Each year the Council engages citizens on its spending and savings plans for the year ahead. A four year financial plan for Edinburgh has been set now. However, participants from previous consultations told the CEC that they would like to be involved in helping the Council to identify solutions and redesign services. Continue reading Voluntary Sector: Have your say on key services
EVOC’s June Dickson supported the local voluntary sector’s participation in community planning through the Neighbourhood Partnerships. She recently moved on to an exciting new role and explains what it’s all about:
I wanted to get in touch to introduce you to my new role as a Director of http://www.mhscot-consultancy.co.uk/, Scotland’s first Social Enterprise tackling stress prevention and early mental health intervention in the workplace.
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For each session, there are 100 spaces available for third sector leaders and board members and these will be allocated on a first-come basis and limited to two attendees per organisation (one senior staff and one board member) only. While there is no charge for attending the event, organisations will need to directly consider any related costs for sending representatives to the Forum.
For organisations that wish to send representatives, please complete the following:
| Organisation Name | ||
| Attender 1 (staff) | Attender 2 (board) | |
| Session 1 | ||
| Attender 1 (staff) | Attender 2 (board) | |
| Session 2 | ||
Please send details of your nominated representatives to Korstiaan Allan at Korstiaan.Allan@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 469 3847.
Charities supporting children, families and adult learning will be invited to apply for a share of a new project fund that will award £2 million over the next two years. Continue reading New £2 million innovation element added to Empowering Communities Fund
Reprieve for some but others still await funding decision
The city council has heralded a new way of distributing grants but some highly-regarded local voluntary sector projects still await the decisions that will determine their future. And with just six weeks before the start of the new financial year, management committees and voluntary boards across the city are faced with unpalatable choices: issue redundancy notices and risk losing staff or hope that all will be well with next year’s funding? Continue reading Council funding: for some, the wait goes on
Voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations will have the ability to improve their performance and sustainability, thanks to two new online tools supported by the Big Lottery Fund. Continue reading New Lottery support to strengthen voluntary sector
See poster (below) for a workshop event on Monday 8 February, open to community organisations’ activists and staff. Continue reading How good is your organisation?
What with ongoing funding uncertainty and major council reorganisation, there’s lots to talk about. The local Voluntary Sector Forum offers third sectors groups a chance to join together to discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead (writes EVOC’s June Dickson):
EVOC works directly with Voluntary Sector Forums. These groups link to the Neighbourhood Partnerships, & facilitate communication and planning among the voluntary sector organisations that operate within each local area. They fit within and feed back into the Neighbourhood Partnership structure.
However, the Forums are invaluable to third Sector representatives as they also:
and Community Planning
An example of how the Forums are a vehicle to work co-productively with partners, especially in terms of Community Planning, has been the schedule of meetings through the various Forums in Edinburgh where the CEC Transformation Team have attended and presented the Plans for Transformation and Localities to Third Sector organisations within each Locality. These meetings have proved invaluable in terms of informing the Third Sector and other partners, as to the changes being planned whilst also providing a consultation opportunity with Third Sector and a line of communication providing feedback on concerns and challenges as well as opportunities.
The Agendas of each Forum are driven and decided by Forum members to ensure topics pertinent to a particular area are being addressed and discussed.
Find upcoming meeting dates and meeting papers for the Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum page:
If you require any further information please contact June Dickson: june.dickson@evoc.org.uk or call 0131 555 9114.
‘we as a nation have to step up and respond in a way that matches the scale of this tragedy’ – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
An operational taskforce is to be established to co-ordinate Scotland’s practical response to the humanitarian refugee crisis following yesterday’s Edinburgh summit convened by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The First Minister said Scotland stands ready to welcome refugees, as she confirmed that the task force would urgently engage organisations across Scotland to establish capacity in a range of matters such as housing, health services, language support, transport and social services.
The First Minister announced that Europe and International Development Minister Humza Yousaf will chair the group, which will also examine how Scotland can harness the goodwill of the public in Scotland with many of the humanitarian organisations already reporting a huge number of offers of practical help from individuals and groups across the country.
Ms Sturgeon said that yesterday’s summit had been positive and productive with people who have sought sanctuary in Scotland invited to give their own personal testimonies about the practicalities of settling in a new country.
She also confirmed that the discussions would be summarised and sent to the Prime Minister as part of a positive offer of support from Scotland as the UK responds to the migration crisis.
The First Minister said: “I want, as First Minister, to ensure that Scotland is playing its part in dealing with this humanitarian crisis. Today’s summit was a positive and productive first step with a sense that we as a nation have to step up and respond in a way that matches the scale of this tragedy.
“Scotland already has well established structures in place for integrating those who come here seeking asylum and we stand ready to welcome our fair share of people fleeing persecution. However, if we are to do this, there is no doubt that we do require a proper, co-ordinated approach.
“Today’s summit was focused on looking at some of the practical issues involved and I have now established a task force to co-ordinate Scotland’s response, working with local authorities, public agencies and third sector organisations to ensure that any refugees that come to Scotland will be able to integrate successfully. As a first step, I expect the task force to examine capacity in a range of services in Scotland, including housing, health and social services.
“The task force will also have a hugely important role in harnessing the many, many expressions of goodwill and offers of help from the public in Scotland, providing a focal point for that activity and ensuring that the wider Scottish community is able to play its part in welcoming people to our country.”
Ms Sturgeon went on: “During the talks today there was real clarity expressed around the UK Government’s need to play a part in a co-ordinated European response to the problem and agree to take a fair and proportionate share of refugees.
“We want to work constructively with the UK government and I welcome the additional steps that the Prime Minister has set out but there has to be much more detail given – for example we still don’t know how many refugees he is talking about or whether these are just refugees from Syrian camps or those in Europe.
“There are not any easy solutions to this, but all of us have a responsibility as human beings to recognise the extent of this humanitarian crisis and resolve together to do something about it. If we all play our part then the totality of that response might just have a chance of dealing effectively with the problem.”
‘it is clear that Edinburgh’s homelessness strategy is helping us to move in the right direction and delivering real results’ – Councillor Cammy Day
New statistics released by the Scottish Government (see below) show that Edinburgh’s homelessness strategy is working. The overall number of people presenting as homeless has reduced by 15% over the last five years, with less than 3% of people classed as rough sleepers.
Edinburgh’s success is the result of effective partnership working with third sector organisations and a renewed focus on prevention, and the latest figures have been welcomed by Housing Leader, Councillor Cammy Day.
He said: “These statistics are extremely encouraging and a tremendous achievement, not just for the Council but for our partners in the third sector who work tirelessly to support homeless people and those at risk of becoming homeless.
“While there is still much to be done, it is clear that Edinburgh’s homelessness strategy is helping us to move in the right direction and delivering real results. All of this has been achieved despite a challenging economic climate and significant budget pressures.
“We have invested over £14 million this financial year to fund third sector support services and around another £11 million on our own prevention services. Protecting vulnerable people will continue to be our key priority and we are committed to reducing homelessness further across Edinburgh.”
The City of Edinburgh Council offers an extensive range of services to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, from support and advice on housing options, to assessment services and accommodation.
An early intervention approach also plays a vital role in the Council’s homelessness strategy. Each year commissioned services help over 7,500 people to find new homes as quickly as possible and provide support to help them keep their homes.
Iain Gordon, Chief Executive of Bethany Christian Trust and Chair of the Strategic Homeless Action Partnership in Edinburgh (SHAPE) said: “It is encouraging to see indications that the number of people presenting as homeless in the city is reducing. A great deal of work has been done by third sector organisations and the Council in recent years to address some of the root causes of homelessness as well as the distress that homelessness brings to the lives of some of the city’s most vulnerable people.
“SHAPE remains keen to work with the Council to address increases in the level of support required by those who find themselves homeless and in the prevalence of repeat homelessness.”
