SCVO Letter to Kate Forbes MSP, Deputy First Minister

9 May 2024

Dear Deputy First Minister

Congratulations on your appointment as Deputy First Minister of Scotland.  I very much look forward to working with you again in this new role.

I know from your involvement with digital inclusion that you have seen the voluntary sector’s ability to delivery on Scottish Government priorities.  Your recent parliamentary debate on the voluntary sector’s role in the economy further demonstrated your depth of understanding, and was warmly welcomed by the sector.

As Deputy First Minister, taking forward the government’s priorities on eradicating child poverty, investing in public services and supporting economic growth you will no doubt come into contact with many voluntary organisations making a vital contribution to these areas of work.  I look forward to working with you to ensure that the sector’s role continues to be recognised and developed by this government, and to discussing ways in which our sector can have parity of esteem alongside the private and public sectors.

In your role as Cabinet Secretary for the Wellbeing Economy, I hope that your understanding of the voluntary sector’s economic contribution will ensure that the sector’s voice in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation is strengthened, and the sector’s voice might also be explicitly recognised and valued in other economic development work, including community wealth building. 

As a member of the Fair Work convention, I draw your attention to the sector’s commitment to the Fair Work agenda, but the practical barriers it can face in implementation, not least in relation to annualised/short-term funding preventing job security.  

We are working constructively with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice in relation to Fair Funding for the voluntary sector, and I have written separately to the First Minister to urge him to maintain, develop and deliver on the former First Minister’s Fairer Funding commitments.  As a key member of the Cabinet, your support for the existing Scottish Government commitments on timely notification of funding and multi-year funding, and a willingness to build on these to further work towards Fair Funding for the sector in coming years would be much appreciated.  These changes would clearly signal your support for the sector, without directly requiring an increase in spending.  Any dilution of these commitments would be a significant blow and damage the sector’s relationships with government.

I’m very happy to discuss any aspect of this with you.

Best wishes

Anna Fowlie