1988 by HRH the Princess Royal, President of the Riding for the Disabled Association. The purpose-built facilities include stabling for 20 horses, indoor and outdoor arenas, tea bar, office, meeting room and accommodation for the yard staff.

Our riders

We cater for riders with all types of disability, from the age of three upwards, providing access to the physical and psychological benefits that riding can offer.

Our classes

The aim of our classes is to teach to new skills and foster independence by encouraging riders to take charge of their horse. Riding takes place in small classes indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather.  Our activities allow riders to experience the physical, sensory and psychological benefits that riding offers, which in turn helps to increase confidence and self-esteem. 

Nightline is a confidential listening and information service run by and for students of Glasgow, Strathclyde, and Caledonian Universities. We offer both information and support throughout the night from 7pm to 12am midnight, and we aim to be open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during term-time. 

You can contact us using our online chat for just about anything, whether you have a personal or academic worry that is affecting your life, a question about how to find your exam timetables, or simply a listening ear.

Glasgow Students' Nightline is a member of the national Nightline Association. This ensures that our Nightline is operating according to best practice as decided on by the Nightline Association, mental health professionals, legal advisors, the Samaritans, and the Helplines Partnership.

ANONYMITY

We will not ask you for any details about yourself and we do not disclose information about ourselves or other Nightline volunteers.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Anything you call about will be kept completely private within the organisation, with the exception of calls relating to acts of terrorism and in certain circumstances related to harm and safeguarding situations.

NON-JUDGEMENTAL

We treat every call and every caller the same, putting aside any personal opinions or prejudices. We accept you without judgement.

NON-DIRECTIVE

We will not tell you how to solve a problem or give you advice. We are there to listen and help callers in exploring their own emotions, situations and options. Callers decide what they want to talk about and we will give you a safe space to do this.

NON-ADVISORY

Nightline gives the caller space to make their own decision, and supports them in this rather than telling them what to do.

SUPPORT

We strive to support callers and our fellow volunteers at all times

Glasgow University Environmental Task Force launched in early 2019 and is a student-led, staff-supported initiative that works alongside our local residents, helping make Glasgow a greener, cleaner place for everyone.

We work in partnership with local community groups, taking part in activities such as litter-picking and tree planting.

The group has a number of focuses including outreach work with schools, networking events with industry professionals, social activities, workshops, and international collaborations.

FemEng also successfully pioneered ‘FemEng in Rwanda’, the University’s first student-led learning project in collaboration with the University of Rwanda. This initiative brought together women studying STEM subjects at both universities with the common goal of encouraging more high school girls in Rwanda to pursue further education in the field of STEM. This has lead to the introduction and planning of a future project ‘FemEng in Malawi’ which was launched in 2020 and aims to reach the same levels of success as the previous trips to Rwanda.

About GUSH

Glasgow University Service to the Homeless (GUSH) is a long-established, student-led initiative.  GUSH offers students the opportunity to work in partnership with Glasgow's community, to help the city's homeless.  Every Thursday and second Sunday, we meet with Emmaus Glasgow and Help4TheHomeless in Glasgow City Centre, to provide hot drinks and food for those who need.  We also run events throughout the year, including our Christmas gift giving, bake sales, clothing sales, quiz nights, and other fundraising activities.

Why volunteer with GUSH?

This project offers you a great way to get involved with your community, to work alongside like-minded peers, and meet the residents and neighbours of your city. You'll also have the chance to become a shift leader - any volunteer can take on this role, once you've gained appropriate experience - with added organising and leadership responsibilities. This volunteering opportunity is also Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) eligible, meaning it is a certified, extra-curricular activity which can be recognised on your transcript when you graduate. 

Glasgow University Students' Representative Council exists to promote the interests of students to the University and beyond, alongside providing a range of support services as well as social and personal development opportunities.

The SRC's aims are grouped under three key headings:

Representation

Support and Well-being

Volunteering and Community

Representation

Council

A team of up to 49 students are elected each year to represent UofG’s 33,000+ student population to the University including academic officers, student welfare officers, general representatives and four sabbatical officers who make up the executive.

Class Reps

Every class will elect at least one class representative to provide feedback on their course and learning experience to the University.

Campaigns

The SRC campaigns, challenges and lobbies on behalf of our students within the University and at national level.

Support and Well-being

The Advice Centre

A team of professional advice workers who  provide free, confidential advice, information and advocacy on a vast range of subjects including accommodation, academic, well-being employment and financial issues. 

Events

The SRC runs a number of support and welfare events throughout the year including Black and LGBTQ+ History months, De-stress activities, a RAG week and many more.  

Welcome Point

GUSRC run The Welcome Point where you can go with any general questions on a range of subjects. 

Secondhand Bookshop

The second-hand book shop stocks a variety of up-to-date materials at low prices. Check the online stock database to see what’s available. Also check online for any COVID-related service updates.

Student Job Hub

The SRC also work with the University Careers Service to provide the Student Job Hub: your one-stop shop for finding part-time work.

Postgraduate Club

For any Postgraduate students, you need to check out The Gilchrist Postgrad Club: a social space run exclusively for PG students by the SRC & UofG Food: featuring a café, regular events and a great bookable space.

Volunteering and Community

SRC Volunteering

SRC Volunteering is a service provided for all students and offers you the chance to undertake a wide range of volunteering opportunities both on and off campus. The service provides a valuable link with and input into the local community. You can register online for their volunteer database and they will help you to find a volunteering opportunity that best suits you.

Clubs & Socs

The SRC supports over three hundred clubs and societies via affiliation. Societies offer the opportunity to meet like-minded students and gain useful skills. GUSRC also offers clubs financial support and advice, as well as guidance to students on setting up new societies. Find the full list of clubs online.

Student Media

The SRC’s multi-award winning student media network includes a newspaper (The Glasgow Guardian), magazine (GUM), radio station (Subcity Radio) and television station (GUST). Whether enjoying their content or getting involved in production, student media at Glasgow is well worth checking out. All are free to join and participate in.

Who we are 

Our aim is to provide a forum for our members to interact on a professional and social level. ?

What we do

Our association works with the veterinary school board to coordinate charity fundraisers, social events, and educational opportunities throughout the school's diverse body. The association supports and represents all of the students, clubs, and societies of Glasgow University's exceptional veterinary school. We are here to listen and take action! 

The charity was founded in 1948 and has grown in stature since its inception.  Over the past decade, there has been greater demand for care and support in later life and we have had to develop our services to meet this demand.  Over the last few years, the charity has overhauled its work ethic to ensure it is best meeting the needs and demands of the older generation.

We manage three day centres across Glasgow and manage three befriending services, providing weekly clubs where volunteers provide a range of activities, outings, companionship, and refreshments.  We also manage two charity shops in the west and south of Glasgow.

GCP works with individuals and families in the asylum and refugee community in Glasgow.  Although based in Govan, we provide support to New Scots throughout Glasgow.  We offer a range of services including advice & advocacy, food insecurity support, digital inclusion, community social groups, English classes and support community members to access a variety of informal learning and wellbeing activities, facilitating opportunities for community members to build new connections in the communities they are living in.

GOW - What's in a Name? 

GOW is the collective acronym for the Gibson Street, Otago Street and Westbank Quadrant 'triange community', so called, because the streets join to form a triangular backcourt. The group provides a fantastic example of what can be achieved when Glasgow West End residents put their heads together to transform an ugly and neglected backcourt into an attractive area they can be proud of.

A Brief History of GOW 

Inspired by a one off clean up organised by students the GOW community group formed in 2001 as a response to local residents' wishes to tackle a host of problems. The main area they wanted to tackle was the backcourt, which like many other backcourts in Glasgow was very neglected.

Not only were the bin sheds were dilapidated and unsuited to modern levels of waste generation but chronic fly-tipping had resulted an accumulation of mounds of discarded rubbish.

The backcourt was pretty unsavoury as along with the overspill from the bin sheds came unwanted guests in the form of rats. Another hazard was discarded needles from drug users who bedded down in basement areas alongside dumped household appliances, baths and mattresses.
All in all, the GOW triangle was a forbidding and ugly area.

In 2000, a group of students from 97 Otago Street decided to have a clean up and posted around notes inviting residents to come along and help. Armed with heavy-duty black bags donated by Glasgow City Council, they and other residents made some inroads into the dreadful mess, filling a huge number of bags.

GOW community group tentatively formed in late 2001 and in February 2002 had their first public meeting held in an empty local shop. The aim was to find out what the residents wanted from the backcourt and to find out what was possible.

New Dawn...later that year

With the assistance of Kelvin Clyde Greenspace, both in terms of practical help (cutting back of overgrown trees and bushes) and advice (how to obtain funding, a bank account and organise GOW etc.), the group gained confidence in realising a backcourt intended to be used by all, not just abused by a few.

A survey and consultation report was produced identifying and prioritising the problems faced and the desires of the residents for improvement of the communal space.

Some of the main items on the GOW residents' wish list included :

• A solution to the overflowing bin sheds
• Some landscaping of the existing 'flowerbeds' and a 'green space' to enjoy
• A more secure and better lit area to prevent bin raking and non-residents using the area

The opportunity to recycle

Other backcourts in the city faced similar problems to GOW and as a result of an initiative taken by Kelvin Clyde Greenspace an umbrella body was formed in 2003. This was the Sustainable Backcourt Initiative (SBI) which included five Housing Associations as well as GOW residents Group. In addition to identifying common problems and engaging with Council Services in an effort to solve them, SBI obtained funding to commission a feasibility study for 4 backcourts in the City. This included GOW which is privately owned whilst the others provide predominantly social housing.

In 2005, City Design Cooperative, a landscape architect and urban design practice won the tender to produce the feasibility study with costings for the renovation of the 4 backcourts.

At the SBI Conference held in October 2004 to present the findings of that study the initiative came to the attention of the Scottish Executive Tenemental Recycling Group. Glasgow City Council was included in this pilot and the SBI backcourts were also incorporated in the Glasgow scheme using the now familiar blue bins.

The pilot ran for the 2005-6 financial year and in addition to physical renovation and improvements there was a community approach to encourage residents to recycle a range of items so diverting them from landfill. Delays in planning permission until late 2005 caused some problem for researchers but all the demolition, reconstruction, landscaping and clean-up work was completed by March 2006 and the scheme proved to be viable.

GOW is an amazing example of what can be created through community involvement, dedication and hard work.

Greater Pollok Services was set up by residents to bring opportunities into Greater Pollok, in employment, training, and support services. We evolved during Covid, as we quickly responded to emergencies and now have a Volunteer Coordinator who recruits and supports lots of community activity to help our community get back up and running.

About Us

The Inclusive Homework Club was founded in 2018 to create an educational support hub for people with learning difficulties and from disadvantaged backgrounds in mind. Since then, the impact of the IHC has continued to grow and officially received charity status on the 22nd of June 2020. The Club is currently being ran by Firdaus Ahmed and is funded by BEMIS, the Endrick Trust and the St. Nicholas Care Fund. 

We work with teachers at primary and secondary schools in Glasgow. Teachers refer young people to our Inclusive Homework Club programme to receive extra support. Parents and carers can also contact us directly if they feel their child would benefit from additional help. 

Our Mission

Our team of volunteer tutors provide literacy and numeracy support to students in one-to-one and group sessions. The support not only helps children succeed academically, it also helps them to build confidence and reach their potential. It's heartwarming to see the smiles on children and young people's faces as their confidence grows.?

Educational support from school and at home is often not enough, especially for children that require additional support. Our mission is to tackle barriers to learning and ensure every child receives the individualized learning support they need to reach their full potential.

We dream of a world where every child gets the same educational opportunities. 

At each local centre IntoUniversity offers an innovative programme that supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to attain either a university place or another chosen aspiration.

Kiltwalkers can raise funds for any charity of their choice and thanks to the generosity of Sir Tom Hunter and The Hunter Foundation, all funds raised will be topped up by 50%*.

Since 2016, our Kiltwalk Heroes have raised £19 million and The Hunter Foundation have added £10 million – that’s a total of £29 million for over 2,600 charities.

*The fundraising top up limit for 2022 runs from 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2022 and is £5000 per walker or donor. This is a cumulative limit for all Kiltwalk events in the above period. All fundraising top ups are subject to deadlines and Trustee approval.

Language4Water is a student-volunteer run society/project where we train non-professional native or bilingual speakers to teach their own languages. Like other 4Water projects, 100% of our profits are donated to WaterAid. Currently, we are focusing our resources on a region in Madagascar and plan to raise a further £100,000 for these communities over the next two years. A comprehensive training is provided to our volunteers, including guidance on how to effectively teach online, how to create an entertaining curriculum for a class of students and how to find resources when preparing for a class.

Our Foundations

Beginning in 2015, Lingo Flamingo marries a love of languages with a desire to promote life long learning and a personal quest to make language learning accessible for all and improve the lives of those living with dementia. 

Our raison d’être can be best seen through our stimulating language classes for older adults and those living with dementia. These unique classes take into account the medical, physical, and mental health of learners in order to employ the senses, keep the brain active, build confidence, and foster connections between participants. We've worked with individuals of all ages and at all stages of dementia diagnosis, and in so doing have improved their decision-making and multi-tasking skills, and heightened their ability to concentrate and communicate. In this way, we use foreign languages as a vehicle to empower older adults in care homes, day centres, and communities across Scotland. 

To date, we have taught over 1000 students, encompassing an array of ages, locations, and abilities. Due to the inherent diversity within our classes, no two sets of students are the same, yet using our very own vivid and accessible workbooks, the first of their kind in the world, we ensure consistency, and manage to include memory tips, nostalgic references, historical anecdotes, and linguists cues throughout. Such prompts sit alongside features that have been designed to evoke senses, with exercises including music, touch, scent, feel, and taste. In this way our classes serve to ease older adults back into learning, an important factor given some participants may not have been in such an environment for many decades. Indeed, this transition back into learning is key to our mission as a whole, as we seek to transform education more widely by demonstrating that it is never too late to learn something new, to show that life long learning is truly that, learning for the whole of life. 

Our Values

Key to our wider mission of ensuring life long learning is truly that, learning for the whole of life, is guaranteeing that languages are as accessible as possible. We do this in a number of ways: 

1. By creating a laid-back, natural learning environment, where students feel comfortable connecting with classmates, trying new things, and even making mistakes. This relaxed environment is particularly important in the UK where many of us may have had bad experiences of language learning at school or feel that learning a language is something uniquely difficult or only suited to a certain kind of person or those of a particular age. 
2. We make learning accessible by ensuring lessons are interactive and immersive, using a variety of techniques that have been designed to evoke senses, with exercises including music, touch, scent, feel, and taste. These sensory activities mean that classes are fun and that learning is absorbed more organically. 

These core values therefore run through everything we do: immersive, fun, accessible, sensory, not-for-profit. 

Excitingly, from late 2018 we will be putting these values into a new venture: our very first Language Nest!

The Language Nest

We still be using the same sensory, stimulating techniques to make classes fun and accessible. And we also continue to emphasise the health benefits and show that language learning can be for everyone. What’s more, we offer a wider range of languages to choose from, with more likely to be added in the future. 

Most importantly, all the money that is raised through the Language Nest is put towards care home classes. That’s to say, each and every penny of surplus revenue is used to cross-subsidise classes for older adults and those living with dementia across Scotland. As such, we see the Nest not only as a way to change perceptions of language learning, but as means to expand our social impact and reach a greater number of people living with dementia. It also means that any student joining our flock will not only gain from the benefits of language learning, but can feel good about having created a positive effect on society. Everyone’s a winner. 

We know that young people sometimes need some extra help to achieve their full potential, and we believe that providing support outside of school can really help young people to do better in the classroom, while also developing their broader skills. We also believe that learning should be a great adventure! So working together with local schools, families and volunteers, we deliver unique real-world learning projects (such as published books, films, and apps) in our online learning environment. 

The MCR charity was established to support young people who have experienced disadvantage and help them realise their full potential through education. We do this through our school-based mentoring programme - matching young people with a fully-trained volunteer mentor. 

Our vision is that every care-experienced young person or those who have experienced disadvantage, get the same education outcomes, career opportunities and life chances as every other young person. 

Our Mission

We exist to support Glasgow families, to make life easier, and reduce the financial and environmental impact of raising children.

We are a social enterprise and registered charity.  Our aims are threefold; to save families money by stocking great children’s goods at low prices, to support families in need with free goods and to provide a supportive space and events programme for families.

This is the full description for the provider, what they are about, what they can offer volunteers and so on.

Nature, Beauty & Heritage for Everyone

The National Trust for Scotland is the charity that cares for, shares and speaks up for Scotland’s magnificent heritage. We’re Scotland’s largest membership organisation and we’re independent of government.

Since 1931, we’ve pioneered public access to and shared ownership of some of the most magnificent buildings, collections and landscapes in Scotland. We care for ancient houses, battlefields, castles, mills, gardens, coastlines, islands, mountain ranges and the plants and animals which depend upon them.

Together, the places and objects in our care tell the stories of Scotland and the Scots: how our people travelled and interacted with the wider world, taking with them their energy and values and returning with new ideas and treasures. Without our involvement, many of these places and things would have been lost forever to the passage of time, development and the elements.

Scotland is exceptional in its nature, beauty and heritage, and everyone should have access to this.

As we look to our centenary in 2031, we are working to fulfil our vision of Nature, Beauty and Heritage for Everyone, and continuing to care for Scotland’s special places for future generations.

Who we are, what we do

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s purpose is to:

“Deliver effective and high quality health services, to act to improve the health of our population and to do everything we can to address the wider social determinants of health which cause health inequalities."

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is one of 14 regional NHS Boards in Scotland.

The Board provides strategic leadership and performance management for the entire local NHS system in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area and ensures that services are delivered effectively and efficiently.  Responsible for the provision and management of the whole range of health services in this area including hospitals and General Practice, NHSGGC works alongside partnership organisations including Local Authorities and the voluntary sector.  NHSGGC serves a population of 1.14 million and employs around 39,000 staff – it is the largest NHS organisation in Scotland and one of the largest in the UK

Our Vision

A society where health, well-being and harmony is supported within active communities.

Our Strategic Goal

To empower individuals and communities to lead practical and sustainable food related activities that improve health and well-being and which help build stronger, more cohesive communities.

Our Values

• Equality: We will undertake creative positive action to improve the position of people within the communities of North Glasgow and surrounding areas who are marginalised and who experience oppression.
• Collaboration: We believe the voluntary and community sector is strongest when it works together and that its future will be shaped through collaborative working and this will be the key to the way we work.
• Passion:  We believe voluntary action is built on the passion of individuals and communities to make a positive difference.
• Participation: We value and recognise the contribution our volunteers and members make to supporting our service delivery and in influencing the way we do things.
• Quality: We are committed to providing high quality services and through listening to service users and stakeholders to make improvements to our services.
• Working together: We are committed to working in a happy and healthy organisation, in which we all respect each other, offer feedback and work to improve our key human resources – both staff and volunteers.
• Ethical Business: We will seek to make our charitable work self-sustaining by engaging in social business activities which enhance the social responsibility of local businesses and align to our other values.

Our History

North Glasgow Community Food Initiative (NGCFI) has operated as a non-profit making organisation since June 2001. It was initially established by students from Student Action For Refugees (STAR) at Glasgow University, under the name of the North Glasgow Food Co-op. It was set up in response to research carried out by the Glasgow Asylum Rights Campaign who had identified a need for the local provision of cheap fresh fruit and vegetables in order to encourage its consumption and a need for projects that were intended for use by the whole community. In the first year the project was run entirely by volunteers and in September 2002 the project received funding from Integration Resources to take on staff to support and develop the activities. The organisation then changed its name to the ‘North Glasgow Community Food Initiative’ and broadened its focus to include expanded fruit and vegetable sessions, a delivery service, an allotment project and cookery activities. It has been growing ever since!

In September 2005 we became a Company Limited by Guarantee with Charitable Status. In 2006, we were one of only two organisations to win the prestigious Dame Sheila McKechnie Award for Community Food Initiatives, administered by the Food Standards Agency in London. In October 2009, NGCFI and Milton Food Project merged. In March 2010 we were benefited from a Third Sector Enterprise Fund grant from the Scottish Government. In 2011 we began ground works at our community garden in Milton, soon winning an award for sustainable working. In June 2012 we launched our Healthier Eating Royston Experience funded by the Big Lottery Fund.

NGCFI Strive to increase our Social Enterprise Activity and take on new opportunities for partnership to help achieve our social and community aims. NGCFI are continuing to carry out feasibility, planning and development of social enterprise opportunities across North Glasgow with an aim to increasing revenues while also making for a more sustainable organisation that will be able to withstand the potential changes in the voluntary and third sectors.

Volunteers are the heartbeat of our movement to end poverty around the world.  Volunteer in an Oxfam shop and you'll join a powerful movement of people united by one goal - an end to poverty, for everyone.  Window dressing, serving customers, organising pop up shop events, sorting donations, managing our social media - we need people for all kinds of roles.  And you'll join a friendly team at the heart of your community.

OUR STORY

In the summer of 2013, Bailey Ulbricht spent two months volunteering in Reyhanli, Turkey, a small town on the Turkish-Syrian border, where she met dozens of young college-aged Syrian students desperate to complete their university degrees despite the conflict in Syria. She began Skyping a few of them to help them practice English, and soon, other young Syrian refugees were reaching out to her to request English lessons. Bailey realized she could ask people in her network to volunteer tutoring, and found 10 tutors from her alma mater, Carleton College, to join her in the first Paper Airplanes English language program in June 2014.

Paper Airplanes continued to grow, and in December 2016, Paper Airplanes received official nonprofit status in the United States. In January 2017, the team expanded to include 25 staff members, and as of June 2019 we have an active staff of 20+, many of whom are former students and tutors.

OUR MISSION IS TO ENABLE LEARNING CONTINUITY 

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), only 1% of refugee youth attend university, compared to 34% of youth around the world. Paper Airplanes helps these students complete their education, while also empowering them with skills for gainful employment.

We believe in the power of the internet to transform educational access for those who need it most. We focus on the skills learners need to access future training, employment, and higher education in their country of residence or abroad. Through live and personalized instruction, we further hope to break down politicized cultural barriers and encourage cross-cultural understanding. We know that by fostering personal relationships, mentoring goes beyond the virtual classroom into the lives of both our tutors as well as our learners.

English is the most common language in the world for university-level instruction and is a common requirement for most universities around the world. Proficiency in English provides higher earning potential for conflict-affected youth and adults, and opens doors for further education and experiential learning through skills training programs—like our own—which are often taught in English. Host country languages can eliminate barriers to public education, institutional support, and employment. English and key host country languages can provide access to remote employment or the labor market outside of the region.

In countries where formal education is inaccessible because of cost, language, or legal barriers, skills like coding and computer literacy help individuals affected by conflict to find employment opportunities. By working in these technical fields, individuals help fill job gaps in countries like Turkey and Lebanon and often have the option for remote work or flexible hours.

Saturday morning events are 5k and take place in parks and open spaces.

Parkrun is a positive, welcoming, and inclusive experience where there is no time limit and no one finishes last. Everyone is welcome to come along, whether you walk, jog, run, volunteer, or spectate.

About

Playlist for Life is a charity founded in 2013 by writer and broadcaster, Sally Magnusson, after the death of her mother, Mamie, who had dementia.  We want everyone with dementia to have a unique, personal playlist, and everyone who loves or cares for them to know how to use it.  More than 20 years of scientific research shows that listening to a personal paylist can make living with dementia easier and happier.  Building a personal playlist means exploring someone's lifestory, to gather the tunes that are most deeply attached to memories and emotions.  The soundtrack of your life.

Join us!

Why should I volunteer with Playlist for Life?

Volunteer, and become part of the movement that is changing lives through the power of playlists.  850,000 people are living now with dementia in the UK, but do not know that something as simple as a personal playlist ccould make life easier and happier.  Help us raise awareness and reach people in your local area!

Possobilities – Serving North Glasgow

Over the last 33 years, Possobilities has developed into one of the most respected voluntary organisations in Glasgow. We have a proven track record of offering support and respite to disabled and vulnerable people in our community.

We’re all about promoting independent living.

We give members with disabilities access to the resources they require and support them to grow, learn and develop so that they can achieve their goals within society rather than feel isolated in their own homes. Our purpose-built centre at Possobilities gives them confidence to grow in a safe environment at their own pace while also encouraging them to try new things.

Our members come from every age group and have disabilities in various forms and we understand that disability can limit opportunities. We go out of our way to break down those barriers. 

Possobilities is able to offer support through social groups and community-led assets in a welcoming environment. This allows us to give our members what they need to allow them to participate in activities and social circles. 

WHO WE ARE

We’re passionate about young people and believe in their ability to positively transform both their own lives and those of the people around them. That is why, since 2005, we have been supporting young people to develop their confidence and skills to move into employment, training or education.

WHAT WE DO

We provide a personal plan for each young person. This includes a volunteer placement with a local charity and one-to-one mentoring, as well as ongoing support from a member of our team. And when we say ‘ongoing support’, we mean it! We are there for our young people, every step of the way, even after a volunteer placement comes to an end. Because of that, 78% of our volunteers continue on to something better.

WHY WE DO IT

The problems faced by Scotland’s young people are becoming more and more complex. They often have a range of barriers stopping them from realising their potential. We enable young people to be a force for good through volunteering, while gaining work experience and an opportunity to develop themselves. Our charity partners get additional skills, talents and enthusiasm. We enable young people to be a stronger part of their local communities and give something back.

Why Re-engage? 

As we get older, our social circles diminish, and we find ourselves with fewer and fewer people to turn to. Imagine realising one day that all your friends and family have gone from your life. Loneliness can be cruel, and it affects millions of people over 75 who live in social isolation.

Re-engage is making life less lonely for thousands of older people every year. Older people tell us that our volunteer-led activities make them happier and more able to trust others.

About Us

Refuweegee was set up by Selina Hales in December 2015 to provide a warm welcome to forcibly displaced people arriving in Glasgow. As a result of the amazing response from people in Glasgow and beyond, we have provided over 10,000 community-built, personal welcome packs and emergency support packs to people all over Glasgow and across Scotland.

Our aim is to enable the existing community in extending the friendly welcome that Glasgow is world renowned for*. We do this through our welcome packs, our events and our volunteer opportunities. We try to provide everyone who wishes to get involved with an opportunity to do so; be it through writing a letter, donating essential items, joining us at an event or fundraising.

We work with multiple organisations around Scotland, from our partners who distribute welcome packs through to schools and community organisations looking to do something similar in their area. We love hearing from other individuals, organisations, groups and projects and collaborating wherever we can on the very simple objective of making the world a nicer place to live.
 

*roughguides.com World's friendliest city

Doing this together with others builds social cohesion and combats isolation, while helping reduce the size of our landfills. 

It's no secret that as a society we throw away vast amounts of stuff unnecessarily. The majority of our waste still goes into landfill and recycling options are often limited. Many products are intentionally designed with built-in obsolescence so that their useful life is shortened and we're forced to buy new. The knowledge and ability to repair and 'make do and mend' have been lost over the years and valuable practical skills are not being passed down the generations.

It's becoming more and more apparent that our 'throwaway' society, fueled by over-consumption of cheap goods, is totally unsustainable. Repair Cafés are a hands-on way to learn how this attitude fails both people and the planet and to take practical steps to do something about it. Repair Cafés are helping to change attitudes by presenting an innovative approach to waste reduction, social cohesion and the transference of craft skills, through the act of repairing, upgrading and maintaining a broad range of products. Items regularly brought to Repair Cafés include furniture, household electrical appliances, electronic gadgets and devices, toys, garden equipment, bicycles, clocks, jewellery, ceramics, clothes and textiles...and much more!

Our players and coaches volunteer each week to deliver basketball sessions to secondary pupils from deprived areas of Glasgow.  In 2019/20, our Govan School of Basketball initiative was introduced to Govan High School and its neighbouring primary schools in the south side of Glasgow.  It's a five year program, constructed to increase basketball participation and foster children's potential from primary to their last years of secondary school. 

By giving these children the chance to learn a new sport at such a young age, we provide them with an opportunity to grow, learn, and be inspired to achieve more.  This is especially salient in our targeted schools, where dropout rates are hgih and many pupils have little plans to further themselves academically or in a vocational setting.  We aim to use basketball as a means to get adolescents to stay off the streets, and encourage them to be engaged in something positive.  Our program also helps to develop the invaluable skills that come from participation in sports, such as commitment, work ethic, team work, and social skills.

If you are interested in becoming a part of Rising Stars, we'd love to hear from you!

Our aims are to explore the issue of homelessness in Glasgow and what we can do to make a valuable contribution to help end homelessness in this city. 

Through education initiatives, building a sustainable and meaningful volunteering model and utilising the world-class research in homelessness, Road to Home is a hub of resources for our university community to learn from, be inspired by and get involved with.

We are the main provider of emergency and temporary accommodation in Scotland and have been preventing homelessness in this community since 2011.

Glasgow is the UK’s biggest asylum dispersal area and it has been a hugely welcoming city. Unfortunately, the simple truth is that there isn't enough accommodation and what there is doesn't meet the needs of those who need it. At any given time we estimate that there are about 200 people in need of accommodation, stripped of their dignity, and forced into rough sleeping and other survival decisions.

Learn more about our work to design-out destitution and build a safer, more dignified alternative for people seeking asylum.

Shelter. Safety. Support.

Scouting gives young people aged between 6 and 25 years old the opportunity to discover just what they can do and what they can achieve. From spending their first night away from home to planning an international expedition, the unique experiences Scouts of all ages enjoy help them to realise their full potential and set them up with skills for life.

Sexpression:Glasgow is the Glasgow branch of nation-wide charity Sexpression:UK. 

We are a near-peer, non-profit charity with the goal of empowering young people to make decisions about relationships and sex.

Our society provides free informal and comprehensive Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) workshops to the community as we believe that young people should be able to access reliable information about relationships, sex, gender and sexuality.  We aim for a society in which youth are free from STIs and unwanted pregnancy and where they are empowered to make individual and informed decisions regarding their bodies and health. Our near-peer teaching encourages young people to participate in discussions about sex and relationships and ensures that their individual beliefs are respected.

We welcome and train volunteers one to two times a year (at the beginning of each semester), everyone is welcome to join as long as they are a registered university student. 

About Us

A place for everyone

Every day we help make good things happen for people facing extremely difficult circumstances. We’re here to provide consistent, friendly and informed support so that people can explore options and take the next step towards a positive future. 

People are at the heart of who we are and what we do. 

Our vision is for everyone to have a safe place to live with access to the help they need. We support adults and young people who are homeless and sleeping rough by providing them with emergency shelter as well as homes in the community. 

We work with people so that they can resolve their homelessness as quickly as possible. We maintain contact with people – in diverse circumstances – so that we can help them address the underlying reasons for their homelessness and get the support they need, recover and thrive. 

Everything we do is about and for people. 

By working and learning together we can drive impact and change person to person – to transform everyone’s experience of homelessness in Scotland.

Smart Works Scotland has supported thousands of women into employment since opening its centre in August 2014, and we are opening another centre in Glasgow in October 2022.

The women who come to Smart Works are referred from Job Centres, mental health charities, women's refuges, homeless shelters, the prison service, care service, and youth organisations. 

We offer three services:

Career Coaching - this is for any unemployed woman looking to secure an interview. We'll help you with personalised one-to-one coaching with a skillled volunteer who will provide you with practical tips and next steps to secure an interview. 

Interview Preparation - If you're unemployed with a confirmed interview we can help you feel confident and prepared with a personalised dressing session to find you a high-quality interview outfit, yours to keep. You'll also receive a one-to-one interview coaching wth a skilled volunteer coach.

Second Dressing - once you get the job we'd love to see you again for a second dressing where we'll help you build a capsule wardrobe. 

About Social BIte

Social Bite, born in Edinburgh and now a nationwide charity, are on a mission to end homelessness. We are a movement of kindness and believe everyone should have a safe place to call home. We operate a national chain of cafes, a restaurant, and a food delivery service, with all profits going towards pioneering employment, food, and housing initiatives designed to break the cycle of homelessness. We believe in building relationships, and that food, homes, jobs, and support are the keys to enable everyone to reach their potential. 

Starter Packs Glasgow have been helping individuals and families across Greater Glasgow for the last 21 years.  We provide over 60 items in our packs such as crockery, kettle, toaster, pots, pans, bedding, towels, toiletries and cleaning products.  They are available by referral to anybody experiencing poverty, often after being homeless, fleeing domestic situations, moving on from the forces, prison or care.  Our packs help empower people to build a new life with dignity, ease their financial burden, and alleviate poverty and the mental and physical ill health that can be caused by it. They allow people to settle into their new home more quickly, reducing the chances of having to leave the tenancy – helping to break the cycle of homelessness. 

STAR (Student Action for Refugees) is the national network of students building a more understanding and just society where refugees are welcomed and can thrive in the UK.

Our student groups based in colleges and universities and a central team of experts, work together at a number of levels to bring about lasting change. We:

• Volunteer locally working directly with refugees, building understanding and connections
• Campaign nationally for policy change and equal access to higher education for refugees
• Learn about refugee protection and the asylum journey in the UK with experts and peers

Our impact

In 2019-20, we:

• Supported 53 STAR groups across 39 towns and cities.
• Worked in partnership with SolidarityNow to support the establishment of student-led groups at Greek universities.
• Responded to 300 support requests from prospective students with a refugee or asylum-seeking background.
• Supported universities with scholarship development, including the launch of nine new scholarships.

Our vision

Our vision is a society where refugees are welcomed and can thrive as equal members of the community.

Our history

In 1992, students at the University of Nottingham were inspired by the idea of a society that welcomed refugees – so they decided to create one. Andy Davies (then a politics student, now Channel 4 home affairs correspondent) approached the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, pitching the idea of a network of student societies aimed at supporting refugees.

Andy was asked to set up a pilot scheme, and in 1994, the first STAR group was set up, with support from UNHCR and the British Refugee Council. Then-social policy student Elly Hargreave became a co-founder of STAR, growing the movement with groups in London and Edinburgh established by 1996. 

Elly went on to found STAR as a registered charity in 1999 to support a national network of students campaigning, volunteering, and learning together. In 2008, the launch of our Equal Access campaign marked the start of our work improving pathways into higher education for refugees. Today, our network of informed and committed students bring about lasting change by volunteering locally with refugees, campaigning nationally for policy change, and learning about refugee protection in the UK with experts and peers.

Surge runs projects to develop street arts, physical theatre and circus in Scotland.  We work with artists, performance companies and educators at all levels of experience.  SURGE Festival is our annual festival of Physical Theatre, Street Arts and Circus and takes place each summer and brings new Scottish work and cutting edge international performances to the streets, theatres and unusual spaces of Glasgow. 

We are The Conservation Volunteers

We bring people together to create, improve and care for green spaces. From local parks and community gardens to Local Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest; from school grounds and hospital grounds to waterways, wetlands and woodlands; we connect people to the green spaces that form a vital part of any healthy, happy community.

Our team of dedicated, passionate staff and volunteers work with communities across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland and, through our Community Network, we support local community groups across the UK.

The Friends of Glasgow Botanic Gardens was established as a charitable organisation in the early 1990’s and formally our aim is “the enhancement of education for the public benefit by supporting and furthering the activities of Glasgow Botanic Gardens as a centre for education, research and public amenity”

• We organise a winter programme of talks for the Friends; guest speakers provide enjoyable accounts of specialised plant collections, great gardens, horticultural practice and environmental issues; this programme culminates each year with the Kibble Lecture in April which is open to all.
• We organise group visits to major gardens in Scotland, both public and private.
• To assist in our own horticultural knowledge, the Friends have access to the extensive library within the Gardens.
• Our fundraising is directed towards the enhancement of the plant collections within the Gardens and the provision of education and information programmes for all ages. Recently we have bought thousands of crocuses for the replanting of the bank in front of the Main Range, seeds for wildflower meadows and bedding plants. We have supported a Certificate in Practical Horticulture (open to all) and funded opportunities for staff to develop their knowledge and skills. Currently we are supporting the development of an outdoor classroom for all ages.

Above all, we all enjoy meeting and our favourite subject – plants, gardens and landscapes!!

Whether you are skilled in any of the above or are novices wanting to learn more, we welcome all to join the Friends as individuals or as a family.

Our ambition is a future where every person with sight loss has the confidence and support they need to live 

We place primary value on respecting the dignity of every person who uses our services and aim to help them improve their quality of life in a more resourceful, fulfilling, and sustainable manner.  

We deliver a wide range of services specifically aimed at supporting homeless or at-risk individuals to access the immediate support they need but most importantly offering routes out of homelessness.

We are a social enterprise registered as a Community Interest Company (CIC).

Our mission is to promote fullness of life and reduce loneliness and isolation through friendship and companionship. We work mostly in Glasgow, although we sometimes provide services throughout Scotland.

We operate a befriending service that is free to the user with the help of our amazing volunteers. We also run The No.1 Care Agency, a bespoke person-centred care service with the help of our team of trained and friendly carers. 

Our vision is to create connections and build confidence in and through the people we work with.

About Us

With our communities we'll change society to make it more inclusive for everyone, help people hear better now and fund world-class research. 

Our communities are huge: 

• 1 in 5 of us are deaf or have hearing loss
• 1 in 7 have tinnitus 

If our work doesn't directly impact you, it will almost certainly be making a difference for someone you know and love. 

We work with our communities and partners across health, employment, research, government, and more to change life for the better.

Volunteer With Us

Volunteer with us and make a valuable difference to people who are deaf, have hearing loss, or tinnitus. Any contribution you make, no matter how small, can have a big impact. 

Volunteering at parkrun is an opportunity to get outside, make new friends, have fun, learn new skills and to be a valuable part of your local community. We are always looking for new volunteers. 

Who we are…

Education is the most powerful way of improving people’s lives. The VTO believes that that all children should have access to educational support, irrespective of family circumstances.

We recruit, train, place, resource and support volunteer tutors, to give one-to-one educational help and guidance to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We believe that one-to-one interaction with an adult away from the classroom is an effective mechanism of supporting children’s education.

What we do…

The VTO tailors its activities to individual needs and objectives, so that support is specifically focused on each pupil’s problem areas. By assisting those children who need help with their schoolwork, but whose parents/carers cannot afford private tutoring, the aim is improvement in their educational attainment. The relatively informal, but dedicated individual support provided by the VTO has been found to be very effective.

The VTO is now in a position to build on its experience and develop a comprehensive approach focusing on the areas of greatest need, the areas of our towns and cities where the greatest attainment gap exists.

“The most important thing about the VTO is that you do not need to be an education specialist to get involved. The organisation was set up, from the very beginning, to train and support ordinary people who want to do something very practical to support children. Find out how you can become a volunteer as a tutor.

Whether you're living with or affected by these conditions, no one should face HIV or hepatitis C alone. And we want to make talking about and taking care of your sexual health a part of everyday life.

First established in 1989, our many services have grown over the years to incorporate support groups, one-to-one mentoring, social outings, education sessions, and workshops to name just a few. Find out more about the support and advice we offer here. 

Through our work, we're also:

• reducing new HIV and Hepatitis C infections
• getting people diagnosed 
• smashing stigma
• tackling health inequalities
• promoting good sexual health

Whiteinch Centre is an independent community facility owned by the people of Whiteinch. It provides a hub at the heart of the community making Whiteinch a vibrant place to live, work and play. 

Our  key objectives are to:?

• To offer learning opportunities for local people in Whiteinch and the surrounding areas.

• To enable community involvement through volunteering

• To support local health and wellbeing by providing a range of activities and classes.

• Improve access to affordable nutritious food.

• Support community development

We help children and young people to understand important issues about the world: the environment, world debt, global conflict and sustainable development. The work we do supports our young members to build a peaceful, fairer world, and to develop their own ideas, their self-confidence and their skills.  We work to ensure that young people’s voices are listened to and amplified, so they can take an active role in shaping our world an

Every week thousands of volunteers and young people meet in school halls, community venues and a host of other places. There they learn about big ideas through fun activities like singing, camping, playing and debating.

We are increasing our use of online tools to deliver our programmes for young people and connect our young members with their peers across the UK and beyond. Follow the links to find out more about our work in Scotland and Wales.

Our dedicated #DreamBigAtHome site enables young people and their families who aren’t able to access a local group to participate in a range of activities rooted in Woodcraft Folk’s values.

d their future.

Woodlands Community is a Development Trust, a charitable organisation that aims to improve the
Woodlands area of Glasgow and the lives of local people.

We achieve this through community-led activity and partnership with both local and national organisations.

We have a small team of paid staff, but most of the people who are involved in Woodlands Community are volunteers who give their time and energy to make a difference to their local community.

Our Board of Directors are local residents and are responsible for making strategic decisions about where we focus our activity to achieve the best results for Woodlands. They also ensure that the organisation and its finances are well managed.

Our Vision

Our vision is for young people to shape their future by shaping their community.

Our Mission

Our mission is to enable young people to empower themselves by promoting the following:

• Human rights
• Active citizenship
• Volunteering 
• Lifelong learning activities

Our Added Value

We bring both youth empowerment and human rights perspective to the achievement of social and economic objectives. We regularly break new ground in the field of lifelong learning and youth engagement and we champion and promote the interests of young people and their right to be involved in decision-making processes that impact on their lives.

Our Values 

• We are a Youth Lead organisation.
• We are open to all young people.
• We communicate clearly.
• Our Services develop young people by adding to their skills, knowledge and building confidence.
• We build in time, learning from what we do.
• We celebrate the achievements of young people.

Through providing age-appropriate, positive, and thought-provoking resources, Young Climate Warriors supports teachers and families in enabling children to understand the reality of climate change; presenting a stubbornly optimistic outlook and encouraging carbon-cutting and sustainability activities, the charity aims to combat eco-anxiety and stimulate motivation, showing children the real value of their own individual actions.

Mission / Vision / Values / Strategy