Monday 29th June 2026

Dear First Minister,

  
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. I welcome the urgency that has been shown by the  
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing , who I have copied to this letter,  
and her officials in the Third Sector Unit.

  
In the spirit of supporting this process, I am writing to share [SCVO’s paper, A  
Third Sector Partnership for Scotland](https://files.scvo.scot/2026/06/ThirdSectorPartnershipPaper_2026-06-26.pdf?_gl=1*3cvta9*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3ODI3MjgxMjUuRUFJYUlRb2JDaE1JbThLajRwdXNsUU1WZnBoUUJoMzBkajJJRUFBWUFTQUFFZ0l2TFBEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_au*MTgyOTAyNjc3Ni4xNzgwNTgyMTI2), which sets out our proposals for developing  
a new relationship between the Scottish Government and the voluntary sector.  
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.

  
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.

  
The paper sets out five core principles that we believe to be essential for  
successful partnership, all of which have been informed by engagement with the  
voluntary sector. These are: 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.  
Alongside these principles, we 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.

  
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.

  
I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

  
Yours sincerely,

  
Anna Fowlie  
Chief Executive  
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

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## About SCVO

SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations) is the national membership organisation for Scotland's voluntary sector.

Our role is to champion the role of voluntary organisations in Scotland and to support them to do work that has a positive impact.

SCVO supports members and the wider voluntary sector with all aspects of setting up and running a voluntary organisation. SCVO represents the needs and concerns of the voluntary sector to the Scottish government in Holyrood and UK government and Westminster. Through our learning and events programme SCVO offers training and development opportunities to the sector.

Members access an extensive membership benefits package including specialist, in-depth, 1-to-1 guidance from our Information Services team and from professional service partners.

Access to exclusive membership networks (including comms, employers, governance and policy) supports members to grow their connections, stay up to date, exchange ideas and views with peers, and learn through tailored, learning opportunities.

SCVO members enjoy free access to Funding Scotland Premium to stay on top of funding opportunities to support their organisation’s financial resilience.

Discounts and savings savings on SCVO products and services (including our HR service, managed IT support, payroll service and events and training) and partner offers provide members with support to allow them to focus on delivering their organisation’s goals. Further SCVO products and services include [extensive digital support](https://scvo.scot/support/digital), a climate action resource [Growing Climate Confidence](https://climateconfident.scot), a voluntary sector publication [Third Force News](https://tfn.scot) and a voluntary sector jobs and recruitment service [Goodmoves](https://goodmoves.org).

For more information on SCVO membership, visit [SCVO membership](https://scvo.scot/membership)