AVA Magazine - Summer 23

AVA Magazine 

Summer 2023 

A summer 

of fun starts 

with The Big 

Hop Trail! 

• Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Fund • 

• Aberdeenshire Volunteering Stars • Magpie News •

join 

us 

AVA Membership 

AVA members come in all sorts 

of 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. 

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our 

sector and those who volunteer 

on a regular basis are invited to 

join AVA as individual 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 

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mailing lists 

• Promotion for your organisation and 

projects 

• Priority access to news, updates and 

information 

• Free and priority access to AVA 

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• Priority access to AVA Training resources 

• Priority access to AVA services and 

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• Access to professional services offering 

discounted rates to members

AVA |Summer 2023 3 

Dedicated to the Third Sector... 

Dan Shaw 

AVA Chief Executive Officer 

Dan.Shaw@avashire.org.uk 

I 

sometimes take a moment to reflect on the 

breadth of work that AVA does on a dayto-day 

basis, and i find that the range of 

positive outcomes that our relatively small 

team can achieve often astounds me. 

This edition captures that perfectly, with 

features ranging from supporting successes 

in volunteering and funding, to supporting 

dynamic local social enterprises and small 

community initiatives. We have recently been 

celebrating Volunteers Week and some of 

the inspirational stories we’ve heard as we’ve 

been ‘Oot & Aboot’ delivering Volunteer 

Award certificates have reminded us all at 

AVA of why we continue to do what we do. 

We’ve been very proud to support our first 

round of recipients of Involving Volunteers 

Awards, which is AVA’s way of recognising 

the significant work that organisations put 

into supporting their volunteers. Our external 

quality assurance panel members are 

significant to this awards scheme, and I’d like 

to extend our sincere thanks to them for the 

time and effort they have put into assessing 

the first batch of high quality submissions. 

Something that AVA is very aware of is that there 

is always more being asked of our sector, often 

in circumstances where there is less resource to 

do it, and it’s dedicated people who take that 

extra step who make ‘more’ happen despite 

their own personal circumstances. That’s why 

AVA is proud of our ‘Meno-chat’ initiative that 

you can read about in this edition. It’s one of 

the ways that we support our own staff with their 

mental wellbeing. Without our staff delivering 

the support that they deliver, AVA would be 

a shadow of itself, just like the brilliant staff 

and volunteering teams across the wonderful 

organisations that we are privileged to work 

with every day. 

With very best wishes, 

Dan and the entire AVA Team 

Contents 

20-21 

Member Spotlight: 

Families Outside 

4-6 

Funding: Launching year 2 of the 

Just Transition Fund 

22-23 

Social Enterprise: The 

Bettridge Centre 

8-9 

10-13 

Meno-chat: Inspiring others to set up 

support groups for women 

Volunteering: Involving Volunteers 

Awards and meeting Volunteer 

Stars at AVA’s Oot & Aboot events 

24-25 

26 

28 

Focus: The Big Hop Trail 

Magpie: Funding Success 

Social Enterprise: Relax Kids 

and our SE Swap Shop 

14 

16-17 

Policy: National Performance 

Framework Review 

Funding: Successful funding bids 

30 

32-33 

AVA Support: Ellon Allotments 

Member Spotlight: The Acorn 

Centre and MCR Pathways 

18 

AVA Support: Play For All 

34 

Funding: The Family Fund

Funding for 

green projects 

in your 

community 

Year 2 of the Just Transition Fund 

is now open in Aberdeenshire, 

Aberdeen and Moray. 

Voluntary, community and third sector 

organisations are invited to apply for up to 

£50,000 to help Scotland’s just transition 

to net-zero. 

www.jtpbfund.scot


Funding|£1.5 million for Northeast 

green projects 

Last year The Scottish Government 

announced the ten-year £500 million 

Just Transition Capital Fund to support 

Scotland’s Northeast economy in its Just 

Transition to net zero. In 2022, £1million 

was distributed to groups in Aberdeen 

city, Aberdeenshire and Moray with the 

public voting on which green community 

projects they wanted to see funded. Many 

fantastic local groups received funding 

and now 2023 sees a further £1.5 million 

coming to our Northeast communities for 

environmentally-friendly green projects 

– applications are now open and the 

public vote begins in September. 

The fund will once again be managed 

by the three Third Sector Interfaces for 

the North East: ACVO, Aberdeenshire 

Voluntary Action, and TSiMoray supported 

by the North East Scotland’s Climate Action 

Network (NESCAN Hub) and Money for Moray. 

Each area has £500,000 to make available to 

third sector groups. 

Richard Lochhead MSP 

(Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism 

and Trade) & Tom Arthur MSP (Minister for 

Community Wealth and Public Finance) 

Grassroots community organisations can apply 

for up to £50,000 of capital funding for green 

projects in Aberdeenshire that address climate 

change and improve sustainability. Once the 

proposals are in, these projects will then be put 

to a public vote where voters will decide which 

...continued on next page 

E

6 AVA | Summer 2023 

...continued: 

projects they believe will offer the greatest contribution 

towards a carbon-neutral Aberdeenshire. 

This capital funding is for the purchase of tangible 

assets, such as buildings, equipment, and land with 

some previous recipients of the fund purchasing 

amongst other things, electric vehicles, charging 

points, solar-powered mowers, insulation, reusable 

equipment, and a solar lighting power bank. 

Beannachar Camphill Community in Aberdeenshire 

received £49,930 from the fund last year to create a 

new centralised laundry facility run by their students 

– young adults with learning disabilities. Community 

Director, Andrea Spence-Jones said “the laundry 

workshop has allowed up to 30 students to use this 

space and to reduce carbon emissions by 5.6 tonnes 

of CO2e per year. Our efforts to reduce emissions, 

promote healthy sustainable lifestyles and the circular 

economy is very important to us and this project has 

allowed us to take positive steps towards this.” 

1st Belhelvie Guides were awarded £2260 last year 

and used it to purchase a range of equipment to 

make the group more sustainable including a power 

bank for solar panels and recycled tents. Leader 

Susan Osbeck said “I spotted the advert for it and 

thought it was a great way to try to bring in more 

environmentally friendly tools to our group.” 

Support webinars 

AVA are running three support webinars 

for Aberdeenshire groups who are 

interested in applying to the fund on: 

• Tues 11th July, 12-1pm 

• Wed 2nd August, 6.30-7.30pm 

• Wed 16th August, 12-1pm 

Register to attend here 

Gillian Martin, MSP, Minister for Energy and the 

Environment said, “It was great to see so many 

fantastic local projects benefit from the first round of 

Just Transition funding. Now’s the chance for even 

more to put their case forward to the public. These 

funds are key to communities realising their ambitions 

to reduce their carbon footprint and making a 

major contribution in the North East to reaching the 

Scottish Net Zero targets that are the most ambitious 

in Europe!” 

For all the information that groups will need, 

and the application forms for each of the 

three areas, head to the website at: 

www.jtpbfund.scot or for specific 

Aberdeenshire queries, fill in 

AVA’s Support Request Form here.

the ava 

website 

H 

bringing you more of the 

resources you need... 

Funding search 

We have teamed up 

with Funding Scotland 

to bring you a fantastic 

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 a 

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 website 

Visit our Magpie 

website to fnd out 

about how our project 

promotes sustainable 

living. Our shops are 

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 Volunteering Bulletin 

published every few 

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 to offer support. 

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. 

Find out about our 

AVA Office Services for 

members, and read past 

and present newsletters 

and 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


AVA|Menopause 

Support Group 

Sharon Francis 

AVA Development Officer 

specialising in Supporting 

Independent Living 

Sitting at your desk, looking at your to-do list, 

emails that need replying to and feeling 

overwhelmed, anxious, feeling alone, and 

wondering how you are going to get through it, 

scared of losing your job! Hands up ladies, who 

has felt or is currently feeling like this? 

This was me! Sat at my desk with overpowering 

feelings of an inability to do my job, so many 

aspects fed into this; poor memory, anxiety, 

poor sleep, feelings of loneliness, tears that 

come from nowhere, feeling alone but most of 

all the feeling of loss of control in my life. Is it just 

me? What’s wrong with me? You don’t want to 

admit to it as you already feel like you’re failing. 

I overheard a conversation one day where 

someone else spoke of menopause symptoms 

and it was a lightbulb moment: maybe I’m not 

the only one. I had an opportunity to speak with 

my colleague later and I felt so relieved to know 

I wasn’t alone, I wasn’t losing my memory and 

others felt just like me. Knowing you’re not alone 

is very empowering and really supports those 

difficult times, especially when you know you 

can chat through your low or difficult times. 

Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action are a very 

empowering organisation to work for; always 

putting their colleague’s health first and 

foremost, to ensuring that when we are working, 

we deliver the best support we can. I contacted 

Dan, our CEO, to request the opportunity to 

bring my colleagues into a safe space on a 

regular basis to feel supported, share and learn 

but most of all to feel connected and not alone. 

That is how ‘Meno-Chat’, our internal, virtual 

support group came to life and I was blown 

away by the responses to be part of this internal 

group. Our first meeting was amazing, we all 

came round the screen and most of us, like me, 

had been going through the same menopause 

misery as myself. This brought so much positivity 

to the group as we talked, shared and most of 

all we laughed. Personally I felt so proud of what 

we had achieved in just one hour. One of my 

colleagues commented that ‘having a group 

of supportive colleagues to talk to has been 

so helpful. Making Menopause something that 

is spoken about has been helpful as someone 

who is starting the journey. Speaking about it, 

learning from others a few steps further down 

the road is the best way to feel supported and 

less isolated.’ 

Dan agreed for us to have one half hour chat 

meeting, monthly to discuss any worries or 

successes, and a fuller session bimonthly where 

we could focus more on support networks. So far 

our focus has been on sharing tips but also our 

wellbeing and gut health. We recently had a 

talk and presentation from Heather, our Mental 

Health and Wellbeing Development Officer, 

which was great at giving us a different focus. 

Exercise has also been discussed and how it can 

support us without it having to be over exertive. 

Whilst mostly meeting online we felt it would be 

great to meet occasionally in person with guest 

speakers and we agreed with that it would be 

good to meet twice a year. Sadly, due to Covid, 

I could not attend our first meeting in March, 

but the ladies enjoyed a chat with a wellbeing 

professional and some relaxation time before 

enjoying a lovely lunch in The Acorn Centre in 

Inverurie. 

I am currently planning our second face to face 

meet in September where we will be joined by 

a GP to chat about Menopause, and then a 

relaxation session from Heather before we enjoy 

a lovely lunch. 

Another colleague told me, ‘Meno chat is the 

date in the diary with colleagues where we can 

chat about menopause in a safe space, sharing 

our experiences of symptoms, the headaches, 

the flushes, the feelings, to the treatments. It 

is a time where we share, empathise but also


learn from each other and like the adage, ‘a 

problem shared is a problem halved’. 

During meetings we have chatted about how 

other woman must feel that perhaps don’t have 

another woman to chat to, as we all remember 

so clearly how we felt before the group started. 

Therefore, we felt that a similar, safe, virtual 

space could be offered to woman throughout 

the third sector to come together with 

menopause being the focus. You don’t have 

to be menopausal to join, you may wish to join 

to learn more and equip yourself or perhaps 

you’re out the other end of menopause and 

want to share your journey. Heather and I can 

offer support if you are thinking of setting up a 

similar group, and help to plan how your group 

can function. 

I hope my journey has empowered and 

enlightened you and perhaps you may feel 

joining or setting up a similar group would be of 

a benefit to you. If so I would love to hear from 

you, please email: Sharon.Francis@avashire. 

org.uk.


AVA|Involving Volunteers Award 

Emma Christie 

AVA Development 

Officer, specialising 

in Volunteering 

We were delighted to present our first 

three organisations with our new AVA 

‘Involving Volunteers Award’. Well done 

to Advocacy North-East, Homestart Garioch 

and Magpie! 

All organisations worked with our development 

officers to demonstrate that their volunteers 

are at the core of their organisations, and 

are trained, valued and recognised for the 

invaluable work that they are doing. Each of 

them ensure that policies and procedures are 

in place to keep volunteers safe, and recognise 

the fantastic work that is being done because 

of volunteers. As part of the assessment for 

the award we speak to the volunteers in the 

organisation to ensure that they are aware of 

the policies to keep them safe and that they 

feel valued. This was a great way to hear the 

variety of reasons as to why they volunteer. 

The award can be used in two different ways: 

if an organisation is established and confident 

in using volunteers we can use an assessment 

tool to approve that; but it can also be used 

by organisations who are starting off with 

volunteers to ensure that they have the 

appropriate policies and procedures in place 

to ensure that both the organisation and the 

volunteers are safe and getting the most out 

of the experience. Our development officers 

work with organisations to ensure that you are 

supported in putting everything into place. 

As a quality assurance process, once our 

Development Officers have assessed the 

organisation, we have an external panel who 

we present these to, giving us pointers to improve 

the next ones and who also love hearing about 

the good practice. The award is led by the 

organisation working on the award supported 

by our Development Officers. If you would like 

to work towards an Involving Volunteer award, 

get in touch with us by emailing: volunteering@ 

avashire.org.uk. 

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


Volunteering|Stars 

Celebrating volunteers doing amazing work in 

our communities. 

We have loved hearing your stories 

about the Volunteering Stars in your 

communities, and we were delighted 

to say thank you and celebrate them during 

Volunteers’ Week in early June. It was great to 

hear about people of all ages doing amazing 

things, not only volunteering within organisations 

but also on their own, quietly making their 

community better. It has been lovely to see 

so many of you along at our ‘Oot and Aboot’ 

events to pick up your award so we can thank 

you personally. 

Although Vokunteers’ Week is a lovely event, 

we like to celebrate our Aberdeenshire 

volunteers all throughout the year with our 

AVA Awards. These are available for adults 

and recognise anything from one year to a 

lifetime of volunteering. Please get in touch to 

arrange certificates for your group by emailing: 

volunteering@avashire.org.uk


AVA|Oot & Aboot in your 

community 

AVA staff have loved being oot and aboot 

across Aberdeenshire this June! We have 

visited nine locations from Fraserburgh, Banff 

and Peterhead through to Braemar, Huntly 

and Aboyne then down to Westhill, Newtonhill 

and back up to Turriff - and we have been 

joined by some fantastic organisations who 

have enjoyed promoting their work. Thank 

you to everyone who came along to seek 

support, have a chat and find out more 

about AVA, we have loved seeing you. 

Here are some photos of the events.


Policy|National Performance 

Framework Review 

Alasdair Ross 

AVA & ACVO Policy & 

Consultations Officer 

Alasdair.Ross@avashire.org.uk 

Scotland’s National Performance Framework 

is a set of indicators and targets designed 

to measure the country’s progress towards 

achieving long-term goals. Set by the Scottish 

Government, these goals include creating a fair 

and prosperous society, promoting sustainability 

and protecting the environment, 

and improving the health and 

well-being of the population. 

The framework is based on 

a set of 11 key outcomes, 

which are measured using 

a range of indicators and 

targets. These include 

measures of economic 

growth, social equality, 

environmental sustainability, 

and health and well-being. 

The framework is designed 

to provide a comprehensive 

picture of Scotland’s progress 

towards its goals and to help 

policymakers, service providers and 

the public understand the challenges 

faced by the country and the progress 

that is being made. 

Understanding these goals is immensely 

important for the third sector given our place 

at the heart of communities. Whilst these are 

national goals, they inform decisions at a local 

level in terms of the direction of public policy, 

and public finance. Our sector therefore needs 

to understand how each of our organisations 

helps our communities towards these outcomes. 

The third sector needs a stronger voice within 

the public sector decision-making process and 

using National Outcomes to demonstrate the 

effectiveness of our work is going to be key in the 

years ahead. More importantly, as resources 

become more scarce, we will need even more 

partnership working. Effective partnerships 

which deliver better outcomes for people only 

achieve success if they work towards the same 

aims – the first step to that is understanding 

those agreed aims. 

An effective way for third sector organisations 

to further demonstrate commitment to the 

country’s long-term goals, is to use the 

national outcomes to 

inform our own strategic 

aims and business plans. We 

have heard a lot recently from 

organisations frustrated at being 

excluded from decisions or not 

having their professional opinions 

taken seriously in discussions. By building 

National Outcomes into everything we do, 

we can clearly show partners and funders 

that our sector is working towards the 

same future for our communities 

as everyone else, often more 

effectively than in other sectors. It 

is then much more difficult to ignore 

what we say and the work we do. 

The Scottish Government has just 

undertaken a review of the framework, 

which heard from people and 

communities about whether the 

current National Outcomes reflect 

the kind of Scotland we want to 

see and how it might have a bigger 

impact - which is a hugely significant 

review. If you would like to discuss the 

National Performance Framework in relation 

to your organisation, or want to find out how you 

might include in your business plan or strategic 

aims, please contact us. AVA has specialists 

in Policy, Governance and Business Planning 

ready and willing to help.

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


Funding Success 

in Aberdeenshire 

Donna Speed 

AVA Funding Officer 

We love sharing success stories from our 

Aberdeenshire Third Sector, here are just 

a few: 

Cycling Without Age - Stonehaven were 

extremely grateful to receive a fabulous 

donation from the Provincial Grand Lodge of 

Kincardineshire along with Mearns and Coastal 

Healthy Living Network (who also received a 

donation). The money was raised at their annual 

charity ball. 

Alvah and Forglen Community Council £3,300, 

Ballater (Royal Deeside) Ltd £7,000, Banff Castle 

Community Association £10,000, Inverurie 

Events £7,000 and Turriff Business Association 

£3,725 all received funding from the National 

Lottery Community Fund to host events for the 

coronation in May. 

The Unit Gym & Fitness held a ‘Battle Cancer 

Fitness Challenge’ which has now reached an 

astounding £13,040 which will go towards the 

fight against breast cancer. Well done everyone! 

Aboyne Paths and Tracks received £25,000 grant 

funding from The People’s Postcode Lottery 

towards the Castle Woods Accessible Paths and 

Deeside Way Improvements. 

Alford Primary School have created a new area 

that will offer a quiet space for younger pupils 

thanks to the efforts of the parent council and 

local businesses. Deputy Head teacher Lesley 

Scott said: “We wanted to create a tranquil, 

quiet area in our playground for children who 

find the playground too busy, too noisy and who 

need a space to relax at times. Kevin Crawford, 

director of KNC groundworks Alford, and a 

parent of two of our children kindly provided 

advice, the manpower and machines and our 

Parent Council also fundraised to allow us to 

develop our vision. Staff and pupils at Alford 

Primary would like to thank our Parent Council, 

Kevin Crawford, Katie and NiK Millott for their 

generosity and patience.” 

Aboyne Academy / Torphins Knitted Post Box 

raised £419.11 for the Paper girls project to build 

a ToK Pod at Aboyne Academy. The money was 

raised through the Ballater collection pot and 

online donations. 

Auchnagatt Village Hall have been successful 

with their application to Buchan Development 

Partnership for a Micro Greening Grant. The 

£200 grant will allow the group to add plants 

of varying colour to the recently installed 

boulder. which has a marble plaque installed 

with ‘Auchnagatt’ engraved on it, enhancing 

the village aesthetics. If your community group 

would like to apply for a micro greening grant 

to help deliver greening and growing projects 

in your area please request an application form 

from: info@bdp.scot. 

A new off-road path will link Montgarrie and 

Alford within 12 months. The £217,000 path, which 

will pass through Alford’s Haughton Park, was 

approved at a Marr Area Committee meeting in 

May. This new infrastructure will greatly enhance 

the safety and convenience of active travel in 

the area. 

McDonald’s restaurants across Aberdeenshire 

have made a significant contribution to local 

community organisation, Kayleigh’s Wee Stars.


places across Aberdeenshire. The funding is 

coming from the third-year allocation of the 

Scottish Government Place Based Investment 

Programme (PBIP) which aims to regenerate 

and revitalise towns and villages, help tackle 

inequality and disadvantage and accelerate 

Scotland towards ‘net zero’ emissions goals. 

Read more here. 

NEO Energy awarded £20,000 to local 

children’s charity AberNecessities, who provides 

disadvantaged families with the essential and 

basic necessities. 

Three local ladies who organised a charity 

ceilidh have raised a four figure sum for air 

ambulance heroes. Yvonne Swarbrigg, Patricia 

Barron and Linda Morrison threw the shindig in 

April, at The Stewart’s Hall in Huntly and raised 

£ £3125 for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance 

(SCAA). Well done folks! 

Gartly Community Hall’s six month £100k 

renovation blitz is now complete. Money for 

the hall’s renovation was provided through a 

£118,000 grant from Foundation Scotland and 

since the project’s completion, the committee 

has turned their attention to encouraging the 

community to make use of their fantastic new 

hall. 

The Oldmeldrum-based charity received a 

total of £20,000 to meet the increased demand 

that it is experiencing from families who have a 

child with a terminal illness and allow them to 

help more families over a longer period of time. 

Congratulations to these Aberdeenshire 

organisations - there are so 

many groups and volunteers doing 

fantastic work. Thank you all for making 

Aberdeenshire a better place to live! 

Peterhead Area Community Trust (PACT) 

trustees are delighted to share that the Placed 

Base Investment Programme have committed 

£232,199 funding for the £322,199 project to 

deliver a pump track at Victoria Community 

Park and further funding packages are being 

progressed to take this and other projects 

forward including bids for lighting and CCTV. 

VSA Easter Anguston Farm received a £6000 

donation from IADC - International Association 

of Drilling Contractors. 

Nine local projects aimed at improving 

communities are to share over £1.38 million 

in new funding to help improve local facilities 

and services and to create more vibrant 

Search for funding using our 

search engine and subscribe 

to our weekly funding bulletin 

on the AVA website at: 

www.avashire.org.uk/searchforfunding


AVA Support|Play for All 

Gloria Malcolm, 


Officer, specialising in 

Funding & Business Planning 

Play for All are a very enthusiastic group formed with the aim 

to bring wheelchair accessible play equipment to Banchory’s 

play parks. Louise Strachan, Chair, realised that there were no 

parks in Banchory that had play equipment that could be used by 

children of all abilities and so she and her fellow board members, 

set about looking at how to address this gap. Charitable status 

was awarded in March and now all efforts turn to building support 

from the local council and local councillors, the community and 

of course fund raising. Play for All’s first local fundraising event 

was a resounding success with tickets selling out within 3 days! 

Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action are delighted to have supported 

Play for All through their journey so far and are now assisting to 

identify potential grant funders to help fund their project. If you 

think you can help, do get in touch via the Play for All Facebook 

page or email Louise at: Louisereid1@sky.com.


Funding|SURF Awards 

2023 marks the 25th Anniversary of the SURF Awards programme, 

which celebrates best practice examples of community regeneration 

projects. 

The SURF Awards provide an opportunity for regeneration 

projects of all sizes to demonstrate value to funders and 

partners, support team-building and develop a national profile. 

The purpose of the SURF Awards process is: 

• To recognise and reward best practice in community 

regeneration; 

• To promote and disseminate best practice across Scotland as 

means of sharing knowledge and experience, and thereby 

enhancing future policy and practice; 

• To highlight the important role that regeneration projects have 

in improving the wellbeing of individuals and communities. The 

SURF Awards are open to any project or initiative, taking place 

in Scotland, which is currently in place or which has been 

completed within two years of the closing date. 

Applications are invited now and the closing date is 5pm on 4th 

September. To find out more, visit the website here.


Member Spotlight| 


A father’s experience – 

“…we had no one to turn to, 

no one to talk to. We both 

were looking at ourselves to 

see how we were to blame for 

our son’s actions... Your regular 

meetings started to help us 

view what had happened 

from a different perspective.” 

stay in contact with the person in prison, and 

the Families Outside team can help in setting up 

or maintaining this contact. 

Karla Fowlie, 

Regional Family Support Coordinator, 


We understand the impact it can have 

when a family member or loved one 

goes to prison. Sometimes people can 

feel as if they are seen as guilty by association, 

because of their loved one’s involvement 

in the justice system. However, this is not the 

case: you have done nothing wrong and, most 

importantly, you are not alone. People from all 

walks of life find themselves in this situation every 

day. 

Although it can be very difficult, support is 

available. As the only national charity in Scotland 

that works solely on behalf of families affected 

by imprisonment, Families Outside is always a 

place you can turn to for support. Even before 

it all starts to feel too much, don’t be afraid to 

reach out; there is no shame in asking for help, 

and there are plenty of people who are happy 

to be there for you. 

Families Outside supports all families affected by 

imprisonment as well as friends and other loved 

ones. This includes people who might not want 

to have any contact with their family member 

in prison. It is important to remember that you 

have a right to choose and that you will be 

supported in whatever decision you make. 

However, it is often in families’ best interests to 

Typically the first point of contact for families, 

our Helpline can provide a range of support 

and information following the imprisonment of a 

loved one. They can help you understand what 

will happen at different stages of the justice 

process, provide support to any children and 

young people in your family during this time, and 

help you access the support available to you 

from the prison and other relevant organisations 

and support systems. 

Our one-to-one support is provided friendly 

Family Support Coordinators, who act as an 

in-person support system. They provide direct, 

practical support to help with the day-to-day 

running of your life and reduce any feelings of 

being overwhelmed. This type of support covers 

the whole of Scotland and can be reached 

by contacting our Helpline. Our Family Support 

Coordinator for Aberdeen is currently open to 

referrals 

We also recognise the importance of systemic 

change and offer CPD accredited training to 

professionals working with families affected by 

imprisonment so that they are better able to 

support families. On top of this, we offer families 

the space to provide their first-hand expertise 

on the justice system and have an active role in 

shaping our services and the services of others 

like us, as well as calling for change across the 

justice system. 

Whatever situation you find yourself in, and 

whatever kind of support you may need, Families 

Outside can provide a space where you will be 

listened to and your voice will be heard, helping 

you to do what is best for you and your family.


Social Enteprise| 

Big Birthday celebrations 

for The Bettridge Centre 

Celebrating its 20th birthday this year, 

the Bettridge Centre in Newtonhill is a 

testament to what can be achieved 

by a small but determined group of people. 

Their tireless efforts resulted in the building of 

a massive extension to the village’s existing 

community hall. The resulting large sports and 

leisure centre is at the heart of community life in 

the local area. 

Aileen Longino 


specialising in Social Enterprise 

Home to activities such as the out of school 

club; sports, dance and uniformed groups; the 

village pantomime; and ReActive8, a project 

for older people: the centre also hosts events 

like the annual Skateraw Fair and the Grampian 

Stage Dance Festival.

AVA |Summer 2023 23 

As the Bettridge Centre’s purpose is to provide 

an affordable space for all to use, and as it 

receives no core funding to enable that, it 

supports this purpose and the ongoing 

challenges of running such a large 

building by renting space out for all 

kinds of parties, functions, shows 

and events. 

It’s a social enterprise, with all profits 

going back into keeping the centre 

going. It’s led by a committee of 

local volunteers and is run by a small 

staff team. For most staff, this is their 

first job, working while at school, or it’s a 

stepping-stone back into the labour market 

after time out for family, or because of illness. 

Since opening, the centre has employed and 

trained over 120 people. 

As the village of Newtonhill has grown, along 

with the nearby new town of Chapelton and 

the continuing expansion of Portlethen, the 

need for the centre has increased, and plans 

are in place to expand the space by 

developing an unused area under the 

main sports hall. This project, which 

will include implementing energy 

efficiency measures and installing 

renewable energy solutions, should 

ensure the centre has a sustainable 

and exciting future ahead of it. 

AVA was at the Bettridge Centre on 

Tuesday 27th June with our Oot & Aboot 

in your Community tour - we hope you 

had a chance to pop in, say hello and check 

out this great venue. 

To find out more about the Bettridge Centre 

please contact 01569 731320 or visit their 

website at: www.bettridge.centre.org.uk



Volunteer for the Clan 

Big Hop Trail 

Public urged to ‘Hop to it’ and sign up to 

volunteer with charity art trail. 

Clan is looking for people to take on a 

range of roles including being ‘hare 

carers’, assisting with their farewell 

weekend, as well as de-delivering 

the sculptures from their locations. 

Teresa Bremner, Clan’s sculpture trail 

project manager, said: “Volunteers 

are at the heart of everything 

Clan does. We wouldn’t be able 

to provide vital support services or 

host large scale events without their 

generosity.” 

Sarah Goodall, 

Clan Cancer Support 

Clan Cancer Support is urging the public 

across the north-east and Northern Isles 

to volunteer as part of this year’s Big Hop 

art sculpture trail. 

The trail is due to take the public on a cultural 

tour of the north-east of Scotland and Northern 

Isles from July to September this year. The event, 

which coincides with Clan’s 40th anniversary, 

will see 40 striking hare sculptures located 

throughout Clan’s geography celebrating the 

charity’s commitment to supporting people 

affected by cancer, their family, carers and 

friends. 

The volunteering opportunities offered by the 

charity are now available for the public to sign 

up for. 

“We are delighted to be able to offer the 

public the chance to get involved with the 

trail at a more ‘hands on’ level. By offering 

a range of volunteering opportunities it gives 

people the chance to be part of something 

exciting at a local level.” 

Teresa added: “With many different roles to sign 

up for at various times, there will be something 

for everyone to get involved in. It’s the perfect 

way to further your skillset, meet new people, 

and engage in your local community.” 

Clan encourages anyone interested in 

volunteering as part of The Big Hop Trail to get in 

touch or sign up here. 

The types of roles Clan are offering are: 

• Hare carers: Throughout trail 

• De-installation: September 4 – 8 

• Farewell Weekend (various roles): 

September 16 – 17 

• Auction (various roles): September 18 

Find out more by contacting thebighop@ 

clancancersupport.org or call 01224 647000.

Photo: Teresa Bremner, 

Project Manager of The Big 

Hop Trail


Magpie|Our funding success 

and refurbishing the shop 

Marie-Anne Brown 

Magpie Manager 

The Magpie team 

celebrating our 

volunteers for Volunteers’ 

Week in June. 

encouragement and for supporting Magpie, it 

really means the world to the team. 

Magpie are delighted to have been 

awarded three years of funding from 

The Robertson Trust which is the first big 

fund that Magpie has been able to secure in 

its 24-year lifespan. The funding will be used to 

support the running costs of the project which, 

with the on-going cost of living crisis and spiraling 

costs of just about everything, means we can 

continue our work to provide sustainable 

shopping, environmental benefits, and services 

for our community. 

Magpie is run by Aberdeenshire Voluntary 

Action and the project solely relies on donations 

and sales. We are entirely non-profit, and every 

penny made at Magpie goes straight back into 

running Magpie. This additional revenue really is 

exciting for us so we can develop and upgrade 

parts of the shops and vans. 

The Robertsons Trust were great at supporting 

us, and the expertise of staff at AVA meant 

we could submit a strong application for the 

funding. Thanks to The Roberston Trust for your 

The grant that we secured is based on the 

poverty and trauma aspect of the charity. 

Magpie gifts essential household items to 

those in need who are referred to us by our 

partners at Aberdeenshire Council Social 

Work Department. We also work with our local 

foodbank to deliver food parcels and provide 

volunteering opportunities with a range of roles 

available to those that are keen to get involved. 

And that’s as well as our main task of selling lowcost 

items in our stores, promoting reuse and 

sustainability - there is so much more to Magpie 

than meets the eye! 

One of our units has also undergone a 

transformation in the past few weeks too. Unit 

three which hosts our clothing and bric-a-brac 

has had an upgrade with a new carpet being 

donated by Global Underwater Hub, some 

excellent joinery skills from Lance Darling and 

Jim Seaton and a fresh coat of paint by the 

Community Payback team. All our incredible 

volunteers and staff, in particular Audrey, Lynn, 

Jodi, and Steve gave up so much of their time 

to get the refurbishment completed in just a 

week and the difference is just fantastic. It truly 

takes a village - thank you all so much!

second hand 

furniture 

electricals 

homeware 

bric-a-brac 

white goods 

clothes 

vinyl 

& loads more... 

Tillybrake Industrial Estate, Banchory AB31 5UN 

Tel: 01330 823800 www.magpieshops.org.uk 

magpieshops OPEN MON-SAT 9-4 

Scottish Charity Number: SC014223 Company Number: SC137343


New Social Enteprise| 

Relax Kids, Families and 

Adults with Serena 

Aileen Longino 


specialising in Social Enterprise 

Serena came across the Relax Kids franchise 

and felt that she must attend the training 

based on personal & family experience 

and what she was seeing in society. The mental 

health, self-soothing, regulation and coping 

skills that this training offered was right up her 

street and has gone from strength to strength 

running a range of courses for all ages across 

Aberdeenshire. 

Although Peterhead-based, her work has been 

with primary schools across Aberdeenshire. She 

has also been working with Spikin Autism and 

More, supporting autistic children and their 

families recently running a pilot course face-toface 

for the parent-carers. 

Working with local children’s bereavement 

charity, Sunrise Partnership, she delivers Relax 

Kids sessions to some young people, as well as 

the bereavement support work, blending the 

body-based stress reduction of Relax Kids with 

activity-based support sessions. 

Running mindfulness courses within Aberdeen 

Foyer - their Foyer Families prog and their REACH 

programmes - Serena finds it amazing to be part 

of people’s development in these fantastic lifechanging 

courses. 

Past experience as tutor within HMP Grampian 

two days a week for a year, working with male 

and female prisoners; teaching well-being/ 

relaxation/mindfulness sessions, as well as 

dance fitness in the woman’s hall, Serena found 

this very rewarding and well received by those 

who attended. 

Most recently Serena has been delivering 

relaxation and mindfulness calls twice a day 

over Zoom to those who sign up. These calls 

are 7am and 9pm Mon-Fri and only last 15mins 

each, to set up for the day ahead and unwind 

for evening & then bed. Sounds like the perfect 

way to relax! 

For more information on how Serena 

can help you or your organisation 

contact serena.wilson@aol.com 

or telephone: 07762 163884.


Social Enterprise| 

Swap Shop 

After a carrying out a recent survey for 

the idea of setting up a Social Enterprise 

Swap Shop, Aileen Longino our Social 

Enterprise Development Officer, was delighted 

to receive positive responses from across the 

sectors and all over Aberdeenshire. Thank you 

to everyone that took the time to complete the 

survey. 

The survey looked at two keys areas:- running a 

Swap Shop where like-minded social enterprises 

can share services, spaces, knowledge and 

skills and the other looked at forming a Social 

Enterprise Collective where groups buying and 

negotiating would help reduce costs for all 

involved. 

Social Enterprise Swap Shop 

The range of services and skills that have been 

identified for the Swap Shop include space hire, 

equipment, wellbeing workshops, mentoring 

support, trauma informed training, employment 

skills, outings, bike repairs, counselling services 

and more. Gaps in skills set include administration 

and promotional support, physical manpower 

help, first aid training and new activities for users. 

The next step is to hold a meeting to discuss 

how this will work. For those that completed the 

survey an invite will be coming out to you. 

Social, Enterprise Collective 

From a Social Enterprise Collective perspective 

some common themes kept appearing in the 

survey. The big areas of growing costs and 

concern seem to be insurance, health & safety, 

human resources, vehicle leasing & servicing, 

fuel and other energy costs, maintenance, 

accountancy, stationery, equipment ie. tables 

chairs and kitchen equipment, and branded 

clothing. Quite a list to work through! Exploring 

avenues for these will take time but could 

ultimately save our Social Enterprises money. 

If you are curious and haven’t completed the 

survey you still can here. 

For support and advice in starting up a Social 

Enterprise or assistance with an established 

one please contact Aileen 

aileen.longino@avashire.org.uk 

AVA’s Aberdeenshire 

Warm Spaces Survey 

Results - hot off the press 

Thank you to everyone who completed our short survey 

recently. With the colder months definitely behind us we 

felt it was important to gather some useful data from those 

that ran the Warm Spaces in the past year. Here is the standout 

data. 

• An average of 10 people attended a session. 

• Running costs were between £0 to £50 per session 

• Most are continuing over warmer months 

• Sessions that have stopped over summer will start back up 

in autumn. 

• Some are looking to add services to sessions e.g. cookery 

lessons 

If are involved with running a Warm Space in Aberdeenshire 

and you haven’t completed the survey you can still do so here.


AVA Support|Ellon 

Community Allotments 

Ellon Community Allotments (ECA) (SC05249) is a new charitable 

community initiative seeking to establish a community 

allotment facility in Ellon. They became an SCIO in April and 

were supported through the process by AVA. The group found 

advice on updating their constitution particularly helpful. 

Gloria Malcolm, 


Officer, specialising in 

Funding & Business Planning 

A survey identified significant demand for allotments in the Ellon 

area. Allotments are recognised as providing economic, social 

and wellbeing benefits for plot holders. The opportunities for social 

interaction and physical activity contributes to wellbeing. The very 

nature of local food production contributes to reducing food miles. 

Allotments increase biodiversity and also provide a low cost leisure 

opportunity compared to many other forms of activity. The town 

only has a very small Council run facility that is insufficient to meet 

demand. ECA members have worked with the Aberdeenshire 

Council Officers to identify and evaluate several potential sites in 

Ellon and following an extensive search, a preferred site has now 

been identified which is ideally placed for the promotion of green 

and active travel. 

The group have commissioned a feasibility study that will hopefully 

conclude with successful planning permission being granted. 

Watch this space!


Community Empowerment| 

Participation Requests 

At our AVA Spring Connections event in April, our Policy and 

Consultations Officer, Alasdair Ross, spoke about a number 

of policy areas of interest to the third sector. One of the 

topics which prompted a lot of discussion was the Community 

Empowerment Act and, in particular, how organisations can make 

use of participation requests to achieve better outcomes for their 

community. 

Participation requests are a formal route, set out in law, that 

community groups can use to request to be part of decision-making 

processes that seek to make improvements to public services. They 

can be used by organisations in a number of ways to agree outcomes 

and ways of working together with councils, health boards and other 

public bodies. 

Alasdair Ross 

AVA & ACVO Policy & 

Consultations Officer 

Alasdair.Ross@avashire.org.uk 

The Scottish Community Development Centre has a number of 

resources and case studies to help the community groups develop 

and submit participation requests. You can also submit a support 

request to AVA here and we will be happy to guide you through the 

process. 

South West Aberdeenshire 

Citizens Advice Bureau 

South West Aberdeenshire Citizens Advice Bureau is a local, 

independent charity which provides free, impartial and confidential 

advice and information, giving individuals the tools, they need to sort 

out issues or problems. Based at Westhill shopping centre since 2010, 

we are part of the Scottish Citizens Advice network which provides 

advice to over 300,000 people on the best way to deal with their 

problems every year. 

We can offer advice, guidance and information in a number of different areas, including: 

• Benefits 

• Work We also offer the following specialist services: 

• Debt & Money 

• Consumer • Pensionwise 

• Housing • Money Advice 

• Family • Gambling Support Service 

• Law and Courts 

• Immigration 

Volunteer with CAB! Develop your skills, boost your confidence and give back to your local 

community. If you would like information on what we do or about volunteering, visit: www. 

swacab.org.uk/volunteer or email us on enquiries@swacab.org.uk or telephone Citizens 

Advice bureau at Westhill 01224 747714.



The Acorn Centre 

This year the Acorn Centre celebrates its 15th 

birthday. In that time, this church-based 

community enterprise within Inverurie West 

Parish Church has established itself as a hub for 

the people of Inverurie and an attraction in its 

own right. With a focus on true hospitality, the 

centre aims to provide good value meals, using 

quality ingredients with an emphasis on Fairtrade 

as demonstrated in their UBUNTU retail shop. 

More recently this has encompassed the 

congregation’s environmental commitments by 

using produce from their own kitchen garden, 

meaning that many of the ingredients used in 

the dishes have travelled zero food miles! As well 

as providing a venue for meetings and events, 

the centre also turned over one of their rooms to 

serve as a heat hub during the winter months. 

Volunteers have always been a big part of 

the staffing and the friendly welcome and 

professional service they offer keeps customers 

coming back time and again. With volunteers 

aged 14-80, there is a real sense of an extended 

family that looks after each other as much as the 

customers. 

So has this “leap of faith” been a success? The 

numbers speak for themselves: 

Sharon Francis 


specialising in Supporting 

Independent Living 

• 300 volunteers have worked with them, a few 

of which have been there since day one! 

• Nearly half a million customers served 

• 61,500 scones baked 

• 35,000 litres of soup made - roughly enough to 

fill Inverurie swimming pool! 

• 306,000 coffees made 

• 260,000 pots of tea served 

• 100’s of 5 star reviews online for the café 

• £65,000 of gratuities contributing to their small 

grants scheme donated to over 200 small 

groups and local charities 

• Over 100 concerts, plays and performances 

by local artists to internationally acclaimed 

musicians. 

Manager, Michael Pickford commented, “We 

are so grateful for the support of our customers 

and volunteers that have ensured that the Acorn 

Centre continues to thrive.” 

Here’s to many more years of being a church at 

the heart of the community with the community 

at its heart!


Member Spotlight|Volunteering 

with MCR Pathways 

Mhairi Middleton 

MCR Pathways 

Partnerships Manager 

MCR Pathways is a national, awardwinning 

mentoring programme. The 

MCR Charity was established in 2007 

to support young people, including those who 

are care-experienced, or have experienced 

disadvantage, to help them realise their full 

potential through education. 

Our aim is to help young people unlock their 

potential, no matter their circumstances. Working 

together with our inspiring mentor community 

and partners, we can help young people to 

realise their skills and progress onto a positive 

destination. Our vision is for all young people to 

experience an equality of education outcomes, 

career opportunities and life chances. 

At the core of the MCR Pathways programme is 

one to one relationship-based mentoring focused 

on building confidence, belief and self-esteem. 

Our volunteer mentors spend an hour each week 

listening to and encouraging a young person in 

their school. 

Organisations across Scotland are working with 

MCR Pathways to create a wave of positive 

change, impacting our schools and communities. 

Will you join us? We need you and your 

organisation to help us recruit more volunteer 

mentors. 

We believe that every young person deserves 

a trusted adult they can turn to for guidance 

and support, and that’s where you come in. By 

becoming a volunteer mentor, you have the 

power to make a difference in the lives of young 

people who need someone to chat with, listen 

to them, and encourage them. Together, we 

can build a strong community of mentors and 

move one step closer to our goal of ensuring 

that all young people have the support and 

encouragement they need to reach their full 

potential. 

Every potential volunteer has something to 

give. If you or someone you know is able to give 

just one hour a week to support a young person 

visit www.mcrpathways.org to learn more. 

If you’re in a position where you could host 

an Information Session at your workplace, 

we’d also love to hear from you. Email our 

dedicated partnerships team at partnerships@ 

mcrpathways.org or call Mhairi Middleton, 

Partnerships Manager, on 07483950803. 

MCR mentoring transforms lives, with 81.6% of 

mentored care-experienced young people 

achieving a positive destination after leaving 

school, compared to 59.8% of non-mentored 

peers. Mentoring also benefits employees, 

increasing productivity and improving selfconfidence. 

Mentoring is incredibly flexible - 

an hour a week is all it takes. Comprehensive 

training is provided too. So why not join us in our 

mission to transform lives through mentoring? 

Further information on the MCR Pathways 

programme and how to become a mentor is 

available at www.mcrpathways.org


Funding| 

Family Fund 

50 years on from thalidomide: 

Family Fund marks five decades 

supporting disabled or seriously ill 

children and young people. 

Family Fund 

www.familyfund.org.uk 

Family Fund, the UK’s largest grant-making charity 

for families raising disabled or seriously ill children, 

on the lowest incomes, is more needed by families 

that ever in our 50th year. 

The charity was founded in 1973 after a public 

campaign on behalf of children affected by the 

medication thalidomide. Government responded to 

this call by establishing a £3 million fund which would 

support affected families and we awarded our first 

grant of £26 for a father to travel from Wales to visit his 

daughter in hospital. 

During the last 50 years the charity has provided £1.5 

million grants and services for essential items such as 

beds, bedding, clothing, washing machines, cookers 

and play and sensory equipment and family breaks. 

Such items are vital as many families struggle to afford 

an adequate standard of living and are forced to 

cut down on activities and equipment vital to their 

children’s development and wellbeing. 

In 2022/23 6,970 families in Scotland received a grant 

via our core programme and 4,640 parent carers 

received a Take a Break grant, funded by Scottish 

Government’s Short Breaks Fund. Family Fund’s Partner 

Engagement Manager in Scotland, Salena Begley 

MBE connects with national and local organisations, 

forums, and communities to ensure that families are 

aware of and can access this vital support. 

9% of children in the UK have a disability and almost 

one third of these children (32%) live in poverty 

(Joseph Rowntree UK poverty 2023). This year, over a 

third of parents (36%) told us having reduced income, 

due to caring responsibilities, as their single biggest 

challenge: “It’s not the easy option to stay home to 

care for your child - I work harder than any full time 

employee as my shifts are 24/7. Raising a child with 

disabilities is tough. It can be lonely and isolating.” 

This is why, Family Fund also offers families on low 

incomes raising disabled children wider support, 

including information and resources on where to 

get help with money and benefits; their children’s 

education; mental health and wellbeing; digital 

training and creative workshops. 

Family Fund’s Partner Engagement Manager 

in Scotland, Salena Begley MBE. 

Family Fund is appealing for people to join it’s Big 

50 Challenge - from walking or cycling 50 miles, 

swimming 50 lengths, holding a 50-question quiz night 

or creating a Big 50 Challenge of their own. Find out 

more about the Family Fund and how to take part 

here.


GamCare is an independent UK charity providing 

information, advice and support for anyone 

affected by gambling-related harms, due to their 

own gambling or someone else’s gambling. It 

provides a range of support for people struggling 

with the impact of gambling on their lives. 

GamCare 

www.gamcare.org.uk 

Helpline: 0808 8020 133 

We operate the National Gambling Helpline: 

Freephone 0808 8020 133, which gives 

confidential information, advice and support 

for anyone affected by gambling problems in 

Scotland. Individuals can speak to advisers oneto-one, 

over the phone or on live chat 24 hours a 

day, every day of the year. The treatment is free, 

flexible and confidential. 

GamCare also offer free accredited training to 

professionals working in the third sector in Scotland 

to increase awareness of gambling-related harm, 

boost confidence in having discussions about 

gambling and signpost individuals experiencing 

gambling harms. 

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 

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 

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We want to hear from you! 

Give us feedback, suggestions, 

whatever - fill in our form here. 

www.avashire.org.uk

AVA Magazine - Summer 23

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