Volunteering Opportunities

Royal Hospital for Children and Young People

If you are interested in volunteering with children and younger people, the following roles are now being recruited to at RHCYP:

Play Volunteer
This role is available Monday to Sunday (daytime, evenings, and weekends) and involves visiting patients in the wards to offer interaction. This might mean having a chat, playing a game, or reading. Play Volunteers can also provide family members the opportunity to have some respite from being on the ward. They also help to keep the play areas tidy.
Roles available: 15

A&E Volunteer
This role is available on weekday and weekend afternoons/evenings. The volunteer will be situated in the A&E department where they will spend time chatting with patients and families, engage patients in play activities, and support ward staff with duties such as distributing drinks. Support would be particularly appreciated on weekend afternoons/evenings.
Roles available: 3

Outpatient Department Helper
This role involves creating a welcoming atmosphere for patients and families attending the outpatient department. The volunteer will also provide support an interaction for patients whilst they are waiting for their appointments and help keep play areas tidy.
Roles available: 2

Welcome Guide
This role involves providing a friendly welcome to patients and visitors coming into the hospital. Welcome Guides also provide directions to the relevant departments/wards, and escort people where required (this can include pushing someone in a wheelchair).
Roles available: 2 (Mondays 1pm – 3pm, Thursdays 10am – 12pm)

Calareidh Respite Care

Calareidh is a purpose-built bungalow in east Edinburgh (EH15 3LA) where children and young people with complex medical needs or disabilities can benefit from long-term residential or short-term respite care, away from a hospital environment. Children are cared for by a 24-hour team of specialist nurses and other health professionals in a supportive, comfortable and homely space.

We are looking for Play Volunteers Tuesday – Thursday from 4:30pm. Saturday and Sunday shifts may also be available.
Roles available: 2

Interviews and training

Before applying for any of these roles, please ensure that you can attend one of the following group interview sessions and the subsequent training event.

Interview session (option 1)
Thursday 25^th June, 3:30pm – 5:30pm

Interview session (option 2)
Friday 26^th June, 3:30pm – 5:30pm

Training event
Friday 3^rd July, 2:30pm – 5:00pm

If you have any questions prior to applying, please contact: ross.lamb@nhs.scot.

Applications for these roles will open around midday on Monday 1st June, 2026.

Edinburgh Community Hospitals / Department of Clinical Neuroscience

If you are interested in volunteering with adults at one of the Edinburgh community hospitals or in the Department of Clinical Neuroscience (DCN), the following roles are available:

Findlay Community Hospital (East Edinburgh, EH6 7LN)
This site has two wards and provides care for patients who are 65 years old and over. One of the wards is a dementia care unit, the other provides intermediate care. We are looking for Meaningful Activity Volunteers during the day and Ward Visitors on evenings and weekends.
Roles available: 4

Ellen’s Glen Community Hospital (South Edinburgh, EH16 6FF)
This site has two wards and provides care for patients who are 65 years old and over. One of the wards is a palliative care/end of life ward, the other provides intermediate care. We are looking for Meaningful Activity Volunteers during the day and Ward Visitors on evenings and weekends.
Roles available: 4

Ferryfield Community Hospital (North Edinburgh, Pilton EH5 2HF)
This site has two wards. We are currently recruiting volunteers to support the dementia care ward. We are looking for Meaningful Activity Volunteers during the day and Ward Visitors on evenings and weekends.
Roles available: 4

Department of Clinical Neuroscience
This department is a 3-ward adult service within the Children’s Hospital building. It provides neurology and neuro-surgical services. We are recruiting Ward Helpers to support the wards across the day as well as evenings and weekends.
Roles available: 12

Interviews and training

Before applying for any of these roles, please ensure that you can attend one of the following group interview sessions and the subsequent training event.

Interview session (option 1)
Thursday 9^th July, 3:30pm – 5:30pm

Interview session (option 2)
Friday 10^th July, 3:30pm – 5:30pm

Training event
Friday 17^th July, 2:30pm – 5:00pm

If you have any questions prior to applying, please contact: ross.lamb@nhs.scot.

Applications for these roles will open around midday on Monday 1st June, 2026.

The Royal Edinburgh Hospital

The Royal Edinburgh Hospital (REH) provides acute and rehabilitative psychiatric and mental health services, including treatment for those with learning disabilities and dementia. Specialist services at REH include centres for the treatment of substance misuse, eating disorders, a forensic unit and a national neurorehabilitation unit for people with an acquired brain injury.

Our Volunteer Hub works alongside clinical teams across the hospital to develop and promote a wide range of volunteering opportunities for in-patients, who volunteer alongside members of the public in an ethos of equality. The Hub aims to promote happiness, wellbeing and recovery through meaningful activity. Volunteer roles help create moments of calm, purpose, and achievement, enable people to flourish during difficult times, and enrich the lives of patients and the wider hospital community.

The Royal Edinburgh Hospital Volunteer Hub are looking to recruit a small team of Volunteer Gardeners.

As the first hospital in Scotland to receive the prestigious Green Flag Award, REH has a reputation for environmental excellence, embedded in its strong commitment to nurture the site’s greenspaces, enhancing connection with nature and promoting wellbeing for the hospital and local communities. Many of the wards have their own enclosed courtyard gardens, so that those unable to leave the ward can still access greenspaces for some peace and reflection. There are also public garden areas where staff, patients and visitors can enjoy the sights and sounds of the outdoors.

Though this is not a patient engagement role, volunteers’ green fingered help will really benefit the hospital community. The role includes undertaking a variety of seasonal, garden-based tasks and outdoor maintenance. Prospective volunteers should already have strong gardening experience and knowledge about outdoor plants, a non-judgemental attitude, as well as initiative and the ability to work independently or as part of a small team.

If you would like to help us maintain our greenspaces, we’d love to hear from you! For more information, please contact loth.rehvolunteering@nhs.scot

Our Clinical Infection Research Group (CiRG) facilitates research studies for a range of common UK infections e.g., flu and COVID. Many of these studies require volunteers aged 18-99 to take part for example in testing different interventions, e.g., vaccines or sharing experiences.

For more information about taking part in clinical research trials you can email CiRG at Loth.CIRGregister@nhs.scot or you can find out more at www.cirg-edinburgh.co.uk

Within this space we will share the details of any of our third sector charity partners who are recruiting to volunteering roles which are either based within, alongside or as part of NHS Lothian services or buildings or are supporting the health outcomes of people across Lothian.

Volunteer with The Health Agency

The Health Agency is a charity based in the Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre dedicated to supporting residents of South-West Edinburgh to lead longer, healthier, more fulfilling lives. 

As part of this they offer several Heath Walks in partnership with Walking Scotland and are currently seeking volunteer Walk Leaders. 

If you love walking and wish to share your passion and encourage others, they would like to hear from you! To find out more about this opportunity contact Louise@thehealthagency.org.uk or call 07400 740 385.

Edinburgh Buggy Walks

Our aim is to provide friendly and manageable walking routes for new parents. Our walks help prevent social isolation and offer a structured way to exercise and gain confidence in a relaxed, inclusive environment. Routes typically last 45 to 60 minutes and conclude at a baby-friendly café, library, or community centre.

We are looking for Walk Leaders to support our walks at:

• Saughton Park and Gardens which is a lovely green space west of the city near Gorgie, Balgreen, and Stenhouse – Mondays at 1:30pm
• Leith Links which is a spacious park area located two miles northeast of the city centre – Wednesdays at 2pm.

Volunteers will attend free Walk Leader training which is a half day course with the option to do online. Ideally we’d like to have volunteer Walk Leaders who understand how difficult it can be during the early stages of parenthood. It can sometimes be very difficult getting places on time and parents can sometimes be anxious about meeting other parents, and if they can stop to breast or bottle feed their children.
Please contact Carole at info@buggywalks.co.uk for further information.

Volunteer with RNID’s Near You Service

Volunteers supporting RNID will make a valuable difference to people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. Any contribution you make as a volunteer, no matter how small, can have a big impact on the people we support in communities across Edinburgh & Lothians.

To find out more about their current opportunities with the Near You service follow the link below:

RNID Near You volunteer, Lothians/Edinburgh – RNID

Volunteer at the Children’s Hospital with Radio Lollipop

One in four children are admitted to a hospital before reaching age 14.

Radio Lollipop believes in the healing power of play – providing smiles and laughter to children at a time when they need it most. Though some patients are short-stay, many have a recurring need for care and return repeatedly to hospital. Some who are terminally ill spend much of their short lives in hospital. Radio Lollipop gives young patients a voice and a choice during their stay. While they can´t say “no” to taking their medicine or receiving treatment, they can request their favourite songs, win prizes and hear their own voices on the radio. Those activities give youngsters a haven of normality in the hospital day which in other respects is strange, different and often scary. Each Radio Lollipop Volunteer must be aged 18 or older and able to give a commitment of 2 hours per week of interactive play with children using a comprehensive range of fun and interactive activities developed over the years by Radio Lollipop.

A broadcast radio studio is part of the armory of activities in our “toy box” and is provided at most of the hospitals where the Radio Lollipop service operates, providing a unique child-orientated programme of interactive competitions, music, stories and games.

If you want to be part of the magic that is Radio Lollipop and putting Play In Place of Pain for children spending time in hospital, come along to one of our volunteer information days at Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Ground Floor, Out Patients, 50 Little France Crescent Edinburgh EH16 4TJ on:

Sunday 21st June 2026, from 2pm to 4pm.

Alternatively visit us at Radio Lollipop – Play In Place Of Pain or email us at vcnew.edinburgh@radiolollipop.org.

Changes East Lothian

Volunteers are the heartbeat of our organisation. They make our mission as a charity possible. As a volunteer you can make a genuine difference to people and help them achieve positive and lasting change in their mental health. You can gain knowledge, skills and experience and get to know new people within your community. Taking time out of your week to help and support others is important and rewarding work.

To find out more, visit: Volunteer with Us – Changes

Cyrenians OPAL 

Is a charity based in West Lothian dedicated to supporting people aged 60 and over. Their work focuses on enabling individuals to lead active and fulfilling lives, while fostering strong, inclusive communities that support people to remain independent, living at home, and being socially connected.

As part of their work, OPAL offers a range of rewarding volunteering opportunities, including:

• Volunteer Befriender
• Community Volunteer
• Digital Volunteer
• Volunteer Walk Leader

To find out more about these opportunities, please contact:
opal@cyrenians.scot
01506 815815

Connecting Communities | Cycling UK

You can help and support Cycling UK to achieve their aims by volunteering with Connecting Communities. All of their volunteering roles are advertised online.

Roles available include;

Marketing – support with putting up posters and creating social media content
Health Walk Leader – lead a health walk.
Cycle Ride Leader – lead a group ride.
Learn to Ride Volunteer – Help children or adults to learn to ride or increase cycle skills in group sessions.
Buddy ride volunteer – support people cycle for those everyday journeys by showing them their route, practice safety and positioning and offer general route and riding advice.
Tandem Cycle Pilot – Ride as a front rider on a tandem bike for blind or partially sighted people and provide support and guidance on and of the bike during a ride. (or on a side by side tandem)
Bike Maintenance volunteer – Fix bikes, work within their qualifications/experience.

Other volunteering opportunities

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Interested in finding alternative volunteering opportunities?

Take a look at your local volunteer centre’s opportunities or search Volunteer Scotland using the links below.

Volunteer Edinburgh

Midlothian Community Action

Volunteer Centre East Lothian

Voluntary Sector Gateway (West Lothian)

Volunteer Scotland