Volunteer
Volunteers can change lives
If you’re looking for rewarding volunteering opportunities in Edinburgh and the Lothians, we’re seeking volunteers who are caring and passionate about building positive relationships with people affected by HIV and HCV.
Volunteers help us deliver all our services. We couldn't make a difference without them!
Every volunteer-service user match is unique.
Our team takes into account your availability, location, personality, interests, skills and what you would like to achieve when carefully matching you with a service user.
We support service users for as long as necessary, depending on their needs. Support can be provided for several months and can continue for as long as needed, depending on a person’s needs. We prioritise matching volunteers with service users assessed as having the highest and most urgent needs so we can begin supporting them.
Volunteers use ordinary cars, and wear ordinary clothes, i.e. no uniforms. They are provided with identity cards.
If you volunteer with us, we’ll ask you to have a mandatory PVG check before you start. We’ll help you develop your personal skills further by asking you to participate in our compulsory volunteer training programme. You’ll learn about Positive Help’s culture and values as well as the importance of sensitivity, respect and confidentiality when supporting service users.
Our services are person-centred; whereby people build close working relationships with the volunteer they’re matched with. We would ask you to try to commit to volunteering with us for a minimum of six months. The time commitment required for each volunteering role varies but it generally ranges from three hours per week up to a full day.
Volunteering can change lives
When you volunteer with Positive Help, you'll work alongside people to improve their wellbeing.
From reducing loneliness:“The lift I had was great, we had light chats. I don’t see people often, so it was great to talk about normal things.” (Service User)
To helping children experience new learning opportunities: “There were lots of new experiences. It was his first visit to the National Gallery.” (Volunteer)
Read the FAQs below to find out more about volunteering with us.
FAQs
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You need to be at least 18 years old to volunteer with us. We want to hear from you if you’re committed and comfortable building relationships with people using our services over time.
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Most volunteers support our main services, working with adults or children. We occasionally have office support roles. If you have specific skills, experience, or interests, we’d love to talk with you about how they might fit our organisation.
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All volunteers complete comprehensive, role‑specific mandatory training, including safeguarding and boundaries, communication skills, confidentiality, and how to work safely in homes and community settings.
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Yes. We reimburse reasonable volunteer expenses weekly, so you’ll never be out of pocket.
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Our roles require continuity and 1‑to‑1 volunteering relationships. However, we are open to corporate fundraising ideas, and we’re happy to support your team with that. If your company has other ways that could support our work, we would be open to hearing from you.
Find out more about volunteering with Positive Help by getting in touch