SCVO news blog

Communities and charities with new ideas to tackle child poverty will be given the opportunity to bid for part of a new £7.5 million Innovation Fund. Announced as part of the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, the fund, financed by the Scottish Government and the Hunter... Read more

Spring is in the air, and for Third Force News (TFN) this year, that heralds the start of an exciting new adventure as it gets ready to become a monthly magazine. We’ve recognised that most of our readers now prefer to read news digitally, so the last weekly TFN newspaper will be... Read more

The finalists for this year’s Scottish Charity Awards have been announced. Run annually by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, the awards are open to any voluntary organisation, charity, community group or individual charity volunteer or staff member, and celebrate... Read more

A campaign which aims to encourage EU nationals to stay and continue to live and work in Scotland despite ongoing uncertainty around Brexit took place in Edinburgh today. Created by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), the #EUareValued campaign was launched at... Read more

With key votes coming up on Brexit, SCVO and the Human Rights Consortium Scotland have written to members of the House of Lords to ask them to change the UK Government’s plans to reduce our rights’ protections post-Brexit. Peers will vote on the EU Withdrawal Bill beginning today... Read more

Organisations across the third sector have welcomed the Scottish Government’s aspirations to take a rights based approach to social security and are now calling for MSPs to support an amendment to the Social Security (Scotland) Bill, on the subject of independent advocacy. A... Read more

In response to the Scottish Government's publication of ‘Protecting what matters – what’s at stake for individuals in the Brexit talks’, John Downie, Director of Public Affairs for the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), said: “SCVO warmly welcomes this report... Read more

Decline in trust sparks call to action for Scottish third sector Figures released today (21 February) reveal that public trust in charities in Scotland has fallen by 9 percentage points over the last two years. The data comes from a telephone survey conducted by Ipsos MORI as... Read more

Over 100 charities, campaign groups and civil society leaders have joined forces to launch a new Scotland Declaration on Human Rights, calling for leadership to protect rights in the face of Brexit, as new research published today shows considerable public support for human... Read more

Recent studies have shown that two thirds of Scottish adults are overweight or obese. This means that obesity is now an issue that affects most third sector organisations supporting people in communities and requires urgent attention. Voluntary Health Scotland will be leading a... Read more

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is calling for charities across the country to apply for their annual charity awards. Now in its 12th year, the Scottish Charity Awards highlight the best, most innovative and effective charity organisations and individuals... Read more

A joint statement issued today* by the national third sector bodies of devolved nations Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales details various measures they feel are essential to avoid or minimise the potential harmful impacts of Brexit. The key recommendation from Northern Ireland... Read more

Research published by the IPPR Scotland today (31 January 2018) has found that the proposed income tax cuts on lower earnings, through a new Starter Rate, will not be effective at supporting the poorest households in Scotland, and will not help the Scottish Government to meet its... Read more

A national network co-ordinated by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has issued an open letter to government bodies asking them to evidence their commitment to delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Scotland. Scotland’s Sustainable Development... Read more

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations’ (SCVO) Board of Trustees is delighted to announce that Anna Fowlie has been appointed as the organisation's new Chief Executive Officer, and will take up the post in April 2018. Anna joins Scotland's national third sector body... Read more

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic right now. You can barely open a newspaper without reading an article about some new AI milestone, or a comment piece about why we are all going to lose our jobs to automation in the next decade. At CAF we have been trying to stay one... Read more

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations’ (SCVO) Board of Trustees is delighted to announce that Andrew Burns – former Edinburgh City Council Leader and local councillor - is the organisation’s new Convener. Appointed earlier this week following an open process via a... Read more

John Downie, Director of Public Affairs for the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) said: “Today’s Scottish Government Budget was a landmark one, with the Scottish Government quite radically overhauling the tax system. We welcome the introduction of a more... Read more

A programme which creates job opportunities in the third sector for vulnerable unemployed young people across Scotland is celebrating its 8,000th employee. Zara Turner (21) – a Hospitality Assistant at Callander Youth Project – is the latest young person to secure a job via... Read more

Responding to the announcement that facilities run by council arm’s-length bodies will continue to benefit from charity relief from non-domestic rates, John Downie, Director of Public Affairs for the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), said: “This decision flies... Read more

A further twenty three organisations from across Scotland have been granted funding for innovative projects which aim to reduce the impact of welfare cuts and poverty in Scotland. Earlier this year, Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities, Angela... Read more

The launch of an €8.7million cross-border project designed to enable older people with long term conditions (LTCs) to take the steps needed to live well, safely and independently in their own homes launched today (23 November 2017). Funded by the European Union’s INTERREG VA... Read more

In response to today’s (Wednesday 22 November 2017) Budget announcement by the Chancellor Philip Hammond, John Downie, Director of Public Affairs at the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) said: “Predictably, The Chancellor’s budget statement today did nothing to... Read more

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) are asking Scottish and Welsh MPs to back the cross-party amendments to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill drafted jointly by the Scottish and Welsh Governments. While both... Read more

In response to today’s (Thursday 2 November 2017) publication of the Scottish Government’s ‘The Role of Income Tax in Scotland’s Budget’ discussion paper, John Downie, Director of Public Affairs at the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) said: “SCVO welcomes the... Read more

Bob Geldof, John Cleese and Deacon Blue will all be in Princes Street Gardens in December for the biggest UK charity event of year thanks to Scottish social enterprise sensation Social Bite. Its innovative approach to tackling homelessness has highlighted the third sector to the... Read more

Feel you don’t have a say in important decisions? Do you despair at Trump, or flinch at the oncoming car-crash of Brexit, but don’t know what to do? Well why not join a local meet-up group and get involved in Open Government? If you haven't heard of it, Open Government is a... Read more

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is calling for third sector organisations across the country to put supports in place to encourage EU nationals on their staff to remain in Scotland. According to the Office for National Statistics, 117,000 EU nationals left... Read more

I recently attended the Corra Foundation’s conference on funding (Corra being the relaunched Lloyds TSB Foundation and a large funder here in Scotland). The day – entitled ‘Change convention: a space to explore how to create positive change in uncertain times’ – kicked off with... Read more

Following the publication of the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) first annual report on generosity earlier today, SCVO Chief Executive Martin Sime said: "The people of Scotland make an enormous contribution to our communities through supporting and working for good causes which... Read more

The campaign to devolve employability services to Scotland lasted more than a decade. It was based on the simple proposition that local control would be better, complementary work could be aligned to deliver a better service and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which... Read more

SCVO strongly disappointed that near replication of Work Programme means third sector regulated to role of sub-contractors The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has expressed its strong disappointment at the lack of successful third sector organisations who have... Read more

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has today announced that its Chief Executive, Martin Sime, is to retire following more than 25 successful years. Mr. Sime, who joined the charity umbrella body in 1991, has been credited with transforming the role of third... Read more

Never mind the countdown to Christmas, there’s only 241 days left to get ready for Data Protection D-Day! Last Thursday saw me at the SCVO Data Protection conference in Edinburgh. The event sold out remarkably quickly - evidence that the third sector has concerns about GDPR – the... Read more

Scotland’s third sector have made clear the grave concerns we hold around the potential loss of human rights protections we all enjoy as part of the EU, the rights of EU citizens living here and the future of EU funding – which so many charities rely on to undertake the great... Read more

Community organisations and groups which aim to help people mitigate the effects of welfare reform by providing them with the support and skills they need can now apply for the third phase of the Community Capacity and Resilience Fund (CCRF). On 22 February 2017 Cabinet Secretary... Read more

One of the prominent themes of the Scottish Government’s recent decisions on employability has been the side-lining of the third sector. The Apprenticeship Levy is no different. Last week, The Scottish Government announced the details of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund... Read more

Earlier today (7 September 2017), the Scottish Government announced details of the £10m Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF), one of the activities funded by the apprenticeship levy. The fund will be open for applications from 11 September 2017 and access will be on a first... Read more

Speaking after the launch of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund today, Martin Sime, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations said: “This is a totally inadequate response to the UK Apprenticeship Levy which will have barely any impact in the third... Read more

First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon outlined her programme for government for the forthcoming year today (5 Sept 2017). Commenting on the announcement, Deputy Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Lucy McTernan said: “After a decade in office, the First... Read more

It’s an exciting (and busy!) time for the CJS team. After six successful phases which have created 7,670 jobs, we're now into Phase 7 of Community Jobs Scotland, with the aim of creating and filling another 700 third sector jobs for unemployed, vulnerable young people by the end... Read more

Report out today calls for changes to non-domestic rates. Earlier today, the Barclay Review of Business Rates released the report of their findings and recommendations. This concludes the long process of evidence sessions, written submissions and Parliamentary scrutiny as the... Read more

In the Barclay Review of Business Rates published today (22 August 2017) two key recommendations affecting the third sector in Scotland were put forward. First, the Group have recommended that arms-length external organisations (ALEOs) lose charitable rate tax relief (and sports... Read more

An employment service run by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is looking for third sector employers across Scotland to benefit young people and their communities. Community Jobs Scotland (CJS) is an employability service which aims to support vulnerable... Read more

Twelve charities have been granted additional funding for pilot projects which aim to reduce the impact of welfare cuts and poverty in Scotland. On 22 February this year Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities, Angela Constance announced £1.9 million of... Read more

Members of a new network dedicated to open government have written to the Scottish Parliament to call for an urgent review of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Members of the Open Government Scotland Network - which comprises over 200 charities, academics, trade... Read more

Reducing inequality, ending poverty and providing good quality education - no one argued that these weren’t the correct goals to aim for, but translating the Sustainable Development Goals (or SDGs) into a Scottish context with clear actions and outcomes which are inclusive and... Read more

When it comes to productivity cloud tools (email, word processing and spreadsheets etc) there are two big players in town; Google's G-Suite and Microsoft Office 365. There are other solutions out there, but the sheer range of features and maturity of service, it's hard to beat... Read more

Lucy McTernan, Deputy Chief Executive for the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), today responded to the publication of the Budget Process Review Group's Final Report: “SCVO welcomes the publication of today’s report by the Budget Review Group which – if adhered... Read more

Charities and individuals from across Scotland have been recognised for the life-changing difference they make at the 2017 Scottish Charity Awards, which took place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre tonight (Thursday 22 June). Organised annually by the Scottish... Read more

John Downie, Director of Public Affairs at SCVO, responded today to the publication of the Social Security (Scotland) Bill: "The publication of the Social Security Bill is a landmark moment for the Scottish Parliament and we are pleased that the forthright views of Scotland's... Read more

SCVO’s Director of Public Affairs John Downie said: “We welcome the publication of today’s report and are encouraged to see many of the concerns raised by the third sector taken on in the Commission’s recommendations. “Scotland’s voluntary organisations put in a great deal of... Read more

As Brexit negotiations get underway, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and the Scottish Government’s EU Office are hosting an evening reception in Brussels tomorrow (Tuesday 20 June) to ensure that the voice of civil society is heard throughout the process... Read more

Martin Sime, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, has today issued a statement following the 2017 UK Election results: There has been some interesting analysis around the election results this morning, and while there have been a few surprises... Read more

Thousands of charities and voluntary organisations are gearing up to celebrate the vital contribution made by volunteers across the length and breadth of Scotland. From 1-7 June 2017, Volunteers’ Week Scotland will see a huge range of events take place in communities all over the... Read more

Organisations believe Scottish Government approach to employability won’t help those in need, or get the best out of the third sector. At the Joined Up For Jobs (Ju4J’s) partnership forum meeting in Edinburgh today (Friday 26 May) SCVO will state their opposition to the approach... Read more

Views are being sought from the third sector in Scotland on the future of social care, following the launch of a discussion paper outlining financial concerns. A key focus for the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is the sustainability of the third sector in... Read more

The finalists for this year’s Scottish Charity Awards have been announced. Run annually by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, the awards are open to any voluntary organisation, charity, community group or individual charity volunteer or staff member, and celebrate... Read more

Check out some of the inspirational feedback for a range of charities Read more

SCVO media release 6 February 2017 86% of Scotland’s charities fear Brexit economic shock Charities in Scotland are warning that Brexit could have a severe impact on their survival, with further negative effects on their ability to help the people they support. The stark findings... Read more

Unmissable events for charity trustees Read more

SCVO response to the Scottish Daily Mail Read more

SCVO media release 8 December 2016 The Scottish Fundraising Implementation Group has announced the members of the Independent Fundraising Standards & Adjudication Panel for Scotland, which will oversee fundraising standards and fundraising complaints about charities registered in... Read more

SCVO Annual Review 2015-16 A special HELLO to every single one of our 305 new members! We’re really excited that we welcomed 5 new members each week last year. Thanks for joining and we hope you’re enjoying being a member of SCVO. People in Scotland tell us they love charity! We... Read more

Our Annual Review celebrates our achievements of the past year. https://readymag.com/642897 View the text only version of the Annual Review Download our Annual Report Our Annual Report is presented by our Directors, together with the audited financial statement for the year ended... Read more

Monday 5 December 2016 SCVO media release The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) in partnership with the Wales Council for Voluntary Organisations (WCVA), Involve, and Northern Ireland Environment Link has been awarded a £500k Big Lottery Fund grant to support... Read more

On 23 November 2016, the UK Chancellor Philip Hammond presented his autumn statement to the UK Parliament. Commenting on the statement, SCVO Director of Public Affairs, John Downie, said: This budget offers little hope to the people that Scotland’s charities and voluntary... Read more

If you would like to request to vote by proxy at SCVO's AGM this year, please use this proxy form for the 2016 AGM Read more

SCVO media release 10 November 2016 The Scottish Fundraising Working Group is recommending to charities in Scotland that they do not need to screen against the FPS. Chair of the Group and Partner at MacRoberts LLP, Val Surgenor, said: “The Scottish Fundraising Working Group’s... Read more

Chair of recent review into fundraising in Scotland sets out what trustees need to know Read more

This Wednesday, SCVO organised a Digital Innovation event. As one of SCVO’s developers, I was asked to sit in and share my thoughts on the event. Our world has started to change very quickly, this change brings with it challenges. In order to use technology effectively, modern... Read more

The #rightapproach that goes to the heart of our society Read more

As SCVO launches its #RightApproach campaign, we take a look at the popular misconceptions surrounding Human Rights and why they remain as important and relevant as ever Read more

SCVO media release 7 July 2016 A new free-phone fundraising complaints line and website has gone live to assist members of the public wishing to make a complaint about charity fundraising in Scotland. Scottish Fundraising Complaints, which has been set up by the Scottish Council... Read more

SCVO media release 30 June 2016 An enhanced model for charity fundraising regulation in Scotland will see more responsibility placed on charities and the Scottish charity regulator, OSCR, to encourage good practice. The move follows an extensive period of consultation with the... Read more

SCVO media release 9 June 2016 Charities and people right across Scotland have been celebrated for the life-changing difference they make at the 2016 Scottish Charity Awards, which took place at the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh on 9 June. Shulah Allan, Convener of Scottish Council... Read more

... by coming to our free Big Advice Day Read more

About a year back, I started working on the Good HQ project, SCVO's new charity social media site. This is no small task, and as an experimental project, it uses a number of pretty new technologies. As it doesn't rely on the SCVO's existing infrastructure, it needs its own... Read more

Many of the tools we use in our daily work would cost a vast amount of money if we were a commercial organisation. Thanks to good-will towards non-profit organisations we are able to use wonderful tools at discounted rates or completely for free. In addition to open source... Read more

SCVO media release 2 May 2016 Charities and volunteers right across Scotland have been named as finalists in the Scottish Charity Awards. Organised by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), the Awards, which are free to enter, celebrate the life-changing work of... Read more

SCVO media release 13 April 2016 The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) will lead the civil society response in a pilot programme which has selected Scotland as one of 14 pioneers across the world to make governments more open and transparent. Led by the Open... Read more

This year SCVO's Digital Team had their own awesome stand at the Gathering Read more

9 out of 10 people have supported a charity in the last year 82% of people in Scotland trust charities and believe they act in the public interest (compared to 57% in England and Wales) Levels of trust in fundraising remains high with 73% of people agreeing that they feel... Read more

SCVO media release 11 February 2016 Charities are being urged to take part in a consultation to decide upon the future of fundraising regulation in Scotland. With the current UK-wide system of self-regulation about to change, Scottish charities need to design a system to make... Read more

The UK Government's stunt around employability funding is insulting to people in Scotland, explains John Read more

SCVO media release 27 January 2016 The Scottish Charity Awards are open for entries Charities and their supporters’ right across Scotland are being encouraged to apply for the 2016 Scottish Charity Awards by the Wednesday 18 March deadline. The awards, which are free to enter... Read more

Here's the latest roundup of progress on the project, and our first big post of 2016. It's also going to be one of my last, as I will be leaving SCVO soon to pursue new challenges elsewhere. The project is in great shape and we are all set to launch our public beta in a couple of... Read more

Why is our sector under siege and what can we do about it? That's the question raised by SCVO chief executive Martin Sime in his AGM address on 26 November 2015. The full speech is presented below. https://readymag.com/453774 Read more

Here's the latest roundup of progress on the project. I didn't manage to post at the end of Sprint 9, so this is a double post to catch us back up to the present day! Sprint 9 Done (technical): Implement cached content on homepage Implement ability to opt out of receiving... Read more

Racism, lobbying and Holyrood 2016 with David McColgan, SCVO policy committee member In the latest SCVO Policy Podcast, Policy Officer Jenny Bloomfield talks to David McColgan, SCVO policy committee member. Listen below to find out: David's suggestions on how the third sector can... Read more