ProjectScotland (BTCV Scotland)
www.projectscotland.co.uk
www.btcv.org
ProjectScotland was specifically set up to connect young Scots with full time volunteering opportunities. It is part of the Scottish Executive's Volunteering Strategy and was established in response to a demand from young people from all backgrounds to play an active role in their communities, broaden their horizons and enhance their experiences.
Stuart McArtney was a ProjectScotland volunteer at BTCV Scotland, the UK's leading charity in creating better environments where people feel valued, included and involved. Stuart is committed to conservation and sustainable development issues. This is what he says about volunteering -
"I was a volunteer officer for BTCV in Stirling. Having finished a Forestry degree last year I found it difficult to get a job as I did not have any experience. Volunteering with BTCV gave me great experience. I planned projects, made funding applications as well as building upon my technical skills. I also built up a good network of contacts that have helped me to find the right job - as an Assistant Forestry Consultant.
The training was brilliant including a risk assessment course, a mini-bus certificate and hopefully I'll get my chainsaw certificate very soon. None of this would have been possibly without the help of ProjectScotland. I can't give volunteering enough praise for the opportunities that it has given me so far. Everyday I was doing something different and working outside which I love from creating a new footpath for a care home, working in primary schools or building a new footbridge in the countryside."
For more information on ProjectScotland, click on www.projectscotland.co.uk
For more information on BTCV, click on www.btcv.org