Voluntary sector organisation? How are things for you? Help shape the future – there are still some places available at Tuesday’s Edinburgh Compact event (see below):
Tag: voluntary sector
Calling the local voluntary sector: complete the survey
Can you please take a couple of minutes to complete the survey linked below? Many thanks to those who have responded already …
The Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum would like to carry out a short survey to ascertain what day and time best suits the majority for the Forth and Inverleith VSF meetings.
Can you please take a couple of minutes to complete? We want to ensure that we are having these meetings at a time most convenient for the majority.
Many thanks
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7WLVMS2
Edinburgh Compact: Time for Action?
Compact Partnership – The Next Ten Years: Time for Action
Help us shape a forward strategy for the Edinburgh Compact Partnership – to help make YOUR ambitions reality.
Ten years since the launch of the Edinburgh Compact Partnership, we are developing a new forward strategy – to enable the Third Sector and the Public Sector to grow Social Value together. Join us for a panel discussion to consider the draft strategy and how the Compact Partnership might support your work for the next ten years.
Find more information and book your place now.
Compact: The Next 10 Years
Take this opportunity to have a say on an early draft of the new Edinburgh Compact Partnership Strategy at this panel discussion with input from Shulah Allan, David Jack and Geoff Pearson.
Over the last 5 months, Compact 10 have consulted with over 120 Third Sector organisations to hear their hopes for the future, and their view of Compact’s role in this future. This event is your chance to see how the new strategy is shaping up, and have your views on it heard.
This will be the premier Edinburgh Compact Partnership annual event, which will open up the work of the Partnership for discussion with Edinburgh’s Third Sector.
We think the strategy reflects our shared ambitions, but come and see what YOU think.
Date: Tuesday 3 March 2015, 5-8pm
Venue: King Khalid Symposium Hall, Hill Square, EH8 9DS
Contact Sarah Wade (sarah.wade@evoc.org.uk) for more details or click here to book your place.
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‘Shocking increase’ in food bank usage
New report shows growing demand for emergency food aid
More than 160 groups and organisations are now providing emergency food aid in Scotland. The figure is in a new report from the Poverty Alliance which states changes to the social security system and the introduction of sanctions, as well as low pay and insecure work are some of the main factors behind the growing need for emergency food.
The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Alex Neil launched the report at a food bank in his Airdrie constituency yesterday.
The Scottish Government has now provided the Poverty Alliance with £28,941 to carry out further work with emergency food providers. This will enable the Alliance to work with those providers to take forward research findings and to focus more strongly on the causes of food poverty and work towards ensuring people get the help needed to move them away from reliance on food aid provision.
Mr Neil said: “The Poverty Alliance report perfectly demonstrates the impact of UK welfare changes. It is unacceptable that so many have had to resort to foodbanks. Emergency food aid is not a sustainable response to the issue of food poverty and its underlying drivers and it cannot become an established feature of the welfare system in Scotland.”
“We have seen previously in figures from the The Trussell Trust, that there has been a shocking increase in food bank usage. This speaks volumes about the real poverty in our society when people can’t feed their families without help and support from food aid organisations.”
The Poverty Alliance report follows figures from The Trussell Trust which shows a rapid and dramatic rise in the number of people accessing emergency food aid in Scotland.
The Trussell Trust has reported a 12 fold increase in usage of emergency food aid in just three years – in 2011/12 5726 people in Scotland accessed food aid, while in 2013/14 that figure was 71,428.
The Poverty Alliance report concludes that more effort should be concentrated on how emergency food aid providers can better connect people with mainstream support services. Providers working in close partnership with other services have been shown to offer better support to those in need, connecting them to the advice and support required to address underlying issues which have led them to access emergency food aid in the first place.
Director of The Poverty Alliance Peter Kelly said: “We need to build on the good work that food aid providers are already doing. Volunteers are providing help to people experiencing real difficulties in often complex circumstances. There is a need to develop partnership working between emergency food aid providers to share ideas, experiences and good practice.
“In the longer term we need to ensure that we are developing policy solutions that address the root causes of food poverty. The support from the Scottish Government will help the Poverty Alliance ensure that those who are on the frontline tackling food poverty are able to contribute to finding these solutions.”
The Trussell Trust Scotland Network Manager Ewan Gurr added: “It has been a pleasure to work alongside and support the research carried out by our colleagues at the Poverty Alliance and we appreciate the consistency of the Scottish Government as they explore creative ways to tackle food poverty in Scotland.
“The voluntary sector, largely, has an openness to exploring fresh ways in which we can enhance the level of support people are offered. We welcome the report and believe it is important for us, as well as other food providers, to digest the findings. It has always been my ultimate desire that our foodbanks are places where dignity is restored, hope is revived and the support is comprehensive and robust.”
To help food aid providers develop a better understanding of the range of support available for users of emergency food aid and identify additional support, the Poverty Alliance has developed a web based resource to assist those delivering emergency food aid better link with mainstream services such as Citizen’s Advice Scotland as well as with other information and links to key support services at www.foodaidscotland.org
Third Sector: talk BOLD today
Just in case you missed this …
The City of Edinburgh Council is planning major changes to the way that it delivers services at a local level and how it collaborates with partners. TODAY (3 February), the Council is holding an engagement session to brief the third sector on the proposed changes and provide an opportunity to influence them. There are still some places available, but spaces are limited so please contact Tasha on email below as soon as possible.
A summary of the Council proposals can be found in the Better Outcomes Leaner Delivery (BOLD) Business Cases paper and the Organise to Deliver paper.
The meeting will take place at 2pm in the European Room at the City Chambers. If you would like to book one of the places, please email Tasha MacKenzie who works in the BOLD team in the Council: Tasha.MacKenzie@edinburgh.gov.uk.
Voluntary Sector Forum dates set
Get your diaries out … Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum meetings have been set for the rest of the year … and the first one of 2016 has been scheduled in too!
22 APRIL
22 JULY
21 OCTOBER
20 JANUARY 2016
The meetings will be held on Wednesday mornings from 10am – 12 noon at venues to be confirmed.
EVOC thinkSpace event: Pensions
EVOC is holding a Breakfast thinkSpace on
Pension Auto Enrolment
on Friday 20 February 8:30am – 10am
at EVOC, 14 Ashley Place, EdinburghEH6 5PX
The session will be delivered by Deborah Adam from the Pensions Team at Burness Paull LLP, as well as a speaker from Hymans Robertson (to be confirmed).
There will be more information to follow on our dedicated ThinkSpace pages, as well as on our social media channels.
In the meantime, please save the date and reserve your place by booking through eventbrite:
https://eventbrite.co.uk/event/15498270745/
Voluntary Sector Forum meets on Wednesday
Forth and Inverleith Vountary Sector Forum will meet next Wednesday (21 January) from 10am – 12pm in North Edinburgh Arts.
AGENDA
- Present and Apologies
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Minutes of the last meeting
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Matters arising
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Election papers for new Chair – discussion
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New Local Community Plan – hard copies of plan and discussion
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CEC Budget
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Childcare
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Training opportunities
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Information Exchange
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A.O.B.
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Date of next meeting
For further information contact EVOC Community Planning development worker June Dickson on 555 9114, email june.dickson@evoc.org.uk
Civic Scotland urges halt to Universal Credit roll-out
An open letter to Iain Duncan Smith:
We – the undersigned – are writing with a united voice from across civic Scotland to call on the UK Government to immediately suspend the further implementation of Universal Credit in Scotland until the process of legislating for new powers for the Scottish Parliament is complete.
We know from the Smith Agreement that the bill for further powers that is currently being drafted, will include significant new welfare powers. The detail of how these powers will interact with the Universal Credit system will be complex and require careful consideration and planning. The legislation around welfare is complex and is regularly being adapted: since the enactment of the Welfare Reform Act 2012, there have already been over 40 Statutory Instruments passed by Westminster to bring into force many of its provisions.
Any system of welfare has to be safe and secure. Driving through Universal Credit in Scotland at this stage will create unnecessary administrative complication in an already complex process. The sensible way to roll out Universal Credit in Scotland is to do it once, when the Scotland-specific elements have been carefully planned and incorporated into it. This would avoid wasting precious time and scarce resources, and would protect vulnerable people from bureaucratic change that could wreak havoc.
A key recommendation of the Smith Commission was to significantly improve intergovernmental working between Westminster and Holyrood; this is a golden opportunity to do just that. So we ask you to act immediately to suspend the next phase of the roll-out of Universal Credit in Scotland, before it is scheduled to start in February.
Our diverse, united voices demonstrate that our call is not about politics. It is about protecting the most vulnerable people in our society and creating an effective, robust new system for delivering welfare. Our call is about responsible, effective governance.
Mary Taylor, Chief Executive, SFHA on behalf of my 56 co-signatories, listed below:
Age Scotland – Brian Sloan, CEO
Business for Scotland – Brandon Malone, Interim Chair
Church of Scotland – Rt Rev John Chalmers, Moderator of the General Assembly
Coalition of Care Support Providers in Scotland – Annie Gunner Logan, Director,
Common Weal – The Board
Constitutional Commission – John Drummond, Chairman
Council of Mortgage Lenders – Kennedy Foster, Policy Consultant, Scotland
Cyrenians – Ewan Aitken, CEO
Development Trusts Association – Ian Cooke, Director
East Lothian Tenants and Residents Panel – Mark Ormiston, Chair Person
Edinburgh Tenants Federation – Betty Stevenson, Convenor
Engender – Emma Ritch, Executive Director
Food Train – Michelle McCrindle, CEO
Glasgow & West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations – David Bookbinder, Director
Health & Social Care Alliance Scotland – Ian Welsh, CEO
Inclusion Scotland – Bill Scott, Director of Policy
Money Advice Scotland – Yvonne MacDermid OBE, CEO
Quarriers – Alice Drife, CEO
Scottish Association of Social Work – Trisha Hall, Country Manager
Scottish Children’s Services Coalition – Sophie Pilgrim, Member
Scottish Community Alliance – Angus Hardie, Director
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations – Martin Sime, CEO
Scottish Out of School Care Network – Irene Audain MBE, CEO
Scottish Trade Unions Council – David Moxham, Deputy General Secretary
Scottish Women’s Aid – Lily Greenan, CEO
Sense Scotland – Andy Kerr, CEO
Social Enterprise Scotland – Fraser Kelly, CEO
Social Firms Scotland – Pauline Graham, CEO
St Martins Parish Pastoral Council, Tranent – Fr James Smith. Parish Priest
The Equality Network – Tim Hopkins, Director
The Jimmy Reid Foundation – Bob Thomson, Convener
The Poverty Alliance Peter Kelly, Director
The Wise Group – Laurie Russell, CEO
The Trussell Trust – David McAuley, CEO
Turning Point Scotland – Martin Cawley, CEO
Who Cares? Scotland – Duncan Dunlop, CEO
Voluntary Action Scotland – Calum Irving, CEO
Voluntary Health Scotland – Claire Stevens, CEO
YouthLink Scotland – Jim Sweeney, CEO
Zero Tolerance – Laura Tomson, Co-director
Signatories from Housing Assoc. due to be part of the next stage of Universal Credit roll-out:
ARK Housing Association – Jane Gray, CEO
Barony Housing Association – Rebecca Wilson, CEO
Bield Housing & Care – Brian Logan, CEO
Blackwood – Fanchea Kelly, CEO
Cairn Housing Association – Jason MacGilp, CEO
Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association – Alister Steele, Managing Director
Dunedin Canmore Group – Ewan Fraser, CEO
Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association – Helen Murdoch, CEO
Knowes Housing Association – Pierre De Fence, Director
Lister Housing Co-operative – Alistair Cant, Director
Manor Estates Housing Association – Lynn McDonald, Director
Melville Housing Association – Andrew Noble, CEO
Prospect Community Housing – Brendan Fowler, Director
Trafalgar Housing Association – Paul McShane, Director
Trust Housing Association – Bob McDougall, CEO
West Granton Housing Co-operative – Gerry Gillies, CEO
Caledonia Youth to close in Spring
Charity to close after 46 years – eleven staff face redundancy
Castle Terrace based charity Caledonia Youth Services is to close in the New Year due to ongoing funding difficulties.
Speaking on behalf of the Board of Trustees, a spokesperson said:
“It is with great regret that we must announce the forthcoming closure of Caledonia Youth. Our Edinburgh-based charity provides a variety of specialist preventative interventions to support young people under 25 in Scotland through challenges associated with their transition to adulthood, helping them develop their social and emotional capabilities and reduce negative risk taking behaviour.
“Now, after 46 years, we find ourselves unable to sustain our charity following an erosion of funding in recent years. While the team have worked hard to secure new sources of income and been successful in doing so for many years, like other colleagues in the third sector we have faced a constant reduction in statutory funding. For us, this culminated in the termination of our contract with NHS Lothian earlier this year to deliver a specialist clinic in Edinburgh, which had served young people in the region since 1968, along with our school-based programme to help increase knowledge.
“Having exhausted alternative funding avenues vital to the sustainability of our charity, the Board of Trustees have made the difficult decision to wind up Caledonia Youth. We are in the process of applying to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) to formally do so and the last day of operation will be 31 March 2015. Obviously we are hugely disappointed to be faced with what is the only option left open to us, which will bring redundancy for 11 highly skilled people.
“We would like to take this opportunity to say how very proud we are of our extremely dedicated team here at Caledonia Youth who have developed and delivered many ground breaking programmes. They have proved great advocates for tens of thousands of young people, particularly the more vulnerable, disadvantaged and disengaged in our society today.
“Caledonia Youth’s enterprising and adaptable approach has impacted upon our young clients by helping to change long term behaviour, giving rise to both direct and indirect positive outcomes including their enhanced employability and opportunities to enjoy full and rewarding lives.
“While we wish we could do more, the focus now is on ensuring our young clients are supported through the closure, as there is a dearth of service provision. We too experience waiting lists for our services. We will do our utmost to ensure they are connected with an appropriate organisation, although that will possibly mean a different level of assistance.
“On top of this, we will be doing everything in our power to help our team secure alternative employment as quickly as possible.
“Our thanks go to those who have helped us sustain Caledonia Youth – funders, partner organisations and those who make referrals to us – and to all the young people we have connected with and supported over the years.”