“Now I am working for Planning Aid Scotland, I am very keen to give volunteers as good an experience as I had.”

Diane started her journey with us as a volunteer in 2009. After completing our SP=EED® course, she began volunteering as a facilitator for training workshops. In 2024, Diane joined us as a staff member – a ‘full circle moment’ – and now leads on delivering our projects and training courses.

“My first experience of Planning Aid Scotland was when I worked as part of the Local Development Plans team at Perth and Kinross Council. I was encouraged by Peter, my line manager (who later became Chair of Planning Aid Scotland) to become a volunteer.”

Community engagement

Diane was the first person to complete SP=EED Verification in 2015, putting the learning from our SP=EED course into practice to become recognised for her skills in effective community engagement in planning.

“After completing the SP=EED community engagement training and becoming the first person ever to complete Part 2 and become verified, I became a volunteer facilitator for Planning Aid Scotland training workshops. It was a great opportunity to learn from others and develop my facilitation skills.”

Diane is now one of the staff members responsible for delivering our SP=EED training, with the next courses coming up in June (Edinburgh) and October (Glasgow). Having completed the training herself, Diane has a solid understanding of how best to support those going through the process.

“Completing the SP=EED training really helped me refine my community engagement skills to working in the built environment.”

Community-led plans

Using her expertise in effective engagement, Diane now supports communities around Scotland to develop community-led plans, working closely with our volunteers on projects such as Sustaining Choices.

“My first project last year was delivering Sustaining Choices in four communities across Scotland, working with the communities to produce Local Walking and Wheeling Action Plans.”

“I immediately saw the potential to involve volunteers, not just in the delivery of the events but in the whole project.”

“It has been a great experience working with so many talented and enthusiastic volunteers over the last few months. Our volunteers were involved in all of the events and at every stage of the process. I encouraged them to get their hands dirty with creative engagement techniques such as making pottery that would have been found in neolithic times, making decorations and printmaking from items found on walks, and archaeological and social health walks.

There were of course a lot of flipcharts and maps to annotate, so I was grateful for their facilitation, listening, and note-taking skills. The events generated a lot of data, and I was lucky to have skilled volunteers to help make sense of it. It was also a good opportunity for them to show off their online mapping skills and data analysis techniques.”

The power of volunteering

From the point of view of Diane, the team at Planning Aid Scotland, and the communities we support, our volunteers are an invaluable part of our operations. We received some excellent feedback from the Sustaining Choices project:

“I found the support of Diane and her volunteers amazing. We would never have been able to do it without them, so I feel that the community has really benefited from being involved in this.”

As Diane’s experience goes to show, volunteering with Planning Aid Scotland can be a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills, build on existing ones, meet new people, or even start a journey that might lead your career in an exciting new direction!

Some of the volunteers working on the Sustaining Choices project also shared their experiences:

• “It’s great to work with enthusiastic locals wanting to do something positive for their community. As always, you learn so much more from their local knowledge.”
• “This role has been so much more than volunteering; it’s been a chance to learn, grow, and make a meaningful difference. I am incredibly grateful to the Planning Aid Scotland team for their mentorship, my fellow volunteers for their camaraderie, and the communities we serve.”
• “This event was a shining example of how community-driven initiatives can blend learning, creativity, and collaboration. I’m grateful to have been part of such a wonderful day, surrounded by passionate staff, volunteers, and attendees.”

If you are interested in volunteering with Planning Aid Scotland and have any questions, please reach out to Jo, our Volunteer Coordinator, for a chat.