Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action Magazine December 2022

AVA Magazine 

Decmber 2022 

• Just Transition Fund Voting • Resilience Planning • 

• Warm Spaces Aberdeenshire• Member Spotlights •

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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 |December 2022 3 

Reflecting on a busy 

year... 

Dan Shaw 

AVA Chief Executive 

Officer 

Christmas is always a rather reflective 

time, where there is so much 

celebration happening, and yet there 

is a ‘more than ever’ need for the services 

that the third sector delivers. By the end of the 

year AVA will have distributed more than £1m 

of funding to groups across Aberdeenshire 

to help them deliver more support services. 

My only regret is that we couldn’t support 

everyone because of only having limed 

funding to work with. We really are all working 

during very challenging times, and for those 

organisations and people who deliver services 

directly for individuals, please accept our 

heartfelt thanks for everything that you do. 

During 2022, the AVA team has expanded so 

that we can do more for organisations. The 

Third Sector Interface team have worked 

tirelessly to offer support to so many groups 

and the feedback we have had has made 

me so proud to be able to play a small part 

in what they do. For a 

relatively small team to 

have interacted with 

groups over 15,000 

times to offer support 

and guidance, and 

receive such positive 

feedback, has been 

incredible to witness. 

Likewise, our Magpie 

team of staff and 

volunteers has been 

a joy to work with; they have transformed 

Magpie as a place to visit, and hearing 

feedback from people about the difference 

that goods donated by the general public 

and gifted by Magpie have made to their 

lives has been humbling. Our Employability 

and Hospital Homecoming projects have seen 

some incredible impacts for individual people 

that have gone some way to improving their 

circumstances. 

For those who don’t celebrate Christmas, we 

wish you a restful holiday period, and for those 

who do, the entire AVA team would like to wish 

you a very Happy Christmas. 

With very best wishes, 

Dan and the entire AVA Team 

Dan.Shaw@avashire.org.uk 

Contents 

4-7 

Just Transition Fund 

Participatory Budgeting voting 

15 

18 

22 & 

26-27 

Member Spotlights 

Positive Steps Kemnay 

Alford Bike Project 

Bennachie Leisure Centre 

Autism Understanding 

6-9 Focus: Aberdeenshire Third Sector 

16-17 Focus: Resilience planning 

in Parliament 

10 

Community Mental Health 

& Wellbeing Fund 

20 

Aberdeenshire Peer Support 

Turning Point Scotland 

11 

Mind Yer Mind Aberdeenshire’s 

Mental Health campaign 

24 

Magpie: Relecting on 

a busy year 

12-14 

Aberdeenshire Warm Spaces 

AVA launch new map 

22 

Staff Profile: Heather McKay


Just Transition Fund| 

Participatory Budgeting 

voting now open 

46 

projects in Aberdeenshire have now been 

shortlisted to receive funding from The 

Just Transition Fund. Each project will help 

advance Scotland’s transition to a carbonneutral, 

sustainable future. All Aberdeenshire residents 

are invited to vote for 10 projects they would like to 

see funded. Online voting closes at 5pm on Friday 16th 

December 2022 and you can vote for your top 10 projects 

here: 

www.avashire.org.uk/jtfundvote 

£333,333 is up for grabs in Aberdeenshire and there is an amazing range of 

environmentally-friendly work to vote for. Read all about each project, in the 

following four short videos. Good luck to the 46 groups involved! 

Just Transition Projects 1-10

6 AVA | December 2022 

Just Transition Projects 11-23 

Just Transition Projects 24-35

Just Transition Projects 36-46 

AVA |December 2022 7


Third Sector in Parliament| 

Representing Aberdeenshire 

at National Level 

or, like in the current session, partnership 

agreements between political parties. 

Alasdair Ross 

AVA & ACVO Policy & 

Consultations Officer 

Alasdair.Ross@avashire.org.uk 

AVA Chief Executive Dan Shaw, and 

Policy and Consultations Officer Alasdair 

Ross visited the Scottish Parliament with 

other TSI and Third Sector representatives last 

month to learn more about how the Parliament 

gathers views from outside organisations when 

discussing new laws and investigating topics of 

interest to their committees. 

Throughout the day there were sessions with 

Parliament staff on how to make written 

evidence more impactful, ensuring community 

voices are heard by Parliament, supporting the 

participation of children and young people, 

including lived experience and effective 

communication. 

Engaging with the Scottish Parliament is 

not the same as engaging with the Scottish 

Government – the Parliament has a crossparty 

scrutiny role about proposals for new 

laws and often goes into a great deal of detail. 

Parliamentary Committees can also instigate 

their own investigations into areas of interest 

which may lead to recommendations or new 

laws. Most Government consultations relate to 

wider ideas for policies and strategies which the 

ruling political parties would like to see enacted, 

often these have been part of a party manifesto 

These differences can cause uncertainty when 

there are multiple consultations and calls 

for evidence about the same subject being 

issued one after the other – firstly from the 

Scottish Government asking about a policy, 

and then from the Parliament asking about 

that policy turning into law. This can be further 

exacerbated by other public bodies such as 

the NHS, Local Authorities and Health and 

Social Care Partnerships all trying to understand 

the impact of the same proposals on each of 

their different organisations. During the visit to 

Parliament, there was a great deal of concern 

raised about this causing “consultation fatigue” 

and the pressures faced by the third sector in 

finding time to contribute meaningfully. 

Dan and Alasdair were struck by the very open 

and transparent way in which the Scottish 

Parliament works, how it conducts its research 

and how it is able and willing to hear the voices 

of the communities of Scotland. AVA is here 

to help navigate these systems, and to help 

the Third Sector in Aberdeenshire have its voice 

heard, so please do contact us if you need 

assistance or some guidance on taking part in 

any consultation exercise you hear about. 

The Scottish Parliament are currently seeking 

views on the Patient Safety Commissioner for 

Scotland Bill which would establish a new official, 

independent of the NHS and Government to 

promote patient safety, identify safety issues 

and co-ordinate concerns about patient safety 

issues. They are also asking for opinions on 

the Charities (Regulation and Administration) 

(Scotland) Bill which would give the Office of 

the Scottish Charity Regulator wider powers 

and establish a register of all charity trustees. 

The Parliament is also gathering evidence for 

a Community Planning inquiry looking at the 

impact of the Community Empowerment Act 

and how Community Planning Partnerships 

respond to events such as the pandemic and 

the cost of living crisis. If you would like further 

information about any of these consultations, 

we’ll be happy to help.


AVA awarded 73 groups with funding in Round 1 of the 

Community Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund at the start of 

the year with just under £712k being shared across localities 

in Aberdeenshire. Many thanks to all Aberdeenshire groups that 

have applied for Phase 1 of the second round of the fund in the 

last couple of months. Applications are currently being assessed 

and processed and AVA will be in touch soon to let groups know 

if they have been successful. Phase 2 will only open on Monday 

9th January 2022 if money remains available after phase 1. 

Lindsay Allardyce 

AVA Communications & 

Membership Manager 

AVA has £639,855.99 for distribution to groups and organisations 

across Aberdeenshire in this round with the overarching aim 

being to support community-based initiatives that promote 

and develop good mental health and wellbeing, mitigate and 

protect against the impact of distress and mental ill health within 

the adult population. 

The applications that have come in for the fund show the 

outstanding work that is going on across Aberdeenshire, with 

really inspiring projects aimed at tackling isolation and providing 

opportunities for people to connect with each other. Thanks to 

each and every group for making Aberdeenshire a better place 

to live.


Mental Health & 

Wellbeing| 

#MindYerMind 

Do you look after your own mental 

wellbeing? Do you know there are 

simple things you can do to look 

after yours? Mind yer mind is a campaign 

by Aberdeenshire Community Planning 

Partnership that encourages the people 

of Aberdeenshire to look after their mental 

wellbeing. The campaign is a reminder 

to take the time to look after your mental 

wellbeing, and to give some ideas on how 

to do it. 5 steps you can take to look after 

your mental wellbeing are: 

1. Connections - good relationships help 

to build a sense of belonging, allowing 

you to share experiences, and support 

each other. 

2. Learning - acquiring new skills boosts 

your confidence, gives you a sense of 

purpose, and helps you connect with 

others 

3. Taking notice - Paying more attention 

to the present moment can improve 

your mental wellbeing. It can help 

you understand yourself and the world 

better. 

4. Giving - creates positive feelings, giving 

you a feeling of purpose and self-worth, 

and helps you connect with others 

5. Being Active - this can help to raise your 

self-esteem by setting and achieving 

goals, and by causing chemical 

changes in your brain that have a 

positive impact on mood. 

Visit the NHS link to find out more about 

each of the 5 steps, and how you can start 

to improve your mental wellbeing today. 

The MindYerMind website has loads of 

information and a toolkit for maintaining 

good mental health and if you’re 

interested in becoming an ambassador for 

the campaign you can sign up yourself or 

nominate someone else there too.


Cost of Heating Crisis| 

Warm Spaces open up in 

Aberdeenshire 

As we head into December and the depths 

of winter, and as the temperatures 

start to fall, many communities across 

Aberdeenshire have been putting their thinking 

caps on - what can they do to support people 

who are struggling to heat their homes, to help 

everyone stay warm and have the opportunity 

to connect with others in their community? 

Warm Spaces are the answer and they are 

beginning to spring up across Aberdeenshire. 

Once again, in times of crisis, our voluntary 

communities are rising to the challenge 

and looking after their most vulnerable. All 

sorts of venues are offering warm spaces in 

Aberdeenshire such as local libraries, halls, 

community centres, churches or voluntary 

organsiations. Communities are coming 

together to connect people who need it the 

most. 

Aileen Longino 

AVA Development Officer 

specialising in Social Enterprise 

To make it easy for people to find a warm space, 

we have compiled an interactive map of existing 

Warm Spaces available in Aberdeenshire and


you can view it on the AVA website here. Our Warm Spaces 

map shows you exactly where and when in your community 

these warm spaces are happening and what they offer. Users 

can click on each red heart and blue star marker to find out 

what’s happening in their neighbourhood and use the + and - 

to zoom in to see more options for each area. 

Alongside many of these spaces Live Life Aberdeenshire are 

offering the Essentials pass which allows people to use their 

showers, Wi-Fi, e-books are much more for free and these 

spaces are featured on our map too - the blue star markers 

are specifically Aberdeenshire Council Recreation Centres 

and Libraries that offer warm space amenities. 

If your group is planning to open up a regular 

Warm Space to the public, here are some 

things you should consider. Warm Spaces 

should be wherever possible, an 

existing comfortable space that is 

already lit and heated. In small 

rural communities this is not 

always possible, so village halls 

and church halls are opening 

their doors (then closing 

them quickly to keep the 

heat in!). 

These spaces should be 

free and welcoming for 

people of all ages to 

relax, have a blether, 

play a board game, 

read the paper, do their 

knitting and keep warm 

over a cup of coffee, or 

a bowl of soup and some 

company. They also need 

to be a friendly, comfortable 

environment where people 

feel at ease and at home. 

Accessibility is also a key factor 

when deciding where to open your 

warm space. 

We aim to make our map the Aberdeenshire 

one-stop-shop for Warm Spaces and keep it as 

up-to-date as possible, so if you know of a Warm 

Space that’s open to the public in Aberdeenshire that’s not 

featured on our map, please let us know by filling in this form. 

For further support with setting up a Warm Space in 

Aberdeenshire, contact Aileen Longino, our Development 

Officer at: Aileen.Longino@avashire.org.uk or call: 07824 

096531. Thank you. 

www.avashire.org.uk/warm-spaces-aberdeenshire

Warm Spaces funding 

Get up to £3,000 match funding 

for the warm spaces in your 

community this winter. 

Co-op and Crowdfunder have teamed up to help 

community organisations navigate the cost of living 

crisis to provide vital services this winter. 

Are you welcoming people into a warm space in 

your community, or wanting to extend existing 

activities or services to support more people? 

Eligible community groups could get up to 

£3,000 to continue or extend vital services. 

Find out more at: 

www.crowdfunder.co.uk/funds/co-op-warm-spaces


Member Spotlight| 

Aberdeenshire volunteer 

group stride to national 

success 

Positive Steps Kemnay has been recognised 

as the winners of the Health Walk Group 

of the Year at the Paths for All Volunteer 

Awards 2022. 

Paths For All 

www.pathsforall.org.uk 

Positive Steps Kemnay 

www.positivestepskemnay.uk 

A 

group of volunteers in Aberdeenshire 

have recently been recognised by 

Paths For All for their contribution to 

improving the health and wellbeing of their 

local community. AVA members, Positive Steps 

Kemnay, an 11-strong group of volunteer Walk 

Leaders, organise four walks every week for 

people of all ages and abilities. These walks 

take place around the attractive streets and 

woodlands of Kemnay and make use of a range 

of 15 risk assessed routes. Walks are designed to 

encourage the community to come together 

to socialise and enjoy a little exercise. 

The Health Walks have been designed to cover 

specific needs of those in the area. For example, 

there is a Buggy Walk which has developed 

from a few members into a fully-fledged 

24-strong network – with some parents going on 

to become trained Walk Leaders and now help 

with taking the groups. Additionally, volunteers 

contribute to active travel developments in the 

area while helping out with the upkeep of local 

path networks. 

Being part of Positive Steps Kemnay allows 

people from across the community to share 

their experiences of outdoor activity, combined 

with mental, physical and social benefits and 

connecting with nature.” 

The Aberdeenshire group was commended 

at the annual Paths For All Volunteer Awards 

ceremony at the Scottish Parliament on 28th 

September. Congratulations from everyone at 

AVA! 

Joint Co-ordinators Hilda Hart and Rob Mackay 

said: “The group gained its Cancer and 

Dementia Friendly accreditation from Paths for 

All increasing the accessibility of Health Walks 

further.


Focus|What will 

you do if the 

lights go out? 

Recent extreme weather has shown the need for 

individual households to be better prepared to cope 

with unexpected events, but how prepared are 3rd 

sector organisations to deal with with emergencies? 

Alasdair Ross 

AVA & ACVO Policy & 

Consultations Officer 

Business continuity and emergency resilience planning is 

now an essential part of running any business, and the 3rd 

sector is no different. Have you thought about what would 

happen if you had no access to your premises or transport, 

no internet, no phone or no power? Would you still be able 

to deliver services to those who need them?


As well as emergency situations, there is 

growing uncertainty about the resilience of the 

national electricity supply. The government 

and electricity networks are prepared to 

introduce rolling blackouts across the UK if the 

need arises this winter. These would be planned 

and communicated in advance according to 

an agreed strategy which you can read more 

about on the SSEN website. 

The high demand on councils and the 

emergency services during an emergency 

mean that they are not able to respond to 

everyone as quickly as they would like – this 

means that we all have to make sure we are in 

the best possible position to deal with the most 

likely problems ourselves. 

Part of our role at AVA is to help the third sector 

be more resilient, and so we are encouraging 

everyone to take time to think about what 

would happen to your organisation if faced 

with unexpected circumstances by using the 

Business Emergency Resilience Group’s 10 

Minute Plan. This quick checklist will help you 

identify what you might need to do to be better 

prepared. 

Many 3rd sector organisations will also have to 

consider the impact on their service users, will 

you be able to continue offering support? How 

will you communicate with your clients? Are 

there vulnerable people who will need extra 

support? Planning your emergency response in 

advance saves time, money and confusion for 

you and for your service users. 

Ready Scotland has advice on how to prepare 

an emergency plan for a household and a list of 

suggested kit to keep on hand for emergencies. 

Your organisation may be able to use this 

information to help your clients get ready for 

what might lie ahead this winter. 

Our message to the third sector is to prepare as 

much as you reasonably can for what might lie 

ahead this winter. 

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 



Alford Bike project gets the green 

light as major milestone reached 

for project 

The facility will help the community to engage 

in wheeled sports activity without having to 

travel to other areas, thus spending more 

time in the local area and using the existing 

local amenities and services. It’s also hoped 

these facilities will create new opportunities 

through active participation, coaching, 

instruction, and increased visitor numbers 

to Alford and the surrounding area which 

will be good for local businesses. 

Friends of Haughton Park Chairperson, 

Simone Sinclair said, “Agreement 

of the lease today marks a huge 

milestone for the Friends of Haughton 

Park Bike Park and All Ability Trails 

project! We are delighted and 

wish to thank everyone who has 

supported the bid. This marks a major 

step forward for the project and we 

hope to start construction in Spring 

2023 subject to planning and further 

fundraising. The Friends of Haughton 

Park have been working on this project 

since 2018 and so we are delighted to have 

achieved this aim. We are now another step 

closer to having an exciting community 

asset, attractive to locals and visitors alike, in 

our beautiful park!” 

The Friends of Haughton Park Bike Park 

and All Ability Trail project reached an 

important milestone last week as the 

group’s application to lease a site for the build 

was accepted. The charity have been granted 

a 25-year lease of an area within Haughton 

Country Park, which is required to build the bike 

park and all ability trails. The Community Asset 

Transfer lease application was accepted by 

Aberdeenshire Council’s Marr Area Committee 

and subject to final planning permission and 

fundraising, the group hopes construction on 

the facility, which will be among the first in the 

North-east, will begin in Spring 2023. 

The organisation is a Charitable SCIO set up 

in 2018 with the aims to protect, promote 

and enhance Haughton Country Park. 

The group has initiated many projects in 

the park including bulb and tree planting, 

wildlife pond clearing, community events 

and improvements to signage. They also 

contributed to the selection of new and 

improved play equipment in 2019. 

Congratulations from everyone at AVA, we 

look forward to seeing the projects for the 

park progress in 2023! For further information 

or to get involved with Friends of Haughton 

park email: friendsofhaughtonpark@gmail. 

com. Follow them on Facebook here.

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 £75 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


Aberdeenshire Peer 

Support Service| 

Celebration event September 2022 

Sharon Francis 

AVA Development Officer, 

specialising in Supporting 

Independent Living 

Turning Point Scotland’s Peer Support 

Service hosted a celebration event in late 

September attended by over 50 community 

members along with staff from partner services 

who made the journey to Inverurie to join in the 

fun. A balloon activity got conversations going, 

new connections were formed, and enabled 

everyone to come together as one. 

Patrick McKay, Operations Manager opened 

the day with a welcome and thanks to all 

involved then a busy round of conversation 

cafés gave people opportunities to share 

key thoughts, ideas and reflections on peer 

support. This provided important feedback 

and information which will be used to make 

improvements and plan ahead. 

A fantastic lunch was proved by Grannie 

Smiths Hamebakes and a series of informative 

workshops were then held over the day. Kerry 

from HMP Grampian told her story explaining the 

changes she has made and about the training 

she had received from the peer service. Kerry is 

now back at home living the life she wants and 

is hoping to use her knowledge and experience 

to support others. Go Kerry! 

The hosts of SMART Recovery and Medication 

Recovery and Me shared their experiences and 

highlighted to the audience on the benefits of 

the groups. 

Fiona from Networks of Wellbeing (Huntly) 

held a group activity to help identify how a 

community can be affected by mental health. 

A peer showcase was facilitated by Ashley and 

Kathleen who described their work as group 

facilitators. Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action 

explained the support that AVA can offer and 

how the service assists the voluntary community. 

Ally, Nicky and Amanda gave an insight into 

their recovery journey and Kathleen gave 

further understanding about supporting a loved 

one through hard times. All accounts were heart 

felt, moving and inspirational. 

A number of community members had been 

active volunteers in their communities, long 

before the peer service began. So it was a 

pleasure to recognise the contributions of 

Kevin, Kathleen, Sheila and Craig for their time 

and commitment. MANY THANKS to AVA for 

supporting this! Members even took part in a 

quiet crafts session and an acupuncture tester! 

At the close of the event the buzz, conversations 

and connections were all evident as the hall 

cleared. It was great to see weel kent faces 

and a good few new ones.

second hand 

furniture 

electricals 

homeware 

bric-a-brac 

white goods 

clothes 

vinyl & loads more... 

FESTIVE 

OPENING HOURS 

The shops will 

close at 4pm on 

Friday 23rd December 

and re-open at 

9am on Wednesday 

4th January 

2023. 

Tillybrake Industrial Estate, Banchory AB31 5UN 

Tel: 01330 823800 

Scottish Charity Number: SC014223 Company Number: SC137343 

magpieshops




Leaders within the hub, Jo having a focus on 

events, café and the charity shop and Jacqui 

concentrates on the sports classes, instructors, 

gym and membership. I learned very quickly 

about the multi-use of this vast complex and the 

thought and passion the dedicated team put 

into it all to meet the needs of their community. 

Sharon Francis 

AVA Development Officer, 

specialising in Supporting 

Independent Living 

Nestled within the Insch community lies this 

amazing charity that has been the heart 

of the community for 25 years. Their mission 

is to promote wellbeing and health within a 

welcoming and safe environment where the 

community and surrounding areas can focus on 

becoming and staying active. 

When entering the BLC, there was such a happy 

hum of chatter from within the café as the main 

door enters straight into an open space where 

customers were enjoying a cuppa and a cake, 

almost instantly I was welcomed by a member 

of staff with a great big smile on their face. It was 

such a lovely way to be welcomed, no matter 

how you might be feeling that day, that smile 

would certainly warm your cockles and make 

you feel you want to be there. 

My meeting was with Jo and Jacqui, both Team 

We chatted about their amazing seasonal 

events such as the ‘Escape Room’ at Halloween 

for families, where the slots sold very quickly, and 

it was a huge success. ‘Santa’s Bothy’ runs every 

year from the end of November right through to 

Christmas and is also a hugely popular event. 

This year the theme is Santa’s toy shop. Guests 

arrive at a winter wonderland forest glade 

(the usual café area which has been totally 

transformed) where they are welcomed and 

invited to take photographs while they await 

their own personal elf to guide them around 

the experience of visiting Candy Cane Lane 

and then interacting with Santa and Mrs Claus 

as they enter the Bothy for real. The whole BLC 

Team along with the local community put such 

an effort into the Bothy that opening the doors 

for the first time is a real wow moment for both 

children and adults alike. The whole room is 

transformed into the most magical of places, it 

really has to be seen to be believed. 

The team are also kept on their toes, as not 

content with making the best Santa experience 

in the North East they like to change the Bothy 

theme each year so returning families get that 

over whelming emotional moment of surprise 

each time they visit. Jo tells me the plan is to 

have four scenarios on rotation to keep it fresh. 

This is the third year for the team and they 

already have plans under way for next year 

although despite my repeated requests they 

won’t give me any clues as to what it might be! 

Movie nights, family discos, and live bands are 

also hugely popular and what I love about them 

is that children are always welcome, allowing 

families to make precious memories together 

whilst enjoying their activity. 

The community café has a delightful menu of 

freshly prepared food, cakes, and beverages, 

also catering for special dietary requirements.


The café has been nominated for the Scottish 

Community café of the year twice and their 

mantra of wholesome, hearty and homemade 

fits the café perfectly. 

Jo took me to the ‘Twice as Nice’ charity shop 

nestled in the back of the complex that she 

oversees along with 12+ volunteers. It is full of 

bargains galore from nik naks to toys, clothes, 

and electrical items. I chatted to one volunteer, 

Claire, who said, ‘she loved being there and felt 

she was giving back to the community, loved 

meeting so many people and most of all felt 

appreciated for the work she did’. 

When talking about recruiting and retaining 

volunteers, Jo said it was always a challenge, 

but they had built up a great support system 

for all that worked there, paid or not. Jo and 

Jacqui both have the ethos of making time for 

the staff and volunteers, no matter what. From 

having lunch together, completing crosswords 

as a ‘must do’ daily activity and producing a 

monthly newsletter, the BLC team are part of a 

well-informed collaborative team, and you can 

feel that ambience when walking around. 

There is a huge range ‘stay active’ classes 

to meet the needs of all age groups. Adult 

classes include, spin, pump, yoga, gentle 

exercise, Zumba, TRX and so many more, all 

on a timetable. The classes are taught by self– 

employed fully qualified instructors and the team 

are always aim to deliver what the community 

feel is needed. Kids also have a timetable 

where most activities are in the afternoon or a 

Saturday morning. They can be the Terminator 

(a big slide I would love to have a wee shot on), 

preschool football, mini games, basketball and 

badminton. 

Bennachie Leisure Centra really is an all rounder 

and people travel from surrounding areas to 

attend classes, gym or simply to meet friends in 

the community café. 

I would like to leave you with some thoughts 

from Jo and the work they do at BLC. 

‘I’m delighted to say there is no such thing as a 

‘normal’ day at the BLC - other than you can 

guarantee you will have done something by 

the end of the day that you had no idea the 

day had in store for you when you arrived at 

work that morning! It’s what a grant application 

might call dynamic! We are a small team who all 

do wherever it takes to make the place work for 

the local community. It’s challenging at times, 

but so worth while to see the place thriving as a 

hub that local people can utilise in so very many 

different ways. It’s what community is all about 

and both our lives, and the lives of the people 

that visit the centre are richer for having it.’ 


Largie Road, Insch, AB52 6LT 

Visit: https://www.blcinsch.scot/ 

Tel: 01464 821248 

Email: info@blcinsch.co.uk


A busy 2022 

Marie-Anne Brown 

Magpie Manager 

2022 

has 

challenges and some 

been a busy year at 

Magpie with some changes, 

amazing achievements. Magpie has had a little 

facelift both internally and externally, making 

the shops feel very welcoming! We had a low 

of losing our extra storage, but thanks to the 

help from Grampian Continental we were able 

to put a container in our yard to relieve the 

storage pressures. We have had some fantastic 

achievements this year which include our grant 

from Vattenfall fund for new lighting, the close 

partnership with Aberdeenshire South Foodbank 

(Trussel Trust) where we have been able to deliver 

95 emergency food parcels to those in need. 

Magpie ultimately is there to gift items to people 

in need, and this year twe have supported 24 

families and 170 items have been gifted! With the 

cost-of-living crisis increasing financial pressures 

on families, charities like ourselves will be 

depended on more. Our other purpose is saving 

items going into landfill, the total saved for the 

year is 20,000 kg. These incredible achievements 

could not have happened without our fantastic 

supporters donating goods, shopping at Magpie 

and the selfless volunteers donating 3189 hours 

of their time to support the running of Magpie 

over the last year. Wishing you all a very Merry 

Christmas and a Happy New Year from all the 

team at Magpie! 

Magpie 

Tillybrake Industrial Estate, Banchory AB31 5UN 

Tel: 01330 823800 

Email: magpie@avashire.org.uk

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




us to empathise on a deep level with most of 

those who use our services. 

Autism Understanding Scotland is, we 

believe, a rather unique organisation! 

Formed in 2018, we initially set up to 

provide a small volunteer run drop-in service 

where we could offer peer support, discuss 

support strategies, and help people explore 

what being autistic means to them. From those 

small beginnings we have grown significantly - 

we now have a staff team of 7 and became an 

independent charity in 2021 with a new name, 

and new branding to reflect the national work 

we do. 

Our recent Annual Report (available here) 

shows a growing appetite for autistic-led 

professional support, and we continue to work 

with Aberdeenshire Council, Aberdeen City 

Council, and the Scottish Government to help 

create a world where autistic people can be 

seen for their whole autistic selves without fear of 

stigma or discrimination, a place where autistic 

people can thrive. 

So who are we? The majority of our Board are 

autistic, and all front facing staff are autistic - 

we are an Autistic People’s Organisation. We 

use our unique intersection of personal autistic 

lived experiences along with professional 

experiences of working with autistic people to 

inform the work we do. Many of us are autistic 

parents with autistic children too, and this allows 

We provide 1:1 appointments for autistic people 

of all ages, all genders, and all kinds of support 

needs. We also support their families and other 

supporters, as well as professionals who work 

with autistic people. Last year we delivered 784 

1:1 appointments covering topics as diverse 

as toilet training, prepping for a wedding, 

menopause, employment, and supporting 

older autistic people. These are designed to 

empower those we work with to take positive 

steps forward. 

We have a growing range of groups for autistic 

people to socialise and offer each other peer 

support. Currently we run two social lunch 

clubs and our Late Diagnosis Group is there for 

those seeking to explore what being autistic 

means to them. Our monthly webinars are a 

place where autistic people, families, and 

professionals regularly attend and provide 

help and validation to each other as well as 

accessing it from ourselves. Our service users 

who attend our webinars and groups regularly 

tell us that they are a place where the feel seen 

and heard there in a way they struggle to find 

elsewhere. Our wee AUScot clan helps bring 

people together and find their community. 

We offer consultation and bespoke training 

and consistently hear from professionals who 

access our training that it is the most effective 

and informative training in autism they have 

participated in because we are able to use 

our own lived experiences to contextualise and 

bring that theory to life in a way only autistic 

autism professionals can. We always enjoy


when people start our training sessions believing 

that they are unlikely to learn much yet leave 

armed with new information and practical 

strategies for how to implement that. We want 

to empower autistic people and those in their 

lives to make positive changes, to reframe how 

they think about autism. There is always 

something new to learn. 

Our website is one of a small number 

of online spaces where anyone can 

access free autistic created information 

and resources looking at a wide variety 

of autistic lived experiences from 

masking and burnout, sensory eating, 

employment, autistic communication 

and much, much more. We developed 

our website’s Information Hub because 

it is exactly this kind of resource our 

staff went looking for when we, or our 

children, were identified as autistic. We 

regularly create new articles, resources, 

and blogs to reflect the changing 

requirements of our service users. Each 

webpage came about because of a 

recognised need. 

One of the biggest dates in our calendar 

each year is Autistic Pride. This year we 

celebrated our 5th annual Autistic Pride 

event in Hazlehead Park with roughly 

200 people joining us to blow bubbles 

and celebrate our autistic identities. 

Such events are essential for promoting 

autistic acceptance and appreciation. 

Being autistic does not have to be a 

barrier to success – it can often be the 

reason why we succeed, and Autistic 

Pride is critical to highlighting this. 

We have also recently been bowled 

over by the amount of international 

attention we have gained too. Recent 

events have attracted people from 

across the UK, Jamaica, Singapore, 

Canada, USA, Sweden and more. We 

may be a proudly Scottish organisation, 

but our authentic autistic voice is 

resonating globally. 

Ultimately, we would love for a world where 

organisations such as ours were no longer 

needed, but meantime we will continue working 

with those who use our services to create the 

information, resources, activities, and events 

they require to empower them to improve their 

quality of life and increase their access to the 

same opportunities open to their peers. 


www.autismunderstanding.scot


PROFILE | 

Getting to know those who work hard 

in your Third Sector Interface 

Who are you? 

I’m Heather McKay, Development 

Officer for Mental Health & Wellbeing 

at Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action. 

My career began as an accountant 

in Glasgow, took me to Canada for 

a few years, and then I ended up 

settled in Aberdeenshire. I’ve had lots 

of variety working in the corporate 

world, with local businesses, in the third 

sector and running my own businesses 

too. I love a new challenge! 

What is your job? 

I’m here to provide support to third sector groups across 

Aberdeenshire that have an interest in mental health & 

wellbeing. Each group and organisation has different needs, 

so the type of support can vary – for example a group might 

need help sharing information about an upcoming event, 

they may be looking for links to similar groups in their area, or 

they may need to be signposted to specialised AVA support 

like funding, volunteering or governance. Ultimately, my job 

is help these groups to thrive and have the capacity to keep 

doing the amazing work they do in the community. 

How did you end up working with AVA? 

The job advert popped up on Facebook and it just chimed 

with me! I’ve been working for myself for a couple of 

years, helping people with their wellbeing and personal 

development, and this role seemed like the perfect 

complement to what I was doing. I’d had help from AVA 

in the past with third sector projects, so I was aware of the 

value of their services (although my previous experiences 

with them turned out to be the tip of the iceberg; I’ve since 

learned just what a breadth and depth of support AVA 

provide!) and it felt like a great opportunity to be involved. 

What does a typical day look like? 

Each day is different! Sometimes I’m out visiting groups in 

Aberdeenshire, and I absolutely love that experience of 

seeing around places, meeting the people who manage 

it all, hearing from people who attend the groups or use 

their services, and just getting a sense of what a difference 

each group makes in their community. I respond to support 

requests from groups, and I also attend various partner 

meetings to keep in touch with what’s going on at a 

strategic level with mental health & wellbeing. 

How has Covid-19 affected your job? 

By the time I joined AVA they had already become a fully 

virtual organisation, so I’m based from home and it’s ideal 

for me. I’ve always been a fan of flexible working with the 

ability to work from home, so to see this type of working 

being embraced by lots of employers now is a great thing. 

We have a really close, supportive team at AVA and we 

chat online a lot with each other, so you’re never isolated 

or stuck – there’s always someone there when you need a 

blether or to bounce an idea around! 

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

Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action Magazine December 2022

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