AVA Magazine March 2023
Your Third Sector Interface in Aberdeenshire
Your Third Sector Interface in Aberdeenshire
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<strong>AVA</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />
<strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
• Real Living Wage Policy • The Big Help Out •<br />
• Social Enterprise Swap Shop • Member Spotlights •
join<br />
us<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Membership<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> members come in all sorts<br />
of shapes and sizes. From small<br />
community-based organisations<br />
working to support a small<br />
number of people in a restricted<br />
geographic area, to large<br />
charities delivering services within<br />
Aberdeenshire that are sometimes<br />
a small part of a much wider<br />
portfolio. Community and third<br />
sector organisations are invited<br />
to join <strong>AVA</strong> as full members.<br />
Volunteers are the lifeblood of our<br />
sector and those who volunteer<br />
on a regular basis are invited to<br />
join <strong>AVA</strong> as individual members.<br />
Apply here H<br />
www.avashire.org.uk/join-ava.html<br />
When you join <strong>AVA</strong>, you and your<br />
organisation will have access to the<br />
following benefits:<br />
• Enhanced communications through<br />
specialism networking and information<br />
mailing lists<br />
• Promotion for your organisation and<br />
projects<br />
• Priority access to news, updates and<br />
information<br />
• Free and priority access to <strong>AVA</strong><br />
membership and specialist forum events<br />
• Priority access to <strong>AVA</strong> Training resources<br />
• Priority access to <strong>AVA</strong> services and<br />
facilities<br />
• Access to discounted rates for <strong>AVA</strong><br />
Office Support Services<br />
• Access to professional services offering<br />
discounted rates to members
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 3<br />
Spring is in the air...<br />
Dan Shaw<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Chief Executive Officer<br />
Dan.Shaw@avashire.org.uk<br />
As we prepare to leave the winter<br />
behind and head into the spring,<br />
it’s often an opportunity to reflect<br />
and think about how things will grow and<br />
develop for the coming year. This year feels<br />
different, with more pressure than ever on<br />
the services that the third sector delivers<br />
and the people and financial resources to<br />
help that growth being harder to come by.<br />
Here at <strong>AVA</strong> we have a team of people who<br />
are ready and able to support you and your<br />
group or organisation to think about how to<br />
maximise the resources you have available to<br />
you, and to help you to try and secure more.<br />
Our team has vast experience of governance,<br />
funding and volunteering issues so can<br />
support you to resolve organisational issues,<br />
find potential funding sources, and attract<br />
volunteers to help you deliver your services.<br />
Throughout this edition you will see a range of<br />
examples of the way that we have done these<br />
things and the benefits they have brought.<br />
Additionally, our independent examination of<br />
accounts and payroll<br />
services offer you the<br />
opportunity to pass<br />
these responsibilities<br />
on to <strong>AVA</strong> so that you<br />
can focus on other,<br />
more pressing issues.<br />
You can access all<br />
of this support here.<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> has also been working hard on thinking<br />
about what more we can be doing to support<br />
our members (and non-members alike). Thank<br />
you to our members for filling in a training needs<br />
analysis questionnaire recently. Based on that,<br />
we’re building up an events and training<br />
calendar and hoping to publish it soon so<br />
that you can plan well in advance what you<br />
would like to attend; we’re planning a series of<br />
roadshow events to bring our team to locations<br />
across Aberdeenshire so that you can meet<br />
many of our new (and more well established)<br />
colleagues properly and discuss your support<br />
needs; and we are in the very early stages of<br />
building better connections with our business<br />
community across Aberdeenshire with the aim<br />
being to benefit community, voluntary and<br />
third sector organisation and the communities<br />
you all serve.<br />
With very best wishes,<br />
Dan and the entire <strong>AVA</strong> Team<br />
Contents<br />
4/5<br />
News: Welcoming <strong>AVA</strong>’s new<br />
board member<br />
17<br />
18/19<br />
20/21<br />
Member Spotlight:<br />
Maud Village Trust<br />
Focus: Nightstop<br />
Focus: Well Woman Aboyne<br />
6<br />
Volunteering: Inspiring young<br />
people at school careers evenings<br />
22<br />
Volunteering: The Big Help Out<br />
8<br />
Social Enterprise: New Swap Shop<br />
24<br />
Member Spotlight: Foos Yer<br />
Doos<br />
10/11<br />
12-13<br />
Policy: The real Living Wage and<br />
the Third Sector<br />
Funding: Successful funding bids<br />
26<br />
28<br />
Focus: NHS Grampian Near Me<br />
Supporting Independent Living:<br />
Sheltered Housing<br />
14-15<br />
Member Spotlight: K&D Befriending<br />
30<br />
Profile: Magpie’s Marie-Anne<br />
Brown
4 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
News|<strong>AVA</strong> welcomes new board<br />
member from local children’s<br />
charity, Kayleigh’s Wee Stars<br />
Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action is<br />
delighted to welcome Fiona Heinonen,<br />
CEO of children’s charity, Kayleigh’s<br />
Wee Stars to our board of directors. Fiona<br />
received overwhelming support from the<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> membership and was appointed to the<br />
role at our AGM at the end of February.<br />
Fiona lives near Lumsden in Aberdeenshire<br />
and became CEO of Kayleigh’s Wee Stars in<br />
2021 at a time when the charity was growing<br />
to support more families where a child has a<br />
terminal illness. Having spent the last 23 years<br />
working in various corporate and agency PR,<br />
marketing and CSR roles, as well as almost a<br />
decade in leadership in the charitable sector,<br />
Fiona brings with her a wealth of knowledge<br />
of both the corporate and charitable<br />
sectors across the UK and globally, a depth<br />
of understanding of cross sector partnership<br />
working and a passion for bringing these<br />
sectors closer together to achieve shared<br />
goals that make business and social sense.<br />
Fiona said “It’s an honour to be selected as<br />
a board member for <strong>AVA</strong>. The work they do<br />
to support the third sector in Aberdeenshire<br />
is vital to creating fairer and more resilient<br />
communities across the shire. I share their<br />
vision for working together to achieve long<br />
term, sustainable and positive change in our<br />
region, something I have been passionate<br />
about for many years. I look forward to doing<br />
all I can to support the <strong>AVA</strong> team and their<br />
membership in achieving this goal.”
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 5<br />
Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action continues to<br />
adapt and respond to the changing landscape<br />
navigated by our Third Sector, particularly over<br />
the past three years through the pandemic<br />
and the cost-of-living crises. We’re supporting<br />
and promoting more groups and a wider<br />
range of work than ever before and having a<br />
wealth of experience on our board to steer us<br />
forward is vital.<br />
I am looking forward to working directly with<br />
Fiona on a ‘Responsible Business’ programme<br />
that will connect more people in the private<br />
sector with more opportunities to contribute to<br />
the brilliant work that small groups of community<br />
focused people do on a daily basis.”<br />
Fiona’s appointment as a Director and Charity<br />
Trustee is for an initial period of three years.<br />
Dan Shaw, <strong>AVA</strong>’s Chief Executive Officer was<br />
pleased to welcome Fiona on to the board<br />
and commented, “<strong>AVA</strong> is always keen to<br />
benefit from the skills and experiences that a<br />
new Board member brings to the dual role of<br />
Director and Charity Trustee. Fiona has been<br />
a friend of <strong>AVA</strong> for some years now and has a<br />
wealth of experience that will complement the<br />
skills of our current board.<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> has worked hard to engage with many<br />
different parts of Aberdeenshire’s public sector<br />
to achieve greater awareness of the benefits<br />
of working alongside the community, voluntary<br />
and third sectors, and has developed exciting<br />
plans for connecting with the private sector to<br />
achieve similar outcomes.<br />
For more details about <strong>AVA</strong>’s board, visit:<br />
www.avashire.org.uk/ava-board.html<br />
Find out more about Kayleigh’s Wee Stars at:<br />
www.kayleighsweestars.co.uk<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Office Services<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> members can access office services at very competitive rates.<br />
Payroll services<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> can provide<br />
monthly payroll services,<br />
including production of<br />
monthly payslips, HMRC<br />
submissions and end of<br />
year returns, assistance<br />
with auto enrolment<br />
compliance and pension<br />
file uploads.<br />
Independent<br />
examination<br />
of accounts<br />
Receipts and Payments<br />
Accounts examination<br />
is available for noncompany<br />
charities<br />
and groups with a<br />
gross annual income of<br />
6 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Volunteering|Careers evenings<br />
with inspiring young people<br />
Emma Christie<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Development Officer<br />
specialising in Volunteering<br />
Over the winter, I have been delighted<br />
to attend career evenings all over<br />
Aberdeenshire. It has been great to<br />
see these ‘in person’ events return for the first<br />
time since the pandemic, and so many people<br />
have turned out at them! It was great to be<br />
able to speak to young people who had never<br />
considered volunteering and also those who<br />
came to speak to me, proudly telling me about<br />
what they do in their local community and<br />
beyond.<br />
Many of the young people I spoke to were<br />
looking for something related to a specific<br />
career; however all kinds of volunteering will<br />
demonstrate commitment, responsibility and<br />
develop communication skills. All of this is so<br />
important for the next step in life, be that work,<br />
collage or University. Here at <strong>AVA</strong> we know that<br />
young people have a lot to give organisations,<br />
both in time and energy but also the different<br />
view point that they offer on their local area<br />
and the world. We are keen to see more<br />
young people involved in their community<br />
and our recent Get the Gen training helped<br />
organisations see the benefits of including<br />
young people.<br />
If you are aged 12-25 make sure you sign up<br />
for the Saltire awards - this is a great way to<br />
evidence what you have been doing. With<br />
certificates available from 10 hours right up to<br />
500 hours they are achievable for all. Hours can<br />
be gathered up from many different places<br />
and go towards your total hours, so anything<br />
done in school can be counted as well as other<br />
long term and one-off community events. Have<br />
a look at Saltire Awards – Celebrating youth<br />
volunteering in Scotland to find out more and<br />
sign up.<br />
If you are an organisation who is keen to<br />
know more about how to include young<br />
people in volunteering or a young person<br />
keen to volunteer and don’t know where<br />
to start - reach out to us for some help at<br />
volunteering@avashire.org.uk
Thrive<br />
on-line training<br />
E-Learning Hub for groups, clubs and<br />
organisations in Aberdeenshire.<br />
NOW FREE FOR<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> MEMBERS<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> offers both members and nonmembers<br />
access to the Highland<br />
and Island e-learning platform.<br />
And <strong>AVA</strong> members can now access one<br />
free E-Learning user licence per member<br />
organisation!<br />
This online training resource offers over<br />
40 courses which are grouped into topic<br />
areas such as Workplace Development,<br />
Compliance, Finance, Communications,<br />
Wellbeing, Self Management and IT Skills.<br />
The topics covered span a wide variety<br />
of subjects that are suitable for your work<br />
colleagues, including your volunteers.<br />
The online training courses are designed to<br />
be fully intuitive and easy to use. Learners<br />
can navigate the system simply. You can<br />
track and report on your own or you team’s<br />
progress. It allows you to quickly see who<br />
has completed courses, set deadlines and<br />
create reports. As a manager it is easy to<br />
find out how many users need to finish a<br />
module, their score percentage and much<br />
more.<br />
self-management<br />
communications<br />
IT skills<br />
compliance<br />
finance<br />
workplace development<br />
Sign up here<br />
wellbeing<br />
H<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> can offer one free E-Learning user<br />
licence per member organisation. Cost<br />
for any additional licences will be £40 for<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Members and £75 for non-members.<br />
Organisations are free to buy as many<br />
licences as needed. A free trial period<br />
can also be arranged. Please contact<br />
Training@avashire.org.uk for more<br />
information or complete the online user<br />
licence application by filling out the form<br />
here: https://tinyurl.com/vpjm3zy5
8 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Social Enterprise|<br />
Swap Shop<br />
Our Development Officer, Aileen Longino, who<br />
specialises in social enterprises has been working<br />
on an exciting new service for Social Enterprises<br />
of all sizes in Aberdeenshire.<br />
Aileen Longino<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Development Officer<br />
specialising in Social Enterprise<br />
The Social Enterprise Swap Shop is a service which will<br />
be directory-based where social enterprises can support<br />
each other and offer discounted rates, spaces and<br />
services etc. to each other. The success of this service is<br />
entirely dependent on social enterprises engaging with<br />
each other. Aileen said, “It is a bit like the barter system<br />
where organisations can offer use of a discounted space<br />
for example in exchange for free or discounted training<br />
or services from another organisation. The most recent<br />
Social Enterprise in Scotland: Census 2021, showed that<br />
the cost of living crisis is impacting everyone no matter<br />
what kind of social enterprise you are and we want to<br />
help you make savings and continue to thrive.”<br />
After chatting with several social enterprises Aileen felt<br />
that <strong>AVA</strong> could also support a collective or cooperative<br />
of social enterprises buying of services e.g. insurance,<br />
where a group of social enterprises may be able to<br />
negotiate a group discount. This might work a bit like an<br />
oil club. We know how entrepreneurial our Aberdeenshire<br />
social enterprises are and that working together pooling<br />
resources to save money is the way forward.<br />
If your social enterprise is interested in the Swap Shop<br />
or the collective/cooperative buying of services, please<br />
complete this very short survey here. We would love to<br />
hear your ideas.<br />
For support with your social enterprise, please contact<br />
Aileen.longino@avashire.org.uk.
<strong>2023</strong><br />
nominate now!<br />
Do you know someone, an unsung community hero, who deserves<br />
to be recognised & celebrated for their good work in Aberdeenshire?<br />
Communities across Aberdeenshire are being asked to nominate<br />
their heroes for the <strong>2023</strong> Inspiring Aberdeenshire awards.<br />
The council-run awards celebrate a range of heroes across Aberdeenshire.<br />
For many of us there will be someone who instantly springs to mind<br />
as fitting of an award. People who, without asking, give their energy<br />
and enthusiasm, and that most precious commodity, their time,<br />
to support projects, communities, and causes.<br />
The nominations are open until end of the day on 31st <strong>March</strong><br />
and there are eight categories against which you can nominate:<br />
Heart of Aberdeenshire caring award<br />
Inspirational Volunteer award<br />
Beautiful Aberdeenshire environmental award<br />
Community Spirit award<br />
Cultural award<br />
Aberdeenshire’s Future award<br />
Lifetime achievement award<br />
After three years of hosting the awards exclusively online, the ceremony will<br />
be returning to a fully in-person celebration in September this year but the<br />
ceremony will continue to be filmed so that the wider Aberdeenshire<br />
community can enjoy the finalists’ stories and local performances.<br />
Nominate at:<br />
engage.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/inspiring-aberdeenshire-<strong>2023</strong>
10 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Policy|New criteria for<br />
public sector grants<br />
Alasdair Ross<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> & ACVO Policy &<br />
Consultations Officer<br />
Alasdair.Ross@avashire.org.uk<br />
Starting this summer, third sector organisations<br />
will have to pay the real Living Wage in<br />
order to receive public money for their<br />
work.<br />
The Scottish Government have announced<br />
that, from 1st July, those applying for financial<br />
assistance from the public sector will need to<br />
pay their staff at least the real Living Wage and<br />
commit to Fair Work to be eligible for funding.<br />
The new requirements form part of the Scottish<br />
Government’s plan to build a fairer and more<br />
equal economy.<br />
The real Living Wage is based on the cost of<br />
living which makes it different to the National<br />
Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage.<br />
The rate of pay from May <strong>2023</strong> will be £10.90 per<br />
hour (outside London) and is applicable to all<br />
staff over the age of 18.<br />
Fair Work is a framework which aims to<br />
encourage fulfilling work through the adoption<br />
of measures such as workforce development<br />
plans, employee engagement, flexible working,<br />
tackling the gender pay gap and creating<br />
inclusive workplaces.
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 11<br />
The new rules will apply to organisations receiving<br />
grants from the Scottish Government, its enterprise<br />
agencies and other public bodies. The full detail of the<br />
new criteria, including any exemptions, has not<br />
yet been published. The new criteria<br />
are unlikely to apply to emergency<br />
grants or to situations where an<br />
organisation is reliant on grant<br />
funding to survive.<br />
Fair Work and the<br />
payment of the real<br />
Living Wage are already<br />
used as part of the<br />
Scottish Government’s<br />
process for purchasing<br />
and awarding contracts<br />
and so may already be<br />
familiar to some in the<br />
Third Sector.<br />
Paying staff the real Living<br />
Wage is voluntary and<br />
organisations can choose to<br />
confirm their commitment to the wage<br />
by applying for accreditation from Living<br />
Wage Scotland. At the moment there are only 10<br />
accredited third sector organisations in Aberdeenshire,<br />
which indicates there are issues to overcome.<br />
The Fair Work Convention have developed a<br />
framework and a vision that “By 2025, people in<br />
Scotland will have a world-leading working life where<br />
fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for<br />
individuals, businesses, organisations and for society.”<br />
Their self-assessment tool is a good way to find out how<br />
well you are already doing.<br />
We believe the Third Sector is already in a strong<br />
position when it comes to Fair Work and that<br />
employees, volunteers and supporters work hand-inhand<br />
with their trustees and managers to make the<br />
lives of communities and people better every day.<br />
However, the economic landscape continues to be<br />
very unstable, and many third sector organisations are<br />
on flat funding agreements with little or no guarantee<br />
on income levels from year to year.<br />
The real Living Wage increased by 10% this year. Will<br />
public sector grants increase by the same amount to<br />
allow the payment of increased wages? Time will tell.<br />
If you have questions about the new policy, or about<br />
the real Living Wage please contact our team of<br />
specialist Development Officers.<br />
In order to keep all of our records<br />
up-to-date and in line with GDPR<br />
regulations we’re coming to our<br />
members at the start of April to<br />
ask you to re-subscribe to <strong>AVA</strong><br />
membership. We want to continue<br />
to support you in the best way<br />
possible, so please look out for the<br />
email and fill in the form. Thank you!
12 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Funding Success<br />
in Aberdeenshire<br />
Donna Speed<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Funding Officer<br />
We love sharing success stories from our<br />
Aberdeenshire Third Sector, here are just<br />
a few:<br />
National Lottery Awards For All have awarded<br />
funds to six Aberdeenshire organisations:<br />
Banchory Bowling Club received £9000 to<br />
replace part of a tin roof in their bowling<br />
pavilion, Disabled Persons Housing Service<br />
(Aberdeenshire) Ltd received £9,828 to fund<br />
additional hours for a Housing Advisor to support<br />
people with physical disabilities, learning<br />
difficulties, sensory impairment and long-term<br />
health problems identify and bid for suitable<br />
social housing, Portsoy 75 Club received £10,000<br />
to create a new paved and landscaped area<br />
centred around their ceramic lighthouse in<br />
Portsoy. Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol<br />
and Drugs received £71,668 to employ a second<br />
Family Worker to provide one-to-one support<br />
and group work sessions for family members<br />
affected by a loved one’s drug and alcohol use<br />
in Aberdeenshire, Scottish Men’s Sheds received<br />
£9,312 to update their nationwide website and<br />
database, which is crucial for the network of over<br />
200 men’s sheds across Scotland and the 3000<br />
plus membership and The Seed Box received<br />
£10,000 to to install a portacabin shop at their<br />
new site near Banchory for their outdoor therapy<br />
and horticultural training project for adults with<br />
additional support needs. Congratulations to all!<br />
There was one successful Aberdeenshire group<br />
from the Investing in Communities Fund <strong>2023</strong><br />
– 2026 round which was Aberdeen Foyer for<br />
their Foyer Connects Communities project. The<br />
The Torphins Paths Group, a charity focused on<br />
improving and developing walking and cycling
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 13<br />
access in the local area, has completed the<br />
first section of a proposed path connecting<br />
Torphins and Banchory. This has been funded<br />
by an Improving Public Access grant of<br />
£58,000 from the Scottish Rural Development<br />
Programme Agri-Environment Climate Scheme<br />
and supplemented by £8,000 of funding from<br />
Torphins Paths Group, and the two-metre wide,<br />
multi-user path is already proving popular with<br />
locals and visitors alike.<br />
Ballater Winter Festival held a successful<br />
fundraising coffee morning at the end of<br />
February and raised £300 and proving that<br />
coffee mornings are a great fundraising<br />
strategy for local groups. Ballater Playpark<br />
Improvements Group raised £270 in February<br />
to install a swing seat at the park and Victoria<br />
& Albert Halls held a vintage, collectables and<br />
This is a great start to the year for these<br />
Aberdeenshire organisations - there are so<br />
many groups and volunteers doing<br />
fantastic work. Thank you all for making<br />
Aberdeenshire a better place to live!<br />
pre-loved book sale at the beginning of <strong>March</strong><br />
and raised over £600. They will be back for<br />
another sale on 14th May, so pop in to support<br />
them then. If your groups has had some funding<br />
success, let us know and we’ll share your good<br />
news!<br />
Search for funding using our<br />
search engine and subscribe<br />
to our weekly funding bulletin<br />
on the <strong>AVA</strong> website at:<br />
www.avashire.org.uk/searchforfunding
14 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Member Spotlight|<br />
Kincardine & Deeside<br />
Befriending<br />
Cherry Lawson<br />
Senior Coordinator,<br />
K&D Befriending<br />
Kincardine & Deeside Befriending has<br />
been working for 26 years in rural<br />
Southern Aberdeenshire with vulnerable,<br />
socially isolated older people who are living<br />
independently in their own homes. We facilitate<br />
a regular befriending visit for around 75 older<br />
people and in the previous year 125 older people<br />
benefitted at some point from a befriender.<br />
This has been possible with the support of our<br />
volunteers and 3 staff.<br />
Volunteers bring local news to the client, often<br />
helping the older person to access venues<br />
like cafes, shops and medical services which<br />
keeps the older person connected with their<br />
community. We have also drawn on our<br />
volunteers to help with other tasks such as<br />
the establishment of a Facebook page and<br />
developed a home learning package to ensure<br />
we are able to offer a volunteering experience<br />
which is well supported with volunteers being<br />
screened (PVG checks, references) trained and<br />
reviewed.<br />
Loneliness and isolation have been<br />
demonstrated to negatively impact physical<br />
and mental health. Evidenced through<br />
feedback from clients & carers, K&D Befriending<br />
A befriendee and befriender<br />
out for a walk
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 15<br />
Sandra and Joan at Beechwood Garden Centre<br />
aim to reduce this impact, increasing individual’s<br />
quality of life, helping to support older people<br />
to stay in their own homes. Regular visits from<br />
a befriender provide emotional and practical<br />
support, boost confidence and self-esteem,<br />
support carers and is often described as the<br />
highlight of the week. Having someone to talk<br />
to and the opportunity to access local services<br />
and take part in the local community with the<br />
help of a befriender has positive measurable<br />
effects on the health and wellbeing of our<br />
befriendees as well as the volunteers involved.<br />
Around 20% of our annual budget comes from<br />
the local authority. We raise the remainder<br />
of our income from a variety of trusts and<br />
organisations with some fundraising events by<br />
our volunteers and donations from local groups<br />
and individuals.<br />
As Senior Coordinator for K&D Befriending, I<br />
work full-time, managing the provision of our<br />
befriending service in Kincardine & Deeside<br />
(we have two offices, one in Stonehaven &<br />
one in Banchory) and the two part-time staff<br />
(Administrator and Deeside Coordinator). I<br />
have capacity to support 35 matches on the<br />
Kincardine side, although we quite often are<br />
running over that figure. I’m responsible for<br />
the day to day management of all aspects<br />
of the charity and report to the Management<br />
Committee, who I also support and work with<br />
to ensure continuous improvement of service<br />
delivery. In addition, I am responsible for drafting<br />
budgets and ensuring there are adequate<br />
funds to cover the running costs of our charity.<br />
Follow K&D Befriending on Facebook here. Call<br />
01569 765714 Email: info@kdbefriending.org.uk.
Need funding?<br />
The Self Management Fund is<br />
open for applications until 9am<br />
Monday 22nd May <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
The third round of the Self Management Fund:<br />
Resilience, Recovery and Development is now<br />
open for applications. Third sector and community<br />
organisations in Scotland can apply for two<br />
grant types; a small grant of up to £15,000 for<br />
up to one year or a large grant of up to £120,000 for<br />
up to three years, to support people living<br />
with long term conditions, disabled people<br />
and unpaid carers to self manage.<br />
For more information contact<br />
Fund@alliance-scotland.org.uk or visit<br />
the Self Management Fund page on the<br />
Alliance website at: www.alliance-scotland.org.uk/<br />
self-management/self-management-fund/
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 17<br />
Member Spotlight|<br />
Maud Village Trust<br />
Maud Village Trust<br />
www.maudvillagetrust.co.uk<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Member and social enterprise,<br />
Maud Village Trust was formed from the<br />
Community Association to acquire and<br />
develop a redundant cattle market to “put the<br />
heart back into Maud”. The Trust acquired the<br />
building in 2002 and haven’t looked back since.<br />
Through their Old Mart Community Resource<br />
Centre they support all the work of the Health<br />
& Social Care Partnership in Buchan and are<br />
involved in a number of projects: The Just Ask,<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Homecoming , Befriending service, Central<br />
Buchan Christmas Appeal, Conversation Café<br />
support groups and Confidence to Cook<br />
classes.<br />
Their Manager , Vicky Brown, chairs the Health<br />
& Wellbeing Hub for Buchan which enables the<br />
Trust to support the current health priorities for<br />
our area. The Old Mart Community Resource<br />
Centre is a multi-agency support network for<br />
vulnerable people in the community offering a<br />
range of activities and services which benefit<br />
the overall health & wellbeing of the local<br />
community. It is used by the health profession<br />
from NHS & Aberdeenshire Council, social<br />
work, housing professionals as well as voluntary<br />
organisations and community groups. There is<br />
even a gym!<br />
The Trust also provides regular group activities<br />
from Lego clubs to Strength and Balance<br />
classes ensuring every age group in the area is<br />
provided for.<br />
Maud Village Trust’s Community Service Centre<br />
which opened in May 2007 has 8 units which are<br />
rented out to local businesses and groups as<br />
well as the Old Mart Café that opened in 2010.<br />
We think you will agree that Maud Village Trust<br />
has mostly definitely put the heart back in Maud<br />
and the wider area providing vital hub services<br />
and activities for their community.
18 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Nightstop|<br />
Community hosting to<br />
keep young people safe<br />
Megan Douglas<br />
Nightstop Northeast Coordinator<br />
Aberdeen Foyer are delighted to be<br />
launching Nightstop North-East Scotland<br />
in <strong>2023</strong>. Nightstop offers emergency<br />
accommodation for young people facing<br />
homelessness. This accommodation is offered<br />
in the homes of trained and vetted volunteers,<br />
who are supported by professional staff. This<br />
provides an accommodation option which is<br />
youth focused.<br />
The national Nightstop Network comprises over<br />
30 services across the UK and is run by national<br />
homeless charity Depaul UK. In Aberdeen City<br />
and Shire, Nightstop is supported by The Foyer.<br />
The nature of accommodating young people in<br />
private households means that the service can<br />
only offer accommodation to low risk young<br />
people. The level of risk is managed by a risk<br />
assessment and by obtaining two references for<br />
the young person.<br />
Nightstop will deliver both crisis response for<br />
young people presenting as homeless and<br />
early intervention for young people who might<br />
benefit from respite. At Nightstop, we often<br />
work with young people who are experiencing<br />
conflict within the family home but may be<br />
able to move back home with support. We<br />
can offer mediation and host the young person<br />
somewhere safe and secure until support with<br />
positive steps in their housing situation are<br />
identified.<br />
Nightstop North-East Scotland relies on the<br />
generosity of volunteer hosts. These hosts offer<br />
their spare bedrooms, with a very flexible level of<br />
commitment: you decide when you’re free to<br />
host and can advise of availability in advance,<br />
in case of any holidays or other commitments.<br />
Hosts receive a stipend of £15 per night as an<br />
out-of-pocket expense payment to cover the<br />
additional cost of having another person in<br />
the house. Hosts are asked to be able to offer<br />
a young person a spare room, access to a<br />
bathroom and to be able to provide a listening<br />
ear.<br />
Megan Douglas, the Co-ordinator for Nightstop<br />
North-East Scotland is encouraging people to<br />
get in touch to find out more about Hosting.<br />
“Nightstop runs successfully and safely<br />
throughout the UK. We have had a great<br />
response in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire so far,<br />
as we continue to recruit hosts. We try to make<br />
Hosting as easy as possible; holding regular<br />
online information sessions so people can come
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 19<br />
along and find out a bit more. We’re looking for<br />
people from all types of backgrounds - maybe<br />
your own kids have moved out, maybe you love<br />
the idea of volunteering from home or maybe<br />
you’re really looking to help change a young<br />
person’s life by giving them a bed for the night!<br />
Whatever your motivation, it would be great<br />
to hear from you. I’m getting a reputation for<br />
asking people if they’ve got a spare room, but<br />
if you do, you could host for just a short time<br />
and keep a young person safe.”<br />
If you’d like to find out more about<br />
volunteering as a Host with Nightstop<br />
North-East Scotland, you can e-mail<br />
Megan.Douglas@aberdeenfoyer.com<br />
or call 07467 919813. More information can<br />
be found here: Nightstop – a bold new<br />
service that supports young people at risk of<br />
homelessness in Aberdeen City and Shire |<br />
Aberdeen Foyer
20 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Focus|Well Woman<br />
Aboyne: Community<br />
Mental Health & Wellbeing<br />
funding in action<br />
Vicki Rebecca<br />
Well Woman Aboyne<br />
Well Woman Aboyne is a not-for-profit<br />
organisation providing a nurturing<br />
safe space for women to connect,<br />
be present, and empowered in a way that will<br />
create ripples of change in their own lives and<br />
those around them.<br />
With a focus on providing tools, support, advice,<br />
and relaxation to increase mental resilience<br />
and overall wellbeing, Well Woman Aboyne<br />
provides a sense of safety, belonging, and<br />
community that is at the very core of the way<br />
that we as women could live in society. Our<br />
aim is to create a circle to share, talk, promote<br />
wellbeing, and prevent poor mental health via<br />
a variety of formats including workshops, skillsharing,<br />
physical and mindful activities, while<br />
taking a deep breath together.<br />
Women have been faced with unprecedented<br />
hardships over recent years, with the cost of<br />
living, pandemic and turbulent environment,<br />
there has never been a more important time for<br />
us to come together and support each other.<br />
We all know someone facing marital, financial,<br />
or mental health issues and this is where we<br />
can really make change and provide much<br />
needed support to each other.<br />
Well Woman Aboyne was founded by Vicki<br />
Rebecca, a therapist, wellness expert and<br />
self-help author, with decades of experience<br />
supporting women in overcoming adversity<br />
and bringing out the best in themselves. An<br />
advocate for mind mastery, and with her<br />
own history of healing and recovery, she is<br />
passionate to help other women become the<br />
best they can be.<br />
The following Well Woman Aboyne events are<br />
fully funded by the Communities Mental Health<br />
and Wellbeing Fund and free to attend.<br />
Well Woman Aboyne at The Boat Inn Aboyne<br />
Monday 3rd April 10am-12pm TASTER – Yoga<br />
and Yoga Nidra During our women’s circle we<br />
will share the goals of Well Woman Aboyne,<br />
discuss and discover ways that we can support<br />
and be supported by each other while leaning<br />
into community. Then enjoy a taster session of<br />
one of our wellbeing tasters, coffee, and chat.<br />
Well Woman Aboyne Weekend Retreat (nonresidential)<br />
Saturday / Sunday 22/23rd April<br />
During our women’s weekend, we’ll discuss<br />
and discover ways that we can support and<br />
be supported as we lean into the community of<br />
our circle while enjoying meditation, relaxation,<br />
movement, ceremony, shared food, and chat<br />
around the bonfire.<br />
Well Woman Aboyne Wellbeing Course,<br />
Community Shed, Friday afternoons from<br />
12.30 - 3.15pm starting 5th May for 6 weeks.<br />
During our weekly sessions, Well Woman:<br />
Aboyne will create a safe place for women<br />
to gather and lean into community while<br />
learning core wellbeing practices and enjoying<br />
relaxation sessions, coffee, and chat. Within a<br />
nurturing atmosphere of safety and belonging,<br />
we’ll learn tools for overall self-care while<br />
enjoying the benefits of relaxation, meditation,<br />
activity and sharing as key tools for increasing<br />
mental resilience.<br />
Join Well Woman Aboyne during Aberdeenshire<br />
Wellbeing Festival for an online taster of body<br />
mind balancing, a deep guided relaxation on<br />
Monday 15th May at 8pm.<br />
Places are strictly limited, to book yours,<br />
follow us and message our Facebook<br />
page @wellwomanaboyne or email:<br />
wellwomanaboyne@btinternet.com. You<br />
can also email us if you’re interested in<br />
volunteering with Well Woman Aboyne.
Photo: A Well Woman<br />
Aboyne taster session<br />
at The Boat Inn
22 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Volunteering|The Big Help Out<br />
Emma Christie<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Development Officer<br />
specialising in Volunteering<br />
Have you heard about The Big Help out?<br />
Community organisations and charities,<br />
big and small, are being asked to get<br />
involved in ‘The Big Help Out’ as part of the<br />
celebrations for The King’s Coronation. The Big<br />
Help Out will start on 8th May and there will<br />
be opportunities for all, no matter what you<br />
are interested in and no matter what time you<br />
have to give. The more of us who can do a wee<br />
bit, the greater the difference will be.<br />
The Big Help Out website is live now and there is<br />
an app that can be downloaded to your phone<br />
to give you quick access to the opportunities<br />
available in your area.<br />
We know that it isn’t practical for volunteers<br />
to drop into all roles and organisations just for<br />
a day but offering opportunities such as litter<br />
picks, or a garden tidy up can be a great<br />
way to get some jobs completed and raise<br />
awareness of the organisation. Could you<br />
offer an information session or volunteer tester<br />
sessions around that time for people to find out<br />
more about what you do? Make sure you let<br />
us here at <strong>AVA</strong> know about anything you have<br />
planned so we can share it too.<br />
Volunteering can be flexible and fit around your<br />
life, it can be something you do around your<br />
own life and commitments, it might be a weekly,<br />
monthly or one off commitment. If you are keen<br />
to volunteer our website has a search engine<br />
that has access to all the latest opportunities<br />
listed. If you can’t see anything that suits you<br />
please don’t assume there is nothing there for<br />
you, drop us an email volunteering@avashire.<br />
org.uk and we can have a chat about what<br />
could suit you and how you can help out.<br />
Visit the Big Help Out website at:<br />
https://thebighelpout.org.uk/<br />
or search for Volunteering opportunities in<br />
Aberdeenshire on the <strong>AVA</strong> website at:<br />
www.avashire.org.uk/opportunities.html
second hand<br />
furniture<br />
electricals<br />
homeware<br />
bric-a-brac<br />
white goods<br />
clothes<br />
vinyl<br />
& loads more...<br />
Tillybrake Industrial Estate, Banchory AB31 5UN<br />
Tel: 01330 823800 www.magpieshops.org.uk<br />
Scottish Charity Number: SC014223 Company Number: SC137343<br />
magpieshops
24 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Member Spotlight|<br />
Sharon Francis visits Foos Yer Doos<br />
Sharon Francis<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Development Officer,<br />
specialising in Supporting<br />
Independent Living<br />
yer Doo’s’, a well-known Doric<br />
phrase for ‘how are you?’, and such an<br />
‘Foo’s<br />
endearing name for a lovely wee singing<br />
group.<br />
On speaking with Joy, who supports the group<br />
she gave me some history behind the weekly<br />
get together: Foo’s yer Doo’s was founded by<br />
a Speech and Language Therapist and on the<br />
day of my visit in early February celebrated its<br />
10-year anniversary. The therapist created the<br />
group as singing supports language practice<br />
and encourages social skills for those that<br />
may have a neurological condition such as<br />
Dementia or Parkinson’s. It helps reduce anxiety<br />
and depression, enhances one’s quality of life<br />
and has a positive impact on carers.<br />
Joy also made me aware they were all happy<br />
as Warburton’s have awarded them funding<br />
to buy a new projector as the 10-year-old one<br />
was on its last legs.<br />
Approximately 20 attendees regularly come<br />
together for a cuppa and a choccy biscuit on<br />
arrival and a natter and when I arrived, it was<br />
certainly a busy place with lots of chit chat.<br />
One thing I noted instantly was the differing age<br />
groups and a great mix of men and women all<br />
there to catch up and have a sing song.<br />
Volunteers offer support for the group to run<br />
weekly and without them, sadly the group
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 25<br />
would struggle to operate, a huge ‘well done’<br />
to Joy and the volunteers for making the group<br />
what it is.<br />
Cuppa in hand, I sat with a table of ladies who<br />
spoke of the impact of covid and how much<br />
they missed the group and meeting everyone<br />
as it became clear many had attended for a<br />
long time, some as carers previously and now<br />
attending for their own wellbeing.<br />
One lady described how she could get a<br />
good ‘news’ with friends at the group, whilst it<br />
gave her husband time to do their shopping.<br />
She laughed as she was so glad it wasn’t her<br />
and how the tables had turned - previously,<br />
she would always have done the shopping.<br />
Another lady explained how the group had<br />
got her out of the house and when her baby<br />
was younger, he also attended with her, which<br />
was a great hit with the other ladies. This lady<br />
was known as the tech wizard as she ensured<br />
all the tech worked for the group to enjoy their<br />
singing.<br />
Moving on, I sat with a table of gentleman, one<br />
of which came to catch up with everyone as<br />
he used to attend with his wife and now just likes<br />
to pop in and say hello. There was certainly lots<br />
of banter , laughter and putting the world to<br />
rights at this table. But now it was time to sing...<br />
well squawk in my case!<br />
We warmed up with a lovely wee tune that<br />
had actions to it – ‘Hey Mr. Miller, what a swing<br />
that you bring to the band, Hey Mr. Miller, with<br />
your bass trombone and your saxophone, you<br />
can hear it all through the land,’…. I had to<br />
admit it was great fun and everyone joined in, it<br />
was such a lovely thing to see and hear. ‘Daisy<br />
Daisy’ then erupted into full swing and many<br />
more well-known tunes. Every week features<br />
different songs, and no-one ever knows what’s<br />
coming - what a glorious way to spend a<br />
Thursday morning.<br />
What a gem of a group, they meet every<br />
Thursday (term time) at St. Marys Episcopal<br />
church from 11am - 12.15pm. If you are<br />
interested in joining or volunteering, pop along<br />
and meet with them. You will receive a warm<br />
welcome.<br />
Foos Yer Doos Sing Song Club<br />
St Mary’s Church Hall, St Mary’s Place,<br />
High St, Inverurie AB51 3NW<br />
Thursdays from 11.00am to 12.15pm during<br />
term time. Visit: www.chss.org.uk/group/<br />
foos-yer-doos-sing-song-club/
26 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Focus|NHS Near Me<br />
Consulting Service<br />
Aileen Longino<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Development Officer<br />
specialising in Social Enterprise<br />
Through the work that Aileen Longino, our<br />
Development Officer, has done on the<br />
Aberdeenshire Warms Spaces project, we<br />
have been approached by NHS Grampian about<br />
their Near Me online consultation service which<br />
has been on the go across Grampian since 2017.<br />
NHS Near Me is a secure video consulting service<br />
that means patients can attend a healthcare<br />
appointment by video link. Using<br />
their own digital device<br />
such as smartphone,<br />
computer or tablet,<br />
patients can<br />
attend a Near Me<br />
appointment from<br />
their own home, or<br />
any convenient and<br />
confidential space,<br />
instead of travelling<br />
to a hospital, clinic or<br />
GP surgery.<br />
NHS Grampian has been<br />
using Near Me since 2017, and<br />
currently around 7,000 healthcare appointments<br />
a month delivered this way, across a range of<br />
services, from outpatient clinics, to GP practices<br />
and even some emergency care appointments.<br />
We are currently working with two <strong>AVA</strong><br />
members to establish pilots in the North and<br />
South of Aberdeenshire to give people who<br />
don’t have access to technology or wifi to get<br />
access to this service at a suitable location near<br />
them without having to travel into Aberdeen.<br />
Reported benefits by patients who have used<br />
NHS Near Me include:<br />
• More convenient than a face to face<br />
appointment<br />
• Avoiding the need to travel to an<br />
appointment<br />
• Saving time (whether travelling or time<br />
away from home, work or school)<br />
• Saving money (eg on petrol, public<br />
transport, or lost pay)<br />
• Family or carers can often more easily<br />
attend a video appointment with you than<br />
in person<br />
• Easy to use (nothing to download, you join<br />
the call using a video link sent to you)<br />
• Better for the environment.<br />
Hear what one Aberdeenshire couple said<br />
about Near Me here and here. But is it right<br />
for me? NHS Near Me is appropriate for<br />
many appointments, but it is not suitable for<br />
every person or every appointment. You may<br />
be offered Near Me when you receive an<br />
appointment letter or when you phone to<br />
make an appointment. You can also ask your<br />
healthcare provider if they offer NHS Near Me<br />
and it if would be suitable for your appointment.<br />
For more information about NHS Near Me,<br />
including frequently asked questions and to<br />
make a test call, visit: nearme.scot
the ava<br />
website<br />
H<br />
bringing you more of the<br />
resources you need...<br />
Funding search<br />
We are delighted to<br />
have teamed up with<br />
Funding Scotland to<br />
bring you a fantastic new<br />
funding search engine<br />
- from small grants to<br />
funding for big capital<br />
projects, we can help<br />
you track down the<br />
funding you need. It’s so<br />
easy to use, and you can<br />
also subscribe to the new<br />
weekly funding bulletin<br />
there too.<br />
Organisation search<br />
Search for Third Sector<br />
groups and organisations<br />
across Aberdeenshire.<br />
Our search engine will<br />
show you a range of<br />
information for each<br />
organisation as well<br />
as any volunteering<br />
opportunities they have<br />
on offer.<br />
Our Magpie website<br />
Visit our Magpie website<br />
for everything you<br />
need to know about<br />
Magpie! Our shops are<br />
also on Facebook and<br />
Instagram, so give us a<br />
follow.<br />
A-Z of <strong>AVA</strong> Members<br />
Our A-Z of <strong>AVA</strong> Members<br />
has links to their websites,<br />
or social media – get an<br />
overview of the scope of<br />
our membership, as well<br />
as useful links with fellow<br />
members.<br />
Volunteering Forms<br />
Let us know if your<br />
organisation has any<br />
volunteering roles and<br />
we can upload them to<br />
our system for sharing.<br />
Subscribe to our new<br />
Volunteering Bulletin<br />
published every few<br />
months with the latest<br />
opportunities across<br />
Aberdeenshire.<br />
Nominate a volunteer for<br />
an <strong>AVA</strong> Award<br />
Use our nomination<br />
form to recognise<br />
individual commitment<br />
to volunteering for 1,<br />
5, 10 and 15 years and<br />
for volunteers who<br />
have given 20 years<br />
or more there is a<br />
Lifetime Volunteering<br />
Achievement Award.<br />
Support Request Form<br />
Get in touch with us via<br />
our Support Request Form<br />
and we’ll make sure the<br />
right person gets back to<br />
you.<br />
Volunteering<br />
Opportunities<br />
Use our search engine<br />
to search for local and<br />
national volunteering<br />
opportunities.<br />
Resources<br />
Find a range of links<br />
to useful pages and<br />
organisations – and Quick<br />
Guides for new groups.<br />
See the latest Covid<br />
guidance, <strong>AVA</strong> Office<br />
Services for members,<br />
and read past and<br />
present newsletters/blogs.<br />
Training<br />
We have partnered with<br />
Highland Third Secor<br />
Interface to provide<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> members with a<br />
discounted extensive<br />
training programme,<br />
including over 30<br />
e-courses in a range of<br />
subjects.<br />
www.avashire.org.uk
28 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Supporting Independent<br />
Living|Sheltered Housing<br />
Meeting Sandy and Isobel was a complete<br />
pleasure, hearing first hand of their<br />
experiences of living within a sheltered<br />
housing complex and how this has supported<br />
them to feel independent and self–sufficient.<br />
Firstly, did you know Aberdeenshire covers an<br />
area of 6,313 square kilometres (2,437 sq. mi) and<br />
the Aberdeenshire Council Sheltered Housing<br />
Service has 61 Sheltered Housing complexes<br />
across the region, housing approx. 1700 tenants?<br />
Sharon Francis<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Development Officer<br />
specialising in Supporting<br />
Independent Living<br />
As part of my Supporting Independent Living<br />
Specialism, I am lucky to have continued the links<br />
I had previously with Sheltered Housing and have<br />
regular contact with Maria Ponte, an Activities<br />
Co-ordinator who works throughout the Shire.<br />
Maria is very passionate about her role and being<br />
part of the bigger picture. She loves to know she<br />
has helped tenants, saying, ‘I care passionately<br />
about the older generation and wish to make a<br />
difference and seeing a smile on someone’s face<br />
is the biggest reward’. Maria has been involved in<br />
Foundation Apprentices, where Alford Academy<br />
school pupils who have an interest in Social Care<br />
come along to Hamewith Sheltered Housing<br />
to learn about the place itself, housing support<br />
plans and being aware of the bigger picture.<br />
Each pupil receives a certificate on completion<br />
of their placement. Maria advised it is great to<br />
be a part of such enthusiasm from young people<br />
hoping for a career in Social Care.<br />
Sheltered Housing has gone through many<br />
changes in the way it has operated over the<br />
years, no longer do ‘wardens’ live on site, they<br />
now work as Sheltered Housing Officers offering<br />
an office hours service. There is a 24-hour<br />
response to emergencies from the call systems<br />
that connect to a contact centre in Aberdeen<br />
with out of hours back up from Aberdeenshire<br />
ARCH responders, and this continues to build on<br />
independence for the tenants residing within the<br />
complexes and cottages.<br />
Sharon with Isobel.<br />
Hamewith Court is situated in Alford and is such<br />
a lovely welcoming building, so I was really<br />
pleased to be invited along to meet a couple of<br />
tenants and some of the staff. It has 28 flats and<br />
24 cottages and has a team of Sheltered Housing<br />
officers covering this and other complexes in the<br />
Deeside area.
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 29<br />
Sandy previously lived with his family for a while<br />
but felt he had lost is identity and independence.<br />
He said “Dinna get me wrong, my family were<br />
good to me and it was lovely living there but it<br />
wisna my own space.” He lived in the country<br />
side so had no real outlet whereas now Sandy<br />
is “niver aff the heid ‘o’ the road.” He has his<br />
electric buggy and goes into Alford regularly<br />
for his bits ‘n pieces and meeting others for<br />
coffee. Moving to Hamewith was a real sense<br />
of relief for him, he could lead his own life and<br />
would enjoy spending time with his family even<br />
more.<br />
On asking Sandy what’s great about living<br />
here, he said, “Every morning I get a cheery<br />
call through the box asking how I am, this gives<br />
my family and myself relief knowing if I am not<br />
well someone is at hand to seek additional<br />
support.” Sandy’s day is very sociable - he visits<br />
the shops for anything he requires and plays<br />
bingo on a Wednesday - bingo is a huge deal<br />
in sheltered housing and loved by all. Sandy<br />
frequently goes out in his car with his friends<br />
to go for lunch and coffee – what is there not<br />
to love about that? Sandy said for anyone<br />
considering living in sheltered housing to “Go<br />
for it, it’s a godsend.”<br />
Next, I visited Isobel in her flat where she has lived<br />
in Hamewith Court since 2004. Similarly, Isobel<br />
moved to Hamewith to remain independent<br />
but also have the safety net of knowing the call<br />
systems and the Sheltered Housing officers were<br />
at hand if needed. Making her own decisions<br />
and not feeling a burden was Isobel’s real<br />
push and has never regretted her decision. She<br />
found it difficult through COVID though, as all<br />
social events were cancelled and the tenants<br />
had to adhere to guidelines that would keep<br />
them all safe. Coffee mornings and gatherings<br />
have re-started which is a huge relief for all that<br />
reside there. Isobel’s advice to live in sheltered<br />
housing is to “Come in when you still have lots<br />
of life left in you to enjoy the social aspects but<br />
with the independence of living in your own<br />
wee flat with folk looking out for you”.<br />
As part of an on-going review they are<br />
developing the Sheltered Housing forum and<br />
this new and transformational approach<br />
reaches out to as many Sheltered Housing<br />
tenants as possible to get their views with<br />
the aim to improve the services by enabling<br />
change and enhancing the lives of Sheltered<br />
Housing tenants in their communities.<br />
Sharon with Sandy.<br />
In support of this, funds from Round 1 of the<br />
Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund were<br />
awarded to Hamewith for Smart TVs to be<br />
purchased for each complex, aimed at allowing<br />
the tenants forum to grow and for tenants<br />
across the area to meet ’virtually’ to learn and<br />
support changes afoot and enhance their<br />
lives. The TVs also promote meaningful social<br />
activities across Aberdeenshire, where tenants<br />
come together to watch tv programmes and<br />
this helps to reduce social isolation.<br />
Lastly, I spoke with Peter, a Sheltered Housing<br />
Officer, who spoke very passionately about<br />
his role, supporting tenants to feel settled and<br />
encourage their independence and enjoying<br />
making life memories.<br />
Hamewith Court certainly made me feel<br />
welcome and it was lovely to spend time<br />
there and learn so much about Isobel and<br />
Sandy, I didn’t have enough space to write all<br />
wonderful stories they told but we certainly had<br />
some laughs. Thank you to Hamewith Court for<br />
sharing their time with me.
30 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
PROFILE |<br />
Getting to know those who work hard<br />
in your Third Sector Interface<br />
Who are you?<br />
I am Marie-Anne Brown, Manager of<br />
Magpie, <strong>AVA</strong>’s Social Enterprise.<br />
How did you end up working with<br />
<strong>AVA</strong>?<br />
I came to volunteer with Magpie<br />
during COVID to help out with the<br />
Admin and I ended up applying for<br />
the managers role 2 years later. I have<br />
now been in post since May last year.<br />
What does a typical day look like?<br />
My days are very varied with all the many different aspects<br />
Magpie is involved with. I have many meetings that<br />
included criminal justice to support community payback<br />
opportunities and Social work and housing departments for<br />
supporting those in need with providing furniture, clothing<br />
and food parcels. I’m involved in networking events to<br />
promote the reuse part of the project, and I have regular<br />
meetings with the council and local networks to promote<br />
ways in which people are able to reuse. I also hold weekly<br />
staff meetings to organise the schedule and discuss what is<br />
upcoming in the shops. Magpie’s social media accounts are<br />
vital to getting information out to the public about what’s<br />
on and new stock, so working closely with the <strong>AVA</strong> comms<br />
team, we are able to create the fantastic content that you<br />
see you our socials. As well as all that, I also speak to those<br />
that visit Magpie that are either shopping, donating or in to<br />
discuss the project.<br />
How has Covid-19 affected your job?<br />
My time at Magpie has certainly been affected by the<br />
pandemic - the shops had to close, and when they<br />
reopened all the right protocols had to be put in place. As<br />
the rules have changed, we have been able to welcome<br />
regular volunteers back and even some new ones too. With<br />
people’s confidence with going out and into public places<br />
growing, we have seen many more people in shops and<br />
donating great stuff too, which is just lovely to see.<br />
Magpie sells second hand furniture, household goods,<br />
clothing and bric-a-brac to promote sustainable living in<br />
Aberdeenshire. We’re a non-profit project, so every penny<br />
made at Magpie goes back into Magpie. Visit us at Tillybrake<br />
Industrial Estate in Banchory, open 9am - 4pm Monday to<br />
Saturday. Visit: www.magpieshops.org.uk.<br />
Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action is a<br />
charitable company limited by guarantee.<br />
Company number: SC137343.<br />
Scottish Charity Number: SC014223<br />
Registered office: 45 Queens Road,<br />
Aberdeen, AB15 4ZN<br />
Tel: 03718 110008<br />
Email: enquiries@avashire.org.uk<br />
Website: www.avashire.org.uk<br />
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