First Minister urged to lead on delivery of Third Sector Partnership

SCVO said central government involvement will be critical to ensuring the partnership delivers lasting change. 

Scotland’s First Minister has been told his involvement in developing the upcoming Third Sector Partnership will be critical to delivering positive change for voluntary organisations across the country. 

Following the announcement of the Scottish Government’s commitments to a Third Sector Partnership earlier this month, voices from across the sector welcomed the move. 

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) commended the “impetus shown in progressing this agenda so soon after the Scottish Parliament election” in May, and welcomed the urgency from ministers. 

SCVO’s chief executive Anna Fowlie has now written to First Minister John Swinney, as well as the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing, setting out proposals from the national membership body for Scotland’s voluntary organisations for developing a new relationship between the Scottish Government and sector. 

They believe there are a number of important early steps the Scottish Government should take to establish a strong foundation for partnership. 

These include clear leadership from the centre of government; meaningful engagement with the voluntary sector on the design of the partnership; a roadmap for delivery; appropriate resourcing; and robust  mechanisms for accountability and review. 

This paper, A Third Sector Partnership for Scotland, also lays out five core principles that are essential for successful partnership, all of which have been informed by engagement with the voluntary sector: being underpinned in statute; accountability for delivery across public bodies; a focus on shared outcomes; protection of the voluntary sector’s independence; and alignment with Fair Funding principles.

Writing to Mr Swinney, Anna Fowlie, SCVO’s chief executive said: 

“Voluntary organisations are at the heart of Scotland’s response to the biggest challenges we face —challenges that require effective partnership between the public and voluntary sectors.

“We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to a Third Sector  Partnership, and the impetus shown in progressing this agenda so soon after the Scottish Parliament election. The paper draws on the evidence base on effective partnership working, including our own engagement with the voluntary sector as well as drawing on insights from partnership frameworks in place elsewhere in the UK. 

“As the paper argues, leadership from the centre of government will be essential.  A partnership of this significance cannot be delivered by any one team or portfolio alone . It must be understood, supported and implemented consistently across all government departments and agencies. For that reason, we believe that your leadership and support will be critical to ensuring that the Third Sector Partnership delivers lasting change , across the whole of government.

“We welcome the commitment you have already made and look forward to working constructively with you, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, your ministers and officials to develop a partnership that delivers for the voluntary sector, for your government and, most important of all, for people and communities across Scotland.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors

A copy of A Third Sector Partnership for Scotland is available here: https://files.scvo.scot/2026/06/ThirdSectorPartnershipPaper_2026-06-26.pdf

In its 2026 manifesto, Scotland’s Essential Sector – Priorities for the next Scottish Government, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) called for the new Scottish Government, its agencies and bodies, to commit to a new, formalised partnership with the voluntary sector. SCVO has been clear that this partnership should be underpinned in statute; accountable for delivery across public bodies; outcomes-focused; protective of the sector’s independence and aligned with Fair Funding principles.  

MSPs in Holyrood overwhelmingly voted in favour of a motion calling for the “strengthening of Scotland’s partnership with the third sector” on June 16: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/votes-and-motions/S7M-00356