Inside the sector

CSV is giving grants to encourage local people to volunteer to improve their local environment

Juliet Wilson Volunteer, Water Of Leith Conservation Trust I LOVE the Water of Leith. It’s a living, breathing river that is an integral part of the community. The river starts 24 miles from its source in the Pentlands and winds its way through the heart of the capital to its outflow into the Firth of

Phil Edmonds Organiser, Cycle Renfrewshire YOU could easily describe me as the typical outdoor type. Watching the TV does nothing for me so it makes sense that I am active either through the club or many of the activities associated with my role. We established the club in 2003 from like minded individuals who wanted

David Davison explains why organisations inheriting pensions debt from the public sector should consider legal action AT the end of March the EU approved plans to allow the UK Government to provide the Royal Mail Group (RMG) with financial support relating to “excessive pension costs” and to provide restructuring aid consisting of a debt reduction

Young Scot and SNH have joined forces to encourage young people to celebrate the joys of Scotland’s outdoors

  NAME: Jackie Dayton JOB TITLE: Teacher for additional support needs students ORGANISATION: The Kerswell School   What does your role involve? I teach children with additional support needs. I’m a trained primary teacher and basically I follow a curriculm which takes account of different abilities. Classes are smaller – just eight students – but

Save the Children’s Dorothy Parker is in Bangladesh finding out how to reduce child mortality

Iain McCork Mountain Leader, Central Mountain Guides WE can trace our roots back to 1962 when our founder, Crawford McPhail, a well known mountaineer from the Lake District, moved to Scotland. He wanted to create a club in Callander, like he had done in his home town of Keswick, so Central Mountain Guides was born.

During Benefits Awareness Month poverty charity Turn2us is urging families living in poverty to check its benefits calculator

Ben Lofthouse Chair, Kinross Allotments WE created the allotments because there just wasn’t enough available locally. Council plots are at a premium so we purchased a brown site from Perth and Kinross Council and made them work. Our mission is to encourage activity and fitness through the allotments. To be honest they are actually just

Motivating volunteers is similar to motivating paid employees, john lee from Volunteer Development Scotland explains HELPING volunteers to thrive and develop is an age-old conundrum for the people who manage them. How do you strike the right balance between offering each individual a chance for personal growth without making the challenge seem too much like

Shelter’s Architect in the House campaign has helped thousands of supporters renovate their homes over the last 16 years

Singer and conductor, Camelon Choristers WE unashamedly sing for cash then donate the proceeds to local charities in the Edinburgh/East Lothian area. Last year we raised over £5,000 by singing at events, private functions and business dinners with the proceeds going to children’s causes. Each year we pick a theme to which we donate; this

NAME: Moira McKay JOB TITLE: Funding officer ORGANISATION: Community Fund Where did you first see your job? Online. What’s does your job involve? Mostly visiting projects to either talk them through the application process or to see how their application fits our criteria and objectives as a funder. We give out small grants up to £5,000 so mostly

Sir Ronald Cohen, chair of the recently launched Big Society Capital, explains how it can inject much needed funding into Scotland’s third sector Big Society Capital was launched last week with committed capital of around £600 million from dormant bank accounts and the main four UK high street banks. It was an idea originally proposed

Oxfam is urging women to donate their spare bras to help a social business in West Africa

Claire Jansen Glasgow’s Literacy Project BEING a teacher is the last job I’d want to do but when a friend asked me to volunteer to help adult learners, I jumped at the chance. Working with adults is so much different from kids, largely because they want to learn. That was my original motivation. Despite having

Peter Mundell Irvine and Ayrshire History Society HISTORY is important. It makes us who we are and characterises a locale. That’s what we want to maintain while encouraging an active interest in the past. But it can be boring for many. Young people enjoy learning about the past but it can’t be angled around politics

Pat Armstrong explains how a leadership exchange programme between the third sector and the Scottish Government is improving knowledge in both areas. THIRD sector leaders gain an insight into the different cultures, languages, constraints and opportunities that their counterparts in the Scottish Government work with, as a result of the Association of Chief Officers of

The Sheila McKechnie Foundation has launched its annual Campaigner Awards to recognise grassroots activists

NAME: PATRICIA KEYS JOB TITLE: ENGAGEMENT OFFICER ORGANISATION: GOVAN INITIATIVE     First full-time job? I made tools for the offshore oil industry in Falkirk as an unskilled worker. I hated the job but really loved my colleagues. We still all regularly meet up for a drink or a night out. Did you choose to

Kristen Penshurst General Manager, Loxely Organics THE club started more though disorganisation than any concerted plan to create a voluntary group. We were actually first brought together at a Folk Concert in Inverness in 2006, made friends and realized we all shared a common philosophy, namely an interest in environmentalism but specifically sustainable production. Two

Two autism charities are celebrating Scottish businesses that are lighting up their premises blue for World Autism Day this week What’s the campaign called? Light It Up Blue for World Autism Day   What’s the point? As part of the Light It Up Blue campaign to celebrate and raise awareness of autism, two local autism

Bruce Laidlaw of the MS Therapy Centre, Lothian explains the trials and tribulations of rebranding. IF you are a small local charity which raises the bulk of its income from public donations – then there is quite a lot in a name. Six years ago the organisation I chair was known by the acronym ARMS

Barnardo’s Scotland launches a campaign to encourage more people to help local children on short breaks

NAME: Shona Eve JOB TITLE: Development officer ORGANISATION: Back2Work   First full-time job? I had that many when I first left school. I worked as an administrator in Keith while in the evenings I helped in my dad’s greengrocer which stayed open until 8pm. I then started volunteering in my local church before being employed by

Christine Matthews Secretary, Kelvinside Kennel Club PEOPLE often ask what my motivation is for running a kennel club. I tell them, quite simply, it’s my love of dogs. The club actually goes back to the late 1970s when it was first formed in Bearsden by three owners of Lhaso Apsos. Then the breed was hardly

Speaking to an audience can be daunting for some but effective preparation will instill confidence, insists Maryanne Johnston AS we prepare to start a New Year in business, many company directors and chief executives will be planning their diaries and looking to prepare for forthcoming speeches and presentations. This will include positive words of encouragement

Keep Scotland Beautiful’s annual National Spring Clean is coming to an unsightly mess near you

NAME: SUSAN JACK JOB TITLE: TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT WORKER ORGANISATION: GLASGOW WOMEN’S AID     Where did you first see your job advertised? The Glasgow Herald. What does your role involve? I have a very diverse job. I am involved in both internal and external training, I recruit and train our volunteers, fundraising and many, many random pieces

Could you work with the PlanB Partnership to help reduce the debt burden

Thomas Coles considers some of the technological opportunities the third sector can take advantage of this year THE third sector has experienced an abundance of strain over the past two years, not least financial. Between 2010 and 2011, 2,000 charities had funding cut or withdrawn whilst 1,600 charitable organisations folded. Major events planned during 2012,

Tafada Makech Chair, Nigerian Settlers in Scotland I CAME to Scotland over 10 years ago as a refugee from my home country of Nigeria and since then I have not returned. I was a very young mother then and I left with my family because the local leaders in our hometown had warned us to

Save the Children’s No Child Born to Die campaign aims to eradicate malnutrition in some of the world’s poorest countries

ADVERTISING FEATURE Anne Hudson explains why charities in shared offices should be protecting their belongings Markel Insurance is experiencing an increasing number of thefts of mobile phones, laptops, iPads, cameras and other portable valuables from charity premises. As share work spaces become increasingly popular in the third sector, we are seeing that one of the

NAME: Jenny Samuels JOB TITLE: Activity officer ORGANISATION: Fit for Life Where did you first see your job advertised? I created it myself. So it’s just as well I passed the interview stage! What does your role involve? Day-to-day role involves going round homes and community centres advising on healthier living. It’s not all about

Margaret Topping Chair, Eagleton Growers UNTIL recently allotments were seen as the preserve of the older person, especially men who would retreat to them against the wishes of their wives. Today that image couldn’t be further from reality as more and more young people – and more women – are getting involved in allotments. In

Mary’s Meals latest fundraising campaign aims to help even more children in the developing world

  NAME: Ali Matlock JOB TITLE: Engagement Officer ORGANISATION: Inverclyde Young Team Where did you first see your job? I was alerted by a colleague in my former job. I was looking for a change and this appealed. What does your role entail? I’m a youth engagement officer which means I plan and develop activities for young people who

Jean Munro Volunteer, Carr Gomm VOLUNTEERING is not so far removed from work. You have to take it seriously and understand you have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. In other words, you have to do it right and since I first started volunteering for Carr Gomm, I’ve given my all. I currently work

Matt Tyrer explains how to use equality and human rights based approaches to fight for service users’ rights, and better highlight the positive impact of the voluntary sector’s work during tough economic times

Growing numbers of interns in the third sector raise legal issues over when they should be paid or unpaid, says Amanda Jones

Jo Nickson Lothian Real Nappy Project Volunteer for Changeworks THE Lothian Real Nappy project is there to promote the use of real, washable nappies. I got involved because when I was pregnant with my daughter Holly, I wanted to use real nappies. I looked up the project’s website and went along to an information evening.

The Scottish Drugs Recovery Consortium has a new campaign to talk about recovery

NAME: Ross Grieve JOB TITLE: Leading Training Consultant ORGANISATION: Thistle Foundation What does your job involve? I work with people who are struggling to live with a limiting health condition or just a difficult life situation. At Thistle we run a Lifestyle Management course, which helps people learn techniques to cope better and live well despite their condition. We support people

Paula Ribeiro Research volunteer, VDS I LOVE research. As a naturally inquisitive person I get a lot of enjoyment from digging into facts and figures. The sense of achievement you get from new discoveries is special and my love for this work has taken me on an interesting journey. As a teenager in my homeland

Final salary pensions schemes run the risk of pulling charities into debt or even insolvency, explains David Davison

The National Autistic Society is hoping to roll out the Autism Alert card nationally

Thom Creswell London 2012 Olympic Volunteer WHEN I first volunteered to help out at the Olympics I thought it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. But that was four years ago in Beijing and here I am again successfully picked to take part in London 2012. Beijing was amazing and incredibly well organised.

Steve Briggs from Law At Work explains some of the perils of social media in relation to employment law BUSINESS and employee use of social networking websites is rapidly emerging as one of the hottest employment law and human resources issues of 2012. In the first three weeks of the year there were media reports

With the number of people living with cancer increasing every year, Macmillan is calling on everyone to open up about their feelings

The Cranfield Trust’s free consultancy service is helping Scottish voluntary sector organisations contend with unprecedented levels of change

Citizens Advice Scotland is supporting a campaign to make consumers more vigilant of their energy consumption

NAME: Sarah Pearson JOB TITLE: Environmental Auditor ORGANISATION: Green Works Where did you first see your job? Online – but it initially came by recommendation from a friend. She thought it would be ideal for me so I applied. What does your job involve? I help organisations measure their carbon footprint by building a profile of their energy

Jackie Kean Mothers Against Drugs AT first no-one thought a group of women from a housing estate from Glasgow could achieve anything, not even us. All we knew was that we couldn’t cope with the way drugs were affecting our children. Even the good kids were falling prey to addiction but what could we do?

MARTIN GILL examines the risk of Scottish charities going bust as a result of final salary pension schemes

Poverty campaigners are fighting the stigma of living in poverty in Scotland in a bid to improve people’s lives

Moira Teirney North Ayrshire Nosey Neighbours EVEN small groups can be the lifeblood of their community. Our tenant organisation works to help people living in supported accommodation. We’re all volunteers but mostly family and friends of tenants and therefore have a vested interest in their wellbeing. The group started on the back of concerns that

Energy Action Scotland’s campaign to highlight the plight of thousands who can ill afford rising fuel costs

Charlotte Fields Campaigner, Road Sense MY mum wanted me to be a ballet dancer but somehow I knew from a very early age that was never going to be the case. What it did teach me however was that I had the strength of character never to blindly accept what anyone said to me. That

Jo Lewis explains how Adopt an Intern is boosting opportunities for graduates and for charities

Changing a group’s status to become an incorporated organisation has many advantages but the switch won’t suit everyone, writes PETER SHAND THERE has been an encouraging response to the legislation, enacted on 1 April 2011, which permitted those charities in Scotland without company status to apply to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator to become

Shelter Scotland is campaigning to make sure children are not forced to spend Christmas in unsafe temporary accommodation

A coalition of third sector organisations are bringing emergency life support skills training to Scottish schools

Gillian Gillespie Befriender, Befrienders Tayside BEFRIENDING is probably the easiest volunteering you could do. All you need is time, some patience and a listening ear. And, of course, an interest in people helps. Most people relate befriending to elderly people and while that is mostly true there are a lot more people needing support. People with

Mark Jackson, partner at Rawlinsons, explains how charities can make the most of Gift Aid THE Gift Aid scheme has proved an invaluable source of income for charities, worth around £1 billion annually to good causes. Once the processes are in place, it is a straightforward way for charities to increase the value of cash

Buy a Caring Christmas Tree and help the homeless

The SROI Network says its seven principles are helping to create a consistant social impact measurement tool

Parliamentary Questions and Answers Labour MSP Jackie Baillie asked the Scottish Executive: “For what reason there is no recognition of the financial implications of welfare reform in the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13.” The cabinet secretary for finance, employment and sustainable growth, John Swinney responded: “The UK Government has not made sufficient

Margaret Semple Volunteer and trustee, Peebles Parent Support and Care Network WORKING with children who have disabilities is a hugely rewarding experience. When I first started volunteering six years ago it was a new world to me. It was as much through chance as design that I became involved. I lived in Peebles at the time

Setting up community energy projects is easier than you think

Clem Jenkins Chair, St Leonards Community Council IT’S true some community councils are not so well run as others. Ours is small: we were established about six years ago and represent about 300 people in the St Leonards area of East Kilbride and we like to think we are one of the better ones. I

Pete Tellwaite Volunteer fundraiser IT was a split second, a flash, then a bang followed by what I can only describe as a period of total, almost blissful, silence. Yet here I was, thousands of miles from home, in the middle of nowhere, knowing that I was facing death, and if I survived my life

The life story of abused children doesn’t have to end in tragedy, explains Barnardo’s new national campaign

Volunteering management is essential to ensuring the best possible experience for volunteers, according to ALAN GREENWOOD of Volunteer Development Scotland

  Daycare Cleland  VOLUNTARY-run playgroups are nothing new but we were created on the back of necessity after parents complained about a lack of affordable provision.  North Lanarkshire is probably no different from other areas though a lot of parents do not have high levels of disposable income. Therefore we got together, created a moratorium

Unpaid and paid carers have identified flaws in the care system, writes Duncan McNeil MSP, convener of the parliament’s Health and Sport Committee

SOME of the top players in Scotland’s third sector made career moves this week with the appointment of two new chief executives, one retiral and a former MSP joining the board of a national charity. Bronwen Cohen, chief executive of the umbrella body Children in Scotland, announced this week that she is to retire after

The three-year Close the Gap campaign aims to tackle poverty and inequality in the

I COME from farming stock, in Dorset, so living off the land is in my blood. I was brought up to believe that farmers were the guardians of the land as they didn’t mindlessly destroy what they could use. That rings true today though they face very difficult times. So it was a natural progression

Consultation on the Creation of a Scottish Civil Justice Council – this Scottish Government consultation paper seeks views on proposals for the establishment of a Scottish Civil Justice Council.   Consultation on Post-16 Education proposals – this Scottish Government consultation covers universities, colleges, skills and training.   New Scottish Parliament Information Centre briefings – SPICe

Tough economic times creates challenges for charities, however GREGOR McNIE explains why now is the perfect time to focus energies on fundraising

Mary Fee (Labour) highlighted Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2011 “That the Parliament notes that October 2011 is Breast Cancer Awareness Month; acknowledges that breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer for women in Scotland, with over 4,000 women diagnosed every year; understands that, while more women are surviving breast cancer, the incidence continues to

BEING a Scout leader isn’t like volunteering; it’s more like brininging up your own children. I’ve been involved with boys clubs since I joined the Cubs when I was seven and I still have the same sense of adventure I did then. That’s really the essence of the Scouts movement – excitement and adventure. Ok

Water Rates Exemption. Labour MSP Elaine Murray asked the Scottish Executive: “whether it plans to review the criteria for charities exemption from water rates.” Stewart Stevenson (SNP) responded: “The Water Services Charges Exemption Scheme was set up as a temporary measure in 2002 to help small organisations that had received relief from water charges on

GARDENING is a therapeutic pastime and when I first arrived in Glasgow in 2007 I immediately got involved with Thrive, the mental health gardening charity. It made me realise how much people from other countries are isolated when they become asylum seekers so it led me to volunteer with Glasgow in Bloom. Three years on

SNP MSP James Dornan’s eyes were opened when he met two women who have put their careers on hold to care for elderly parents

The Highlands and Islands are fully embracing social enterprise to promote community development. David Bryan believes lessons can be learnt from their progress

Cameron Spencer, Member Services Co-ordinator from the Royal British Legion tells us about his work

The new age of financial austerity shows no sign of ending, Paula McCormack explains why charities and social enterprises must change their perspective

WE wanted to create a way in which youth clubs interacted more with the wider community so we started the Young People’s Forum three years ago.

Doing a social impact assessment can seem daunting, ALAN KAY suggests ways to ease the process. “Social auditing is not simply a means of documenting objectives and shared values, but of understanding them, strengthening them, communicating them to others, and where necessary changing them.” SBN Bank I WAS asked recently why I still hammer on

A campaign to protect Britain’s war memorials honours the 100th anniversary of the

The British Red Cross explains how to help tackle the worst food crisis this century

Lisa Morrison tells TFN about her volunteering experience

Action on Hearing Loss Scotland is promoting its new online hearing check

Find out how CSV’s Action Earth project can change your environment

A hut in the country can become a safe haven away from the big city for 1,000 more Scots

There are increasing legal challenges for charity trustees but simple measures can smooth the way, says Alan Eccles

SCIAF wants the next government to help the world’s poorest people survive climate change

YOU might be forgiven for thinking this is another 1 April gag, but news of the arrival of the new Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) has been verified by the highest authorities. After years of sector lobbying and development, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) is open for SCIO business. What is the SCIO?

NAME: Lexi Barnett JOB TITLE: Campaigns Officer ORGANISATION: SCIAF   First full time job? A supervisor in a hotel bar in Inverness. Long days of serving pints and chatting to people from all walks of life has actually put me in good stead for this job – I have to be able to get my

NAME: Andrew Abbess POSITION: School bicycle proficiency trainer SINCE I was a boy I’ve always loved cycling. To me it was all about freedom and you always got a sense of adventure when you were on your bike. I’m a physical education teacher by profession so I know how important cycling is to young people’s

Ensuring your charity’s name is known doesn’t have to cost a fortune but your media plan may need to be better, smarter and cleverer says Christina Cran. THERE’S never been a more urgent time for the third sector to have a voice. SCVO’s Gathering was filled with everything the sector has to say. Future public service

Join the campaign to raise awareness of the most common cancer in men

The Electoral Reform Society Scotland wants to change the way you vote with their latest campaign. What is your campaign? Yes to Fairer Votes What is the point? On the 5 May 2011, anyone registered to vote in UK parliamentary elections can vote in the referendum on how we elect MPs.  We will choose whether

NAME: Donald Craigie JOB TITLE: Chair ORGANISATION: Able Mentoring First full-time job? I worked as chef for three years before I went to university to study for a law degree. I always loved cooking – I still do – but unless you were very gifted the money was pretty poor so I decided to move

NAME: Pauline Archibad JOB TITLE: Communities Manager ORGANISATION: Woodworks   First full-time job? Teacher. I went to university, St Andrews College then became a teacher in Alloa. It was before the days when it was hard to get a job teaching. The money was nothing like it is now but it was still a well-respected,

What is the campaign called? Clean up the bailed-out banks What’s the point? In 2008 the UK Government spent more than £45 billion pounds of taxpayers’ money propping up the Royal Bank of Scotland after a catastrophic financial loss. That’s enough to fill the cut to the Scottish budget this year thirty-five times over. Despite

NAME: Amanda Gemmil JOB TITLE: Manager ORGANISATION: Fundays Nursery First full-time job? A counter clerk for HC Owen Insurance Brokers in Greenock. I was 17 and stayed in post for two years before taking up a job as manager in rival company. After that I took on various jobs, all management, in a variety of

Voluntary organisations playing music may not realise that they now need to get a new licence. STEPHEN McGOWAN explains. Readers may be unfamiliar with Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) – but if your organisation ever uses any sort of music, then that is about to change and you must read on. PPL issues licences which are required

SWA asks people to mark international women’s day by pledging to support their campaign

The Scottish Drugs Recovery Consortium is fighting against the stigma of drug use, which is stopping people from getting better What is the campaign called? Getting Serious About Stigma is based on new research from the UK Drug Policy Commission (UKDPC) which highlights the stigma facing people with drug problems and addiction in Scotland. The

SFHA is campaigning against Housing Benefit cuts that could leave tenants short of rent