The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.
SCVO news blog
We've been clear from the outset of this project that we're going to put our users first. Of course, when you're running product development it's easy to get carried away with the build and to lose touch with what your users actually need it to do. The team - and the people... Read more
People contribute to society in different ways at different times. They are driven by a need to support themselves and their families, share things with other people around them and do something meaningful with their lives. Sustainable and meaningful paid employment is the single... Read more
Here's the latest roundup of progress over the last fortnight. Pretty much all of our MVP features are in place, and we're starting to send out invites to our sandbox environment for a small number of people to begin exploring. The next sprint is mainly technical consolidation to... Read more
SCVO media release 21 August 2015 The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is inviting community groups to apply for funding to help get people online. The Digital Participation Challenge Fund will allocate £325k to community projects across Scotland to help people... Read more
Here's the latest roundup of progress over the last fortnight. We've had a big push to get the minimum feature set in place, and by the end of the next fortnight we should be ready to open up a sandbox environment for a wider group of users to begin testing. Done (technical... Read more
SCVO media release 30 July 2015 The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations has launched an informal review of fundraising in Scotland to assess whether or not the current system of public charity fundraising self-regulation is working. The review, which will report back by... Read more
Sadly my internship has come to an end! :( It feels like I was only taken on a few weeks ago, so these three months have gone by very quickly. I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to work for SCVO. Here are some of the things I've learned from the experience... Read more
Politics, the new budget and the 'National Living Wage' with Stephen Boyd, STUC In the latest SCVO Policy Podcast, Policy Officer Jenny Bloomfield talks to Stephen Boyd, Assistant Secretary at STUC. Listen below to find out: What Stephen thinks of the performance of SNP MPs so... Read more
A big (the biggest?) part of running an agile project is a commitment to ship working code on a regular basis. We're now through the very early set-up phase for the project and have settled into a cadence that feels right for us: a fortnightly sprint cycle with major versions... Read more
SCVO media release 8 July 2015 For immediate release Following George Osborne’s summer budget today, John Downie, Director of Public Affairs, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), said: “For the first time the Chancellor has finally admitted that his attack on the... Read more
The wisdom of the crowds - the collective opinion of a group of individuals rather than that of a single expert – is not a new concept. It’s been around since Aristotle. In recent years, technology has changed our ability to aggregate collective opinions, and this in turn has... Read more
At the moment the SCVO labs team is small but we have big ambitions, put simply, a participation revolution. We're building a place for people to share their stories about charities and good causes in Scotland. I'm passionate about the project and excited about our approach... Read more
Hello! My name is Hoyam and I am a Digital Research Intern for the digital participation team and SCVO Labs. My role involves researching the digital activities of charities and non-profit organisations, not just in Scotland and the UK but internationally as well. Currently I am... Read more
Hi, this is Alex, lead developer on SCVO Labs. Nice to meet you! For the last few weeks I've been building a prototype of the underlying system which the SCVO Labs app will be running on.I'm a Java developer by history, and this is my first time doing full-stack development (i.e... Read more
One month in, and things are starting to get exciting. In the very near future we'll be launching a work-in-progress product for you to start exploring. We'll post an online sign-up form for pilot users in due course, but if you want to register interest early then drop us a line... Read more
SCVO media release 5 June 2015 For immediate release Charities and people right across the country have been recognised for the contribution they make to life in Scotland at the 2015 Scottish Charity Awards which took place at the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh tonight (4 June... Read more
It’s been ten years since the Charity Act was introduced in Scotland and while it has been a largely successful piece of legislation there are areas which could do with some attention. One of the main reasons the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is calling for a... Read more
The driving ambition for SCVO Labs is to bring platform thinking to bear on people's engagement with civil society and good causes in Scotland. But on the way there we're also testing out new ways of working for an organisation like SCVO. In particular, we're embracing an agile... Read more
After a few months getting things lined up, the SCVO Labs show is now well and truly on the road. Over the last week we've put the initial team together, upgraded this website and started to prepare our workspace. We'll be running an agile, user-centred design process, and doing... Read more
SCVO Labs is about more than just building great products. We ❤ open, so we want to involve people in what we're doing and talk about what we're learning. Over the weeks and months ahead we'll be using this blog to share our stories with our friends, colleagues and the wider... Read more
Election predictions, environmental policy and social justice with Robin Parker, WWF Scotland In the latest SCVO Policy Podcast, Policy Officer Jenny Bloomfield talks to Robin Parker, Public Affairs Manager at WWF Scotland. Listen below to find out: What Robin thinks will happen... Read more
SCVO has spent hours poring over election manifestos so you don't have to. Our comparison covers key areas affecting the sector and the people we support, including welfare, devolution, climate change and the economy. We outline a range of key messages from each parties... Read more
SCVO media release 1 April 2015 The Digital Participation Challenge fund, delivered by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations with Scottish Government support, today published its second round of funding offers to 33 organisations across Scotland to help them get people... Read more
What's it like being an exhibitor at The Gathering? Read more
SCVO media release 26 February 2015 Ditch rhetoric on social justice & focus on treating the causes not just the symptoms of poverty Hundreds of charity leaders from across Scotland will question Alex Neil MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities & Pensioners... Read more
SCVO Media Release 25 February 2015 As thousands of charities come together for The Gathering, the annual event for third sector organisations organised by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), today and tomorrow in the SECC, Glasgow, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon... Read more
SCVO media release 25 February 2015 Despite loving working in third sector 1 in 2 charity workers are looking for a new job for better pay & more job security The findings of a survey of more than 1,000 people working in charities and third sector organisations, published today... Read more
Julia explains some of the benefits of going tweet-tastic at The Gathering. Read more
Lee, age 11, explains why he enjoys a fun day out at The Gathering. Read more
SCVO media release 6 February 2015 For immediate release Following the publication of the Scottish Parliament's Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments (SPPA) Committee’s report on a register of lobbying, John Downie, Director of Public Affairs, Scottish Council for... Read more
On Thursday 22nd January the UK Government released draft legislation for a new Scottish devolution settlement. This sets out how they plan to put the recommendations of the Smith Commission into law. These are draft clauses with a new Scotland Bill to be included in the Queen’s... Read more
SCVO media release 22 January 2015 For immediate release Following the publication of draft legislation on more powers for Scotland, Martin Sime, Chief Executive, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) said: “The piecemeal proposals put forward by the Smith... Read more
What were the top SCVO blogs of 2014? 2014 was a year dominated by the independence referendum, and that's reflected in this year's top blogs. The third sector in Scotland worked with us to make sure that charities and voluntary organisations had a strong voice in the debate, and... Read more
To help more young people must invest in what works instead of the Work Programme The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is pleased to announce that Lauren Sinton, a 16-year-old from Bathgate, has become the 5,000th young person to find a job through Community... Read more
SCVO media comment 4 December 2014 Following today’s announcement that the UK Government is extending contracts to deliver its Work Programme, Lucy McTernan, Deputy Chief Executive, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, said: “We are utterly appalled by the UK Government... Read more
SCVO media comment 4 December 2014 Welfare changes causing depression, fear & destitution SCVO's latest research on the impact of welfare reform on frontline charities shows that cuts, and poor management of them, is subjecting people to abject poverty through no fault of their... Read more
This morning the Smith Commission released its report, setting out the agreement between the main political parties on which further powers to devolve to Scotland. In our original submission to the Smith Commission, we asked for a number of powers to be devolved. Below is a quick... Read more
SCVO media comment 27 November 2014 Time to invest in what works to create real jobs for people Lucy McTernan, Deputy Chief Executive, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, said: “John Swinney will soon have the power to scrap the Work Programme in Scotland and we urge... Read more
SCVO media comment 27 November 2014 Smith’s personal recommendation to devolve more power to people and communities very encouraging Following the publication of the Smith Commission recommendations today, John Downie, Director of Public Affairs, SCVO said: “We’ve said all along... Read more
SCVO media comment 26 November 2014 Following the announcement of the Scottish Government’s legislative programme, John Downie, Director of Public Affairs, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) said: “The third sector has been calling for a fairer society, economy... Read more
24 November 2014 Dear Messrs Cameron, Clegg & Miliband Living up to the vow: the wholesale devolution of welfare As your party representatives enter the final week of Smith Commission negotiations, we want to remind you about the vow you made to the people of Scotland to give... Read more
SCVO media release 20 November 2014 To deliver on new First Minister’s mission to tackle poverty & inequality, Scottish Government needs to invest more in third sector Following a £200m (20%) drop from 2010-2013, public funding now only makes up 34% (£1.7bn) of charities’ income... Read more
Notice is hereby given that the seventy-first Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations will be held on Thursday 20th November 2014 at 4.30pm at 200 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5RQ. All Members are invited to attend the AGM and the SCVO... Read more
Minutes of the 70th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in The John McIntyre Conference Centre, 18 Holyrood Park Road, Edinburgh, EH16 5AY on Thursday 21st November 2013 1. Welcome and opening remarks from Brendan Dick, SCVO Honorary President Brendan Dick, SCVO Honorary President... Read more
SCVO media release 14 November 2014 For immediate release TAP INTO ENERGY OF REFERENDUM & SMITH COMMISSION TO BUILD DEMOCRACY THAT WORKS FOR PEOPLE SCVO has published a report calling for a rethink of democracy in Scotland, so that it works for the vulnerable people whose lives... Read more
Jenny talks to Jill Wood from Engender about the Labour leadership race, women in politics, and the gender pay gap. How are women doing in Scottish politics? Why, 44 years on from the Equal Pay Act, do men get on average 13% more pay than women in Scotland? And is the pay gap... Read more
31 October 2014 Piecemeal top-down approach to devolution won't work Following a wide spread consultation with the third sector across Scotland, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has used its submission to the Smith Commission on more powers for Scotland to... Read more
Politics and power in post-referendum Scotland with Juliet Swann, Electoral Reform Society Scotland In the second of SCVO's Policy Podcasts, Policy Officer Jenny Bloomfield and Juliet Swann, Campaigns and Research Officer at ERS Scotland, discuss some topical political issues... Read more
Joint letter to Smith Commission 10 October 2014 Lord Smith The Smith Commission 7th Floor One Atria 144 Morrison Street Edinburgh EH3 8EX Dear Lord Smith As representatives of some of the major interests in civil society in Scotland, we are well aware of the challenges facing... Read more
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has made an interim contribution to the Smith Commission, asking for a guarantee that people in Scotland will be given a real say in the devolution of more powers to Scotland. Martin Sime, Chief Executive, SCVO said: “We... Read more
SCVO is urging third sector organisations to submit views and proposals on further devolution of powers to the Scottish Parliament to feed into the Smith Commission. Lord Smith of Kelvin, who has been appointed to take forward the devolution commitments on further powers for the... Read more
What does the independence referendum mean for the third sector and communities in Scotland? This is the topic for discussion in the first of a new series of SCVO podcasts as Policy Officer Jenny Bloomfield talks to Nic White, Head of Scotland at Breast Cancer Care, on the impact... Read more
SCVO – STUC – NUS Scotland - joint media statement 19 September 2014 The citizens of Scotland have made their decision and they must take the lead in shaping Scotland’s future Today the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC... Read more
SCVO media statement 19 September 2014 Reflecting on the result of the referendum on Scottish independence, Martin Sime, Chief Executive, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), said: “People have voted in unprecedented numbers and the debate showed there is an... Read more
SCVO media release 28 July 2014 The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has joined forces with the STUC and the Daily Record for the Mission Million campaign to encourage the million people in Scotland currently unregistered to start using their vote. John Downie... Read more
We're asking you to shape our future, so we can help shape yours. Read more
SCVO media release 9 July 2014 For immediate release The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). This new legal structure, which has been purpose built for the charity sector in Scotland, allows... Read more
SCVO media release 9 June 2014 For immediate release NEED TO LEAVE BEHIND SCOTLAND’S ARCHAIC SYSTEM & HAVE FAIRER DISTRIBUTION OF LAND Five third sector organisations have joined forces to urge the Scottish Government to take early and decisive action on land reform. They have... Read more
SCVO media comment Wed 4 June 2014 Ahead of the publication of the Expert Group on Welfare’s second report, John Downie, Director of Public Affairs, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), said: “It’s encouraging to see that the Group is aspiring towards a much more... Read more
SCVO media release 3 June 2014 NEW NATIONAL PROGRAMME GETS CHARITIES READY FOR SHIFT TO MORE LOCAL HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and partners today (Tuesday 3 June) launched Building Healthier and Happier Communities, a national... Read more
SCVO media release 7 May 2014 For immediate release The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has published a new report, An Economy for All, which outlines how we can build a stronger economy by reducing inequality. The report calls for people’s well-being to... Read more
Following the launch of the Help to Work scheme today, Martin Sime, chief executive, SCVO said: “SCVO has consistently opposed this kind of mandatory activity that forces people to do unpaid work or face unfair sanctions. It’s particularly harmful at a time when many people are... Read more
We now have over 1,600 members for the first time ever. 45 new members were approved in March and are listed below. A big welcome to the SCVO family! Our new members continue to reflect the diverse range of organisations that make up Scotland’s third sector, ranging from small... Read more
SCVO Media Release Embargoed until 00.01 on 4 March 2014 NEW CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO TACKLE SCOTLAND’S “HUMANITARIAN CRISIS” More than 870,000 people in Scotland are living in poverty A fifth of children in Scotland are living below the breadline 23,000 people turned to food banks... Read more
Can you create and fill a job by 31 March 2014? Alex Salmond, First Minister and Angela Constance, Minister for Youth Employment have announced more funding for Community Jobs Scotland. They have allocated £4 million of funding for 2014–2015 which will create 1,200 Community Jobs... Read more
Alistair Darling MP, leader of the Better Together campaign Address to SCVO Annual Gathering, Thursday 20 February 2014 The work of the third sector, often in partnership with government and other organisations, is essential in improving the lives of people across Scotland. It’s... Read more
Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP, First Minister Address to SCVO Annual Gathering, Wednesday 19 February 2014 Introduction Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here for the SCVO’s tenth annual gathering. The third sector has 45,000 organisations in Scotland, 130,000 employees, and more than a... Read more
SCVO media release New figures show vital role third sector plays in Scotland New figures released today (Wednesday 19 February) by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) show that the third sector’s turnover has grown to £4.9bn, having doubled over the last... Read more
Welfare, jobs, economy & health & social care to top agenda In key speaking appointments following last week’s currency union debate, the First Minister Alex Salmond MSP and Alistair Darling MP will set out the cases for and against remaining part of the UK for charities and the... Read more
An independent report released today shows that the second phase of Community Jobs Scotland (CJS) programme has created jobs for 1,420 young unemployed people in charities and third sector organisations in all parts of Scotland. John Downie, Director of Public Affairs, Scottish... Read more
41% of charities and third sector organisations grew in size in 2013 despite the difficult economic environment – an improvement on 2012 when just 31% of organisations increased in size Over three quarters (77%) of charities and third sector organisations expect demand to... Read more
Following the launch of the Scottish Government’s White Paper on independence today, Martin Sime, Chief Executive, SCVO said: “More than one million people are living in poverty in Scotland and 30% of our population don’t vote and will never set eyes on this weighty document. How... Read more
SCVO has published the first in a series of papers which lay out the third sector’s vision and ambitions for a Scotland of the future in the run-up to next year’s referendum. The report brings together thinking and ideas from across the third sector and will help to spark more... Read more
Thursday 21 November saw SCVO’s 70th AGM at the John McIntyre Centre, Edinburgh. Find out what happened: Changes to SCVO management board Standing down from the management board Andrew Jackson (Royal Voluntary Service) Elected to the management board Michelle McCrindle (Food... Read more
New Community Jobs Scotland (CJS) programme targeted at young offenders. Read more
Dear Lord Wallace, Open letter on transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill 2013-14 We write to express our opposition to parts of the above Bill and to call on you to withdraw these draft regulations which we believe will cause great... Read more
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has appointed Chris Yiu to the new post of Director of Digital Participation. Read more
It needs to focus on the big issues that matter to people More than half of charities think the debate is uninspiring and predictable. It’s missing the big issues that matter to them and people in Scotland – poverty, welfare, jobs, health and social care 40% of charities and... Read more
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is launching a new project which will invest in charities and third sector organisations in several localities across Scotland to help prepare them for the shift of health and social care services to local community level... Read more
Following George Osborne’s speech proposing that long-term unemployed people will be forced into community service, John Downie, Director of Public Affairs, SCVO said: “The UK Government must stop this ritual humiliation of unemployed people “The so-called “Help to Work... Read more
A new Digital Participation Programme being launched today by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) will help give people across Scotland the skills to connect to the internet. Lucy McTernan, Deputy Chief Executive at SCVO, said: “Using the internet and digital... Read more