Tag: commissioning

Edinburgh Partnership launches review of longer-term support for the city’s third sector

The Edinburgh Partnership is conducting a review of how it supports and works with third sector organisations in Edinburgh.

The review into the relationship between the public sector and third sector in Edinburgh seeks to improve funding certainty in future years. This includes how grant funding and commissioning is delivered, how third sector organisations monitor and report on their work, and what in-kind support is provided.

Third sector organisations of all types – voluntary, social enterprises and charities – are being asked to share their views through the City of Edinburgh Council’s Consultation Hub survey or by attending a workshop.

The results will be reported to the Policy and Sustainability Committee in August.

Council Leader and Chair of the Edinburgh Partnership, Jane Meagher, said: “The third sector provides vital support to local communities, with many giving direct support to the most vulnerable in our city. 

“We know that they, like the Council, are under significant financial pressure and that there needs to be longer-term change in how they are supported by us and our partners.

“We want to hear about how we can make it simpler, provide more stability, and work better together to help vulnerable people. You can share your views through the council’s consultation hub webpage, or by attending one of the workshops.”

Workshops run from Monday 19 May until Thursday 5 June. Details are available on the Consultation Hub and booking is required.

As part of the city’s commitment to help the sector, the council has dedicated £3.5m this year to help organisations impacted by unexpected loss of grant funding or reduced commissioning.

Visit the Council’s website for more information about the Third Sector Resilience Fund.

East Lothian launches call-out for artists to help create Covid memorial

East Lothian Council, in partnership with greenspace scotland, has launched a call-out to commission an artist or artists to contribute to the region’s Covid community memorial, part of the Scotland-wide Remembering Together project.

Remembering Together East Lothian is managed by the Council Arts Service, and is being developed by artists Barbara Gardner-Rowell and Sophie Ferguson. In the project’s first phase they explored with local communities how best to reflect the region’s experiences during the pandemic, in order to create a lasting opportunity for the community to connect and reflect.

The result is a series of six accessible walking trails which have been mapped across the region, in Dunbar, Haddington, Musselburgh, North Berwick, Tranent, and Preston Seton Gosford.

The walks will encourage communities to come together and connect socially with the healing qualities of nature, reflecting the daily walking practice that many people adopted during lockdown. Each starts and finishes on local transport routes, offering an inclusive community resource that is easily accessible, that can be integrated into various facets of everyday life.

For the latest phase of the project East Lothian Council is seeking to commission an artist or artists to create a focal point of reflection for each of the six walking trails.

The commissions will be selected for their relevance and sensitivity to the project themes of Reflection, Remembering, Hope and Healing, and could be physical pieces situated on the walking route, or a soundscape, mural, piece of music or film, or digital artwork accessed via QR code.

The artist or artists selected for the commissions will be encouraged during the research phase to visit the walking trails and the archive to develop their final proposal. Funding of up to £60,000 is available to realise the artworks.

Submissions are required by 12 April 2024. Further details and information on how to apply can be found at rememberingtogethereastlothian.com