Volunteering - We have lots to offer!

Make those New Year resolutions come true. Volunteer with us!

You may have caught sight of Go Green on campus, attended a workshop, picked up a free much needed item from Kaim Co-op, or rented a bike at BikePad and in the process wondered about getting more involved. Well, as the New Year begins now is as good a time as any to take part and become one of a number of fabulous and dedicated volunteers that keep Go Green projects ticking over.

How do I start?

We’re always happy to meet up for a longer chat about what being a Go Green volunteer can involve, but we thought we would also share some of the multiple roles available in our two new spaces on campus Kaim Co-op and Bikepad.

Volunteering Roles at Kaim Co-op

Visual merchandising

At Kaim we work with a huge variety of donated items from pots, pans and other household items to DVDs, books and clothes and we would love some help with sorting and display. So if you fancy putting together outfits, processing our donations, and making a feature of new things in our social media, Kaim is the place to gain some fashion management, curating or PR experience as well as learning about the environmental benefits of the circular economy

Pop up shop volunteers

We have a number of talented students co-ordinating our fortnightly pop up shop, but we’re always looking for more to join. The shop is a mobile unit that takes a selection of the most interesting items out to different locations on campus. Once set up the pop up shop is a great way to talk to students and staff about Kaim Co-op, publicising the space and other Go Green initiatives. Volunteers at the Pop up shop can hone their organising, social, and carbon literacy skills through greater knowledge of Go Green’s remit.

Creative workshop volunteers

Working with donated items means we get a huge variety of things in age and quality. Some items are worn beyond the use that they were intended for but, given our zero waste aspirations we are on the lookout for creative volunteers to come up with repurposing ideas and help others acquire the skills to find new uses for old things. So if you fancy gaining some workshop/teaching experience or knowledge in creative project design we would love to have you. You can write your own workshops or assist an artist and pick up some practical skills in all kinds of making. Equally if you’re already a confident designer/maker we would love to showcase your work.  

General Co-op Volunteers

We are looking to make Kaim a hub that will be open for students to come and visit but also stay around, socialise, plan their own events, and study. To make this possible we hope to recruit volunteers to hang out in the space and explain the project to visitors – this is the perfect position to take up while studying for exams and assessments but still wanting to contribute to Go Green’s work. No experience necessary for this job, but a creative flare curating disparate items and a sociable manner with the participating student community would be the cherry on the cake.

Bikepad

Bikepad mechanic

Working in close partnership with GoGreen staff and other volunteers, the role of BikePad mechanic is to keep as many bikes on the road as possible, fixing up donations and helping to feed them into the steadily growing fleet of LivEco bikes for hire. So if you would like a hands on opportunity - no-matter what your current level of competency - to learn maintenance and repair skills Bikepad is the place. Outwith experience on site we can also offer formal training with amazing partners like Edinburgh Bike Co-operative. As well as bike maintenance skills Bikepad is also a great place work within a team, have fun and employ creative thinking.

StreetSport mechanic

Making a contribution to the local community is an important part of the Go Green project and this year we have realised this aspiration, in part, through an exciting partnership with StreetSport. Once or even twice a week we head out to community sites and centres to spread our enthusiasm for bikes to younger generations. We bring bikes and toolboxes to all parts of the city to engage with young people, giving them a chance to try bikes and fix any niggling issues with their own bikes on the spot. Working with StreetSport is a good place to learn engagement and facilitation techniques from an experienced team, as well of course giving you a chance to communicate your low carbon knowledge and also learn how to fix bikes. 

Bike Hire Support

This year LivEco have taken over responsibility for the growing fleet of rentable bikes that Go Green have been collecting and fixing. As well as a growing number of bicycles there is also an increasing demand for renting them. All this growth requires some co-ordination and livEco are looking for support in running the scheme. So if you have a flare for organisation and administration this could be the post for you, and in the process you can make students happy by giving them a way to get around and save some pennies. Skills to be gained include working with a budget, project planning, IT literacy and as with every area of GoGreen, teamwork!