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Latest Opportunities
Wed 04 Oct 2017
Our Community Ambassadors are an important network of volunteers who help make a difference to babies born premature and sick by raising awareness of Bliss Scotland's work in their local area.
Wed 04 Oct 2017
We are looking for a fundraising intern to join our small team based at our office in central Edinburgh. As an intern you will have the chance to work at the heart of a small charity, gaining insight into all our work. You will gain experience and knowledge in events and community fundraising.
Fri 29 Sep 2017
We are looking for a talented Graphic Designer to help spread the word. This is an online position and requires no set hours. However, we do require someone who will be dedicated to helping us make a difference. No experience necessary, just the ability to create effective and professional graphic.
Wed 16 Aug 2017
Cyrenians aims to create a sustainable Social Enterprise that takes unwanted wood, tyres, and furniture to create new/upcycled products. We need creative volunteers to help us design new products and DIY volunteers to help us build them.
Skills to Develop
One of the biggest benefits of volunteering is the ability to develop various skills in a real world setting and gain practical experience that will aid you in whatever you do after University. Think about which of your skills might need developing and have a browse of the opportunities that could help.
Communication means the ability to build relationships, deal with challenging people, talk and listen to different types of people, use social media effectively, write engaging copy for a website or publication, deliver presentations or speeches, using good email etiquette, and writing easy to understand essays, reports and other factual documents.
Digital Literacy means knowing how to use common software programs, being able to learn how to use new software easily, using graphic design programs, competence at basic computer tasks, programming and app development, wesbite design, and effective use of social media.
Emotional Intelligence means being able to empathise with others and take their perspective, recognising others' feelings and adapting your behaviour, regulating your emotions in appropriate ways, having a positive attitude, being open to new things, and being aware of the effect you have on other people around you.
Entrepreneurship means being able to create project or business plans, understanding how organisations work, strategising, knowing the sector you are working in, having a good work ethic, taking responsibility for your actions, networking and developing business relationships, pitching ideas, negotiation and persuading.
Global Citizenship means campaigning and awareness raising activities, engaging with political systems, community organising, taking part in local decision making, volunteering abroad or getting to know other cultures, speaking more than one language, and understanding the globalised world.
Leadership means being able to make appropriate decisions in a timely manner, keeping to your word, inspiring others, creating project plans, organising teams and allocating resources, being willing to take on challenges, keeping to deadlines, managing your workload and prioritising tasks.
Problem Solving means the ability to think critically and assess ideas, evaluate ideas and strategies, lateral thinking, logistical thinking, conducting research and framing problems, using analytical tools and being able to break complex problems down into manageable parts.
Team-working means working with others to achieve a shared goal, understanding the different roles that group members play, being able to adapt to new roles, maintaining group cohesion, dealing with competing ideas within a group and diffusing conflict, making sure different voices are heard, facilitating group decisions, and knowing how effective teams work.