• Coronavirus Info Hub
  • Funding Scotland
  • Goodmoves
  • TFN
  • SCVO Membership
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
Join our community
About Support & learning Services Funding Jobs & employability Policy & research
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
  • Home
  • About
  • Support & learning
  • Services
  • Funding
  • Jobs & employability
  • Policy & research
Our sites
  • Coronavirus Info Hub
  • Funding Scotland
  • Goodmoves
  • TFN
  • SCVO Membership
  • Home
  • Policy & research
  • Campaigns
  • #NeverMoreNeeded
  • What we’ve learned so far

What we’ve learned so far

Scotland’s 40,000 voluntary organisations make our lives better every day from linking up new mums to providing care to the elderly. They enrich our lives with sporting and cultural activities, protect our environment and provide a voice to those who are not being heard.  

During the coronavirus lockdown, they have fed tens of thousands, and provided emotional, financial and practical support to keep people safe in the community. Without the voluntary sector, our experience of lockdown would have been far worse.  

However, the voluntary sector has been hit hard by coronavirus. Here are some examples of the challenges the pandemic has created for organisations:

  • In Scotland organisations expect to see a 30% drop in income, which will hit the £5.7 billion that goes to good causes every year. 
  • Half of charities report they may run out of cash within six months.  
  • The loss of major annual fundraising events such as the Kiltwalk and London Marathon has cost organisations millions of pounds. 
  • 20% of charities fear they will be unable to do the work they were set up to do at some point in the next 12 months.  
  • Nearly half of charities (42%) have lost income from trading: with charity shops, cultural attractions, many social enterprises and youth centres all closing their doors during lockdown.  
  • Between 15% and 30% of the sector’s 108,000 staff were furloughed. Many organisations have made staff redundant. 
  •  A third (29%) of charities have seen a fall in volunteer numbers as older volunteers were forced to give up their roles to shield from Covid.   
  • The pandemic has exacerbated long-standing inequalities, leading to a dramatic growth in demand for voluntary services. Scotland’s independent foodbanks, for example, reported a 108% rise in the number of emergency food parcels distributed in July 2020 compared to same month last year.  

There is hope… 

  • Lockdown saw a rise in volunteering. More than 50,000 Scots signed up to the Scotland Cares Campaign to seek Covid volunteers and 74% of Scottish adults said they had volunteered between March and June.  
  • Thousands of voluntary organisations successfully moved services online, from youth music lessons to older people’s lunch clubs – upskilling their staff and service users as they went. Many of these services will continue once face-to-face services resume.  
  • Lockdown saw the creation of hundreds of new partnerships with other voluntary organisations, councils, the NHS and businesses – organisations came together to ensure everyone got the help they need and many plan to continue working together.  

Find out what SCVO is doing in response to what it has learned through Never More Needed.

Find out all the latest information you need to know about running your organisation through the coronavirus pandemic, including the latest funding available to the sector, in our Coronavirus Third Sector Information Hub.

Research

  • SCVO – Coronavirus and its impact on the Scottish voluntary sector – what do we know so far?
  • SCVO – State of the Sector: pre-coronavirus
  • OSCR – COVID-19 Impact on Charities
  • Social Enterprise Scotland – State of the Sector
  • SCVO – Coronavirus and its impact on the Scottish voluntary sector – a review of literature
Page last modified on 17th September 2020

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

  • Policy & research
  • Campaigns
  • #NeverMoreNeeded
  • Resources
  • What we’ve learned so far
  • What we’re doing
#NeverMoreNeeded - Curated tweets by scvotweet
#NeverMoreNeeded

Third Force News Latest news  See more

Over £1.9m to help Scotland's historic attractions recover

26th January 2021

New digital service will provide vital support for homeless people

26th January 2021

Social enterprise funds two key clean water projects in Malawi

26th January 2021

Care charity launches new lunch programme

26th January 2021

Health charity calls for politicians to pledge to help the NHS

25th January 2021

New project aims to help communicate climate action urgency

25th January 2021

Latest posts  See more

Craig Wilson
Equalities & Human Rights Committee Debate – Valuing the Third Sector
30th November 2020
Sian Lower
Remember the #NeverMoreNeeded voluntary sector this winter
30th November 2020
Lorna Forrest
Furlough or Furloathe?
5th June 2020
Tracey Bird
Right now, trustees are #NeverMoreNeeded
1st June 2020
Join our community

Contact

How to get in touch while our staff are working from home

Social

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Soundcloud
  • YouTube

Help

  • Accessibility
  • Transparency & open data
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Terms & conditions
  • Feedback & complaints

About

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Find out more

© 2021. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations