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
Minutes of the last meeting
Matters arising
Election papers for new Chair – discussion
New Local Community Plan – hard copies of plan and discussion
CEC Budget
Childcare
Training opportunities
Information Exchange
A.O.B.
Date of next meeting

For further information contact EVOC Community Planning development worker June Dickson on 555 9114, email june.dickson@evoc.org.uk

060814 FINAL – USE

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.”

Caledonia Youth corporate_brochure

Last call for voluntary sector survey returns

Can I ask your assistance if you haven’t already completed the Voluntary Sector Survey Review, that you take ten minutes out of your busy day and complete the survey? These results shall be collated and taken forward in an Action plan to strengthen the role of the Forums especially in relation to Neighbourhood Partnerships.

Your help will be greatly appreciated.

The survey can be found here: http://goo.gl/j0STaW

Many thanks

EVOC thinkSpace event: Balancing the Books

Monday 24 November, 1 – 3pm

City of Edinburgh Council, City Chambers, Business Centre

At this thinkSpace event, we will be joined by Councillors Burns, Rankin, Child & Cook, as well as Hugh Dunn, Head of Finance at CEC, to take us through the Council’s budget proposals for 2015/16 and into the future.

Full details of the event are available here.

Please book in advance by emailing dianne.morrison@evoc.org.uk to reserve your place.

Really hope you can make this important event – the sector needs to make its voice heard during the consultation period.

EVOC update

Please help us help you by completing our questionnaire about local Voluntary Sector Forums.

Please see link below to a survey regarding the local Voluntary Sector Forums which asks questions of your involvement with, and your experience of, participating in the Forum within your area.

http://www.evoc.org.uk/blog/voluntary-sector-forums/

I have already met some of you who have shared their experiences with me. However, having looked at the notes from these meetings I have realised that this is an opportunity to collate as many opinions as possible and try to identify what the strengths of the Forums are, how we build on these strengths whilst acknowledging and identifying where improvement can be achieved.

Can I ask you to take 10 minutes out to complete this more comprehensive questionnaire?

A discussion paper will then be produced highlighting the results and looking at a way forward to ensuring everyone, who wants to, can engage fully and effectively with both Voluntary Sector Forums and also Neighbourhood Partnerships. This piece of work will also complement and feed into the Neighbourhood Partnership Review.

All organisations responding to this questionnaire will be kept fully informed of the findings and we also hope to highlight best practice and some of the successes achieved by all organisations working together.

http://www.evoc.org.uk/blog/voluntary-sector-forums/

EVOC’s AGM and Annual Conference 2014: ‘Chasing Unicorns’

‘Chasing Unicorns’, EVOC’s Third Sector Conference and Annual General Meeting, will be held on 11 November 2014 from 9:30am (for 10am start) to 1.30pm at the Norton Park Conference Centre in Edinburgh. We’ll be exploring the future of Scotland’s Third Sector – and any opportunities or challenges that may arise post Referendum.

Full details of the event and booking form available here.

Taking SHAPE: reducing the risk of homelessness

A new pilot scheme to reduce homelessness has been launched by the City of Edinburgh Council and voluntary sector partners .

Focusing on resolving and preventing homelessness, a range of specialist services will be delivered through a partnership with third sector organisations the Bethany Christian Trust, Edinburgh Cyrenian Trust, Foursquare and CHAI (Community Help and Advice Initiative). The partnership heralds the beginning of a new collaborative approach to supporting people in the Capital who are at risk of losing their homes.

The Council, providers and service users are working in partnership to rebalance housing support services and place more emphasis on prevention, through mentoring, befriending, group work and visits from housing support staff. This approach will help resolve some of the crises that lead to homelessness and also deliver initial savings of £400,000, with potential further savings in the future.

The Council’s Housing Leader, Councillor Cammy Day, said: “Taking early action is the best way to combat homelessness. It is vital that we act quickly so we can prevent more people from losing their homes and better protect their well-being.

“By working alongside our third sector partners, we can gain from their expertise and deliver the highest standard of support to those who need it across Edinburgh. This way we can tackle the root causes of homelessness and provide important advice on budgeting and tenancy issues, to build a better future for those at risk and help them to keep their homes.”

The pilot will provide:

Budgeting and debt advice (including rent, utility bills and fuel poverty)I
nformation about benefits, including changes due to welfare reform
Advice about tenancy issues and housing options
Links to employment, including volunteering, education and training
Help to avoid social isolation

People who are homeless and in temporary and insecure accommodation will also receive support to move into more sustainable accommodation, in both the public and private sectors.

Iain Gordon of SHAPE, the umbrella organisation representing the third sector partners, said: “Our hope is that this new way of working will help people who find themselves at risk of becoming homeless to be more secure in their homes, so that they can live active and productive lives.”

£6m grants to ‘vital’ Third Sector

More than 115 organisations to benefit from Enterprise Ready Fund

Grants totalling £6 million have been awarded to over 115 enterprising third sector organisations, Finance Secretary John Swinney confirmed yesterday. Mr Swinney said that an enterprising third sector is ‘vital’ to Scotland’s future.

Fresh Start, Edinburgh Cyrenians Trust, MY Adventure and The Spartans Community Football Academy (pictured above) are among the Edinburgh organisations to benefit from Enterprise Ready funding (see below for full list of awardees).

ERF_awardees-aug2014

The Enterprise Ready Fund fund provides continued support to enterprising third sector organisations across Scotland, building on the Scottish Government’s commitment to promote a sustainable, capable and enterprising third sector.

Mr Swinney said: “We had a great response to the Enterprise Ready Fund and I would like to congratulate all organisations that have been successful in securing grants.

“Each and every one of the recipients are working in their own unique way to become more self-sufficient but more importantly for me, they are creating change at a local level. We can look forward to a future where these organisations play a full role in public service reform.

“We strongly believe that an enterprising third sector is vital to our economy, to civic society and in the creation of a fairer and more inclusive Scotland. That is why we have invested heavily to help the sector develop further.

“Organisations like Move On which operates across Scotland to deliver a range of support and advice services to those affected by or at risk of homelessness are excellent examples of how the sector is helping to create a fairer and more inclusive Scotland. This investment will help them deliver important services and opportunities to people across the country.”

Foundation Scotland’s Chief Executive Giles Ruck said: “We were encouraged by the high volume of applications received and are delighted that the fund is supporting such a variety of enterprising third sector organisations. We look forward with great anticipation to seeing the difference these awards will make in communities throughout Scotland.”

Foundation Scotland (FS) is Scotland’s busiest grant maker, making more awards to charity than any other independent funder. Each year FS clients make over 2,000 payments to charities and community organisations, about a third of which are to organisations recommended by FS.

FS supports a wide range of charities, voluntary community groups and sports clubs, giving clients a great range of causes to donate to and enabling FS to reach a wide range of community activity across Scotland.

A broad spectrum of local projects have received support through Foundation Scotland – from small grants to Pilton Community Gardeners, North West Carers Centre and Davidsons Mains & District Children’s Pipe Band through t0 a £30,000 grant to Pilton Community Health Project to contribute to the cost of a Women Supporting Women development worker. In all, 34 Edinburgh-based charities, community organisations and sports clubs received funding through Foundation Scotland.

For full details of grants awarded (1 July 2013 – 30 June 2014) see below

July 2014 awards

Spartans net share of social enterprise funding

The Spartans are among 67 enterprising third sector organisations to be awarded a share of £2.3 million social enterprise funding, Finance Secretary John Swinney confirmed today.

Spartans will receive almost £16,000 from the Enterprise Ready Fund and eight other city-based charities and voluntary organisations will also be supported.

The £6 million Enterprise Ready Fund, which opened to applications last September, builds on a number of current initiatives the Scottish Government has in place to continue to support a sustainable, capable and enterprising third sector.

The Finance Secretary’s announcement comes ahead of a trip to Oslo where he will plans to highlight the Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting the third sector at a conference on Social Entrepreneurship. It’s estimated that there are now between 3,000 – 4,000 social enterprises across Scotland and that that number is growing.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth said: “I would like to congratulate the 67 organisations which have been successful in securing grants from the Enterprise Ready Fund, ensuring the impact of these investments will be felt across Scotland.

“We believe that an enterprising third sector is a vital partner in our economy, in civic society and in the creation of a fairer and more inclusive Scotland. That is why we have invested heavily to help the sector develop.

“We have had a great response to the fund so far and I am keen to remind new, emerging and established third sector organisations that they have until 16 June to apply for funding. I hope that by investing in the third sector and enhancing its self-sufficiency we can look forward to a future where these organisations play a full role in public sector reform.

“Speaking at the Ferd conference provides an opportunity to share the experience of building a strong social enterprise sector, with our friends in Norway. Scotland has an excellent reputation for our work with the third sector. It is regarded as the best place in the world to start a social enterprise and there is increasing international interest in what some are calling the ‘Scottish Model’.”

The Enterprise Ready Fund will help organisations to develop, become more efficient and self-sustaining, or diversify into new markets. Priority is being given to activities that contribute towards the Scottish Government’s Prevention and Welfare Reform agendas. The fund is being delivered by a consortium of third sector organisations led by Foundation Scotland in partnership with Community Enterprise in Scotland (CEiS), Developing Strathclyde Ltd (DSL) and the Social Value Lab.

Foundation Scotland’s Chief Executive Giles Ruck said: “We are delighted with the wide variety of applications we have received so far, which showcase the innovative ways organisations plan to use their awards to make a real difference to the people and communities they serve. We hope this initial announcement will encourage new or developing third sector organisations to apply to the Enterprise Ready Fund before it closes on 16 June.”

Other Edinburgh-based organisations to receive Enterprise Ready funding include Children in Scotland (£24,840), Comas (£37,833), Grassmarket Community Project (£69,963), Greetings from Leith Ltd (£14,287), Nourish (Scotland) (£50,000), Power of Youth (£21,000), Spartans (£15,804), The Melting Pot (£25,000) and Transform Scotland (£49,544).

Further information and full details of the Enterprise Ready Fund can be found at:http://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/grants-and-funding-for-organisations/what-grants-are-available/enterprise-ready-fund.aspx

Enterprise Ready boost for third sector

Enterprising third sector organisations are being encouraged to apply for grant awards of up to £250,000 as part of the Enterprise Ready Fund, John Swinney confirmed today.

Grants will be awarded to third sector organisations with the most sustainable and ambitious business plans, and new, emerging and established organisations have until 16 June 2014 to apply for funding.

The Enterprise Ready Fund will help organisations to develop further, become more efficient and self-sustaining, or diversify and enter into new markets. Priority is being given to activities that contribute towards the Scottish Government’s Prevention and Welfare Reform agendas.

Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainability John Swinney said: “The third sector plays an integral role in our society, providing superb services, creating employment opportunities and connecting with the most vulnerable people in our communities.

“We’ve had a great response to the Enterprise Ready Fund so far and as we look ahead to the New Year, I’m keen to remind organisations to apply for funding. I hope that by investing in the third sector and enhancing its self-sufficiency we can look forward to a future where these organisations play a full role in public sector reform.

“Through this investment successful applicants will be able to rely more on their own resources, be in a position to win more public sector contracts and be able to be more innovative and diversify into new markets.”

The fund is being delivered by a consortium of third sector organisations led by Foundation Scotland in partnership with Community Enterprise in Scotland (CEiS), Developing Strathclyde Ltd (DSL) and the Social Value Lab.

Foundation Scotland’s Chief Executive, Giles Ruck said: “Foundation Scotland has received applications so far from a wide range of organisations and this funding will make a real difference to them and their communities. We’re keen to receive more applications to the Enterprise Ready Fund from third sector organisations needing investment to help them win more contracts, increase sales or become more efficient. Our team is happy to speak to potential applicants and we’d encourage people to visit our website or get in touch.”