Second Saturday Squad
The Second Saturday Squad was created in 2021 as part of our commitment to the local community and the environment. We meet on the Second Saturday of every month and clean up and area of Fife that could use a little extra attention. The team bring along friends, family and even the good-est dog boys! So far, we have covered areas from Dunfermline to St Andrews and joined other local groups such as ‘Keep Fife Tidy’ and ‘Fife Street Champions’. We record all of our litter collection with Keep Scotland Beautiful so that our work is recorded and added to national statistics. This helps shape Scotland’s and Fife’s environmental campaigns. You can join in too by registering your interest:
Meet the team and find out about how they contribute to the local community!
Jade
Hi, in my free time I volunteer with the Intandem project, which matches young people with trained volunteers to build positive, trusting, supportive and secure relationships. I organise weekly trips out to do activities, visit new places or just get something to eat and have a chat. I act as a mentor and role model to the young person, encouraging participation in new hobbies, building self-confidence and resilience.
I am also a Trustee for Dunfermline Advocacy, which means I participate at board level throughout the year and attend fundraising and group activities.
Kirsten
The Wave Project:
I Volunteer as a surf mentor for the Wave Project, St Andrews Programme. This programme supports and encourages young people aged 8 to 21, who have been identified as being at risk of our diagnosed with a mental health issue, learning difficulty, or physical disability. The project uses surfing to help young people improve their emotional and physical well-being. The Wave Project offers 1-2-1 mentorship, in which every student is paired with a volunteer, allowing for a connection to form and provide a safe space for children to open up through surfing.
Scottish Student Sport: Chair for Scottish Student Athletics and Tayside and Fife Regional Chair
I Chair the Scottish Student Athletics Committee, overseeing the planning, delivery and progression of Scottish Student Athletics in Scotland, in conjunction with Scottish Student Sport and Scottish Athletics. I was also elected as the Tayside and Fife Regional Chair for Colleges and Universities, and through this role I am a member of the Scottish Student Sport Development Committee.
Craig
I mentor four individuals weekly from external organisations.
Tali
As part of BigFiveForFife, I took my step into climate action and do more for the environment. I have signed up for the pledge form from Climate Action Fife to take part and have currently completed 4 out of 5 pledges which are:
· Reduce energy usage
· Cook plant-based two meals a week
· Avoid buying new clothes for three months
· The local group taking climate action
This is ongoing, at the moment and I continue to work on my personal climate footprint and help organise and share the message in and outside of the office.
Before becoming the Student President of Welfare and Equality, I volunteered for Citizens Advice Rights and Fife twice. Once in 2018 - 2019 and again 2020 - 2021. The first time, I did many training online modules, etc., and shadowed with the expert volunteer advisor as well as advised the client. The second time, I was trained how to use webchat (live chat for clients to contact us), so I shadowed for a while on the computer with the coordinator how to type chat with clients and advise them. I plan on continuing this work once I complete my Law studies.
I volunteered with Deaf Action for a few years, working in the charity shop and I become a befriender on Zoom during the first lockdown for young deaf people. The project matches the profile/interests with young deaf people who were lonely and needed a friend. It was a brilliant way to connect deaf people who live in different places to one another, especially during the lockdown.
Emma
I volunteer with the SPARQS Joint Advisory Group. It gives me the opportunity to help shape the work and direction of the organisation from a student perspective. This includes voicing and deciding what support they give to officers, representatives and students association staff across Scotland which can benefit students as a whole.
Angela
I volunteer with my family once a month with local environmental beautification projects. I also meet quarterly with external education organisations, helping to coordinate student volunteers and gathering data for national statistics and the improvement of education across the country.
Lauren
I volunteer as a social media assistant with Clued Up Project - a charity that helps young people affected by substance abuse. This involves creating graphics and posts for their social media pages to help get the word out about the amazing work they're doing and the support they are providing to young people.