Tag: third sector

EVOC: The Future’s Looking Brighter

It is the 21 February and the days are getting longer but more importantly, the future is looking brighter (writes EVOC CEO BRUCE CRAWFORD).

EIJB Fund Cuts

On Thursday (yesterday) the City of Edinburgh Council held a full Council meeting. I was in attendance to make a deputation on behalf of the voluntary organisations impacted by the cuts by the EIJB grants programme for social care.

This followed months of work by colleagues from across the sector who have worked tirelessly for the affected organisations. The work was largely done by members of the Third Sector Reference Group that came into existence after the EIJB meeting on 1 November which led to a three month extension to June 2025.

The eventual outcome is that the £4.5m grants programme has been replaced for the next financial year, so services can continue to be delivered to many of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

Further work needs to be done in the coming weeks and months to help the officers to create the mechanism for disbursement of the funds.

I want to thank all the individuals who contributed to this success, it is evidence of the need to work together, focus on the needs of our communities and stand up for what is right.  I hope that we can build on the experience to generate continued investment into the sector as this will not be the last challenge we face.

A key function of EVOC is advocacy and this includes responding to consultations on proposed legislation and strategies. A current example of this is the draft Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board’s strategy 2025-28.

We have published information on our work in this area on our website. It includes a presentation and a video that explains the draft strategy.

 To inform our response we have asked a number of questions through an online survey.  Despite our request for an extension, the deadline from the EIJB is this Sunday (23 Feb 2025) and there is still no easy read version available. 

We encourage everyone who is interested in, or affected by this, to submit a response here.

Looking Forward

On 29 January I attended my first EVOC board meeting and found it to be useful and productive in equal measures. In the spirit of openness and transparency the directors unanimously agreed to my proposal to publish minutes of EVOC board meetings on the website. The minute of that meeting can be found here.

Following the challenges faced by EVOC in 2024 we created a recovery plan and are well on the way to developing a more robust and resilient organisation.

Some key changes are: improved policies and procedures, greater financial scrutiny and forecasting, better communication, along with a new risk management policy and risk register and a new strategic plan that focuses on the core purpose of the organisation to serve the needs of the sector. 

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the survey that we issued last month to inform our understanding of the needs of our members. We received a great deal of useful feedback and it will help our thinking as we develop the strategic plan for EVOC for 2025-2030.

Finally I am looking forward to our AGM on 26 February.

It is being held online to help make attendance as easy as possible. Details of how to register for the meeting are available here.

UNISON protest against catastrophic cuts to Lothian third sector

Largest health union protest against £4.5m cuts to Lothian’s third sector services

Activists from Scotland biggest health union, UNISON will gather outside Edinburgh City Chambers this morning to lobby against proposed £4.5m cuts to 64 third sector organisations in the city.

These cuts, including a £1 million reduction in welfare rights services, will strip vital support from low-income families, disabled people, carers and contradicting the Edinburgh Council’s anti-poverty strategy, says UNISON

Unions and community organisations are warning that the consequences could be catastrophic for service users and staff.

The removal of these preventative services will also increase pressure on NHS services, A&E, and crisis care, shifting costs rather than delivering real savings, says the union

UNISON is calling on the City of Edinburgh Council to allocate £4.5 million in next year’s budget to keep these essential services running.

UNISON Lothian health branch secretary Tracy-Anne Miller said: “Slashing funding to third sector organisations will devastate communities and cost more in the long run.

“These cuts will push more people into NHS services at a time when hospitals and GPs are already overstretched. We need investment in care, not a crisis. We are calling on the council to step up, protect these services, and prevent these cuts.”

UNISON activists will gather outside Edinburgh City Chambers from 8.30 am this morning (Thursday 20th February) to lobby the City of Edinburgh Council to protect funding for 64 third sector organisations facing cuts following the announcement by the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board (which directs the health and social care partnership) to cut its £4.5million third sector grants programme from June 2025. 

UNITE City of Edinburgh Branch will also be making their voices heard in the quadrangle today. A demo will take place outside the City Chambers on the High Street from 8.30am to 9.30am,

The unions will send deputations to the meeting to speak on behalf of their members. In all, ELEVEN deputations will be heard today. Among them are Oaklands School Parents Council and LIFT Muirhouse Millennium Centre from North Edinburgh.

Labour nominally runs Edinburgh, propped up by Lib Dem and Tory support. Last year, under the leadership of now-suspended Cammy Day, the administration controversially adopted a Lib-Dem budget.

Labour, and the City of Edinburgh Council, is now under new leadership, but the perennial challenge of meeting an increasing demand for services with never quite enough financial resources remains as tough as ever.

As councils try to balance the books a painful Council Tax increase is inevitable.

Earlier this week COSLA’s Resource Spokesperson, Councillor Katie Hagmann, warned: “Councils are working hard to deliver every day for our communities. However, budget cuts, inflation, higher costs such as the increase to employers’ national insurance contributions, and the previous freezes on council tax mean councils have unfortunately had to make difficult decisions to avoid reducing or cutting essential services.

“Council tax is one of the few options councils have to raise money to invest in local improvements such as roads; community halls and leisure centres; and public transport. These are services that benefit us all, but especially the people in our communities who might need extra support – such as children and young people, parents with young children, elderly people, or those with disabilities. With this in mind, councils are carefully considering what increase is necessary and appropriate for them locally.

“Reform of council tax is overdue and COSLA wishes to see a Council Tax that is fair and proportionate for all householders.

“Councils have advice and support services in place to help people who are struggling to pay their council tax or having financial difficulties. We recommend speaking to the council tax and benefits department in your council to find out more.”

Today, National Leadership Day incidentally, we’ll hear the respective political parties put forward their vision for Scotland’s capital city. Just what kind of city does Edinburgh want to be?

Tough choices? Of course, but it’s also an opportunity to begin to restore Edinburgh’s battered reputation.

It’s time for real leadership.

Supplement Deputations 20022025 1000 City of Edinburgh CouncilDownload

The council budget debate starts at 10am and is also broadcast live on the City of Edinburgh Council webcast site

PAPERS for this morning’s budget meeting can be found on the council website.

Scots charities forced to draw from reserves despite funding stabilisation 

New research from SCVO outlines the state of the sector’s finances

Charities across Scotland have continued to draw on their reserves “unsustainably” despite funding from government staying relatively stable, new research shows.  

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has published its latest research, State of the Sector 2024, which shows the challenges which organisations across Scotland continue to face.  

The paper, which contains key figures and trends from the Scottish voluntary sector, shows funding from government has stayed relatively stable, while income from the public has to a large extent recovered after being hit hard by Covid. 

Unfortunately, for many voluntary organisations inflation and expenditure rises have matched and outpaced these hard-won gains. 

While most organisations were able to stay in the black, the margins are wafer-thin and there has been a steady rise in the numbers of organisations ending the year with a deficit. In 2023, 45% of charities spent more than they managed to generate. 

These narrow margins and rising deficits have seen charities continue to draw on their reserves unsustainably while they try to identify new sources of funding or have to consider reducing services – link to Reserves doc and Tracker. 

SCVO also published a review of Scottish voluntary organisations’ financial reserves, which found the value of the funds looked after by the sector fell by £1billion between 2021 and 2023. 

The average value of funds held by large charities fell by £5million, from £17m in 2021 to £12m in 2023. 

Half of medium and large charities now have less than six months expenditure in reserves and nearly 1 in 3 large charities has less than three months of expenditure in reserves. 

Ilse Mackinnon, SCVO Research Officer, said: “It’s been sobering looking at charities’ accounts this year and seeing just how tight finances are for many. People have been telling us via the Tracker and anecdotally that things are tough, but it’s another thing seeing the figures in black and white.   

“It’s great that many income streams have recovered but we also saw essentials like energy bills, rents and staff costs shoot up, sometimes to double what they were the previous year.  

“We can see the impact of that on reserves, with many charities struggling to meet costs and keep enough cash back for emergencies.” 

EVOC: No Time to Lose

A Third Sector Response to the Draft EIJB Strategic Plan for 2025-28

In response to the EIJB consultation inviting people and organisations to have a say on the draft Strategic Plan for 2025 – 28, the Third Sector Reference Group is working on a contribution on behalf of our sector.

This is another in a series of actions in light of the future funding crisis third sector organisations are facing across the city.

Download the draft Strategic Plan

Take Action

Your input to this response is vital and we would ask any and all third sector groups and organisations to share your hopes, fears and priorities, by answering the 9 questions in this short survey.

You are also encouraged to submit a separate response individually, feeding back on the identified priorities, planned actions and measures of success.

You can find out more and submit a response to the consultation here.

Please be aware that the deadline for the consultation submission is extremely tight – Sunday 23rd Feb 2025. 

This is strongly influencing the actions we are focusing on to deliver the best outcome for the sector.

The Reference Group has pulled together several resources that you might find useful:

EIJB draft Strategic Plan 25-28Download

Fairer funding for charities

More than £60 million for pilot projects focusing on essential services and eradicating child poverty

A new Fairer Funding pilot to deliver on the Scottish Government’s top priority of eradicating child poverty will provide additional multi-year funding in the form of 45 grants to organisations across Scotland.

The funding, subject to budget approval, will support projects in areas including health, education, poverty and culture and have a total value of £61.7 million in 2025-26 and £63.2 million in 2026- 27.

Speaking on her visit today to the Gathering, the largest third sector event in the UK, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “I know many charities, faced with rising costs and falling donations, need more security and stability to enable them to plan and develop.

“Child poverty, in particular, requires longer-term interventions to help achieve the solutions we want to see. For that, the third sector needs financial stability and certainty. That’s why I have prioritised delivering on our commitment to provide more multi-year funding where we can to support the vital work of the third sector in Scotland, as part of our fairer funding approach.

“The pilot is the first step in mainstreaming multi-year funding agreements more widely across the third sector. It will give organisations the ability to plan for the future and make the most of their resources.

“The pilot’s focus on grants connected to tackling child poverty and the delivery of frontline services to our communities will maximise the impact of longer term funding and support the delivery of our number one priority, eradicating child poverty.”  

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) Chief Executive Anna Fowlie said: “The voluntary sector has a crucial role to play in delivering essential services across Scotland that people and communities rely on.

Multi-year funding models are vital, providing security to voluntary organisations and, crucially, allowing them to get on and deliver for people and communities.

 “We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to piloting multi-year funding for a range of voluntary organisations across Scotland – a first step, we hope, towards rolling out Fair Funding principles to voluntary sector funding.”

Organisations to receive multi-year funding for 2025/26 and 2026/27

Social Justice

Scottish Refugee Council

Scottish Empty Homes Partnership

Homeless Network Scotland

Housing Options Scotland

Poverty Alliance

CentreStage – Social Innovation Partnership

COVEY – Social Innovation Partnership

Flexibility Works – Social Innovation Partnership

Heavy Sound – Social Innovation Partnership

MsMissMrs – Social Innovation Partnership

Street Soccer – Social Innovation Partnership

WorkingRite – Social Innovation Partnership

MCR Pathways

Economy and Gaelic

Scottish Mountain Rescue

Constitution, External Affairs and Culture

Youth Music Initiative

Sistema Scotland

Health and Social Care

Cruse Scotland Bereavement Helpline

Penumbra Self-harm support pilots

BASICS Funding PHEC BASICS Scotland

The Listening Service Samaritans

Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults

Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund Management

Autism Advice Line Scottish Autism

Young Scot Carer support funding

Active Play Development Programme Inspiring Scotland

Active Play Development Programme Actify

Community Food Networks Edinburgh Community Food

Community Food Networks Lanarkshire Community Food and Health Partnership

Community Food Networks Community Food Initiative North East

Community Food Networks Glasgow Community Food Network

Drugs Policy: Core Funding Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs

Drugs Policy: Family Recovery Initiative Fund Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder FASD Hub Scotland Service 

Finance and Local Government

Planning Aid Scotland

Education and Skills

Dyslexia Scotland

Children’s Advocacy for Children’s Hearings

Who Cares Scotland

Inspiring Scotland

Children in Scotland Enquire National Advice and Information Service on Additional Support for Learning

Scottish Book Trust Bookbug

Access to Childcare Fund

Scottish Association of Minority Ethnic Educators

Justice and Home Affairs

Victim Centred Approach Fund

Apex Scotland

Medics Against Violence

These pilots are in addition to the multi-year funding announced last week by Creative Scotland, which has been funded as part of a record £34 million uplift for culture in the draft 2025-26 Scottish Budget.

EVOC: CEO Update

I have now been in post as CEO with EVOC for 25 days (on 22/1), though it sometimes feels like a lot longer! I have had a whirlwind of an introduction, and my feet have hardly touched the ground, which has made it exciting. 

I have met a lot of great people from across the sector and our partner organisations, including the City of Edinburgh Council and the Scottish Government. I have been made to feel welcome and have learned a lot from a diverse mix of individuals.

I have heard of the challenges different organisations are facing right now, and these conversations are shaping my understanding and giving me insights that I will be distilling, with colleagues, into our future planning. 

We are currently seeking the views of members and voluntary organisations in Edinburgh to tell us about their needs and the challenges that they are facing in 2025 and beyond. To increase the number of people who can contribute, we are using a survey that will be circulated to our members.

Please take a few minutes to complete it to ensure we consider the needs of more organisations in shaping how we work in future and what our priorities will be.

This month we are preparing for our Annual General Meeting at 4pm on Wednesday 26 February which will be held on Zoom. We will report on the year 2023/24 and give a flavour of our plans for the future.

We are looking for new individuals with business skills to be elected to the board of EVOC to join a committed group of volunteers who are interested in the development of EVOC as representatives to serve third sector organisations in Edinburgh. You can find how to apply to join the Board of Directors here.

Separately we are seeking a new Convener to chair the board and provide leadership to the organisation and directors. We’re looking for somebody with integrity good governance, leadership, finance and change management experience. If you are interested in this role, please see the details here.

We are spending a great deal of time currently in seeking ways to support those organisations affected by the impending cuts to the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) grants scheme which is a partnership between the NHS and the City of Edinburgh Council. 

In recent months we have increased our engagement across the sector, so that we are better able to represent the views and interests of voluntary organisations in strategic forums such as the EIJB and the Edinburgh Partnership.

We are doing this as we strengthen our culture of service, to our members and to the sector. 

With best wishes  

Bruce Crawford, CEO 

EIJB: Draft Strategic Plan consultation

Edinburgh Integration Joint Board draft strategic plan – HAVE YOUR SAY

A consultation on the EIJB’s draft strategic plan is now open:

https://bit.ly/3E4amM1

We would like you to share your views on Edinburgh Integration Joint Board’s (IJB) Draft Strategic Plan.

This plan covers the three financial years running from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2028.

Our purpose as an IJB is to provide the best health and social care services that we can with the resources we have available.

This means working to make Edinburgh a safer, healthier and fairer place to live for everybody.

This latest version of the plan has been produced with extensive input from the citizens of Edinburgh and the many organisations and teams that serve our communities.  

We would like to know if you think we have the right priorities, if you agree with what we are planning to do and if you think the way we plan to measure our success is right. Please use the form on the following pages to tell us what you think. You can answer as many or as few of the questions as you like.

Give us your views:

Online Survey

We are also holding two events where you can share your views with us:

You can download a copy of the draft plan document at the bottom of this page.

If you need help accessing the documents or completing the form, please email ehscp.communications@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Have your say on the priorities, planned actions and measures of success.

EIJB draft Strategic Plan 25-28Download

#EIJBConsultation

EIJB funding crisis: Agenda for tomorrow’s conference

To attendees and those who wished to be kept in touch about conference developments:

Hi,

Thank you for attending the workshop on Saturday or for expressing an interest in campaign developments. We will produce a written report on the conclusions arising out of the discussion at the plenary session of the workshop.

Attached is the agenda for the workshop on Saturday,

One of the key issues to be discussed at the workshop is the City Council’s response to the proposed cut in funding to third sector organisations.

The cut will take effect on 30/6/25. However, we understand that Council action to mitigate the effects of the cuts will be discussed during the Council’s budget setting meeting on 20/2/25.

There may need to be a lobby of the Council meeting.

Regards,

Des Loughney
Secretary
Edinburgh TUC

EDINBURGH SOCIAL CARE CAMPAIGN – THE WAY FORWARD

Unitecd Augustine Church, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL

Workshop Saturday 18th January 2025

AGENDA

Chair: Ian Mullen (UNISON City of Edinburgh Council Branch)

9.30 am – 10.00 am: Tea/ coffee and biscuits.

10.00 am – 11 am. Introduction to workshop

Des Loughney – Secretary, UNITE Edinburgh Not For Profit Branch (1)

Councillor Tim Pogson – Vice Chair of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (2)

Denise Ritchie: Fair Work Project Officer, Scottish Trades Union Congress (3)

Linda Sommerville: Deputy General Secretary, Scottish Trades Union Congress. (3)

11am to 12.30pm Working Groups ( two)

12.30 pm to 1.00 pm – Plenary Session and summing up.

Speakers:

  1. Des Loughney will comment on the impact of the proposed EIJB cuts on services and third sector worker terms and conditions. The impact includes compulsory redundancies and downgrading of contracts of employment from guaranteed working weeks to zero hour contracts,
  2. Councillor Tim Pogson will update us on the response of the Council to the proposed EIJB cuts. The City Council is seeking to mitigate the impact of the cuts on the third sector.
  3. Denise Ritchie and Linda Sommervile will brief the workshop on proposed campaigning activity at a local level and a Scottish level.
agenda18_1_25 (1)Download

EIJB funding crisis: The Third Sector relationship with the EIJB

THIRD SECTOR INTERFACE BRIEFING NOTE:

The financial situation of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) is very challenging. In 2025/26, the IJB seek to realise around £51m of savings. Future years will see further savings required, currently estimated to be £76m in 2026/27 and £105m in 2027/28.  

These savings will be difficult and their impact will be substantial.  So, managing change, and ensuring key services are delivered to communities will require collaboration by the IJB and city partners, including the Third Sector.

Reference Group

On November 1 2024, Third Sector representatives presented deputations to the EIJB challenging proposals around the Third Sector Grants Programme and an in-year cut (2024/2025). The IJB did not approve the proposal for the in-year cut with an alternative proposal being approved. 

Following that meeting, the IJB invited Third Sector representatives to talk through concerns and identify areas to work together. To inform those meetings, EVOC and their TSI partners collaborated with the Edinburgh Community Health Forum and representatives of other Third Sector interests across the city to create a Reference Group.

The purpose of the Reference Group is to:

  1. inform governance and city partnerships
  2. assert the value of the Sector
  3. shape investment
  4. support change
  5. distil the voices of the Third Sector to effectively represent the sector on the IJB

EIJB Engagement and Proposals

The Reference Group has rapidly considered the short-term issues around funding, and the longer-term issues of future partnership models, sharing a briefing note with the IJB on issues and options in early December. The engagement with EIJB has been positive given the difficult circumstances, and this positive engagement has resulted in an EIJB paper to the December Board which recommends:

  • That the Health Inequalities grants programme, due to end on 31 March 2025 should be extended for three months into 2025/26 which will help provide time for the organisations affected to adapt.
  • The Board support work currently underway to undertake a series of collaborative workshops which will inform some of the savings proposals and invest-to-save opportunities that will be submitted for consideration by the EIJB in March 2025.

In the current landscape this is a positive outcome for the Third Sector, informed directly by the voice, needs and priorities of the Sector.

City of Edinburgh Council Engagement and Proposals

Given the challenges to funding for the Third Sector and the impact cuts will have to the viability of Third Sector Organisations, the Reference Group have also argued the need for a cross city partnership approach to investment.

Following the November 1 EIJB meeting, the TSI wrote to the Chair of the EIJB, the Chief Executive of City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian asserting the need to [a] reset investment [b] reform ways of working [c] repair relationships. In the immediate term, a key priority is to secure a commitment from City of Edinburgh to invest to mitigate the risks to critical and anchor organisations.

On December 10 the Council Policy and Sustainability Committee considered and approved a proposal that recognised that the Council may need to provide core or foundational funding to stabilise vital third sector organisations. The TSI with ECHF collaborated to present a joint deputation, welcoming the Council proposal, and offering support.

Council officers were instructed to:

  • Work on a briefing paper for the Council’s political groups on what the Third sector needs now, specifically transitional funding, medium term, ahead of the Council setting its budget in February;
  • Undertake a review of all grant funding, exploring the provision of longer term, sustainable funding;
  • Work with the Edinburgh Partnership and Third Sector to co-design solutions, and agree terms of reference for a short life group and report back to Policy and Sustainability Committee in March.

Priorities: December EIJB meeting and Future Planning

The Reference Group will continue to meet and shape the next steps. An immediate priority is to agree on Terms of Reference and confirm representatives in the Group. We will be sharing a set of proposals before Christmas for your consideration.

A strong voice is essential to shape the long-term relationship with the EIJB and in particular the workshop series in spring 2025.

The Edinburgh TSI with EVOC and others from the Reference Group will support the paper to the EIJB on December 17 on progress on the Third Sector Grants Programme and the next steps in working collaboratively with the Sector, and also with the City of Edinburgh Council.

The EIJB Paper is available here: 6.3 Third Sector Commissioning 25-26 Engagement Update.pdf

If you need any further information in advance of the IJB meeting tomorrow (Tuesday 17 December), please get in touch with us or reach out to any member of the Reference Group.

We will also provide regular briefings on progress, through the fortnightly EVOC E-news and targeted updates on key information as necessary.

Dairmaid Lawlor, TSI Chair

EVOC announces new CEO

EVOC (Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council) is delighted to announce the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Crawford. 

Following a comprehensive recruitment process, led by EVOC’s Board and involving representatives from the Third Sector and Edinburgh’s Third Sector Interface partners (Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network and Volunteer Edinburgh), Bruce will take up the CEO position today – Monday 9 December 2024. 

Bruce brings a breadth of strategic leadership experience to the role, as a CEO, Trustee and Volunteer. As Director of Grange Associates, he has supported charities and social enterprises to develop and succeed, offering advice in a range of areas including governance, strategy, policy, change management, diversity, risk management, business planning and sustainability.

As Chief Executive for Scottish Curling, Bruce led successful negotiations that secured £2m funding for covid recovery from the Scottish Government and played a key role in developing strategies and campaigns to ensure that the Olympic profile and success were capitalised to maximum effect.

He is also a member of the Sustainability Committee for World Curling and is the chair of the James Gillespie’s Trust. 

Diarmaid Lawlor (EVOC Convenor) said: ““We are delighted to appoint Bruce to lead EVOC. This has been a competitive and thorough recruitment process.

“The core of strong Third Sector organisations is clear purpose, tangible impacts, sustainable finance, and, particularly relevant to this situation, great people.

“Bruce’s appointment completes EVOC’s internal staffing restructure and we look forward to working with him and the wider Third Sector to finalise our strategic priorities, working towards ‘a strong sector for a strong city’.”

Responding to news of his appointment, Bruce said: “I am delighted to be appointed to lead EVOC as its new CEO, working with the staff and board, listening to members and consulting with stakeholders as we support the voluntary organisations that serve our communities.

“I am looking forward to hearing from colleagues across the sector as we develop our new strategy and set priorities, which will help us to make an impact and address the challenges that lie ahead.”