Support & learning blog

Below is a blog by the team at North Ayrshire Women’s Aid, outlining their activities which have been supported by the Digital Participation Charter Fund: 'The Universal Women project began in March 2018, initially as a way to support the women in our service cope with the... Read more

The term “digital by default” trips off the tongue very easily in modern society, however for many members of our communities, going digital can be a very daunting task indeed. Having been appointed as Parkhead CAB’s new Digital Advisor at the end of 2018, I have been working to... Read more

Camphill Blair Drummond offers a home, meaningful activities and opportunities for personal development to adults with learning disabilities and other special needs. Back in April 2017 an email came into the community which introduced the Digital Participation Charter Fund. At... Read more

Maximising benefits and minimising risk or: ‘The invisible thin line between the individual’s rights and our duty to protect’ Towards the end of January, practitioners from across the third sector came together as part of SCVO’s One Digital agenda to focus on the issue of... Read more

At Big Hearts, we use the power of football to engage families and individuals in the local community who are most at risk of social isolation. This includes our work to support Kinship Carers – primarily grandparents caring for grandchildren full-time – and isolated older people... Read more

Officially launched on 30 January by Kate Forbes, Minister for Public Finance and Digital Economy, the seventh round of the Digital Participation Charter Fund is now open and SCVO Digital looks forward to supporting further development of essential digital skills across Scotland... Read more

It's 2019 and the Digital Team at SCVO have kicked it off in style. We are working with some great partners to develop a network of digital champions working in social housing around Scotland and we're looking for organisations to join us. These digital champions will be in roles... Read more

With a year to go until Windows 7 reaches the end of its supported life, John Fitzgerald outlines the steps charities should be taking now. Read more

Last week I had the pleasure of facilitating SCVO Digital’s Storytelling Success: Describing your Digital Journey event at the William Quarrier Epilepsy Centre in Govan, Glasgow as part of our digital participation practitioner events programme. We were delighted to host... Read more

The latest research from Lloyds Banking Group identifies that 52% of charities have basic digital skills, a rise of 4% from 2017. This is coupled, at the other end of the scale, with the number of charities reporting as having none of the basic digital skills reducing from 10... Read more

Today the Lloyds Banking Group publish the findings of the latest UK Business Digital Index survey, including a dedicated report for the charity sector. It is hugely encouraging to see the results demonstrate the progress being made by charities in adapting to our digital world... Read more

Sue Holland-Smith of Dundee City Council shares how Get Online Week worked for them. Here in sunny Dundee we have been on a bit of a Digital Skills journey over the past year or so. We have been developing our Digital Champions model through a series of Champions Gatherings... Read more

The last weeks have been pretty immersive (read: chaotic). With Mhor Collective, One Digital and SCVO, we’ve been working with some fantastic third sector organisations to understand the challenges they face when addressing issues of digital inclusion, and- hopefully- work with... Read more

“You can’t get out of homelessness these days if you are digitally excluded” “You can’t have a conversation about how to do things better, without digital emerging. You can’t stop it.” I’ve heard these two statements at events over the past few weeks, from prominent leaders in... Read more

The Workplace Equality Fund is a £750,000 fund to support third sector organisations and private businesses, with a base in Scotland, in reducing employment inequalities, discrimination and barriers in the workplace. The fund is managed by the Voluntary Action Fund and grants of... Read more

Last Monday I was delighted to join the SCVO Digital team in a new role as Digital Participation Officer. I received a warm welcome from my new team members and have been enjoying getting to know everyone over the last week. I have joined the team following six years in... Read more

Street Assist (SCIO) was founded in April 2016 by myself and a group of volunteers who wanted to make a difference at the same time as supporting and assisting people who had become vulnerable through circumstance. The project delivers a non-judgemental, safe environment for... Read more

Lloyds Banking Group, encompassing Bank of Scotland, has launched the third iteration of its UK Consumer Digital Index. It is based on the data of 1 million of its customers and this includes 9,000 1-2-1 interviews. The news is mixed. Overall, as other analyses highlight, the... Read more

I launched DFID’s Digital Ninja network from East Kilbride in late 2015. Back then, it was clear that digital was becoming essential to increase the department’s capabilities. Why? Better digital skills are a UK civil service-wide priority: being able to use modern digital tools... Read more

Below is a blog by the team at Lairg and District Learning Centre, and their experience of the Digital Participation Charter Fund: "It’s been a whirlwind of a year at Lairg and District Learning Centre, with our team of fantastic tutors delivering a huge range of community based... Read more

The pace of change has never been this fast and will never be this slow again*. So, how do we make sure that we keep up? A question which exercises me often. One of the ways is accepting that we can’t. Sometimes we need to use something for a while, take a break, reflect and... Read more

Like all project managers I’m kept busy with the day to day. It can be hard to find the time to sit back, review and reflect. I am therefore super excited that through the One Digital project (funded by the Big Lottery Fund) we have been able to part fund a PhD studentship... Read more

This week we’re opening our 12th Digital Drop-In , funded by the Digital Participation Charter Fund. Through the Drop-In we provide people with friendly, informal help and support with basic digital skills, with a range of partner agencies across Edinburgh. People are free to use... Read more

We live in an increasingly tech-driven world with digital mediums having made their way to the centre stage impacting our daily lives. Digital technology presents huge opportunities, however its success cannot be achieved without connection with people. At Airdrie Citizens Advice... Read more

With 21% of adults in Scotland lacking basic digital skills, tackling digital exclusion is high on the agenda. But where do you start and who is in a position to help? This photo, taken during the recent visit of Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External... Read more

The thought of ‘Going Digital’ for many people can be a turn off, a daunting task or even classed as a chore. However, with all the current changes to the Welfare System and many services migrating online, Glasgow North West Citizens Advice Bureau (GNWCAB) took the opportunity to... Read more

Today (28 March) The Welcoming hosted the formal launch by Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop of a further £200,000 to support Digital Participation Charter Fund projects. We say it over and over but forgive me the opportunity of saying it again – getting people online and developing... Read more

FOTA: How we use Good HQ It’s nearly six months since Friends of The Award in Edinburgh & the Lothians (AKA FOTA) claimed their page on Good HQ. They now have five reviews from a range of people that support the charity, including volunteers, members and service users. We caught... Read more

Good HQ Community Manager Lauren Plüss shares Big Hearts' experience of using the platform to gain feedback for their organisation. Big Hearts: How we use Good HQ Being a finalist in the Scottish Charity Awards in 2017, Big Hearts signed up to Good HQ to help promote their work... Read more

We’re delighted that Citizens Advice Scotland recently repeated their research which digs a bit deeper into the headline digital exclusion figures. Their research was based on surveying more than 1,200 people seeking advice with more than half of the 61 CABx participating. I’ve... Read more

For many years I’ve spent the best part of my weekdays in-front of a computer screen- scanning emails, writing reports, Googling the answers to crosswords (don’t tell anyone). I’ve just been lucky enough to have ten months off work on maternity leave. In that time I have spent... Read more

SCVOs digital evolution programme focuses on supporting organisations to understand how digital technologies can help them transform. So far we’ve taken our soundings from a vast array of leaders who have participated in and shown their interest in our Senior Leaders Programme... Read more

Have you ever pondered the basic digital skills framework and wondered how or even why particular elements are in there? Well, now’s your opportunity to question, challenge and re-shape its content. The Tech Partnership is leading a consultation and refresh supported by a... Read more

The need for third sector organisations to forge ahead using digital across all aspects of their organisations has never been so great. Technology continues apace and shows no signs of slowing. So, what do we do? Where do we start and how do we progress? These were questions we... Read more

Did you feel misunderstood as a young person? I certainly did! Didn't it feel frustrating and isolating? Did you vow that you'd never lose touch with where young people are actually at? Have you lost touch? Are we at risk of perpetuating that misunderstanding and misconception? I... Read more

It’s a big question, with a complex answer. While 8 out of 10 people use the internet on a daily basis, the statistics showing high levels of use hide a deeper digital divide. The latest evidence Yesterday we published new research exploring what digital exclusion looks like in... Read more

In my previous blog, I talked about the process of applying for Universal Credit online and the implications for those without basic digital skills. As a digital service, it’s easy to interact with and its development has been based on the latest standards for building good... Read more

Through a series of unfortunate events, I’ve found myself suddenly unemployed.I don’t have any savings and I’ve built up some credit card debt. This was manageable when I had a job, but now I’m worried how I’m going to be able to pay the bills.I’m a single parent and determined... Read more

Cre8te ran FEMDA, the ‘Female Ethnic Minority Digital Academy’, in conjunction with the charity Saheliya. They said: “We recruited for our first group of learners by holding assessments to make sure the class was the right thing for them. They started their training in January... Read more

Lloyds Banking Group is one of the Digital Participation Charter signatories. As part of their commitment to helping support everyone in Scotland to develop basic digital skills some of their teams are spending time, under the banner of 'Day to Make a Difference', with local... Read more

The digital revolution has already happened and we are living in the aftermath. "The scale of change that has taken place – in how people chose to communicate, watch TV, learn, bank, shop and organise their lives has been likened to the industrial revolution" writes Julie Dodd in... Read more

Digital trail blazing in the third sector Have you ever been the first person to try something? Were you the one who braved a new hair style or fashion trend? Maybe you changed your career later in life (dreams of being an astronaut never die) or moved to the other side of the... Read more

Looking back on two inspirational days of digital sharing Read more

How feedback helped us improve GoodHQ Read more

A how to guide for making the most of Google for Non Profits Read more

Charity feedback platform GoodHQ can help boost public trust in your cause Read more

Glasgow Life built basic digital skills for both workforce and service users, through a six month Digital Internship post. This meant they could create created a mentored online learning resource for frontline staff working with client groups least likely to have basic digital... Read more

Why charities need to embrace the digital agenda Read more

If you want to do better, you need to listen to what people are saying about you Read more

Join us in sharing digital knowledge and skills (and cake) Read more

More top tips from the Turning festival Read more

Queens Cross Housing Association got older people engaged in learning how to use the internet through researching their local history They said: “We worked to engage older people with the internet by harnessing their interest in social history and genealogy. We sought to create... Read more

How to create perfect personas Read more

Join your colleagues to shape the future of Scotland's digital third sector Read more

Invaluable help on navigating the digital landscape Read more

When I received the call to say that our development had been chosen to have Wi-Fi installed into all flats, communal areas and guest rooms it’s fair to say I was really excited. Then the co-ordinator brain took over ... how do I get the tenants interested, excited and involved... Read more

Whole range of online tools available to help third sector organisations connect with supporters Read more

Tech giant onboard to promote digital participation and basic digital skills in Scotland Read more

For charities working with people in disadvantaged communities this RBS sponsored fund offers a great opportunity to develop a project. Read more

On Internaut Day we want everyone to be able to make the most of the amazing resource that is the internet Read more

New round of grants for charities working hard to get people online Read more

With Scotland's next census to be conducted mostly online, third sector organisations have an opportunity to give feedback and help shape its delivery. Read more

A disruptive approach which makes the most of digital can be of huge benefit to the third sector. Read more

Development Officer Eilidh unveils the next stage for the One Digital project Read more

One Digital programme tours the country, delivering basic digital skills to third sector folk everywhere Read more

The public want openess - GoodHQ can help Read more

Everyone has the opportunity to play their part Read more

Second in a series of blogs of useful digital resources from Head of Digital Participation at SCVO, Sally Dyson Read more

Over the past few months, we’ve been working away at SCVO to develop Good HQ, a new digital platform for people to engage with the third sector in Scotland. We’re aiming for Good HQ to be a place where people can support the organisations and causes they care about by sharing... Read more

Information makes the world go round - sit down - it's you, me and a cup of tea Read more

Skyscanner's Mike Hall shares his favourite business reads for charities who aspire to be more digital. Read more

Collaboration rather than competition was the overriding theme at the One Digital stakeholder event in London on 25th May. Read more

For the past two months, the One Digital team has been travelling across Scotland to help charities understand the benefits of digital, both for themselves, and for their clients. Read more

There's a fantastic new way for organisations to pool knowledge & resources to help increase digital skills. Read more

A picture paints a thousand words: Scottish Women's Aid's policy worker Jo Ozga on how the organisation is using digital media to enable women experiencing domestic abuse to tell their own story. Read more

One Digital has been successfully chosen as a finalist for this year’s Digital Leaders 100 list in the category, Cross-Sector Digital Collaboration of the Year along with its Programme Director, Emma Weston, in the category Digital Leader of the Year. Read more

With the One Digital project steaming ahead, it's important that everyone has the opportunity to get involved in our training opportunities. Make sure that you don't miss out! Read more

In our 2nd One Digital blog, find out how Fran Thow from The Food Train will use digital to get to grips with her newsletters Read more

In our new series of One Digital blogs, find out how participant Jennifer Watson from Jewish Care Scotland plans to pass on her digital skills Read more

Innovative online BSL video relay interpreting service contactSCOTLAND is expanding to the 3rd sector Read more

Talking Mats uses digital technology to support people with communication difficulties and improve their access to the digital world Read more

Libraries are at the forefront of helping communities discover the best of digital technology Read more

Visibility on the impact of their Digital Dynamo Award Read more

In 2015, staff members at the Centre for Nordic Studies worked on a fantastic Digital Heritage Project. Read more

Sally's on the look out for organisations working hard to bridge the digital divide Read more

Explore, achieve and extend your learning goals with Playbase Online Read more

This year we're creating digital champions in over 600 organisations to help everyone in Scotland get online Read more

It's been a busy year for SCVO's Digital Team... Read more

Can your organisation provide digital inclusion training or assisted digital support? You've got until 18 January to get on the new UK government supplier framework. Read more

We're launching an exciting new platform for the Digital Participation Charter Read more

Lessons from a fantastic Challenge Fund project Read more

A fantastic evening at the Herald Digital Business Awards celebrated charities working with digital. Read more

Get Online Week is a great opportunity to introduce people to the benefits of the internet. Read more

An inspiring digital inclusion project from North Highland Language Centre Read more

In celebration of Get Online Week, Happus are offering free advice & support to help people get online. Read more

And all of the opportunities and challenges ahead for the people we care about. Read more

SCVO's Team Digital have an exciting announcement to make! Read more

Developing digital skills and changing lives - Flourish House and their fantastic Challenge Fund supported digital inclusion project Read more

Craig Stephenson, Digital Inclusion Officer at Link Group Ltd, on the trials and tribulations of running a successful Challenge Fund project. Read more

We're living in a smartphone society, according to Ofcom Read more