VOLUNTEER
Make a Difference – Join Our Team Today
We operate with a team of over 100 volunteers who are a vital part of the day to day running of Somebody Cares. Some volunteer to make a difference, some volunteer to make friends, others to build confidence or combat loneliness.
Whether a volunteer comes to help once a month or several times a week, they are part of the Somebody Cares family and the lifeblood of our operation.
We strive to give our volunteers opportunities to develop, grow and gain vital skills to improve their wellbeing and where appropriate gain meaningful employment. Any recruitment we do looks for people who have the right attitude and approach - charitable minded, hard-working team players who are willing to go the extra mile to help us achieve our aims of supporting all those who need our help in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Somebody Cares needs volunteers with many different skills, below are examples of some of our volunteer opportunities. Is there something you feel you could help with?
If you would like to volunteer your time, either as an individual or a corporate group, we would be delighted to hear from you. volunteer@somebodycaresscotland.org
GROUP VOLUNTEERING
We are keen to welcome groups who would like to donate their time for one off sessions. Each session starts with the opportunity for a tour of our facilities so you can see first-hand the difference your volunteer hours make to those we help.
Sessions include sorting donations of clothing, kitchen equipment and linen. Displaying items of furniture and accessories on the client floors, helping us prepare for our monthly sales and maintaining our busy food bank.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Retail Stores
Volunteers help us sort donated goods, put items out on the shop floor to make them look desirable or work at our tills selling the items. Whatever the role, we are looking for volunteers to have a good customer-facing demeanour, a creative flare for display and to be able to work as part of a dynamic team.
Monthly Saturday Sale
Our monthly sales are renowned throughout Aberdeen. They are located at Craigshaw Business Park, West Tullos, and run on the first Saturday of each month from 10am to 12pm. We require volunteers mid-week to help us stack shelves in preparation for the sales and also on the sale day once a month to help us sell the goods and run the sale.
Online Sales
We require IT savvy individuals to help us populate sites such as Ebay and Vinted with our high-end items. We also need those with a flair for detail to help prepare and photograph items ready for selling.
Donations Hubs
Donated goods are typically dropped off at one of our donation hubs in either Tullos, Hazelhead or Bridge of Don. Volunteers will accept goods direct from the donors and move them into the relevant areas of the warehouses for onward sorting. This role is very much customer facing and applicants will need to be able to accept donated goods with thanks, but also be able to reject items in a firm but tactful manner.
Donation Sorting – Charity HQ
Several our volunteers work at our Charity HQ helping us sort a wide variety of donated items, which arrive in bags and boxes. Volunteers at this end sort many different items including toys, clothing, kitchenware, bric-a-brac, electrical items linens and baby equipment. The first step is to sort donations into categories for the client showroom, monthly sale, retail stores or for selling online. Volunteers for this position need to enjoy having a “rummage” and have an eye for good quality second hand items.
PAT Testing
Many of our donated goods are small electrical items. We cannot donate or sell such items until we are certain that they are electrically safe. The role of the PAT Tester is to ensure conformance, and label items once they have been pat tested.
Food Bank
We run a very busy foodbank with daily requests for assistance from across the city. Our team of foodbank volunteers help us to pack nutrient rich parcels for individuals, couples and families always ensuring that we provide a wide variety of choice and fresh produce.
Food Bank Drivers
Our foodbank drivers arrive between 12pm and 1pm, Monday – Friday and help us deliver the food parcels across the city. With so many families not having access to transport in these challenging times, a delivery is sometimes the difference between feeding the family or going without. This is a role in high demand during the cost of living crisis and we are keen to speak to anyone who feels they could help out asap.
Administration
There are many opportunities for administrative duties in Somebody Cares, from answering the phones, data processing, creating google docs or spreadsheets for the team to work from, or providing IT support and advice. If applying for this generic volunteer area, then please specify what type of administrative skills you think you can provide.
Marketing / Social Media / Graphic Design
Somebody Cares has several Facebook Pages and Instagram accounts which need to be continually updated to keep our followers involved and interested. We are always interested to hear from volunteers who can help us raise the profile of the organisation and encourage participation in fundraising events or promotions. Equally important is presenting our promotions in a slick format, so we are always interested to hear from Graphic Designers or those with an artistic flare.
Gardening and Tradesmen
Our Charity HQ has grounds which need to be tended to in the summer months. We are always keen to hear from budding gardeners who can cut grass, tend to shrubbery, and keep weeds under control. We also from time to time require the help and advice of tradesmen such as plumbers, electricians, and joiners.
Delivery Driving
We have a dedicated team of employees who are drivers and van assistants but can always use help from volunteers who are willing to help pick up furniture items from donors or deliver such items to clients. Anyone applying for these positions needs to be physical fit and have experience in furniture removal and manual handling.