Rachel Le Noan

The Spring Statement and recent changes to employers’ National Insurance Contributions (eNICs) will have a significant impact on the voluntary sector in both Scotland and the UK. At a time when funding is insufficient and funding processes remain inefficient, governments at all... Read more

A Vision for Rural Scotland The purpose of this vision is to clarify the long-term goal and the overarching purpose of the Rural Delivery Plan. Scottish Government want this to provide direction towards a shared future for rural Scotland. Draft vision for rural Scotland: "Our... Read more

In September we welcomed the publication of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture (CEEAC) Committee’s report on Barriers to trade in goods and opportunities to improve the UK/EU trading relationship. The Scottish Advisory Forum on Europe (SAFE) was pleased to... Read more

At the time of the EU Ambassador’s visit to Scotland last spring, it felt like relations between the UK and the EU were beginning to improve. Today speculation is also mounting as to whether the actions of the new UK government will translate into a new (and dare I say, better... Read more

Last week brought another Spring Budget – and it all felt a bit like Groundhog Day, didn’t it? Pre-election giveaways caught the headlines – against a backdrop of low growth and productivity. Disappointingly absent from the Chancellor’s statement was recognition of the... Read more

If it now feels that the political conversation on Levelling Up has moved on, last week was a reminder that funding is still being distributed in Scotland. The Chancellor announced £80million for the ‘expansion of Levelling Up partnership programmes in Scotland’ in the Autumn... Read more

Rachel Le Noan blogs on the importance of the voluntary sector's voice in Europe, and how you can have your say. As daily news reminds us, world politics and dynamics are powerful and have consequences for us all, no matter where we live. Next year won’t be an exception with... Read more

SCVO has written to Neil Gray MSP following his appointment as Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy. Dear Mr Gray Congratulations on your appointment as Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy. I had the pleasure of meeting you at... Read more

For those amongst us working to decipher the Levelling Up agenda, the past twelve months have been busy building new relationships and trying to assess the impact of this policy on the ground. A year on from the publication of the Levelling Up White Paper and the UKSPF Prospectus... Read more

The Finance and Public Administration Committee at the Scottish Parliament has started to scrutinise what funding will replace EU Structural Funds in Scotland. SCVO and TSI Scotland Network submitted a joint letter to the committee ahead of an evidence session with Michael Gove... Read more