Spring Bulletin

Welcome to the spring edition of our Volunteer Academy Volunteer Bulletin. As the days grow longer and spring arrives the Volunteer Academy is preparing for a busy and productive season. In this bulletin we share the latest updates, news and volunteering opportunities. We will cover:

• Volunteer Opportunities 

• Skills Bank

• Lecture Series

• Employer Supported Volunteering

• Highland Fun Guys Community Mushroom Farm

• Care to Connect Lochaber 

• Training and Forums

• What’s On

Volunteer Opportunities 

If your organisation recruits volunteers and wishes to advertise a volunteer opportunity on our website or social media channels, please complete the form available here. Below, are a selection of our most recent volunteer opportunities.

Volunteer – Supporting Adult Carers in Lochaber 

Care to Connect Support adult unpaid carers through befriending, activities, or help in the drop‑in kitchen. View opportunity here.

Water Safety Officer – Mallaig – RNLI

 Help deliver water safety advice and support local lifesaving initiatives. View opportunity here.

Launch Authority – Wick – RNLI 

Support lifeboat operations by authorising launches and ensuring station readiness. View opportunity here.

Volunteer for Dingwall Community Fridge – Dingwall Community Fridge 

Help collect and redistribute surplus food to support the local community. View opportunity here.

Grow Project Kitchen Volunteer – High Life Highland 

Cook with individuals and small groups using fresh produce at the Grow Project kitchen. View opportunity here.

Outreach Nursing Support Volunteer – CHAS 

Assist nursing teams in family homes supporting children and young people. View opportunity: here

Volunteer Driver – Vector24

Provide transport and support to veterans and their families across the Highlands. View opportunity here.

Green Space Volunteer – Hilton Duck Pond 

Help maintain Castle Heather Park through practical conservation activities. View opportunity here.

Volunteer Car Driver – Wheels In Nairnshire 

Provide community transport to help people reach appointments and services. View opportunity here.

The Skills Bank

The Skills Bank connects organisations with talented, experienced professionals who are keen to share their expertise. Whether you need support for a particular project or a helping hand for a set period, these individuals offer their skills to make a difference where it matters most.

Sutherland based charity, the Dornoch Firth Group, recently reached out to the Skills Bank. They were looking for a volunteer who could play the bagpipes at their Tuesday Tots group. It was a special gathering to help celebrate Burns Night. Thanks to the Skills Bank they found exactly what they were looking for, making the occasion memorable for everyone.

The Skills Bank is here to make these valuable connections possible, supporting communities and bringing the third sector together, if you have an area of expertise and a few hours to spare, then sign up here.

Spring Lecture - Volunteering for Conservation

Join us on Thursday 30th April for the next exciting lecture in the Highland Volunteer Academy series, shining a light on Volunteering for Conservation

We are delighted to welcome Lexi Hemshaw, Senior Discovery and Volunteer Officer and Iona Byrne, Senior Learning and Community Officer at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. They will explore the organisation's innovative approaches to recognition, rewarding, supporting and developing volunteers who make a real difference to people, conservation and nature.

Date: Thursday 30th April 2026

Time: Tea & coffee from 4pm (in-person), start 4.30pm prompt (in-person & online), close 5.30pm

Location: Hybrid event - In-person -  UHI Inverness Campus, 1 Inverness Campus, Inverness, IV2 5NA  & online. Please register here.

Free to attend, although booking is required in advance – all welcome.

Employer Supported Volunteering

Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) is an innovative way for businesses to help their staff contribute their skills and time to local charities and community projects. ESV is increasingly recognised as a win-win for employers, employees and Volunteer Involving Organisations (VIOs), offering a practical route to support Highland communities while developing staff skills and engagement.

What is Employer Supported Volunteering?

ESV refers to programmes where employers encourage and enable their staff to volunteer during paid working hours. This support can take many forms, from one-off team volunteering days to ongoing individual commitments. The benefits are clear: VIOs gain access to skilled and enthusiastic volunteers, while businesses strengthen their links with the community, boost staff morale, and foster a culture of giving back.

How Can VIOs Get Involved?

Highland VIOs can tap into ESV by identifying projects or activities suitable for small groups or individuals, preparing clear roles and objectives, and reaching out to local businesses to promote these opportunities. Partnering with employers can help you access new skills, resources and networks. Start by listing your volunteering opportunities and outlining the impact business volunteers can have.

Whether your organisation supports conservation, care, learning, or local heritage, there is real potential to benefit from ESV. Businesses across the region are keen to support local causes, particularly when opportunities are tailored to their staff’s interests and abilities.

Volunteer Academy Support

The Volunteer Academy team is on hand to assist both VIOs and businesses in making ESV a success. We offer help with identifying suitable projects, tailoring volunteering opportunities, and matching organisations with willing employers. Our team is dedicated to making the process easy and rewarding for everyone involved.

Guidelines and Resources

Guidelines and resources are available on the Volunteer Academy website to support you every step of the way. For detailed guidance and to explore partnership possibilities, visit the Employer page. Here you’ll find practical advice and step-by-step instructions for launching or expanding ESV initiatives.

Scottish ESV National Framework

In April 2026, Volunteer Scotland will launch a new National Framework for Employer Supported Volunteering. This framework has been developed in collaboration with a Volunteering Action Plan group and the Scottish Government, aiming to provide clear direction and support for ESV across Scotland. To inform this work, a national survey is currently underway to gather experiences from all those involved in ESV, including employees, employers, and volunteer-involving organisations of every type and size. The survey will be repeated in 2027 to review the framework’s impact and highlight areas for further development. Your input is vital to help shape the future of ESV in Scotland. For more information and to take part in the survey, please visit here.

Highland Fun Guys Community Mushroom Farm

A new and innovative growing project is taking root in the heart of Dornoch.

Highland Fun Guys, a social enterprise run by the Dornoch Firth Group, has launched a Community Mushroom Farm at the Dornoch Hub. Developed in response to community interest in hands-on growing opportunities, the project offers local people the chance to learn new skills, meet others and be part of something constructive and sustainable. 

Rather than traditional vegetable growing, the group chose to cultivate mushrooms, making use of an unused windowless building at the Hub. With rent-free support from DACIC, start-up funding from The Pebble Trust and guidance from expert consultants at Rhyze Mushrooms, the project is designed to be both environmentally responsible and financially sustainable.

The farm will promote organic growing methods, minimise waste and, in time, create a full-circle system by composting used growing substrate through a wormery. The long-term aim is to build a self-sustaining social enterprise that strengthens local resilience while tackling isolation and building community connections.

Volunteers are currently being recruited, with free mushroom-growing training provided. Whether you can spare a couple of hours a week or simply want to learn something new, Highland Fun Guys offers a welcoming and supportive environment to get involved.

To find out more or join the volunteer team, contact Dornoch Firth Group on 07533 518399 or email charles@dfgcommunity.com

Care to Connect Lochaber

Care to Connect is a new initiative launched by Voluntary Action Lochaber to support adult unpaid carers (25+) in the Lochaber area, helping prevent burnout by offering a space for rest, reflection, and support. They provide unpaid carers with a welcoming space at An Drochaid in Claggan where carers can drop in, engage in conversation, share their experiences, and build meaningful connections with peers. They also travel across Lochaber to meet more remote carers and bring the support directly to them. 

Through their Helping Hands Initiative, delivered in partnership with the Highland Hospice, Care to Connect are inviting volunteers into their service. Volunteers can support them by offering their time, offering skills, or simply spreading the word. Volunteers will be supported by full training, ongoing support, benefits and access to project services. If you would like to get involved to support unpaid carers in your community then get in touch: caretoconnect@valochaber.org

Training and Forums 

 Volunteer Quest Connecting Café - Thursday 26th March 2026

11am – 12pm - Pulteney Centre, Huddart St, Wick, KW1 5BA

Connection Café is a conversation-led gathering where organisations, volunteers and those interested in volunteering can meet, share and explore ideas together. Through informal table discussions, we’ll look at what’s working well, what could be improved and how volunteering locally can evolve to meet changing needs. It’s about connection, shared learning and strengthening the volunteer community across Sutherland and Caithness.

What’s On

Marathon March 2026 – The Archie Foundation – Highlands‑wide Throughout March 2026 A month‑long challenge encouraging people to move one mile a day to support babies, children and families across the Highlands.

Hospice Day & Wear Yellow Day – Highland Hospice – Across the Highlands - Thursday 26th March 2026. A community fundraising day encouraging schools, workplaces and individuals to wear yellow in support of hospice care.

Help Save Scotland’s Rainforest – Volunteer Conservation Day – Scottish Wildlife Trust – Highlands Wednesday 18th March 2026. A hands‑on conservation day helping protect Scotland’s rare Atlantic rainforest habitats.

Etape Loch Ness (Charity Places) – Multiple charities – Inverness & Loch Ness Sunday 26th April 2026. A major closed‑road cycling event around Loch Ness, with charity places available to raise funds for good causes.

RNLI Invergordon Lifeboat Station Tours – RNLI – Invergordon Sunday 12th April 2026.  A fundraising open day offering guided tours of the lifeboat station in support of lifesaving services.

As we look forward to the exciting opportunities this season has to offer, we wish everyone a productive and enjoyable Spring. The Volunteer Academy team is always happy to support you in all things volunteering. You can reach out to the team by emailing: volunteering@highlandtsi.org.uk