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
There is so much good work done in Scotland and throughout the world by charitable organisations and volunteers. The work of many of these charities is closely linked and often critical to many areas of our lives. But there are charities whose original aim has been satisfied... Read more
For many charities the purchase or lease of a property will be one of their biggest financial commitments, to use as an operational base, or as an events or retail space. Charities need to be aware of a number of issues to ensure that any property supports their charitable aims... Read more
As we come to the end of Trustees’ Week 2021, SCVO and members of Scotland’s Third Sector Governance Forum will be looking back at the various events and activities to see what they have learned and what are the key lessons for trustees. I run a charity called Evaluation Support... Read more
November 1-5 marks a week of celebration of the 250,000 trustees across Scotland who all make a difference in our communities for Trustees' Week. At SCVO we’re starting off the week with a Rise and Shine Webinar which will focus on the fantastic finalists from the Trustee of the... Read more
I’ve been involved in the voluntary sector for my whole life. I’ve benefited from services, I’ve raised money and I’ve been fortunate enough to build a career. I’ve also been involved in boards and management committees and became a trustee with the wonderful Paths for All in... Read more
There is much to be gained by diversifying your board and getting the right mix of trustees with a range of lived, learned and practised expertise. Trustees play an essential role for the charities that they lead from setting the charity’s strategic direction to making key... Read more
Trustees’ Week is all about celebrating the work of an estimated 250,000 trustees across Scotland and the role they play in governing our charities and voluntary organisations. Hosted by Scotland’s Third Sector Governance Forum there’s a packed programme of free online events... Read more
When you prepare budgets for submission to the Trustees or Board of Directors, do you include a line anywhere in your Profit and Loss Accounts for Risk? I’m guessing like us, you don’t. But should you? As CEO of Utility Aid, I regularly sit with our Board of Directors reviewing... Read more
Earlier this year I wrote about our HR & Employment Support Service six months after launch. Now, almost a year after launch, I have been reflecting on how the service can make a more long-term impact within the sector. As well as supporting our voluntary sector colleagues with... Read more
Anderson Strathern is delighted to become a new partner of the SCVO legal service which offers free legal advice to SCVO members. I am personally thrilled that our firm has committed to providing this level of support for Scotland’s third sector. I chose to specialise in advising... Read more
Apparently, there is no substantive evidence that the quote widely attributed to Benjamin Franklin “Failing to plan is planning to fail” was ever said by him! Nonetheless, it is a wise adage and still as relevant today as it was in 1790 when Mr Franklin wasn’t saying it. Advance... Read more
SCVO is focussing on board recruitment and diversity during Trustees’ Week 2021. The Good Governance webinar on Wednesday 3 November will explore the benefits of having trustees on your board with experience of the issues your charity works on. Boards need a variety of attitudes... Read more
We live in a world where change can feel constant. Yet, far from finding it an easy process to manage, change brings certain challenges: uncertainty, insecurity and a lack of trust. Regardless of what the change is; forming a new team or installing a new IT system, it's still a... Read more
In this second blog on our digital checkup learning, I’m looking at whether organisation size has a big effect on checkup scores. We know that larger organisations often have a bit more internal expertise, if they have an internal IT department. And some areas of digital and... Read more
The disruption caused by the pandemic shone a light into even the darkest parts of the business planning cycle in the charity sector. For many voluntary organisations and charities, far from seeing a drop in demand, the pandemic, and its aftermath, has seen a sharp increase in... Read more
For many, the recent easing of lockdown restrictions could not come soon enough and if, like me, you are optimistic that they will continue then we can refocus our plans for a new normal that hopefully reminds us of pre-pandemic days. The vaccination programme throughout the UK... Read more
Scotland is now ‘Beyond level 0’. The external rules that restricted face to face activity have more or less ended. But we know that many people still feel cautious. Organisations across the voluntary sector want to get the next few months right for employees, volunteers and the... Read more
In Scotland, most charities are small. SCVO’s State of the Sector research shows that 75% of Scottish charities have incomes under £100k. But whilst they may be small, they have a huge impact on the lives of individuals, communities and causes across the country. This week it’s... Read more
As Volunteers Week draws to a close, we can all look back and celebrate volunteers across the UK, who, like us all, have had a year unlike any other. Volunteer efforts didn’t stop during the pandemic, in fact more people got involved in their local communities. From looking out... Read more
The pandemic has changed much about the way we work and as the focus begins to shift to a return to offices, it is time for a radical rethink on what the future of work could look like. Last year saw offices closed and attitudes to remote working changed and as lockdown... Read more
What does digital change look like Before, During, and Beyond a pandemic? Although it feels like we’re living week to week or month to month right now, it’s sometimes useful to take a broader view and reflect on how things are changing over the longer term. SCVO has been... Read more
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week. It’s a brilliant initiative, anything that brings mental health issues into focus should be applauded. But when you think about it, it’s also a bit of a strange idea. Why do we need to have mental health awareness events? Every single... Read more
Hello! I am so excited to be writing my first blog as part of SCVO’s Digital Participation team, to introduce myself and tell you about our Digital in the House programme. Firstly, who am I? My name is Rory Brown, a Community Learning and Development (CLD) worker who has been... Read more
These difficult times mean charities are having to navigate uncertainty, making tough decisions as well as future proofing their organisation. Diversity of perspectives in the boardroom is an essential part of this. By avoiding groupthink, it better ensures all decisions reflect... Read more
As the pandemic swept across the country SCVO realised that our voluntary sector colleagues were struggling to manage the impact on their organisations and especially their people. 'HR' was the second most popular search term on the website. Knowing how often guidelines and... Read more
The next SCVO Good Governance webinar on 5 May is on a theme some trustees might not have considered before – are you a climate confident trustee? Responding to the climate emergency It’s a sad truth that COVID-19 is not the only global crisis we face at the moment. The... Read more
2020 was a year of rapid change for all of us and it highlighted more than ever the need for everyone to have digital skills, as well as the urgency of the push to close the digital divide. In July 2019, WHALE Arts were happy to receive funding from the Digital Participation... Read more
As part of our ongoing commitment to good governance, the SCVO board met last week to continue to explore how, in line with the Scottish Governance Code for the Third Sector, trustees can demonstrate the five principles of the Code, both individually and collectively. Last month... Read more
Thanks to Burness Paull for updating the SCVO model constitutions, providing this blog and further guidance to help you through the process of changing your constitution to allow virtual meetings. At the time when the first COVID-19 lockdown came into effect, the inability to... Read more
The Minority Ethnic Silver Surfer Project (MESS) at West of Scotland Regional Equality Council (WSREC), has been running successfully since 2014. Each year the project has evolved due to many factors such as the availability of new technology and the rapid changes in our modern... Read more
In July 2019, Peebles CAN was excited to receive Digital Participation Charter Fund support to improve the digital skills of our garden volunteers. This was a fantastic project and, fortunately for our community, it began before lockdown giving people the vital skills they needed... Read more
Last week the SCVO Board met and one of the items on the agenda was to look at the Scottish Governance Code for the Third Sector and explore how SCVO trustees can evidence good governance, individually and collectively. SCVO is here to support, promote and develop a confident and... Read more
2020 saw trustees challenged in many ways, not least as they had to work virtually to make difficult decisions and ensure their organisations were governed effectively. Most fared well, but some boards saw the dynamics change and trustee relationships deteriorate. This was not... Read more
I am sure that any trustee reading this will agree that their role is not for the faint hearted! There is lots to learn and understand about the organisation that you represent already, so you won’t thank me for bringing an additional burden to your door by mentioning cyber... Read more
Starting a new job during a global pandemic is certainly a very unusual experience. Over the past 10 weeks, I have been completing a graduate internship lead by Scotland’s Third Sector Governance Forum. The project involved creating a report mapping the governance training and... Read more
Changing goalposts Responding to the coronavirus pandemic has left voluntary sector organisations to interpret operating guidance and how it applies to them and their services. It can feel like none of us have definitive answers, and the rate of change is fast and confusing. We... Read more
If there’s anything that COVID-19 has taught us, it’s that we don’t need 18-month long working groups to achieve significant change. That’s why we’re learning from the tech-sector to bring about fast-paced, action-orientated projects that will deliver the same high-quality policy... Read more
Next Monday marks the start of Trustees’ Week an annual celebration of all the great work that an estimated 180,000 trustees do across Scotland. It’s a chance to showcase trustees and look at what good governance means, and this year it’s all online. From 2-6 November there will... Read more
On Thursday 15 October, SCVO Credit Union and our international counterparts will come together to celebrate International Credit Union Day and the role that financial cooperatives play in improving the communities they serve and the lives of their members the world over. This... Read more
The coronavirus pandemic has transformed all our lives, and as we move to recovery, it’s time for trustees to rethink and rebuild and steer their organisations through new challenges. The future is uncertain, with reduced income, increased demand for services, and the need to... Read more
As lockdown restrictions begin to ease many organisations will be looking forward to restarting fundraising activities. From street fundraising to bake sales, the relaxing of lockdown rules offers opportunities for charities to bring in much needed funds and reconnect with donors... Read more
‘We’re not in the same boat, but we are in the same storm’ has been much quoted as we’ve faced very different challenges during the last few months. If you’re a trustee you’ll have had to focus on crisis management, adjusting to virtual meetings, facing difficult decisions about... Read more
Working remotely means you need to find a balance between supporting your staff and volunteers to access your systems, and securing them against cyber attack. External cyber attacks are becoming increasingly indiscriminate. Assuming you will not be a target is no longer an option... Read more
Last week Lloyds Bank published their annual UK Consumer Digital Index 2020, giving us an overview of the digital inclusion landscape across the UK. This annual publication provides insights to attitudes and behaviours of those who are online and offline, a useful resource for... Read more
There has been an awful lot of misinformation and fake news around recently, often accompanied by scams. We held a DigiShift webinar with three industry thought leaders, who each explored a key question around managing risk and the impact of misinformation in the current crisis... Read more
We have all had to scramble over the past eight weeks. For many of us this has meant producing new content in a bit of a panic. There have been fantastic examples of content that meets a need. For example, I volunteered as a street champion. My local community group sent a... Read more
A week may be a long time in politics, as the saying goes, but a week during a global pandemic is even longer. Like many, I’ve found the pace of change, and the pace of work that accompanied it, difficult to keep up with. As a sector we have done a phenomenal job to respond at... Read more
With thoughts turning towards easing lockdown restrictions in the coming weeks, charities and voluntary organisations are looking ahead to how they will adjust to the ‘new normal’. There are differences between Scotland and the rest of the UK, with the Scottish government... Read more
Our recent DigiShift zoom was packed with insights and inspiration from charity professionals working with children and young people. This blog pulls together ten great examples of organisations delivering digital services that you can learn from. Barnardo’s - WhatsApp as a tool... Read more
This is a challenging time for everyone and the isolation and stress of living in close quarters can cause, or increase, conflict for families, friends, and roommates, and can create challenges for work teams, charities and businesses. At Scottish Mediation we know that conflict... Read more
Everything seems to have changed so quickly in the last month, but some things are still the same and there is one section of society who seem to be having the time of their lives – the scammers, fraudsters and cyber-criminal fraternity. Never knowingly missing the opportunity to... Read more
Siobhan Mercer reflects on the insights and inspiration from an Ask Me Anything DigiShift session with the renowned Beth Kanter. The topics covered were virtual meetings, managing remote teams, and maintaining connection and wellbeing while social distancing. Have you ever... Read more
Govan Housing Association has been running a diverse range of Digital Inclusion projects for the last 4 years; however, with the rise of Coronavirus and the lock down that followed, we faced several challenges in continuing to deliver our Community Inclusion programme. To that... Read more
For the past 12 months, we’ve been working with 29 social housing organisations across Scotland to build a network of Digital Champions supporting tenants across the social housing sector. The impact of the project which aimed to embed digital inclusion within housing front-line... Read more
It’s hard to think of any event in recent times that’s galvanised change the way the coronavirus pandemic has. As a society we’ve adapted the way we access services and interact with one another. We’ve seen service delivery models move to digital platforms to enable continued... Read more
At SCVO we support lots of charities to grow their digital capability. As a team we work between Edinburgh, Inverness and Glasgow so we already work remotely as part of our day-to-day practice. But for a lot of charities, working remotely at short notice might be a bit more... Read more
Since joining the Digital Champions in Housing Network with SCVO, staff at Langstane Housing Association have made a huge effort to advertise the new service being offered, and it has paid off. We advertised using our social media page and website, issued a press release... Read more
Like many who attended The Gathering on 19 - 20 February 2020 at the SEC in Glasgow, I’m still digesting all the learning, interesting conversations and following up with lots of the great new contacts I met. I had a prime spot over the two days that allowed me to experience this... Read more
Castlehill Housing Association launched their tenant led digital inclusion activities on 20th February 2020. Digital Motivator, Catherine Coutts, Tenant Participation Officer, and Digital Champion who is also a tenant, Ken Wilcox, tell us more. What digital inclusion activities... Read more
SCVO launched The Catalyst, a ground-breaking initiative to support thousands of charities to make use of digital at The Gathering Read more
Irene Mackintosh, Mhor Collective @irenewarnermack, PhD Student at the University of the West of Scotland It’s always exciting when a new report comes out (or it is to me, but maybe I’m weird), with new statistics to pour over and thoughts to think, and so I was looking forward... Read more
We’ve been working with our brilliant partners on SCVO’s Pro Bono Service to create a series of free seminars for both trustees and staff on topics you really need to know to run a successful and sustainable voluntary organisation. We’ve now got our first three lined up in what’s... Read more
The Scottish Governance Code for the Third Sector was launched at the end of 2018 and more and more organisations have been using both the Code and SCVO’s Good Governance Checkup to see where they are on their journey to good governance. Good governance matters, because it... Read more
Orkney Housing Association has been an active member of the Digital Champions in Housing project; working to embed digital skills support into our day to day interactions between front-line staff and tenants, helping them to benefit from being online. One example of this embedded... Read more
I have been aspiring for years to bring Orkney Housing Association into the 21st century and undertake everyday tasks more digitally. It got me thinking, how much post do I receive through my own letterbox each week? Answer – hardly any! I receive text reminders for dentist... Read more
If you’re as keen as I am on all things Data Protection related you may have read the recent Data Breach Survey from DLA Piper – it’s an interesting read, the number of reported breaches are up and show no sign of slowing down (so are the fines, but that’s another blog!). So, do... Read more
At the end of last year SCVO ran its first pilot to test out our new innovative e-learning platform that we’ve developed with organisations from four other European countries - Ireland, Finland, Latvia and Estonia. The Project – SCOPE, is funded by ERASMUS+, the European... Read more
At SCVO Digital, we’ve encouraged lots of charities to make more use of ‘flexible technology’. But what on earth is it, and how can it help charities work more effectively? First of all, it’s not about foldable phones, which are not much use to anyone at the moment. What we mean... Read more
There’s nothing like the turn of a decade to prompt you to step back and look at longer-term changes. The pace of digital change is notoriously fast, and getting faster. What does this mean over the longer term? And why is 2020 particularly important? Looking at the last 20 years... Read more
It seems that every week brings news of a different cyber attack – including those that impact our lives at individuals. (I am writing this on the week of the Travelex attack, when I had a friend travelling who’s only mention of payment was via the Travelex system). Cyber... Read more
In Scotland, 43% of the workforce are lacking in Essential Digital Skills. Although this is slightly ahead of the UK average (53%) we still need to improve. People who don’t have these skills are more likely to be older, female, be a part-time worker, have a disability or be... Read more
“We don’t build houses, we build communities” That’s what one of our Digital Motivators said to me at a meet-up this week. What’s a Digital Motivator? Good question! Earlier this year we started a new project working with the social housing sector in Scotland. This project felt... Read more
True confession time – as you would expect from someone working in the field of cybersecurity, I find the whole “industry” a fascinating minefield – the slightly shady criminal aspects, the big talk of nation state threats to critical national infrastructure, even what can be... Read more
‘Your answer to someone else’s problem is not the solution.’ The statement above was the statement that opened the ‘Scottish Government service design champion training’ that I attended last year. As a sector, more than ever in 2020 we need to ensure that our services are fit for... Read more
We get over 1,200 enquiries on the SCVO Information Service every year. Everything from setting up a charity, to taking on a new member of staff, to help with writing a safeguarding policy, or reviewing a property lease. But the top two topics are the same year in and year out... Read more
A Lean culture has two pillars, continuous improvement and respect for people. Great coaching is a place where these two meet. That is why we have made coaching a key part of the Deliver more value through Lean thinking course. The two-day course will fill your head with exciting... Read more
2020 is the Chinese year of the Metal Rat, and is the year of new opportunities, new beginnings and evolving. Digital for Good have an awesome opportunity for your organisation to grasp those new digital opportunities, to begin that new digital project and to realise... Read more
I'm the CEO of a small ( but fabulous) third sector organisation - and I can clearly remember life before computers, before mobile phones and before email. When I started work I had a Rolodex file on my desk with all my contacts. If I wanted to send a letter it took a minimum of... Read more
Last month, visitors to this site may have enjoyed a blog about the journey SCVO has been on to create a digitally confident third sector in Scotland by my colleague and Head of Digital, Sally Dyson. As a Digital Participation Officer, a large part of my role is to support... Read more
Sacro is a Scottish community justice organisation which works to create safer and more cohesive communities across Scotland. Sacro provides a wide range of services spanning all aspects of the community justice continuum. These range from conflict resolution to prevent disputes... Read more
My big adventure this year is working with third sector organisations in Scotland to apply Lean thinking. When I first talk to a team, not many have heard of Lean. A few can relate it to Toyota (where it started) but are not quite sure how it can be useful to their organisation... Read more
We have been running a digital lending library at Govan Housing Association for almost three years and have found that it is a brilliant way to reduce barriers to digital participation. To date our library consists of 22 iPad, 15 laptops, 3 Digital SLR Cameras, Audio Recording... Read more
Over the past few months we’ve been working closely with colleagues at Glasgow Kelvin College to develop a brand new qualification for the housing sector in Scotland. This new qualification, Certificate in Digital Inclusion Project Management, is a credit rated qualification at... Read more
Good governance relies on hard work and commitment, mutual respect and open communication, pretty much like building a team. Collaboration and good team work on a board is essential, because if your trustees don’t work well together, you don’t get good decision making, and this... Read more
One of the issues facing those interested in digital inclusion research is the incredible speed at which new publications emerge: the sheer quantity of pertinent information, both coming from the field of practice and from academic study, can be overwhelming. Over the last few... Read more
Sarah Neary, Digital Participation Officer at West of Scotland Housing Association, shares her chat with Lily - a tenant she's helped get online. Lily, 83, has been receiving home visits from our Digital Participation Officer to learn more about her iPad. Here she tells us what... Read more
Trustees Week 2019 saw Third Sector Lab and SCVO Digital bring together charities and people working in digital industries to create greater understanding of how we practically get more digital folk on charity boards. Digital Trustees Scotland was part of the roadshow developed... Read more
I’ve been lucky over the last few months to be a member of SCVO’s Digital Champions in Social Housing project. It’s been great to meet other people passionate about supporting our residents and our organisations to get better at digital. I’ve also been lucky enough to receive... Read more
We often use the term digital trustees as if they’re a homogenous group of people all with the same skillset. They’re not! There are so many digital skills, from web development to digital marketing to cyber security. Choosing someone with the right skills for your board (as with... Read more
Today marks the start of Trustees Week with a conference in Edinburgh where we’ll be celebrating all the great work that an estimated 180,000 trustees do across Scotland. The conference, ‘A Recipe for Success’, will be a chance for trustees and governance geeks to get together... Read more
Coming up with all the right ingredients for a hit event at the Gathering can feel challenging - but don't worry as help is at hand. A whopping 65 events take place across two days at the Gathering attracting thousands of people with different interests and roles. But why should... Read more
This June, I was lucky enough to be opening speaker at the Third Sector Lab Digital Trustees Scotland event held in Glasgow and funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. The event brought together senior leaders from the voluntary sector with people working in the digital... Read more
Back in August we were delighted to welcome 19 new Charter Fund organisations on board, and earlier today we joined one of them, The Marie Trust, as they hosted a ministerial visit by Kate Forbes, MSP. Kate Forbes MSP with Frances McKinley, Chief Exec at the Marie Trust The Marie... Read more
This year our Digital Participation Charter Fund had an incredible level of interest and the standards were very high. With a limited amount of funding it’s always disappointing not to be able to invest in everyone. Fortunately, as part of our involvement in the One Digital... Read more
Turcan Connell is delighted to become a new partner of the SCVO Pro Bono Service for charities and voluntary organisations which offers valuable and extremely worthwhile advice to SCVO members. It is particularly pleasing for me personally as a board member of SCVO since 201... Read more
It’s Pro Bono Week! – a global celebration of professional services for the public good, and here on SCVO’s Information Service we’re celebrating a new addition to our very own Pro Bono Service We’re pleased to announce that Turcan Connell will be joining our panel of experts to... Read more
Two things help or hinder the progress of digital evolution in any organisation – culture and leadership. Charities led by a senior team who trust their staff and understand the potential of technology, whose culture is focused on openness, experimentation and entrepreneurship... Read more
In my last blog I described how I had spent a large amount of my first few weeks trying to get to grips with the cyber support landscape here in Scotland. I am delighted to say that progress has been made and I now know my cyber catalyst network members from my NCSC resources – a... Read more
We’ve always been impressed with how committed housing sector staff are to their work, but we were blown away when one Tenant Participation Officer attended our second Digital Motivators Bootcamp in Inverness on the 9th and 10th September with a recently broken ankle - they were... Read more
Southside Housing Association is participating in SCVO’s Social Housing Digital Champions Network. Having joined the SCVO’s digital motivators group back in April, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting digital leaders from across Scotland’s social housing sector to discuss and debate... Read more