The Lord Provost of Edinburgh hosted a Civic Reception at the City Chambers last night to honour the 25th anniversary of Volunteer Edinburgh as an independent organisation and its outstanding contribution to the life of the city.
The event brought together past and present staff, volunteers, trustees, and civic leaders to mark a quarter-century of innovation, impact, and service.
At the heart of the celebration was a powerful address by the organisation’s CEO, Paul Wilson, who reflected on the journey from a small volunteer exchange to becoming one of the city’s most dynamic and adaptive third sector organisations.
Paul said: “If anyone asked me what Volunteer Edinburgh is all about,I simply say: ‘people’.”
A Legacy of Innovation and Impact
Volunteer Edinburgh has supported over 60,000 individuals in their volunteering journeys and welcomed more than 20,000 visitors to its annual recruitment fair over the past 25 years. Its pioneering Health and Wellbeing Service, which began as the UK’s first “Voluntary Work as Therapy” project, has helped more than 2,500 people in the past decade improve their lives through volunteering — many credit it with literally saving their lives.
However, this world-leading project is currently under threat due to potential disinvestment from the Health and Social Care Partnership. The CEO called on civic leaders to recognise and protect this invaluable service that embodies Edinburgh’s compassionate values.
Leading in Digital, Crisis Response, and Community Engagement
From launching Scotland’s first local authority-backed Volunteering Strategy in 2006 to building the country’s most-used volunteer management resource at volunteerwiki.org.uk, Volunteer Edinburgh has consistently led the way in developing practical solutions that scale.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisation rapidly built and deployed a Community Taskforce, onboarding 550 trained volunteers to deliver over 17,000 critical support tasks city-wide. This flexible model later supported displaced Ukrainians, NHS vaccination efforts, and even mobilised 200 volunteers during the vigil for the Queen at St Giles’ cathedral in 2022.
“We Just Get Things Done”
Described by peers as an organisation that “just gets things done”, Volunteer Edinburgh has continually reinvented itself — from launching an AI tool for volunteer managers to establishing city-wide hubs and community engagement tools. The CEO paid tribute to the team’s dedication, noting “for a tiny wee organisation, we regularly punch above our weight.”
A Shared Belief in Service
Reflecting on his own 27-year journey with the organisation, the CEO emphasised that the core of Volunteer Edinburgh’s success is a shared belief across its team that “service to others is inherently a good thing.”
He paid tribute to his predecessors, trustees, and colleagues past and present, saying, “Thank you to everyone who has contributed to making Volunteer Edinburgh the vital asset it is today.
“Edinburgh needs it — and I hope it continues to flourish for decades to come.”
I am writing to you to provide an update on Edinburgh TSI* activity since the EIJB Board meeting on November 1 and to invite your collaboration on the next steps.
Though it was welcome that the IJB agreed not to proceed with an in-year cut to the Third Sector Grants Programme, the process leading to that decision, and risks flowing from the meeting on November 1 remain very challenging.
Resolving the funding position for the Third Sector Grant recipients, and all third sector funding from the IJB for 2025/6 alongside co-designing the conditions of success for any future model of working in partnership is a key priority for the Sector, and as a consequence, for the Edinburgh TSI.
We believe the IJB proposals need to be part of a wider strategic conversation in the city about how we invest in the Third Sector, ensuring we have the right investment in the right places with the right capacity to deliver the most impact.
Edinburgh TSI letter following November 1
In the lead-up to the November 1 IJB meeting, we worked collaboratively with the Edinburgh Community Health Forum, and others across our sector to draw out information for briefings from affected TSOs through phone calls, questionnaires and meetings. This concluded with a detailed rebuttal of arguments in Paper 7.2, as presented to the IJB as well as a TSI deputation. The deputation sought to build on the arguments put forward by organisations for time to plan better and work differently.
Following that meeting, I wrote on behalf of the TSI to the Chair of the EIJB, the leader of the Council, the CEC Chief Executive and the NHS Lothian Chief Executive. I emphasised the need for:
Resetting investment: there is a need for a whole city conversation on a sustainable financial settlement for the Third Sector
Reforming ways of working: there needs to be a better approach to commissioning, valuing and supporting The Third Sector through change
Repairing relationships: recognising and valuing the value of the Third Sector contribution to communities is an important part of relationship development
Edinburgh IJB engagement on Third Sector Grants and contracts
Agreeing on a funding settlement for 2025/6 is a key objective for the Third Sector, both for the Third Sector Grants Programme and for the larger contracted services with Third Sector Organisations.
There are different possible scenarios. A best-case scenario might be a one-year continuation of the grants programme while time is dedicated to coherently and collaboratively designing a sustainable “replacement” which enables the IJB to purchase what they need and want from the Third Sector while providing foundational funding for the wider sector.
This will require a series of conversations, some sense of prioritisation and scoping of how to manage change. The big challenge is time. Initial discussions are progressing between Edinburgh TSI and the IJB on immediate priorities, and a meeting has been invited with CEC.
To inform the discussions on funding, the Edinburgh TSI met with a group of Third Sector partners to scope priorities. This includes articulating the real consequences of making any cuts on the Sector and its ability to deliver outcomes with communities; seeking confirmation on the priority focus for the IJB in 2025/6, and inviting discussion on options around the best use of our joint resources through a process of co-design. These conversations will need to be ongoing. We welcome your views as to how best to shape them.
Edinburgh IJB engagement on Public Social Partnership
Any change to a way of working to a Public Social Partnership or some other commissioning model by the IJB demands an investment of time up front.
This time is needed to confirm commitment to co-design to ensure that any partnership is a partnership, and any working relationship is founded on clear conditions for success.
This needs an investment in learning from other PSP’s in the city, what worked, and what didn’t, and it needs clarity on roles and responsibilities. In the meantime, a clear transition arrangement needs to be set out, describing how current commitments and contracts are to be managed.
Following the November 1 meeting, the IJB have been reviewing budget and partnership proposals. They have invited a group of Third Sector representatives to discuss how to progress partnership working together on shared issues and challenges.
The purpose of the meeting is to start a conversation about how best to work together, who to engage and what success looks like. The next steps will need wider conversations within the sector and between the sector and the IJB, and we invite your views as to how best to shape this.
Reference Group Proposal
The Third Sector has important Board roles on the EIJB and other city institutions. However, at the EIJB meeting, Cllr Pogson asked if there was enough Third Sector representation on the Board.
A reformed Board may be a future possibility, but meanwhile, it is critical to be able to support the people who occupy these Board seats so the voices of the sector feed into them, support and challenge them.
This is particularly the case in the next year or so where there will be very challenging issues and decisions to consider, with significant impact for the Sector.
To try and make sense of where to best put attention around these issues, we have convened a small, embryonic group of sector people. We aim to build this into a Reference Group with representation from across the Sector to distil and amplify the voices of the sector around priority issues. This will evolve over the next few months, and we invite your collaboration.
Our initial sense is that the areas of focus are about:
Asserting value: articulating the impact of the sector with fair methods of measurement
Supporting resilience: co-designing ways of working for sector sustainability
Shaping investment: making the case for ongoing investment around sector need
Informing governance: supporting Third Sector Board seats on city partnerships
We have developed Draft Terms of Reference for this Group, which builds on the current issues around the IJB but also focuses on the Third Sector as a whole.
Next steps
In sharing this context and background, it is my intention to work collaboratively to find a solution to the real risks we are facing as a sector.
In this context, I invite you to get in touch with initial feedback on the role of the TSI in shaping the Reference Group. In the meantime, Edinburgh TSI colleagues will continue to convene the sector through forums, networks and meetings, alongside the Edinburgh Community Health Forum.
Together, we can also continue to highlight the risks and impact of this loss of investment in the third sector, both individually and collectively.
Please get in touch and get involved. We recognise that our strength is in working together and supporting each other across our rich, diverse and talented Third Sector. I look forward to working with you.
EDINBURGH INTEGRATION JOINT BOARD PLANS TO END £4.5 million GRANTS TO 63 COMUNITY PROJECTS
SCOTTISH COUNCIL of VOLUNTARY ORGANIATIONS (SCVO)
SCVO response to proposal by Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board to remove grant-funding from voluntary organisations:
Letter to Councillor Cammy Day, Leader of City of Edinburgh Council,
Professor John Connaghan OBE, Chair of NHS Lothian
cc Pat Togher, Chief Officer EIJB
Proposal by Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board to remove grant-funding from voluntary organisations
I am writing to add SCVO’s voice to the protests regarding the IJB’s proposal to withdraw funding in-year from charities and community groups. 37 of our members are impacted by this decision.
The intention outlined in the board paper to take a more strategic and collaborative approach in the future has been totally undermined by the impact of reneging on this year’s grant funding.
Trust is a fragile thing, and it will take a long time to rebuild any sense that the council and the health board have an understanding of, or respect for, the voluntary organisations that do so much to support our communities.
When you look to build your strategic partnership in 2025, many of them simply won’t be there because they will have gone out of business.
Far from saving money, this will generate significant costs to public services as people fall through the cracks, and the additional millions of pounds voluntary organisations bring in from trusts and foundations or the private sector through match funding and other fundraising activities will disappear. A truly strategic approach would be looking to maximise that income-generation, not cut it off.
It appears that over 100 people who were already in a precarious enough position will lose their jobs. And the discretionary effort of hundreds more volunteers will be lost.
It is evident that when money is tight, which I recognise it is, the council and the health board have retrenched and focused on short-term savings rather than the public good.
The table in the board paper which illustrates where the money could be “better spent” says it all – to the IJB, acute services matter more than prevention or early intervention. As well as being short-sighted ethically and financially, it flies in the face of all the evidence around what communities need and the rhetoric around person-centred services and prevention.
I would urge you to intervene and stop the IJB making a decision everyone involved will regret.
Yours sincerely,
Anna Fowlie Chief Executive, SCVO
BIG HEARTS: “The value the charity sector brings to our local communities should never be in doubt.”
VOLUNTARY HEALTH SCOTLAND:
VHS Chief Executive @MistryTej has commented on the recent cuts being proposed by Edinburgh IJB.
What will it take for recognition of the crucial work the third sector are doing to reduce health inequalities?
Along with the rest of the sector we are extremely concerned by the proposed early cessation of EIJB grant funding to 64 voluntary sector organisations. As well as the loss of important services and the associated job losses, this will impact volunteering.
Volunteers are at the heart of the affected organisations, contributing 206,000 hours of support to people in the community worth over £2m. These volunteering opportunities are not only a lifeline to people they help support.
They also enable local people to be active in their communities, build confidence, develop skills, reduce isolation – all of which contribute to better health outcomes for volunteers themselves.
The impact of the loss of these volunteering opportunities cannot be understated.
LIVING RENT:
64 charities are at the risk of closure due to £4.5 million worth of proposed cuts. This will have devastating effects for tenants, for workers and for communities across Edinburgh.
Let’s defend our community centres, services & jobs.
Join us to say NO to Labour-led cuts!
SCOTT ARTHUR MP:
I have today (Wednesday) written to the Cheif (sic) Officer of the EIJB opposing the proposed cuts to the third sector in my constituency – I expressed my concerns in the strongest possible terms.
I support @cllrcammyday fully in his call for fair funding for Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Integration Joint Board meets TOMORROW (Friday 1 December) in the Dean of Guilds Room at The City Chambers at 10am.
The following organisations will make their case against the cuts at the meeting:
The stallholder terms and conditions are available on our website, and additional resources including a risk assessment, exhibitors guide, promotional marketing can all be found to downloaded. There is also a range of FAQs for any of those all important queries you may have.
What to expect
The Volunteer Recruitment Fair 2024 will showcase the wide range of ways that people can get involved in volunteering with organisations big and small, local and national, who serve a diverse range of communities and causes all coming together with the common aim to attract new volunteers.
Entry is FREE to the public, and more than a thousand potential volunteers are expected to visit and experience the diverse range of ways they can become involved.
Volunteering helps people truly participate in their communities, build new skills, get a taste of different working environments, create new friendships and boost individual confidence and wellbeing. Or simply just feel good that they have done something that made a difference.
When visitors need to sit down after taking in all of this new information there is a café by Space serving delicious food and drink.
When? Tuesday 1st October 2024 from 10am until 5.30pm.
Where? St Paul’s and St George’s Church on York Place. Click here to view on a map.
Our last fair helped hundreds of people in their search for volunteering opportunities, connecting them with the organisations that needed their help.
For lots more info please visit our New dedicated Volunteer Recruitment Fair website edvolfair.org.uk
Three Edinburgh projects were honoured at the Scottish Public Service Awards 2023 this week (December 6).
The awards, which are in their tenth year, are run by Holyrood Communications in partnership with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament to help celebrate the contribution of public servants.
Edinburgh’s response to supporting Ukrainian refugees was a standout of the evening winning two awards.
Edinburgh’s Warm Scots Welcome is a community and voluntary sector partnership which has helped welcome more than 11,000 Ukrainian refugees since the Russian invasion early last year.
The initiative, which was organised in collaboration between the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) and Volunteer Edinburgh (VE), won the Voluntary Sector Partnership Award.
The Edinburgh Ukrainian Welcome Hub also won the Commercial Partnerships Award.
This was a partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council and NatWest Group/Royal Bank of Scotland which has supported Ukrainians arriving in Scotland by providing property and facilities management, opening bank accounts, raising aid, distributing donations, volunteering, running events, giving specialist expertise, and offering women and girls tech training and employment.
Approximately 3,000 Ukrainians (representing up to 900 households), currently reside in Edinburgh, with over 350 children and young people in our education system.
There was also a victory for the Integrated Regional Employability and Skills Programme (IRES), as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal programme, which took the Project and Programme Management Award.
IRES seeks to evolve regional labour market policy and practice to drive inclusive growth, promising to deliver an additional 14,700 skill improvements across the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region and help 5,300 people into employment.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I’m absolutely delighted to see the fantastic work in our city being recognised.
“Edinburgh’s solidarity and support for Ukraine and the Ukrainians who now call Edinburgh home is unwavering. These awards highlight the extensive partnership work between local government, third sector, private sector and other partners that has taken place across the city since the start of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine in February 2022.
“As we shift our focus from welcoming our Ukrainian guests to helping with settling into their new lives here in Edinburgh, this strength of partnership is as important as ever. I’d like to wholeheartedly thank all our partners and the people of Edinburgh for all their efforts.
“Employment, upskilling, and improving the working lives of our residents are also key priorities, and it’s great to see that these have been recognised in IRES’s award.”
Funding announced ahead of Independence Day of Ukraine
Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council (EVOC), Volunteer Edinburgh, The Welcoming Project, Feniks and the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain’s (AUGB) Edinburgh branch are sharing in more than £200,000 from the Scottish Government’s Ukraine Programme funding pot.
Migration Minister Emma Roddick said: “People all over Scotland, and particularly in Edinburgh, have welcomed those fleeing the war in Ukraine into their communities, their schools and workplaces and their homes.
“Third sector organisations have been at the heart of this warm welcome, supporting Ukrainians every step of the way. They have hosted English lessons, created social hubs and helped people to access local services.
“They have also showcased what can be achieved when national and local government, and the third sector work together, and this funding will help make sure this important partnership working continues.
“As we look ahead to the Independence Day of Ukraine, our message to Ukrainians remains clear: we stand with you, and we want Scotland to be your home for as long as you need it.”
The City of Edinburgh Council Leader Cammy Day said: “Third sector organisations here in Edinburgh have been a cornerstone of the partnership effort to support displaced Ukrainians over the last 18 months.
“I’m sure I speak on behalf of all colleagues when I say that they have made a real and tangible difference to the lives of the people who have fled their country following Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.
“It is right and proper that these organisations are set to benefit from the Scottish Government’s Ukraine Programme funding.
“I have seen firsthand the difference that these organisations make in our communities across a wealth of different areas. From language classes to support with health and wellbeing to helping people into work and education and so much more their impact cannot be understated.
“I look forward to working closely with our third sector partners as we move forward in supporting our Ukrainian friends in the capital.”
Details of organisations outside Edinburgh receiving funding will be confirmed in due course.
Bookings for the Volunteer Recruitment Fair have been open for a few weeks now and they are going fast.
We only have 20 spaces remaining. So don’tdelay and book your stall today.
You can purchase a stall via our online shop here or by clicking on the red button below.
The stallholder terms and conditions are available on our website, and additional resources including a risk assessment, exhibitors guide and a stallholder map will be made available here as soon as they are ready.
There is also a range of FAQs for any of those all important queries you may have.
What to expect
The Volunteer Recruitment Fair 2023 will showcase the wide range of ways that people can get involved in volunteering with organisations big and small, local and national, who serve a diverse range of communities and causes all coming together with the common aim to attract new volunteers.
Entry is FREE to the public, and more than a thousand potential volunteers are expected to visit and experience the diverse range of ways they can become involved.
Volunteering helps people truly participate in their communities, build new skills, get a taste of different working environments, create new friendships and boost individual confidence and wellbeing. Or simply just feel good that they have done something that made a difference.
When visitors need to sit down after taking in all of this new information there is a café serving delicious food and drink.
When? Wednesday 13 September 2023 from 10.30am until 6.30pm.
Where? St Paul’s and St George’s Church on York Place. Click here to view on a map.
Our last fair helped hundreds of people in their search for volunteering opportunities, connecting them with the organisations that needed their help.
For lots more info please visit our website voled.in/fair
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh attended a reception at the City Chambers yesterday to recognise and celebrate the city of Edinburgh’s work in supporting Ukrainians.
Their Royal Highnesses Edward and Sophie were also attending to thank the diverse range of volunteers who are supporting them across the Capital.
During the reception Their Royal Highnesses met the Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge, Council Leader Cammy Day, Consul of Ukraine Andrii Kuslii, Hannah Beaton Hawryluk, Chair of the AUGB (Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain) Edinburgh Branch, Paul Wilson, Chief Officer for Volunteer Edinburgh, alongside senior Council officers involved in the Ukraine effort.
Friday marked exactly one year to the day since the City of Edinburgh’s formal response to the war against Ukraine began.
In that time over 10,000 Ukrainians have passed through our Welcome Hub as the primary entry point to Scotland, with over 3000 Ukrainians making their new lives here in the Capital. Over 500 Ukrainian children are in education across the city and receiving the full support of our services.
The Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge said: “I am hugely proud of the efforts by colleagues, partners, residents, and businesses in welcoming Ukrainians making their new home here in Edinburgh over the past year. Whilst this past year has brought significant challenges, the city of Edinburgh has shown its resilience, compassion, and character.
“On this momentous day when the Dukedom of Edinburgh has been conferred on Their Royal Highnesses, it is fantastic to have The Duke and Duchess in attendance to meet some of these individuals and groups. This visit is testament to the selfless and dedicated work that has gone on across the city since the start of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.
“We must continue to recognise the extraordinary sacrifice made by the Ukrainian people over the past year and reiterate our continuing solidarity with all Ukrainians.
“I would also like to make it clear to the Ukrainians who are building their new lives in Edinburgh that this is your home, and we are incredibly proud to support you.
“We are grateful for the enormous contribution our new Ukrainian community to making Edinburgh the modern, diverse and vibrant capital city it is today.”
Hannah Beaton-Hawryluk, Branch Chair of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) Edinburgh, said: “It was a privilege to meet with the newly titled Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and on the occasion of the Duke’s 59th birthday, today to showcase the contribution of AUGB Edinburgh and the wider partnership to Edinburgh’s response to supporting newly arrived Ukrainians in the city.
“The city’s response has only been possible by partners working together and supporting each other, thank you in particular to the City of Edinburgh Council and third sector partners who we have worked closely with over the last year. We hope the Duke and Duchesses visit today has demonstrated the continuing work across the city and the work of the Association here in Edinburgh.”
Paul Wilson, Chief Officer at Volunteer Edinburgh said: “Since the start of the war against Ukraine, volunteers in Edinburgh have been giving their time to help. Edinburgh has been at the forefront of Scotland’s response to the Ukraine crisis and volunteers too have been there from the start.
“Whether it be collecting, sorting and dispatching much needed aid, supporting the community activities of the AUGB, providing cultural and welcome activities, supporting English’s language learning or the nearly 7000 hours of volunteering done by Welcome Volunteers at the Airport, it is these volunteers that have enabled our city to give such an amazing welcome and their kindness and generosity has shown the very best of Edinburgh.”
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