The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.
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Support & learning blog
In the words of the Rolling Stones - please allow me to introduce myself. Read more
Hot off the press: our first annual report on digital participation in Scotland. Read more
Those nice people from Google came to our Edinburgh office this week to launch Google for Non-profits in Scotland. As a self-confessed Luddite, I went along to hear more about the range of free digital opportunities available to third sector organisations. https://twitter.com... Read more
SCVO’s Digital Participation team are pleased to announce the arrival of their very own Twitter handle! Read more
Sarah Quinn, Marketing Officer at Visibility, talks about Visibility's great night at the Scottish Charity Awards Read more
The Charity Awards highlight the great work of our sector and give much needed, very welcome, recognition of the hard work Scotland’s third sector organisations do. Read more
Reflections on our journey around the country to talk about digital participation Read more
Digital Inclusion has been a top priority in BT’s corporate responsibility programme for many years now. We have three clear aims and we’re working towards three ambitious targets, set out in our Better Future strategy. Connected Society – We believe in the power of... Read more
“There is a crisis in skills and the understanding of the digital world’s power and potential," said the internet entrepreneur Baroness Martha Lane Fox during her recent BBC Dimbleby lecture. Addressing that skills gap underpins much of Media Trust’s work in the digital training... Read more
The Scottish Charity Awards People's Choice vote is open! It's a great way to celebrate Scotland's charities. Read more
Which charities got the best leverage from Microvolunteering Day? And how can we make next year even better? Read more
Hints and tips on dealing with election fever Read more
The Easter Bunny has been, spring has well and truly arrived and the Let’s Get On roadshow is up and running. On a bright and sunny morning Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities Keith Brown came along to Lidl in Dalry in Edinburgh to launch the initiative... Read more
Over the past year we've been amazed at the breadth and creativity of activity taking place across Scotland to help people get online and gain Basic Digital Skills. Some projects and stories we are able to share on our website, other's we're able to share via our audiences at... Read more
I am a great believer that Digital has the opportunity to reduce costs, improve services and change lives. I had to renew my kids' passports recently. My experience was that the online form was simple and quick to complete, gave me a copy for my own records by default and then a... Read more
Was that another Gathering that just zipped by? In a blur, after months of planning, what feels like a brief few seconds whizzing past - it's done, gone for another year. Already there are cries from the team of ‘how is it that planning for the Gathering 2016 is on the agenda... Read more
Ever wondered what people at SCVO get up to on the internet? Here are some of our favourite digital platforms, as voted by our staff. Read more
What's it like being an exhibitor at The Gathering? Read more
Five digital workshops, meeting some inspiring people, free manicure and walking away with a Kindle; just some of the highlights of my first ever Gathering! Read more
We have a new mantra - Basic Digital Skills. Sally reflects on the changes and what it means for us in Scotland. Read more
On Monday I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a fantastic free lecture hosted by Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group. The lecture entitled ‘Digital Changes Everything’ focused on using digital technologies and communications to address climate change. Ian Abbott Donnelly, of... Read more
Julia explains some of the benefits of going tweet-tastic at The Gathering. Read more
Lee, age 11, explains why he enjoys a fun day out at The Gathering. Read more
The conference that put the "social" in social media Read more
It's Safer Internet Day tomorrow (10th Feb), sign up and support this fantastic initiative to make the internet a safer place for everyone. Read more
Tracey Bird explains that while conflicts of interest can happen on boards, if you deal with them proactively, you can make sure your organisation doesn’t hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Read more
There’s a vicious rumour that blogging is something to be scared of. It’s really not. Read more
When no news really is good news… Read more
Mary blogs on the challenges of the Challenge Fund and her top tips for potential applicants. Read more
Alex Stobart from Mydex on person centred services. Read more
The digital revolution is transforming communities around the world, but many still need help and support to get online. Do you work to help people in Scotland get online and join the digital world? You could be teaching older people how to use Skype, helping people search and... Read more
As I read the many predictions for 2015, I am surprised by how few mention volunteering. But maybe it’s in there if we think about volunteering differently. For years, many have said the term volunteering makes them think of little old ladies supporting their local charity shop... Read more
Team Digital share their resolutions for 2015. Read more
Iain Robertson on Scottish libraries pioneering approach to digital participation. Read more
We built ourselves a new website in a day. Here's how it's done Read more
Some tips on setting your pay scales so you can pay your staff a fair and competitive wage. Read more
Fantastic. Amazing. Brilliant. I watched BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) with sheer delight. Not just because of the amazing sporting achievements but for the profile of volunteering. Volunteers and volunteering were centre stage in the ceremony and on social media... Read more
Preparations for round two of the Challenge Fund awards and key dates for your diaries. Read more
Sally reviews what has been a fantastic year for Team Digital and considers our resolutions for 2015. Read more
I am a passionate volunteer. I’ve volunteered in some shape or form my whole life and as my life has changed, I have given my time in different ways and changed the organisations I support. This mind-set of lending a hand was instilled in me from my time in the Brownies but I... Read more
Helen McFarlane, Programme Director of Allied Health Professions at NHS Education for Scotland, explains how a new campaign is aiming to improve the quality of life for people who have problems speaking. Read more
In which Team Digital returns to rock SCVO's annual Third Sector Summit. Read more
Sue Scotland highlights the need for technological innovation in health and social care and your chance to get involved. Read more
Ian Watson, Knowledge Media Programme Manager, explains why IRISS have signed up to the Charter and highlights the importance of digital participation in the workplace. Read more
Liz Green, Senior Development Officer at YouthLink Scotland, introduces the Digitally Agile National Principles. Read more
Ian Blewett from Scottish Enterprise explains why they've signed up to the Digital Participation Charter. Read more
The next leg of the DigiScotFest tour finds SCVO's digital participation team in Dumfries and Galloway. Read more
Our digital challenge fund has launched and calls are out for applications from organisations helping people flourish in the digital age. Read more
If someone you know is ready to take their first steps online, it's easier than ever to find help and support near you. Read more
Brendan Dick, Director BT Scotland, takes on a whistle stop tour of people getting online across Scotland Read more
It's the UK's 8th national Get Online Week, and we're giving things an extra push in Scotland too Read more
Information literacy used to be viewed as a rather specialised academic issue, but this is no longer the case. Find out more about information literacy and why it is so important to a democratic society and the third sector. Read more
More public services are going digital. It’s time to ask “what would you like to do online?” Let’s be ambitious! Read more
Young Scot is not alone in facing digital participation challenges. Here’s what we’re doing to overcome them. Read more
Whenever I publish something it reminds me of my first foray into online dating because every time I send something into the ether, I sit there anxiously waiting for approval. Blogging has become a bit of an obsession with me since setting up LGBTicons.com. I started with a... Read more
It's been a busy summer for Team Digital. Here's what's coming up and who's doing what. Read more
Sally Dyson encourages you to get involved in the Let's Get On campaign by sharing your stories to inspire others to get online. Read more
How would you feel if your Marmite started talking to you? Read more
Watching Monty Python's Life of Brian the other day got me thinking. With many charities having similar aims and reasons to exist, isn't it a bit daft, (especially with cash hard to come by) to have both the equivalent of the People's Front of Judea and the Judean People's Front... Read more
The first details have emerged of the new exemption scheme for water rates and it is good news for Charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs... Read more
Following on from getting a whole group of folk together in the central belt to talk about all things digital we’re really pleased to be able to bring together colleagues in the North of Scotland. In partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Royal Society of... Read more
SCVO’s Let’s Get Digital project is set to help organisations across Scotland grow and increase their digital skills Read more
SCVO’s Digital Participation team asked its Leadership Group members what are the key digital participation challenges their organisations are facing. This month’s instalment is from Tommy Laughlin from ScotlandIS Read more
The latest Scottish Household Survey (SHS) results were published last week and its section on digital participation and the use of the internet (page 76) is well worth a look. It covers four key areas: Take up of internet and broadband with a focus on how this varies by income... Read more
A whole week in October will be dedicated to helping everyone get to grips with the online world Read more
Young people are under-represented on the boards of voluntary organisations and charities. But their enthusiasm, experience and unique perspective mean that they have a lot to offer Read more
Rebecca Stafford shares her thoughts on the recent 'Is the Internet a Human Right?' event in Edinburgh. Read more
Tracey, our information officer, gives some insight into the behind-the-scenes work you should be doing while it's quiet. Read more
SCVO’s Digital Participation team asked its Leadership Group members what are the key digital participation challenges their organisations are facing. First up is Elma Murray, Chief Executive, North Ayrshire Council Read more
In God we trust. Everyone else, bring data. Read more
There has been a great strategic focus on digital inclusion in Scotland this year, with new strategies from both the Scottish and UK governments and the excellent report from the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The need for a new approach and a new focus on tackling digital exclusion... Read more
Lynne, SCVO's new Digital Participation Development Officer, says the hard data is just the start when measuring progress on digital participation Read more
Digital is changing our world. Here are three big themes for third sector leaders to think about Read more
An Annual General Meeting (AGM) is an important part of life in the world of voluntary organisations. But what about when it’s just too difficult to get everyone together in one place? Read more
In which we take the challenge of digital participation to the UK's digital leaders Read more
It might have been the first digital participation “unconference” in Scotland but it certainly won’t be the last Read more
The internet brings great opportunity, but the way we use it risks excluding and exploiting those who need it most Read more
Tilly offers some useful pointers on thorny health and safety questions, reassuring us that it doesn’t have to be complicated, time-consuming or create reams of paperwork. Read more
Notes from the latest meeting of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Digital Participation Read more
Go4IT is making sure the people with the most to gain from the online world aren’t getting left behind Read more
The next few months should give charity and third sector trustees much to think about in terms of governance. After all, the referendum will bring change no matter what the outcome. Read more
Just over two weeks to go, and we've added the Speaker's Commission on Digital Democracy to the lineup Read more
Helping people use the web is a complement, not a substitute, for other efforts on social inclusion Read more
Gosia from Third Age Computer Fun explains how it's never too late to go digital Read more
... quite simply, so you don’t miss out on the most diverse discussions about digital participation in Scotland this year #DigiScotFest14 Read more
Creating a great relationship with your board is all about good governance. Read more
Here's a quick primer on an important part of Scotland's third sector digital infrastructure Read more
And how participation and digital skills are central to jobs, growth and inclusion Read more
...and all the right noises, but actions speak louder than words Read more
Do you know what your constitution says? If the answer is no, it's time to dust it off and make it work for you. Read more
We're planning a festival of ideas for getting everyone in Scotland online. Read more
Reflections on the UK Government's new Digital Inclusion Strategy Read more
Can you help us bid for Scotland to Get Connected? Read more
Trustee recruitment is about knowing what skills you’re looking for and making your new trustees feel welcome. Read more
Highlights from the Scottish Parliament's Cross-Party Group on Digital Participation Read more
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: summarise this post in 140 characters or fewer Read more
It's Digital Unite’s Spring Online week. A whole week dedicated to encouraging and supporting people to use the internet. Read more
Could you deliver digital skills training in the community? We want to hear from you! Read more
It's easier than ever to get a great website up and running. Here are two excellent free tools to get you started. Read more
Here's one possibility: a world where user needs come first, and where no one is left behind Read more