AVA Magazine: July 22

AVA Magazine 

July 2022 

• New Staff • Involving Volunteers Award • Training 

Training • 

• Member Spotlights• CMHW Funding Progress •

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AVA | July 2022 3 

Summertime Rolls On 

Keith Anderson 

AVA Head of 

Development 

I’m delighted to introduce this latest edition 

of our magazine full of news and useful 

reflections that I hope everyone enjoys 

reading. At a time when so many challenges 

seem to dominate whether they be around the 

cost of living, covid continuing to impact on so 

much, being able to reliably travel anywhere 

or, possibly unbelievable, it’s too warm at the 

height of summer here in Aberdeenshire! – it’s 

good to read about so many of the good things 

that are happening across the area because 

of the Third Sector and selfless volunteers 

who, no matter what, continue to give their 

timeand make such a difference in all of our 

communities. 

I was fortunate to be involved in this year’s 

Volunteer Week celebrations and met some 

incredible people. I am sometimes asked what 

it is I do, and my answer is always the same – I 

help amazing people to do amazing things. In 

this edition we are able to introduce new AVA 

colleagues who are settling into their new roles 

and highlight some of 

the work of established 

colleagues. I have the 

privilege of managing 

the Development Team 

here at AVA and am 

often awestruck at the 

variety of what the 

team are involved in 

that includes everything 

from new groups 

starting up, social 

enterprises, groups 

helping older people, groups encouraging 

younger people and loads in between, we also 

help when a group needs to wind up. 

We are preparing for Round 2 of the Communities 

Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund which we hope 

to launch during this summer. Round 1 created 

a buzz within AVA. As an organisation we learnt 

much from Round 1 managing to get just over 

700k out to organisations and community groups. 

We are looking forward to launching Round 2 

and seeing the difference that this will make. 

I’m hoping that the pleasantly warm weather 

does continue and everyone can enjoy the 

summer safely. 

With very best wishes 

Keith and the entire AVA Team 

keith.anderson@avashire.org.uk 

Contents 

20-21 

Training 

Get Trauma Informed 

AVA training 

4-7 

8-15 

16-17 

Introducing 

...our new AVA staff 

Funding 

CMHW Fund feature and more 

AVA’s Involving Volunteers Award 

featuring our first recipient 

22-23 

24 

Celebrating Volunteers’ 

Week 2022 

Volunteer appreciation 

NERVS 

North East Rider Volunteers 

Scotland 

18-19 

Member Spotlight: PawPalz 

Creating a great community 

support network in Aberdeenshire 

26 

Profile 

Donna Speed, 

AVA Funding Officer

4 AVA | July 2022 

Introducing|Our new staff 

Hello, I am Gloria Malcolm and I am the new 

Development Officer with AVA specialising in 

Funding, Business Planning and Community Asset 

Transfer. I come from a business background originally 

in the Energy Sector working for an IT Outsourcing 

Company but ‘retired’ 14 years ago after a move to 

Alford. 

Over the last 14 years I have involved myself in 

many activities with local charities and groups both 

operationally and latterly more strategically in areas 

such as, funnily enough, business planning, grant funding 

and community asset transfer. Being a new member 

of the AVA Development Team (only a few weeks), I 

have immediately realised that there is so much more 

that AVA offer than I had realised previously as an AVA 

Member when asking for advice on governance and 

the availability of grant funding. 

I look forward to working with the AVA team who 

have a wealth of knowledge in many specialisms. I 

also look forward to bringing that AVA expertise into 

play to support our members and non-members in the 

progression of their aims and objectives. If you have 

any queries in relation to Funding, Business Planning or 

Community Asset Transfer, please do get in touch. 

Gloria Malcolm 

Gloria Malcolm 

AVA Development Officer 

Specialism: Funding & 

Business Planning 

Tel: 07557 478859 

Email: Gloria.Malcolm 

@avashire.org.uk 

I 

recently joined AVA in a newly created role as 

Development Officer specialising in Mental Health & 

Wellbeing. 

Heather McKay 

There is increasing awareness around the importance of 

our mental health and wellbeing, and the pandemic really 

shone a spotlight on that. Support for people in distress is 

vital, and equally important are the preventative and 

early intervention measures we can take. Simple things 

like connecting with other people, giving something to our 

communities, or finding a routine of daily movement and 

fresh air are so important. 

As well as working for AVA, I’m a life coach, mindfulness 

teacher and reiki practitioner. I’ve seen first-hand what a 

difference it can make to people when they take that step 

to reach out and seek help. Making support accessible to 

people in Aberdeenshire is key, and my role with AVA will 

help give our mental health & wellbeing community groups 

a voice, and the support they need to thrive. 

I’m really delighted to be in this role with AVA and I’m 

looking forward to finding out more about the wonderful 

groups in our community. 

Heather McKay 


Specialism: Mental Health 

& Wellbeing 

Tel: 07469 275304 

Email: Heather.McKay@ 

avashire.org.uk


“I’ll be helping the third sector to engage in local, regional 

and national debates about public sector policies that affect 

organisations and their service users.” 

Alasdair Ross 

I’m very pleased to have taken up this brand-new role which is 

shared jointly with ACVO in Aberdeen. 

As well as helping strengthen AVA’s policy influencing role, I’ll 

be helping the third sector to engage in local, regional and 

national debates about public sector policies that affect 

organisations and their service users. This means studying new 

legislation, policies and procedures (and changes to current 

ones) in detail and relating it to real life situations. I will be in 

touch with lots of AVA members and third sector organisations 

to gather information and to seek views and opinions on a 

whole host of topics. 

Expectations on the third sector to deliver services to the 

community have never been higher and so it is more important 

than ever to use that vast bank of knowledge and experience 

to inform, educate and influence the decision-making process. 

Alasdair Ross 

AVA Policy & 

Consultations Officer 

Tel: 07469 649805 

Email: Alasdair.Ross@ 

avashire.org.uk 

I’ve worked in the public, private and third sector including 

10 years in local government and when I’m not at my desk 

I’m busy being a dad to my two children as well as being a 

volunteer in my local community. I very much look forward to 

working with the huge diversity of third sector organisations 

across Aberdeenshire through AVA.


Social Enterprise| 

Introducing our new 

Magpie Manager 

Marie-Anne Brown 

Hello, I am Marie-Anne Brown, the new Manager at 

Magpie Charity Shops, AVAs Social Enterprise. 

I joined Magpie back in October 2020 as a 

volunteer and became Manager in May 2022. 

My background has been working with other 

environmental charities and I also have a BSc 

Hons Degree in Environmental Studies. 

Joining Magpie during the pandemic was an 

unusual place to start - the shop was closed for 

so much of that time and we were focussed 

on keeping staff and customers safe, as well as 

doing as much as we could to continue to trade 

and support the local community. We helped to 

deliver food parcels and continued to provide goods 

to those in need even when the shop was closed. The 

first thing I noticed was that Magpie has a great team 

of staff and volunteers - they work hard and go above and 

beyond to make sure the social enterprise runs smoothly and 

retains it’s ethos of being an active participant in the climate 

protection agenda. 

As a local quine, I know that Magpie (previously The Boxroom) 

is a charity that is well known and vitally important to the local 

community. I’ve long been impressed with the range of ways 

that Magpie provides support - whether that be gifting goods 

to people and families in need via Social Work, working with 

foodbanks and schools, partnering with Community Justice or 

offering volunteering opportunities. We might seem like just a 

second hand furniture shop to some...but theres quite a lot 

more to Magpie! 

We aim to work in partnership with others doing great stuff 

within the local community and take on new projects which 

will promote the reuse/recycle agenda. Social Enterprises like 

Magpie are increasingly vital during a cost of living crisis and 

an environmental crisis, with more and more people looking 

for affordable household goods, and support when their 

income can’t go as far as it once did - as well as a way to 

reduce waste. 

I look forward to continuing Magpie’s good work and raising 

our profile to make our services even better. Pop in to the shop, 

we’d love to see you and there’s always a fantastic range of 

things in stock. 

Marie-Anne Brown 

Magpie Manager 

Tillybrake Industrial Estate, 

Banchory, AB31 5UN 

Tel: 01330 823800 

Email: magpie@avashire.org.uk


Funding|Round 1 of the CMHW fund 

Part of the Scottish Government’s Recovery & 

Renewal Fund specifically aimed to address 

the mental health needs arising from the 

pandemic. In October 2021 a new Communities 

Mental Health and Wellbeing (CMHW) Fund 

was announced, with £15 million being made 

available in 2021- 22 and £631,630.61 of that was 

allocated to Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action for 

distribution to groups across Aberdeenshire. AVA 

was delighted to lead the distribution of this vital 

fund. 

After conducting a targeted partnership 

consultation process, assessment teams were 

put together comprising of AVA staff and a small 

number of external, public sector panel members 

working within cognisant areas who met on a 

weekly basis to assess applications. 

The intended outcome of the Fund was, and is, 

to develop a culture of good mental wellbeing 

and prevention of poor mental health within local 

communities and across Scotland, with improved 

awareness of how we can all stay well whilst 

helping ourselves and others. It aimed to support 

community-based initiatives that promote and 

develop good mental health and wellbeing, as 

well as mitigate and protect against the impact 

of mental ill health in adults - whilst taking account 

of local needs. 

The CMHW Fund application process opened in two 

phases from November 2021 through to February 

2022 and recieved a total of 123 applications. Our 

AVA staff worked to ensure the application format 

was as straightforward as possible while giving the 

assessment team as much information as they 

needed to make informed choices. At the end 

of the process, 73 groups were awarded funding 

and just under £712k was shared across localities 

in Aberdeenshire. 

The projects and work of the successful applicants 

cover a wide range of fantastic support and 

development for communities in Aberdeenshire - 

promoting that culture of sustainable good mental 

health. The three levels of the fund were distributed 

across the six committee areas in Aberdeenshire 

shown in the graphs below and read about some 

of the projects that were awarded funding in the 

next few pages. 

Funding level 1 

(up to £2,000) 


(Between £2,000.01 

and £10,000) 


(Between 

£10,000.01 and 

£50,000)


Gordon Rural Action 

Awarded: £37,113 

How the money will be spent: We are creating 

an inclusive workspace for learning and 

social interaction via the Bike Shack Project, 

resulting in increased access to physical and 

social activities, reducing social isolation, 

social exclusion and poor mental health. 

We will utilise the Bike Shack, creating a safe 

working environment at No49 Gordon St, 

Huntly including a social space to encourage 

interaction, dialogue and problem sharing. We 

will also: 

• Offer opportunities to participate in training 

workshops, bike repairs and retail sales to 

build confidence. 

• Employ bike mechanics on a mental 

health recovery journey as a platform to full 

employment. 

• Develop a group of ‘Bike Hero’ volunteers, 

creating a community of cyclists and a 

forum for open conversations. Secure 

the future of Bike Shack by relocating, 

running and expanding the current project 

providing a new working environment and 

shop space to re-cycle, re-purpose and redistribute 

second-hand bikes. 

Update: We are excited to have moved the bike 

project Re:Cycle into its new premises with the 

support of the CMHW fund we’ve been able to 

pay the rent and utilities. We have employed 

a Lead Mechanic and Trainee Mechanic and 

have started servicing and selling bikes. We 

now have 4 volunteers supporting the project 

and are working towards kitting out our social 

space. 

Mintlaw & District Men’s Shed 

Awarded: £3410 

How the money will be spent: We intend to 

refurbish the interior of a dilapidated, fire 

damaged heritage-grade cottage which 

will be leased to our group by Aberdeenshire 

Council early in 2022, once the exterior has been 

made wind and watertight. Once the exterior 

work is completed and we can gain access to 

the Cottage, where possible the interior work 

will be carried out by our members (renewing 

floors, removing old lath and plaster, replacing 

the plasterboard, preparing internal doors, 

insulating, decorating, fitting a new kitchen) 

but other more involved tasks (installation of 

toilet facilities, water and electricity) will be 

done by professionals. Purchasing equipment 

and materials for repairing and equipping the 

kitchen area is our priority as this is a vital step 

towards creating the means to tackle loneliness 

and social isolation. 

Update: The cottage is almost ready to be 

handed over to the Men’s Shed. There were 

various hold ups - covid, and Storm Arwen which 

closed the park for six weeks. Some additional 

work has been done to the exterior of the 

cottage by the council which has prolonged 

the Building Warrant approval and the handing 

over to the Men’s shed. However, lately, the 

men have been in the cottage putting down 

flooring, laying a floor in the toilet and installing 

the toilet and sink. The walls are decorated 

and a kitchen is ready to be installed. We have 

been taking advantage of good weather to 

improve the yard by reducing clutter, with the 

erection of a greenhouse, the making of flower 

tubs and a wooden storage shed. Literally any 

day now we are expecting the Building Warrant 

approval which allows us to complete a 15 year 

lease for the cottage and yard, and signals that 

we are free to work on the cottage unrestricted 

to complete the outstanding tasks like fitting the 

kitchen and furnishing it.


Member Spotlight|Cactus 

Book Club is growing thanks 

to the Community Mental 

Health & Wellbeing Fund 

Aileen Longino 


specialising in Social Enterprise 

The Cactus Book Club is a new charity is based 

in Ballater that provides a wonderful service 

to young adults aged 16-26 years who feel 

isolated due to ill health. The idea came from 

Jenny Gow MBE, who came up with the idea 

of asking friends to donate to the Book Club. 

Jenny has form with setting up amazing charities 

having previously set up A Bear Named Buttony 

who support children and young people who 

have a stoma. 

The 16-26 age group is often over-looked and 

is an especially difficult age to be isolated from 

peers, where low mood, loneliness and anxiety 

about the future can be heightened as they 

compare their own situations with others their 

age. The Cactus Book Club was launched in 

March this year by Jenny and Emily Hazely, and 

it offers young adults a chance to feel included, 

valued and connected with a quarterly delivery 

of a “wellbeing box”. The box includes a book, 

a cactus and some goodies to encourage selfcare, 

give them something to look forward to 

and to lift their spirits. 

Thanks to £2,000 received through AVA and 

the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing 

Fund, to date, they have sent out 65 packages 

to young people in the Northeast area and the 

feedback has been fantastic! 

Jenny Gow said “Our members told us that they 

were really excited to receive the packages in 

the post, to get stuck into the book and to start 

taking care of their very own cactus. We’ve 

been told on several accounts that the packs 

have brought an instant smile to the participants 

faces, have helped to boost their mood amidst 

a difficult period and have provided a welcome 

and positive distraction. As one parent said to 

us, “the little things make a huge difference”. 

We are excited and determined to continue to 

make a difference and to keep providing some 

joy and respite to young people in our area 

isolated due to their health.” 

This wonderful organisation continues to put 

smiles on the faces of their members. Their 

membership continues to grow and if you know 

of a young person aged 16-26 years old who 

is struggling at home and would like to receive 

one of these special packages, contact them 

at: cactusbook21@gmail.com.


Murray Park Trust 


How the money will be spent: We applied to the CMHW fund to 

seek support to improve the quality of paths in Murray Park to 

create a loop walk suitable for the first time for those using mobility 

scooters and with buggies/pushchairs as well as improving access 

along paths where path quality has declined. This deterioration 

was much exacerbated by fallen and hung-up trees and ground 

disturbance by windthrown root plates as a consequence of 

the impact of Storm Arwen and the two subsequent storms. In 

making the main paths usable for the community within 48 hours 

of the storm and subsequently undertaking minor path repairs 

we encountered many users who commented on how much 

they valued the accessible greenspace and its importance to 

their wellbeing. The Murray Park Trust recognises the enormous 

contribution to physical and mental health and wellbeing 

created by accessible local greenspace. 

Update: The amazing new all-abilities trail 

is now complete. We are very grateful 

to Mackie Plant Hire and Willie Reid the 

digger driver who did a great job and 

W&W Mackie provided the materials at 

a generous rate and transported them to 

us for free, to Ally Crawford for the loan of 

a roller and the Men’s Shed and the late 

Drew Leslie for loan of machinery. Thanks 

too to Breedons who gave us four free 

loads. Bill Slee was the co-ordinator of the 

project and head raker of the gravel but 

the real star is Charlie Taylor who did most of 

the work, ranging from driving the dumper 

truck and roller to creating the culverts with 

some nifty chain saw and timber work. The 

path has been tested by Annie on her 

mobility scooter who is delighted by it and 

a two year old on a balance bike has also 

enjoyed it, along with many families. 

Friends of People First Fraserburgh 


How the money will be spent: 

Friends of People First Fraserburgh applied to fund staff costs at Real Living Wage level; Utilities/ 

running costs; Volunteer expenses; Transport and Training costs. 

The organisation intends to keep the drop-in centre open and to promote People First throughout 

the community to extend its reach and membership. Lighthouse Rock (music group) will continue 

to enjoy a good singsong every Friday afternoon and hopefully resume performing for the local 

community once restrictions are relaxed. They hope to resume their percussion group, which has 

given many members with complex needs the ability to take part in and enjoy a group activity. 

They are also looking to restart the IT class. Prior to the pandemic the footfall at the drop-in centre 

was an average of 39 per week. The music class had 11 regular attendees, the drumming class 

had 4 regular attendees and the IT class had 7 regular attendees. They hope to get back to and 

increase these numbers.


We will be in a position to share information with you very shortly about the 

next round of Community Mental Health & Wellbeing funding, but that at the 

moment we are waiting on further information from the Scottish Government 

and therefore we’re just as excited as you about hearing when we might be 

able to open the fund for the next round of applications. Watch this space 

and keep an eye on our social media! 

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 


Funding| 

Family Fund is the UK’s largest charity providing grants 

for families on low incomes, raising disabled or 

seriously ill children and young people. They provide 

grants for essential items such as kitchen appliances, 

sensory toys, family breaks, bedding, tablets/computers, 

furniture and clothing. Last year, the charity provided 

over 150,000 grants or services to families across the UK 

with 8,026 families in Scotland receiving a grant via their 

main programme. This year, Family Fund want more 

families across Aberdeenshire to benefit from their grants 

and support. 

Family Fund plan to host Information & Support Days 

in Aberdeenshire in November 2022, providing an 

opportunity for families to drop in at a time that suits them 

to find out about local and national organisations that 

can support them with a range of issues and concerns. 

For example: financial wellbeing, grants and benefits, 

local support for carers, accessible social, play and 

leisure opportunities, energy advice, housing support, 

digital inclusion etc. If your organisation is interested in 

the opportunity to exhibit and share information about 

your services with families of disabled children, contact 

partnerships@familyfund.org.uk. 

Find out more about Family 

Fund on their website: 

www.familyfund.org.uk 

You can also connect with 

Family Fund on social media: 

• facebook.com/familyfund 

• Twitter: @familyfund 

• Instagram: @family_fund 

• linkedin.com/in/familyfund


Success 

Stories 

rescue of the old Pavilion building at the Tarlair 

outdoor swimming complex in Macduff, new and 

improved visitor facilities in Alford’s Haughton 

Park, a new town centre community CCTV 

system in Huntly, the build of a new e-commerce 

app in Inverurie and a public realm scheme to 

lift the Clerkhill shopping area in Peterhead. 

Read more here. 

Donna Speed 

AVA Funding Officer 

We love sharing success stories from our 

Aberdeenshire Third Sector, here are just 

a few: 

£1.9 million of new investment to help improve 

places across Aberdeenshire announced. Nine 

local projects aimed at improving communities 

and places across Aberdeenshire are to share 

around £1.9 million in new funding to help 

improve local facilities and town centres and 

to support regeneration activity. The successful 

Aberdeenshire projects for 2022/23 include the 

The National Lottery Community Fund: Alford 

Valley Community Railway Ltd will receive £10,000 

to help fund the renovation of the local station 

house as a space for community meetings, 

events, a café and hire for social events. South 

West Aberdeenshire Citizens Advice Bureau in 

Westhill will use their grant of £116,495 to employ 

a Training Officer to recruit more volunteers and 

support them to help deliver a free, impartial 

and confidential advice service. 

Aberchirder Village Hall were recipients of a 

£10,000 cash boost from The National Lottery 

Community Fund. The group will use the grant 

to pay for replacement cast iron guttering to 

protect their newly refurbished hall from water 

ingress that would damage the fabric of the 

building.


Gordon Rural Action were recipients of 

one of the largest awards of a total of 

£157,756 from the Improving Lives Fund. 

This award will help the group continue to 

run and expand their advice hub where 

people can access impartial information 

as well as practical support particularly 

surrounding financial hardship. 

Friends of People First in Fraserburgh also 

received £10,000 which they will use 

to continue to run their drop-in groups 

for adults with learning difficulties in 

Fraserburgh. 

An award of £149,551 means that 

Community Food Initiatives North East 

Limited (CFINE) will recruit a Volunteer 

Development Worker and create a 

development plan for up to 900 local 

volunteers who will gain valuable 

experience working across all of their 

services. 

Thanks to an award of £150,000, Workers 

Education Association (WEA) will be 

able to continue their ‘Reach Out’ 

programme for another two years. 

about the need for funding to develop the 

path and stepped in with the donation to cover 

the final portion of costs for the development, 

materials and construction of the new garden 

access. 

Scotland’s largest independent pharmacy chain 

Davidsons Chemists – which has branches in 

Aboyne and Banchory – has raised an incredible 

£18,825 over the past two years for their charity 

partner Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland. All funds 

raised will help fund the charity’s Hospital to 

Home services which support people with chest, 

heart and stroke conditions across the country to 

manage their conditions and live life to the full. 

Open Fund Grants are available from Paths For All 

to encourage people to travel more sustainably. 

The Smarter Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP) 

Open Fund is available to support public, third 

and community sector organisations. The fund 

aims to help cut Scotland’s carbon emissions and 

improve our air quality. It will also help reverse 

the trend towards sedentary lifestyles and will 

tackle health inequalities. Grants available are 

between £5000 and £50,000 and need to be 

match funded. 

Aboyne Wheelers (Skatepark) have received 

a grant from the David and June Gordon 

Memorial Trust. The fund will help with their work 

bringing a fantastic facility for the benefit of 

our young people to the Aboyne and Upper 

Deeside area. 

This is just a small snapshot of the 

many amazing projects that are going 

on across Aberdeenshire - there are so 

many groups and volunteers doing 

fantastic work. Thank you all for making 

Aberdeenshire a better place to live! 

The Forget Me Not Club has been granted 

funding to support the growth of Dementia- 

Friendly communities in Aberdeenshire and 

Aberdeen City. A partnership between the 

Scottish Government and Age Scotland’s 

About Dementia project, the fund will support 

the development of Meeting Centres and 

dementia-friendly communities across the 

country between 2022 and 2023 with a total 

of £166,632 made available for distribution 

through this strand. 

The Barn have been awarded funding from 

Arnold Clark Community Fund towards their 

volunteering programme. 

A donation of £1,000 helped Meldrum 

Academy fund an accessible path to the 

school community garden. Teams from 

SSEN Transmission working on the northeast 

overhead line reinforcement heard 

Search for funding using our 

search engine and subscribe 

to our weekly funding bulletin 

on the AVA website at: 

www.avashire.org.uk/searchforfunding


Introducing|The New Involving 

Volunteers Award 

We were delighted to launch our newest award at the start of 

Volunteers Week 2022. Involving Volunteers Award is designed for 

third sector or voluntary organisations. Here at AVA we work very 

hard at supporting volunteers to find the right match when placing them 

in organisations across Aberdeenshire. We have well established awards 

to recognise formally their achievements namely iVolunteer, Saltire and 

AVA Awards. What we wanted to do was to create an award, Involving 

Volunteers Award, to ensure the best possible volunteering practice was 

being adhered to by organisations. After all, volunteers deserve the same 

rights and respect of any paid member of staff, more so as they are giving 

up their time for free! 

Involving Volunteers Award is straightforward and easy to follow. We 

have five units namely: Involving Volunteers, Volunteer Practice, 

Supporting & Developing Volunteers, Looking after & 

Protecting Volunteers and Recognising & Celebrating 

Your Volunteers Achievements and within each unit 

there are three measures we expect organisations to 

meet. However, you won’t be doing this alone, each 

organsition that signs up will be allocated a local 

Development Officer from our team to support you on 

your Involving Volunteers Award journey. Added to that 

we have an online Styles and Policies Library that signed 

up groups can access to help them fill in the gaps and 

keep them right up to date with the correct policies and 

procedures. Once completed you will get the satisfaction 

of knowing that you are looking after your volunteers 

in the best possible way. Your volunteers will feel valued 

and involved in your group and it will hopefully encourage 

new volunteers to come forward to join your organisation as 

somewhere that provides best volunteer practice. The process 

shouldn’t take long to complete, and we can work at a pace that 

is right for your group. 

Signing up for this great award is simple. If you are already an AVA Member, 

then it will cost you nothing. If you are a non-member the total cost is £50. 

You can contact us by emailing enquiries@avashire.org.uk and you will 

be matched up with one of our experienced local Development Officers. 

Our first signed up organsition, The Barn, is a Social Enterprise based in 

Banchory who provide live music, theatre, comedy, film, dance, creative 

workshops, children’s events as well as a stunning venue for weddings. 

Volunteer Coordinator at The Barn, Sarah Benzie is excited about starting 

this process as they rely on a team of volunteers to support their mixed and 

varied programme of events throughout the year - without them events 

would not be able to happen. 

If you would like information about becoming an AVA Member you can 

do so on our website here: www.avashire.org.uk. 

Sarah Benzie, 

Volunteer Coordinator at 

The Barn in Banchory

Member Spotlight|PawPalz


Currently PawPalz offers a men’s group and a 

women’s group in the Ellon area, each meeting 

for dog walks twice a week. 

Aileen Longino 


specialising in Social Enterprise 

PawPalz was created in 2019 by Toby 

Mckillop after realising the power of positive 

mental health, peer, and animal support, 

when on a walk with his dog Ebz. 

Establishing group walks with dogs combined 

with supportive chats relating to issues of mental 

wellbeing, the charity, which is a registered 

SCIO, aims to use the power of peer support 

and the positive impact of animal buddies 

to create community support networks, help 

people to improve their mental wellbeing, 

increase physical wellbeing while raising mental 

health awareness. 

Toby spoke very passionately recently at our 

Volunteering Forum about the roots of this group 

and the positive changes that many have 

benefited from. Everyone at the forum couldn’t 

fail to be inspired by his story and it was fantastic 

to hear it’s going from strength to strength. 

Realising the powerful benefits to be 

gained through youth involvement and 

intergenerational working in their volunteer 

programme with AVA support, they have made 

some very important links with local schools. This 

developing programme will ensure meaningful 

engagement with youth volunteers while having 

lots of fun along the way! 

Toby and the PawPalz pack are very keen to 

spread the word working with Paths for All 

Health Walks and the Scottish Recovery Network 

Peer2Peer Development Programme. 

We have recently recognised the efforts made 

by PawPalz and their volunteers by awarding 

them an AVA Star Award during Volunteers’ 

Week. 

The PawPalz pack continue to expand and a 

recent event in Fraserburgh drew in over 100 

residents and their dogs to experience peer 

support, PawPalz style and enjoy a glorious walk 

along the seafront. 

If you are interested to find out more about 

the brilliant work they are doing you can follow 

them on Facebook here or check out their 

website www.pawpalzpack.co.uk. Better still, if 

you own a dog why not go along to their very 

first Dog Show on Sunday 14th August from 11- 

4pm at Ellon Castle Gardens. It promises to be 

quite a show!


training 

Developing Your Trauma-Skilled Practice 

& Trauma Training on ALDO 

| 

National Trauma Training 

Programme on Turas 

The National Trauma Training Program has a new resource, a 4th module for 

Trauma Skilled Practice on understanding the use of substances to cope with the 

impact of trauma. These eLearning courses are easy to access, you just need to 

sign up for an account on Turas and are available to any third sector organisations 

including staff, board members and volunteers. 

Developing Trauma Skilled Practice Modules: 

1. Understanding the impact of trauma and responding in a trauma-informed way 

2. Trauma in children and young people 

3. Understanding the impact on mental health and evidence-based pathways to 

recovery 

4. Understanding the use of substances to cope with the impact of trauma 

Visit: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/37896 

| 

Trauma Training 

on ALDO 

There is new Trauma Informed Practice training and information on ALDO here. 

The Aberdeenshire’s Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) Position Statement for 

June 2022 is available to download on the GIRFEC website here. 

All Third Sector Organisations can access these trainings via Turas and ALDO.


Thrive 

on-line training 

E-Learning Hub for groups, clubs and 

organisations in Aberdeenshire. 

NOW FREE FOR 

AVA MEMBERS 

AVA offers both members and nonmembers 

access to the Highland 

and Island e-learning platform. 

And AVA members can now access one 

free E-Learning user licence per member 

organisation! 

This online training resource offers over 

40 courses which are grouped into topic 

areas such as Workplace Development, 

Compliance, Finance, Communications, 

Wellbeing, Self Management and IT Skills. 

The topics covered span a wide variety 

of subjects that are suitable for your work 

colleagues, including your volunteers. 

The online training courses are designed to 

be fully intuitive and easy to use. Learners 

can navigate the system simply. You can 

track and report on your own or you team’s 

progress. It allows you to quickly see who 

has completed courses, set deadlines and 

create reports. As a manager it is easy to 

find out how many users need to finish a 

module, their score percentage and much 

more. 

self-management 

communications 

IT skills 

compliance 

finance 

workplace development 

Sign up here 

wellbeing 

H 

AVA can offer one free E-Learning user 

licence per member organisation. Cost 

for any additional licences will be £40 for 

AVA Members and £70 for non-members. 

Organisations are free to buy as many 

licences as needed. A free trial period 

can also be arranged. Please contact 

Training@avashire.org.uk for more 

information or complete the online user 

licence application by filling out the form 

here: https://tinyurl.com/vpjm3zy5

22 AVA | July 2022 

Celebrating|Volunteers’ Week 2022 

Emma Christie 

AVA Development 

Officer, specialising in 

Volunteering 

“Everyone told me 

Volunteers’ Week was 

a busy one, and they 

were right!” 

We started the week with my first forum, this was 

a super opportunity to hear from Mearns and 

Coastal Healthy Living, Grampian Opportunities 

and Paw Palz about what they do and why they do it. It 

was great to hear about the volunteering they are doing 

and the difference volunteering makes to the people 

they support and the volunteers themselves. The Queen’s 

Jubilee celebrations gave us a couple of days rest before 

ending the week with our star awards, celebrating with 

a light lunch at the Fly Cup in Inverurie with 25 people, 

nominated by the wider community for their volunteering 

and the difference it has made to the local area. Hearing 

from people making their areas better by litter picking 

and planting, running around during storms to make 

sure people had food, water and information and giving 

clothes and items a new life in a charity shop was an 

inspiring and humbling experience. It is a pleasure to be 

here to support all these organisations and individuals to 

do what they do. 

In the run up to volunteer’s week we printed and sent 

more than 100 certificates to volunteers to recogise the 

length of time they have been volunteering. Sending 

badges celebrating 5, 10 and 15 year awards makes us 

very happy. We do these all 

year round so no need to 

wait for volunteers’ week to 

recognise achievements. 

During the volunteering 

forum one of the attendees 

said ‘Volunteering is the 

reason many people get out 

of bed’ I loved this and am 

looking forward to supporting 

many more people into 

volunteering over the next 

year to celebrate their 

success in Volunteer week 

2023! 

Congratualtions to 

Charlie House for their 

Queen’s Award for 

Voluntary Service!


On the 9th of June we had the pleasure 

of hosting a celebration lunch for 

several volunteers who have been 

recognised within their communities for 

their outstanding work. Amongst the 

amazing stories, we heard how Helena 

Gilbert and Janis Noble went above and 

beyond to secure virtual appearances 

from a variety of celebrities throughout 

lockdown, encouraging and supporting 

Police Scotland Youth Volunteers through 

the pandemic. In recognition of years of 

their continued support to the Auchenblae 

community, Mr & Mrs Jamieson also 

received a surprise Lifetime Achievement 

Award on the day. We would like to thank 

those who took the time to nominate the 

volunteers, and a special thanks to The Fly 

Cup Catering in Inverurie for our delicious 

lunch! 

Congratulations to all winners: 

• Helena Gilbert & Janis Noble (Youth 

Volunteer Police Scotland) 

• Claire Taylor and Fiona Cumming (MISS) 

• Terri & Chantal (BLC Twice is Nice 

Charity Shop) 

• John & Jane Cruickshank (Horizon 

group Stonehaven) 

• Robert Lindsay (Stonehaven Beer 

festival) & another committee member 

• Martin Anderson & guest - Stonehaven 

• 2 volunteers from A Bear named Buttony 

• Emma Dobson & Sarah Dodds - 

Newmachar & Kingseat Youth project 

• Jacquie Seaton & Rosemary Hogg - 

Pawpalz 

• Mr & Mrs Jamieson & daughter Karen - 

Auchenblae


NERVS|North East Rider Volunteers 

Scotland 

NERVS is North East Rider Volunteers Scotland. We are what’s 

known in the UK as a ‘Blood Bike’ charity providing a free 

motorcycle courier service. There are many Blood Bike 

groups around the UK and they can trace their origins back to the 

early 1960’s in the London area. Original groups were part of EVS 

(emergency volunteer service) and their motorcycles were really 

useful for transporting small items through congested city traffic. 

The National Association of Blood Biles (NABB) was formed in 2008 

to represent these groups and provide common standards for 

provision of the service. NABB now has over 40 members across 

the UK and Norther Ireland. 

Gavin Bell, 

Treasurer, North East 

Rider Volunteers 

Scotland (NERVS) 

NERVS formed in 2018 and we provide a free courier service 

for the NHS and other health related not-for-profit organisations 

throughout Grampian. We are based in Dyce and have 3 

motorcycles, 2 cars and around 100 volunteer members. Grampian 

weather is not too kind to all-year motorcycling so we use the cars 

when it’s just too cold and wet for the bikes to operate safely. 

We transport medicines, medical samples, surgical instruments, 

human donor milk and many other clinical products. We are 

staffed by unpaid volunteers, who provide this service to the NHS 

free of charge. We also work with other charitable organisations 

such as The Human Milk Foundation for transporting donor milk 

used to treat babies that may be in intensive care or Air Ambulance 

charities for both routine and urgent medical supplies. 

In 2020/21 we completed over 1300 jobs or deliveries. This year 

we haven’t been so busy. At the height of the COVID pandemic 

we supported a local charity, AberNecessities, who were 

overwhelmed with demand and needed urgent assistance with 

their deliveries. We used our own vehicles for this and supplied 

drivers for AberNesessities own vehicles. This significantly increased 

our workload. In 2022 however, COVID restrictions have impacted 

our core activity levels so we are not as busy as that now. We 

have been issued with a stock of blood oxygen analysers (COVID 

O2 monitors) which we then deliver to patients isolating in their 

own home and we also regularly carry medical samples from 

around Grampian to the medical laboratories at Aberdeen Royal 

Infirmary (e.g. blood samples for analysis at the haematology lab). 

But we have capacity to do more. Could we help you with 

something? Give us a shout and ask. We can’t do everything and 

the package has to fit on the back of a bike, but if you don’t ask 

you won’t know if you can benefit from our efficient and friendly 

service. 

North East Rider Volunteers Scotland (NERVS) Kirkhill Industrial 

Estate, Dyce, Aberdeen, AB21 0GL 

Website: www.nervs.org.uk E-mail: info@nervs.org.uk 

You can also support our good work with a donation 

- find the donation link on our website.

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


PROFILE | 

Getting to know those who work hard 

in your Third Sector Interface 

Who are you? 

Hello, I am Donna Speed, and I’ve been 

AVA’s Funding Officer for the last 5.5 

years. I am a member of the Chartered 

Institute of Fundraising, and I have over 

25 years’ experience in various financial 

roles. When I’m not working, I enjoy 

walking, music, travel, and good coffee. 

What is your job? 

My role involves me offering funding 

support and advice to third sector groups across Aberdeenshire. 

I carry out free tailored funding searches for community groups 

and charities. I can offer short term funding solutions to ease 

cashflow, as well as offering longer term options to allow 

financial sustainability and help meet project costs. I am also 

able to offer tips about writing grant applications, and I can 

review draft funding applications. 

How did you end up working with AVA? 

Living in rural Aberdeenshire, I was keen to find a local job in 

the third sector. Having worked as a fundraiser myself, I am 

experienced in the many stages of funding from researching 

and finding funding options, to completing applications, 

reporting, and maintaining donor relationships. I have also 

been involved in events and community fundraising. All this 

experience has been useful in my role with AVA. 

What does a typical day look like? 

My working day involves me researching grant options on 

behalf of groups and organisations. It could be anything from 

finding funding for new sports equipment, meeting increased 

running costs, or a large-scale capital build or renovation. Every 

week the searches I carry out are slightly different, as the third 

sector is so diverse across Aberdeenshire. By staying up-to-date 

about grants at local, regional, and national level I am able to 

offer ideas of where groups can apply for funding to meet their 

requirements. I attend funding webinars, training sessions, and 

read many funding circulars. There are thousands of Trusts and 

Foundations with grants opening and closing throughout the 

year, and each has their own funding themes and guidelines. 

How has Covid-19 affected your job? 

Being homebased already this didn’t change during the 

pandemic. However, I was involved with assessing applications 

to the Scottish Government’s Wellbeing Fund, and for AVA’s 

Supporting Communities Fund and the Response, Recovery 

and Resilience Fund. AVA saw a large increase in workload 

relating to funding during the pandemic. In 2021, I was also 

involved in the Aberdeenshire Communities Mental Health 

and Wellbeing Fund, and a second year of funding will be 

launching later in 2022. It is good to see many groups moving 

forward again with projects, and I love reading about funding 

successes in Aberdeenshire 

Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action is a 

charitable company limited by guarantee. 

Company number: SC137343. 

Scottish Charity Number: SC014223 

Registered office: 45 Queens Road, 

Aberdeen, AB15 4ZN 

Tel: 03718 110008 

Email: enquiries@avashire.org.uk 

Website: www.avashire.org.uk 

Follow us on Facebook 

AberdeenshireVoluntary Action1 

Twitter @AVAShire 

Instagram @magpieshops 

YouTube AVA Shire 

We want to hear from you! 

Give us feedback, suggestions, 

whatever - fill in our form here. 

AVA Magazine available in large print 

H 

Read previous editions 

Read previous editions 

of the AVA newsletters, 

bulletins and magazines 

on our website at: 

www.avashire.org.uk 

If you’re an AVA member and 

would like to contribute to future 

magazines, please get in touch 

with Lindsay Allardyce at: 

Lindsay.Allardyce@avashire.org.uk 

www.avashire.org.uk

AVA Magazine: July 22

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