AVA Magazine - February 2022

AVA Magazine
February 2022
• Welcoming our new Development Officers •
• Member Spotlights• Governance support in practice •

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us
AVA Membership
AVA members come in all sorts of
(organisational) shapes and sizes.
From small community-based
organisations working to support
a small number of people in a
restricted geographic area, to
large charities delivering services
within Aberdeenshire that are
sometimes a small part of a much
wider portfolio. Community and
third sector organisations are
invited to join AVA as full members,
and people who either work or
volunteer for those organisations
are invited to join as affiliated
members. Volunteers are the
lifeblood of our sector and those
who volunteer on a regular basis
are invited to join AVA as associate
members.
Apply here H
www.avashire.org.uk/join-ava.html
When you join AVA, you and your
organisation will have access to the
following benefits:
• Enhanced communications through
specialism networking and information
mailing lists
• Priority access to news, updates and
information
• Free and priority access to AVA
membership and specialist forum events
• Priority access to AVA Training resources
• Priority access to AVA services and
facilities
• Access to discounted rates for AVA
Office Support Services
• Access to professional services offering
discounted rates to members

AVA | February 2022 3
Off to a flying start
Dan Shaw
AVA CEO
The new year has already been eventful
and we’re only in February! The community
& voluntary sectors have been out in force
supporting people affected by weather events,
and AVA has been supporting groups and
organisations in many different ways.
We’ve been distributing grants from the
Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing fund
(£337k and counting) after reading through
many inspirational grant applications with our
external partners; we’ve been delivering forum
and workshop sessions that have been well
attended; we’ve been thinking about how we
can do a bit more to support the sector during
the forthcoming year; and we’ve welcomed
new colleagues and projects into the AVA
family. All that whilst getting on with the day job!
Good governance underpins everything that the
sector does. It’s really encouraging when we hear
of groups and organisations who are achieving
positive outcomes, but it’s also fulfilling to know
that AVA played a small
part in that journey. Our
Governance specialist
(Rhona Davidson) has
been busy with this
and her work that’s
highlighted in this edition
demonstrates just a few
ways that AVA can help
with ensuring that your
group or organisation is
well governed.
As a membership organisation, it’s really important
that AVA also retains an ethos of delivering
services that our members want and need as
well. To help us do that, we would like to expand
our Board of Directors/Trustees whose role it is to
question, guide, and enable our strategic intent
and operational direction. If you would like to help
us to deliver more outcomes for our members,
and shape the way AVA heads into the future, I’d
really welcome you getting in touch with me so
that we can have a conversation about how your
skills and experiences might complement those of
our existing board members.
I’d also like to remind you that you can still access
our Annual Report here.
With very best wishes
Dan and the entire AVA Team
daniel.shaw@avashire.org.uk
Contents
13
AVA Funding
Don’t miss out on the
funding you need
4-5
6-7
8-9
Introducing
...our new Development Officers
Member Spotlight
Absafe
A new SCIO and our governance
support in practice
14
16
RVS
A call out for clients
and volunteers
Member Spotlight
Tarland Community Housing
10-11
Member Spotlight
Portsoy Community Enterprise
17
Profile
Keith Anderson, AVA Head of
Development

4 AVA | February 2022
Introducing|our two new
Development Officers
Hello, I am Emma and I am delighted to be
the new Development Officer specialising
in volunteering here at AVA. I come from
a background in additional support needs
teaching, but also more years than I care to
remember of volunteering myself. I am mum to 3
young children and I really believe volunteering,
while on a career break, helped keep my identity
and give me a purpose beyond my home life.
I am passionate about volunteering and am
keen that everyone gets the opportunity to
experience the benefits that volunteering has
for themselves and the wider community. The
pandemic has stirred up real feelings of wanting
‘to do something’ and I am really hoping we, at
AVA, can help you to do that thing.
I know I am joining a really experienced and
friendly team here at AVA and I am really
looking forward to getting stuck in and setting
up networks and forums for us to share the great
practice going on in Aberdeenshire. I have
already met so many amazing people doing so
much for their local communities.
If you have volunteering related queries,
suggestions or ideas I would love to hear from
you.
Emma Christie
AVA Development Officer
specialising in Volunteering
Emma Christie
AVA Development Officer
Specialism: Volunteering
Tel: 07964 036605
Email: Emma.Christie
@avashire.org.uk

AVA | February 2022 5
The specialism ‘Supported Living’ is about working with groups who support
people to live more independent lives in their own communities. With the main
focus on individuals being supported to achieve autonomy we have decided
change the specialism name to ‘Supporting Independent Living.’
I
joined Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action in September last
year as a Development Officer specialising in Supporting
Independent Living. My role is very diverse connecting
with people, communities, grassroot groups and larger
scale organisations offering support and advice through
each specialism reaching Aberdeenshire as a whole.
Sharon Francis
AVA Development Officer
specialising in Supporting
Independent Living
Sharon Francis
AVA Development Officer
Specialism: Supporting
Independent Living
Tel: 07964 034263
Email: Sharon.Francis@
avashire.org.uk
Let me explain a little bit about my role: I offer support
and advice working with groups but also engaging in
strategic development work which allows me to expand
my knowledge base to support you further. Additionally,
with my specialism I help groups and organisations that
provide support in whatever way they do, to allow people
to live independently as much as possible, in their own
homes and communities.
Forums and networking are important to ensure
connectivity and learning through each other, and I will
hold my first Forum on Wednesday 30th March from 10 am
– 12 noon, further details will be published in due course.
Having worked closely with former colleagues in a variety
of settings over the years it was a shock to my system
starting a new job virtually. I am sure many reading this
will have had similar experiences. Although I haven’t met
most of my colleagues face-to-face here at AVA due to
the pandemic, we meet regularly online and manage to
check in on one another until we can all meet in person.
I hope this also means that I will be able to meet groups
and organisations, hold forums and meetings in person
before too long. I look forward to connecting with you
all and any time please feel free to make contact, no
question is ever silly.

6 AVA | February 2022
AVA Member Spotlight|
Absafe
Refreshing our logo was a very collaborative
and rewarding experience with staff, volunteers,
and community members becoming actively
involved. We all wanted a logo that would
explain what we do, as well as confirm our
passion for preventing harm and saving lives in
our communities.
Louise Richardson
Absafe CEO
Absafe is a small local non-profit charity
that prides itself in delivering health and
safety education to children, young
people, families, and the community. We are
delighted to have recently refreshed our logo
and branding - which all began when an 11
year old asked us why we had a heart as our
logo. At that moment no one could tell him why,
so we decided as a group that we needed to
refresh our brand.
As a group, we wanted to change our brand
voice to a more current and accurate reflection
of where Absafe is and where we want to
move towards, infuse a new excitement, and
have an image that defines Absafe’s mission
and strength in what we do. Afterall, we are
the only charity that delivers health and safety
education the way that we do in Scotland. We
aimed to get our new team and community
behind the message of Absafe, allowing us tell
our story differently - by having a logo that aligns
with our strategic goals, and gives fresh energy
to the brilliant staff and volunteers we have and
the vital work that we do.

AVA | February 2022 7
The new colours are bright red, amber, and
green which echoes our risk assessment matrix.
The young people have loved the new colours,
which are now echoed throughout Absafe, the
website, and social media.
Our young community was influential in
designing the new logo and we have had great
feedback from various community members
- from police officers to our postman, school
children to university students, and of course our
brilliant volunteers. We wanted to make sure that
our new logo was designed by our community
for our community, and the feedback has been
100% positive.
A refresh is like a new lick of paint in your house:
what we do here has not changed, but we feel
our updated logo now reflects Absafe properly
in being relevant, bright, and fun which definitely
matches our ethos and purpose.
Absafe are looking to increase our volunteer
team – so if you want to come and make
a difference to the children and young
people in your community – contact:
Kairn@absafe.org.uk.
Additionally, if you need a space for a meeting or
gathering let us know, we can provide a unique
space with car parking. For more information or
to book to come and see us, contact Charley
at charley@absafe.org.uk.
Find more information Absafe
on their website at: www.absafe.org.uk
Call: 01224 823157
or email: hello@absafe.org.uk

8 AVA | February 2022
New SCIO|
Trek-on
Ken Munro
Trek-on Trustee
Founded by a group of like-minded and
dedicated individuals (our trustees)
supporters and partners throughout 2021,
Trek-on will operate as a SCIO (Scottish Charitable
Incorporated Organisation) working alongside
coastal communities in Aberdeenshire in the
Northeast of Scotland. Our aim is to develop
activities involving local and other individuals,
groups, partners, and collaborators in repairing,
developing, and maintaining the coastal paths
along Aberdeenshire’s coast to future proof
access and durability.
Our plans will provide opportunities for
people to be involved through supporting
us, volunteering, and work experience with
potential for employment in the medium to
longer term. Central to this will be setting up
activities and projects that will support people
experiencing disadvantage or unemployment
while adopting the principle of public access,
and community ownership as stakeholders and
contributors.
We look forward to working with anyone
interested in supporting our work over the
coming months and years. For further information
phone: 07340028732.
Governance
Support from AVA
We’re delighted when
Aberdeenshire organisations
gain Charitable Status and
we can support them in their
development. The support that
we have been able to provide
to Trek-on over the past few
months has ranged from:
• access to our Support Services
provided by our Finance &
Administration Manager,
Jacquie Milne
• signposting to suitable funding
by our Funding Officer, Donna
Speed
• assistance with governance
from our Development Officer,
Rhona Davidson.
Rhona gave the group guidance
on becoming a registered SCIO,
their options for a suitable bank
account as well as making
them aware of the full range of
support that they have access
to from AVA. The group have
now successfully become a
SCIO and have had further
support from Rhona on AVA
membership, trustees, digital
skills and volunteering.

AVA | February 2022 9
“Wonderful sounding
board for ideas on
governance
arrangements and the
process of setting up
bank accounts and
applying for funding.”
Oldmeldrum Green
Growing Space SCIO
Our Development Officer, Rhona
Davidson has an extensive knowledge
of Third Sector governance issues - and
it’s just as well considering the broad range of
organisations operating across Aberdeenshire.
Advising on anything from legal structures and
bank accounts to help with writing governing
documents, policies, business plans and advice
on establishing board and trustee intergrity,
roles and responsibilities - Rhona has provided
invaluable support to so many groups, both
established and brand new.
As the pandemic hit, Rhona moved her work
online but remained as accessible as always.
She now finds herself speaking to groups about
re-opening their community facilities as the
world begins to open up again and no doubt
she will be signposting many groups to sources
of funding via our Funding Officer. She is also
currently working with a few organisations on
wider governance issues such as conflict of
interest and health and safety guidance.
It’s always great for AVA to find out that a
group has achieved registered charitable
status after providing support and a few
of the most recent successes have been:
• Oldmeldrum Green Growing Space SCIO
– awarded in October 2021.
• TURRIFF LOCAL CHARITY
– awarded in October 2021
• Trek- On - awarded in December 2021
• Coffin Club Aberdeenshire West
– awarded in January 2022
Congratulations to these groups and we look
forward to working with you as you grow and
develop in the years to come. Details of our new
Governance forum at the end of March will be
pubished soon.
Contact: Rhona Davidson
AVA Development Officer
Specialism: Governance
Tel: 07724 617648
Email rhona.davidson@avashire.org.uk

Photo credit: Barry Whyte

AVA | February 2022 11
AVA Member Spotlight|
Portsoy Community
Enterprise
festival is the highest profile element of Portsoy
Community Enterprise’s work.
The social enterprise is driven by committed
volunteers with a passion to preserve and
promote the region’s rich cultural heritage for
both the local community and visitors to the
region. Working collaboratively, it has other
assets under its umbrella to build Portsoy and
district’s economic and tourism potential.
Esther Green
Portsoy Community Enterprise
Marketing Coordinator
After a two-year enforced break due to
Covid-19, the Scottish Traditional Boat
Festival makes a welcome return to a
face-to-face event this summer.
Portsoy’s boat festival was cancelled in 2020,
and last year moved online with the Ahoy
Portsoy virtual festival viewed by over 10,000
people (and counting) worldwide.
It’s back with an in-person gathering on June
18th and 19th, including a revamped layout
and its largest collection of Scottish food and
drink producers - everything from seafood to
craft rum. A flotilla of traditional craft will fill
both harbours and there will be dancing, crafts,
stalls, races, children’s entertainment, waterbased
attractions and music, with Celtic rockers
Skerryvore headlining the opening concert on
the evening of Friday, June 17th.
As one of Scotland’s premiere maritime
gatherings drawing in tens of thousands of
visitors to the Aberdeenshire coast, the boat
The Salmon Bothy is a fully accredited museum
that tells the story of Portsoy. Open seasonally
from April-October, it’s currently seeking
additional volunteer guides to join the team.
Upstairs at the Bothy is an atmospheric venue
offering great rates for community groups and
available for corporate hire, so get in touch if
you need a meeting space.
With 25 beds, The Sail Loft self catering
accommodation hosts lone travellers, families,
walkers, cyclists, church and youth organisations
who love the bright and modern facilities and
its unique shoreline situation. Rates start at just
£26pppn with exclusive hire available.
Portsoy Links Caravan Park is open all year round
to caravans, motorhomes and campers and is
renowned for its friendly welcome and amazing
seafront location.
Situated by Portsoy’s 17th century harbour,
The Boatshed is home to a boat building and
traditional skills centre that offers boat building
experiences for schools, visitors and community
groups.
All Portsoy Community Assets are active on
social media, and you can find out more on
the website at: portsoy.org or by contacting
Esther Green at: esther@portsoy.org

12 AVA | February 2022
AVA Office Services
AVA members can access office services at very competitive rates.
Payroll services
AVA can provide
monthly payroll services,
including production of
monthly payslips, HMRC
submissions and end of
year returns, assistance
with auto enrolment
compliance and pension
file uploads.
Independent
examination
of accounts
Receipts and Payments
Accounts examination
is available for noncompany
charities
and groups with a
gross annual income of

AVA | February 2022 13
Funding
✻
✻
✻
✻
Don’t miss out on the
funding you need:
Our Funding Officer can
offer support, advice and
signposting
Search for funding using our
online search engine
Subscribe to our new
funding bulletin on the
AVA website at:
www.avashire.org.uk/
searchforfunding
We know how important it is to the Third
Sector to have access to and knowledge
of a wide range of funding opportunities.
Our Funding Officer, Donna Speed, can help you
search for suitable funding for your project, help
fill in an application form and provide general
advice on anything funding-related.
We also have a fantastic funding search engine
on our AVA website where you can search for
different kinds of funding in your own time. You
can also sign up to receive our Funding Bulletin so
you can keep up to date with the latest rounds
and deadlines.
Find out more & apply now!
www.avashire.org.uk/cmhwfund

14 AVA | February 2022
RVS|Call out for volunteers
and new clients
Are you looking for a new
challenge and want to
help your community?
Do you need help or do
you know anyone who
needs helps with transport
or shopping?
Karen Fong
RVS Service Manager
Grampian Area
Royal Voluntary Service are currently
recruiting volunteers and open to receiving
referrals for those who need help with
transport, shopping, or social companionship.
During the pandemic we continued to support
vulnerable people in the community and our
aim is to keep on reaching those in need.
Our dedicated volunteers help take people to
medical appointments or social appointments.
This can be to a hospital appointment; your GP;
dentist; opticians or to visit a family member in
a care home; a social group or hairdressers! We
can take someone further afield to a hospital
appointment such as to Aberdeen Royal
Infirmary. We can also help with shopping by a
volunteer doing your shop (shop and drop) or
you can go with a volunteer (assisted shopping).
If you would like to be linked to a friendly
volunteer to call you regularly for a chat, RVS
can find someone for you.
How do I refer:
We accept self-referrals or from any
organisation/family member/friend/neighbour.
We are happy to consider referrals from people
of any adult age. There is a charge to using the
transport or assisted shopping service.
How to I volunteer:
To join our volunteer team, we are committed
to ensuring our volunteers are trained to the
highest standard and provided with ongoing
support including COVID-19 safety guidance;
PPE and expenses are reimbursed for mileage.
Please contact the Grampian Team
on 01467 626012 or 01224 937110 or email
grampiansupport@royalvoluntaryservice.
org.uk and a member of the team will
be delighted to speak to you.

the ava
website
H
bringing you more of the
resources you need...
Funding search
We are delighted to
have teamed up with
Funding Scotland to
bring you a fantastic new
funding search engine
- from small grants to
funding for big capital
projects, we can help
you track down the
funding you need. It’s so
easy to use, and you can
also subscribe to the new
weekly funding bulletin
there too.
Organisation search
Search for Third Sector
groups and organisations
across Aberdeenshire.
Our search engine will
show you a range of
information for each
organisation as well
as any volunteering
opportunities they have
on offer.
Our Magpie Online Shop
Shop online with
Magpie! Magpie is
also on Facebook and
Instagram, so give us a
follow.
A-Z of AVA Members
Our A-Z of AVA Members
has links to their websites,
or social media – get an
overview of the scope of
our membership, as well
as useful links with fellow
members.
Volunteering Forms
Let us know if your
organisation has any
volunteering roles and
we can upload them to
our system for sharing.
Subscribe to our new
Volunteering Bulletin
published every 2
months with the latest
opportunities across
Aberdeenshire.
Nominate a volunteer for
an AVA Award
Use our nomination
form to recognise
individual commitment
to volunteering for 1,
5, 10 and 15 years and
for volunteers who
have given 20 years
or more there is a
Lifetime Volunteering
Achievement Award.
Support Request Form
Get in touch with us via
our Support Request Form
and we’ll make sure the
right person gets back to
you.
Volunteering
Opportunities
Use our search engine
to search for local and
national volunteering
opportunities.
Resources
Find a range of links
to useful pages and
organisations – and Quick
Guides for new groups.
See the latest Covid
guidance, AVA Office
Services for members,
and read past and
present newsletters/blogs.
Training
We have partnered with
Highland Third Secor
Interface to provide
AVA members with a
discounted extensive
training programme,
including over 30
e-courses in a range of
subjects.
www.avashire.org.uk

16 AVA | February 2022
Member Spotlight| Tarland
Community Housing
Tarland Community Housing has recently secured funding to
support two interns to do some research as part of their thinking
for new housing in the Deeside village of Tarland. Our own
Aileen Longino is one of the Trustees and explains a bit about
the project and the new term ‘Smart Clachans’.
housing and shared facilities which enable new
households to remain, return and settle.
Smart Clachan takes the build form of a clachan
and utilises community-led/cooperative
housing models like co-housing or collective
self-builds to create modern affordable
homes. The community/cooperative ethos is
fostered through a range of shared services
and facilities to enhance community and
connectivity, including a community work hub
to enable households to establish their own
business or work remotely for local, national
and international companies.
Aileen Longino
AVA Development Officer
specialising in Social Enterprise
A
clachan is a traditional Scottish hamlet
consisting of a few houses, with farm
outhouses such as byres and barns,
kailyards, and walled areas for growing
vegetables. Clachans were close knit
communities often working cooperatively on
shared land.
Smart Clachan are a 21st Century revival of a
clachan. They are community-based initiatives
to support repopulation by creating affordable
Other shared elements could include shared
workshops, cooperative growing space/poly
tunnels, community renewables, district heating
systems, and shared electric vehicles.
Tarland Community Housing realised after
doing needs analysis that many young people
who grew up in the area had to leave the area
for work and to find suitable housing. The idea
behind Smart Clachans is that they combine
both of these needs.
Find out more about Tarland
Community Housing on Facebook or
by visiting their website at:
www.tarlandcommunityhousing.org.uk
or by emailing
hello@tarlandcommunityhousing.org.uk

AVA | February 2022 17
PROFILE |
Getting to know those who work hard in
your Third Sector Interface
Who are you?
Keith Anderson: a happy
husband, dad and dad-in-law.
What is your job?
Head of Development at
AVA. The main part of my job
is looking after and supporting
our Team of Development
Officers who are all busy in
their specialist roles. I also represent AVA in a number
of forums and partnerships where I enjoy contributing
as much as I can.
How did you end up working with AVA?
Me being here is the outcome of a fortunate chance
almost 12 years ago, I was in the right place at the
right time and had a chat with someone who pointed
me toward what was then the Volunteer Centre in
Aberdeenshire. I was looking for something after my
career of 24 years in the Prison Service and helping
people into volunteering sounded great. VCA was one
of the original three organisations that merged to form
AVA just over 7 years ago.
What does a typical day look like?
Every day is different, there’s normally an element of linemanagement
which is fairly easy as I have a great team
to manage. Equally there’s always communications to
be supported and correspondence to be managed. I
do like to keep in touch with groups and organisations
and where I can I respond to enquiries and offer
support. I can feel like a quick-change artist sometimes
as my day develops and I adjust to who might be
asking questions and how I might have to answer.
How has Covid-19 affected your job?
Without a doubt it has made me busier. Restrictions
impacted on how we could work and here at AVA
we adapted really well keeping in touch with people
when they needed us most. The lockdowns were great
levellers affecting people in so many ways. Many times
I felt privileged to be helping groups and organisations
that were doing such important work in communities
and making such a difference.
Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action is a
charitable company limited by guarantee.
Company number: SC137343.
Scottish Charity Number: SC014223
Registered office: 57 Station Road, Ellon,
Aberdeenshire AB41 9AR
Tel: 03718 110008
Email: enquiries@avashire.org.uk
Website: www.avashire.org.uk
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AVA Magazine available in large print
H
Read previous editions
Read previous editions
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on our website at:
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If you’re an AVA member and
would like to contribute to future
magazines, please get in touch
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Lindsay.Allardyce@avashire.org.uk
www.avashire.org.uk