We need your help to build a picture of Edinburgh’s third sector for a new report. Your feedback will help identify trends, the needs and the challenges facing groups and organisations across the city.
Please complete this survey (7 questions):
EVOC are pleased to share a summary report from the consultation event on Edinburgh’s Community Plan (LOIP 2018-2028) Refresh:
The refreshed Community Plan is due to be approved and launched in June, with opportunities to shape the next Plan to follow.
Edinburgh has changed dramatically since the current community plan (LOIP) was last revised. We need people working in the third sector to share their insights at an in-person event:
Thursday 26th February, 9.30am – 12.30pm
at Norton Park Business and Conference Centre
AGENDA:
09:30am – 10:00am
Registration, breakout group signup and refreshments
10:00 am – 10:15am
Overview of the refresh of the Community Plan (2018-2028)
10:15 am – 12:15 pm
Facilitated Round Table Discussions
12:15 pm – 12:30 pm
Summary and close
Register: https://tinyurl.com/47vv5mn6
Our communities need change!
Edinburgh’s Third Sector Reference Group is a place for sharing ideas and insights to help city leaders make better policy and investment decisions. The Group is looking for new members to shape decisions and help make positive change:
Edinburgh’s Third Sector Reference group is looking for new members to shape decisions, amplify community voices and create positive change.
The Third Sector Reference Group is a place for sharing ideas and insights from our sector to help city leaders make better policy and investment decisions.
The group aims to harness the power, knowledge and impact of our sector and to take that directly to the heart of decision-making to help influence policy, strategy and service design that affects communities across the city.
TSRG Terms of Reference 2026 (pdf)
As a Reference Group member, you will:
You will:
We welcome applications from people who:
We value diversity and strongly encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, communities and experiences and are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment.
Please submit a short expression of interest (no more than one side of A4) outlining:
Please email it to: tsrg@evoc.org.uk
Deadline: Mon 16 Mar 2026
Find out more: https://tinyurl.com/ywkbd4kk
Local organisations have welcomed moves to provide greater support to the third sector in Edinburgh.
Following the launch of emergency funding and an extensive review of how the city works with not-for-profit groups to prevent poverty, Councillors heard how moves to bring stability to the sector are being well received.
Over £3 million has been injected by the Council towards at risk groups this year, with an extra £284,192 in Third Sector Resilience Funding agreed by elected members at a full Council meeting last week (Thursday 28 August).
The one-off emergency support has been provided to third sector organisations in Edinburgh who are working to end poverty in the city but who have been faced with growing financial challenges.
The final phase of this funding will help small and medium-sized charities this winter, with 31 organisations agreed to receive up to £10,000 each towards running costs.
With the Council moving towards greater partnership working to prevent poverty, extensive engagement on third sector support has also taken place – including a 14-week consultation to gather experiences and concerns of organisations in Edinburgh.
Involving over 239 workers from at least 100 organisations, this engagement will shape future opportunities to better collaborate and support the third sector, with the aim of helping the city’s most vulnerable and preventing inequality.
In deputations presented to members of the Policy and Sustainability Committee last week (Tuesday 19 August), work was welcomed by groups including Edinburgh Community Food, NESSie (North Edinburgh Support Services consortium), Feniks and the Cyrenians. Feedback has been strongly positive, recognising the speed and efficiency of the support the Council has provided.
Benjamin Napier,(above, left) speaking on behalf of the Third Sector Reference Group, said: “I’d like to give my thanks to Council officers for their excellent role working very effectively with the third sector to make sure funding gets out quickly.
“There has been a diligent approach to how we work together and the key now is to look at the next stages of funding.”
Ewan Aitken, CEO of Cyrenians, said: ““It’s good to see a problem turned into an opportunity by the Council.
“We have strong communities and we need to be prevention-led. We need reform and a long-term approach to supporting charities in the city.
“I hope the Council can be bold, take risks and focus on anchor organisations to make this good work transformative.”
Council Leader, Jane Meagher, said: “The £3 million we’ve provided in emergency funding has been vital at a time when the cost of living is high. This final allocation of funding will support even more projects, from advice for young parents to help with clothes and funeral costs.
“Edinburgh’s third sector sits at the heart of our work to tackle poverty, but it is an incredibly difficult time for community groups in Scotland. The engagement we’ve now carried out reveals many organisations are in a precarious position as they experience changes to funding and face greater demand for their services.
“It has never been more important to reset the relationship between the public and third sectors and I’m proud of the work we’ve carried out to truly listen to and learn from those involved, so that we can work to get it right.
“We need to improve how we work together to prevent poverty in our city, and I’m grateful to the hundreds of third sector workers who have spoken to us.”
NEW 5-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR EVOC
EVOC (Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council) has published a new 5-year strategic plan, outlining the organisation’s vision to contribute to an equitable, sustainable and resilient Edinburgh, supported by a thriving third sector.
The new plan is structured around three priorities – advocacy, capacity building and collaboration – with all areas underpinned by data gathering and research that will be used to inform policy and decision-making.
Data and research will also be used to make on-the-ground decisions with and for third sector organisations in the city.
Bruce Crawford, EVOC’s CEO, commented: “I’ve been in post for 6 months now, and since day one, we’ve been working towards the publication of this new strategic plan.
“To help us achieve our vision, we’re focused on supporting organisations to make local community-driven change.
“We want to use our networks and forums, which sit at the heart of the dynamic between the third sector, public sector and private sector, to bring the voices of the sector together to develop policies that meet the needs of the communities we all serve.”
Established in 1868, EVOC has been committed to improving the lives of people and communities for more than 155 years.
Over that time, the organisation’s priorities and activities have adapted in line with the needs of the people in the city and the third sector, but this new plan has the same ethos at its heart.
Bruce Crawford continued: “Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with people from across the sector to help inform what’s gone into our strategic plan.
“In 2025, there have been a series of challenges that the sector has faced, including public sector funding cuts and increased running costs.
“We’re looking to create some stability by going back to basics – EVOC doing what is right for the sector. So, we’ll be covering a broad range of areas that come under our three priorities.”
EVOC’s strategic plan for 2025 to 2030 is available to read here and you can hear more from Bruce Crawford here.
Small Edinburgh charities struggling with rising costs and loss of income are being encouraged to apply to the council for emergency support.
Brought forward by councillors as part of an urgent package of support for the city’s third sector, the £275,000 funding pot aims to support local organisations working to prevent and tackle poverty across Edinburgh.
Small and medium-sized charities based in the city will be able to apply for Phase two of the council’s Third Sector Resilience Fund until applications close at 1pm on Friday 4 July. Grants of up to £10,000 will be made available to support charities between September and March.
Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “With funding becoming ever scarcer and more people struggling with the cost of living, we can see that many local charities are in a difficult position. We need to find a better way forward for this sector that brings so much good, and our latest funding package is part of the urgent support we’re putting in place.
“Many of the city’s small, local charities are helping those with the greatest need and I urge them to apply quickly.
“Meanwhile, we’ve asked the Edinburgh Partnership to conduct a review of how it supports and works with third sector organisations across the city, to ultimately to find long-term solutions for funding for the sector in future years.”
An information event for interested charities will be held by EVOC at 1pm on 24 June on how to apply for the fund.
An online consultation is also available to take part in, seeking ideas for making collaboration between Edinburgh’s public and third sectors simpler and more stable.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: FRIDAY 4 JULY 1pm
Phase 2 of the City of Edinburgh Council Resilience Fund aims to provide short-term support to small and medium third sector organisations in Edinburgh that work to end poverty.
Grants: Up to £10,000
Deadline: Fri 4 Jul, 1pm
Phase 2 aims to provide short-term support to small and medium third sector organisations in Edinburgh that work to end poverty. The fund helps organisations facing financial difficulties maintain their services and financial stability during 2025/26.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for this funding organisations must
Organisations can apply for up to £10,000 from this phase of funding. Funding can be used to support core costs or to maintain service delivery where this is at risk from the loss of expected grant funding, increased costs or unexpected increases in demand.
You will find detailed information in the Third Sector Resilience Fund Specification and a summary in our Frequently Asked Questions.
How to apply
To apply, please complete our online form.
Before submitting your application, you will need to confirm that you have read
Please attach a copy of your most recent years Annual Accounts via email to policyandinsight@edinburgh.gov.uk.
Applications close at 1pm on the 4th of July 2025.
If you have any questions, please contact policyandinsight@edinburgh.gov.uk
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.
Charities due to lose funding from the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) will be able to apply for emergency support from the City of Edinburgh Council.
A one-off Third Sector Resilience Fund will launch tomorrow (Friday 28 March) and will remain open for two weeks. It will only be open to organisations in Edinburgh directly impacted by the closure of the EIJB’s third sector grants programme and applications must be made by 12 noon on Friday 11 April.
This package of support will include a funded programme worth £1m to allow third sector advice providers to continue to offer income maximisation, debt, and welfare advice services previously funded by the EIJB grants programme.
Applications will be reviewed and reported to a special meeting of the Policy and Sustainability Committee on Monday 12 May, with the intention of releasing funds in June.
Further work is progressing to review the relationship between the public sector and third sector in Edinburgh, to improve funding certainty in future years.
Council Leader, Jane Meagher, said: “Many of these local charities are at the forefront of helping those in our city with the greatest need. We’ve urgently been working to provide a lifeline to those affected by the closure of the previous grants programme, and I’m really pleased that we’ve found a way forward.
“This fund should provide enough money to potentially support all 64 affected organisations for up to nine months. It must be said that this is a one-off emergency fund – we need to act quickly, and I urge applications to be made as soon as possible.
“Alongside this we must develop a stronger way of supporting the third sector in our city. We recognise that the EIJB, like the Council, is under significant financial pressure and there needs to be longer-term change.
“Tackling poverty and inequality is one of the biggest challenges we’ve set ourselves as a city and this will be a really important piece of work – for us, for our partners and for the whole third sector.”
Benjamin Napier, CEO of Citizens Advice Edinburgh, is a member of the third sector reference group which the Council has set up as it reviews the funding relationship the city has with charities.
Benjamin said: “We welcome this investment in the third sector and hope it will go some way to providing resilience, while we continue our work with colleagues across the Council to find a longer-term solution.
“We recognise the pressures on public funding and thank the Council for their efforts in securing this funding. The third sector in Edinburgh plays a vital and very cost-effective role in supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
“We look forward to strengthening the relationship between the Council and the third sector. By working together in this way, we can create real and lasting change for our citizens.”
The City of Edinburgh Council Third Sector Resilience Fund is a short term, one off, draw down resource using reserves agreed for use during 2025/26.
The fund aims to:
Towards these aims:
Please email policyandinsight@edinburgh.gov.uk for the full criteria for the fund and to apply.
