EVOC

EVOC Training has reached the end of a three year grant fund.  This fund helped provide access to training for Voluntary Sector staff at EVOC for free. Due to high demand, the funding has now come to an end.

We plan to reapply for more funding in April, but please note that for the moment we are unable to accept any further training funding applications. We will advertise as soon as future funding becomes available.

Should you have any queries regarding this update, please contact Julie Anne on 0131 555 9100.

Do you have a background in charity finance, and want to play a key role in helping shape Edinburgh’s Third Sector?

Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) is a registered charity working in Edinburgh to further our strategic objectives:

• Consulting, supporting and representing the Sector
• Building the capacity of and developing the Sector
• Developing partnership approaches, principles and practice
• Providing improved services by supporting and developing our people
• Being a high quality, effective and developing organisation

We are seeking an experienced Accountant to join our Board of Directors this year. Candidates should ideally have a good knowledge of charity finance and an understanding of the Third Sector.

It is intended that the successful applicant will in due course assume the role of Treasurer when our current long serving Treasurer stands down in the course of this year. The Treasurer has responsibility for oversight of finance and resources, delegated appropriately to the Chief Executive, the Finance Manager and the staff team. As a member of the Board you will be involved in strategic planning, compliance with statutory financial requirements, and governance.  We hold four Board meetings per year and four Finance and Resource Committee meetings per year. The Treasurer is also the chair of the Finance and Resources Committee. The post is unpaid but reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

For further information and to apply, please contact our Chief Executive, Ella Simpson ella.simpson@evoc.org.uk.

 A fund established with money raised nearly 200 years ago has been launched to help people affected by house fires in Edinburgh.

The Edinburgh Fire Fund (previously known as The Surplus Fire Fund) was originally founded in 1824; with money raised by locals to help victims of a series of fires on Edinburgh’s High Street. Today, the money left over from the fund has a value of £1.25 million, and produces an income of around £40,000 a year which will be available to be awarded as grants to help Edinburgh victims of fire and fire damage.

An Act passed in the Scottish Parliament in March 2014 paved the way for the management of the fund to be transferred to the Edinburgh & Lothian Trust Fund (formerly known as EVOT), which will be handling all applications and making awards. Referred applicants (who are in receipt of state benefits, or who are currently earning the living wage or less), can apply for grants to help cover the cost of interior damage caused by house fires – such as replacing house contents damaged by fire or cleaning/decorating rooms following smoke damage – as well as counselling for psychological trauma.

Joan Fraser, Chair of The Edinburgh and Lothian Trust Fund, said:

“I am delighted that the Edinburgh and Lothian Trust Fund is taking over responsibility for providing support to individuals suffering hardship as a result of a house fire. We look forward to continuing the assistance that the Surplus Fire Fund has provided since 1824. I’d like to thank the Lord Provost and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for their co-operation in moving to a new stage in the life of this historic Edinburgh Fund.”

The Rt Hon Lord Provost, Donald Wilson, said:

“The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service carries out a vital service in Edinburgh, eliminating hundreds of blazes a year and staffing many stations with fire-fighters twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The trauma of surviving a fire and of losing keepsakes and possessions can continue long after the flames have been put out. The Edinburgh Fire Fund, which was handed over to The Edinburgh & Lothian Trust Fund after being reactivated by the Council last year, can make a world of difference to people in Edinburgh.

The fund is specifically for those victims of fire who earn less than the living wage, and might struggle to cover the cost of replacing household items if they aren’t covered by insurance. It can also help residents to receive counselling and support after their home has been destroyed, or in severe circumstances when they have suffered mental or physical injury or lost a loved one.

Welcoming the Edinburgh Fire Fund is our way of thanking the people who carry out this vital work, and to help raise awareness of the funding that is available.”

Today the launch of The Edinburgh Fire Fund was held at Edinburgh City Chambers on Thursday 29th January, hosted by Lord Provost Donald Wilson. It was a great success, with members of Edinburgh Fire Service, Edinburgh Council, EVOC and The Edinburgh & Lothian Trust Fund (formally EVOT) attending. The event was also covered in an article by STV Edinburgh.

Further information about the fund and how to apply can be found on the ELTF website.

The EVOC January Training Sale has been EXTENDED until Tuesday 10th Feb, meaning there’s still time to grab a training bargain!

It’s that time of year again, where we all make resolutions to follow for the rest of the year. What could be a better resolution than learning some new skills?

We are delighted to announce EVOC’s 2015 training programme is now live, with a diverse and exciting training programme that hopefully meets your training needs. We have a wide range of courses which include old favourites, as well as some exciting new ones.

What’s more, book any two training courses in January 2015 and get the third free*! Simply add ‘JanSale2015′ in the discount code box in the booking form to take advantage of this great deal.

To make sure you are first to know about upcoming training and funding opportunities; please subscribe now to our monthly Training Updates Newsletter.  This is the best way to keep up-to-date with the latest training news.

Happy Training!

@evoc_julieanne

julieanne.hill@evoc.org.uk

*Please note, terms and conditions apply. Offer applicable to bookings made up until Tuesday 2nd February 2015 23:59 ONLY. Offer applies to any course that is held at EVOC until 31st March 2015. The least expensive of the three courses booked will be the free course offered.  Bookings can be three people for the same course, three different people for three different courses, but the three people must all be from the same organisation. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with funding/RCOP funding.

From January 2015 onwards, EVOT (Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Trust) will now be known as The Edinburgh & Lothian Trust Fund.

Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Trust (EVOT) has undergone a recent name change, due to confusions between the Trust Fund (EVOT) & the representative body for Third Sector organisations in Edinburgh (Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council – EVOC).

All applications will still be handled in the same way; only the name of the Trust is changing.

Should you have any further queries, please contact Janette Scappaticcio: janette.scappaticcio@evoc.org.uk or telephone 0131 555 9100.

An article has been posted by Greener Leith regarding plans for the Bonnington Offices in Ashley Place (where EVOC is currently based) to be replaced with 40 flats.

We would like to take this opportunity to clarify that EVOC is not planning to move for the foreseeable future, and we are very happy with our Landlords at Cornhill Building Services.

Edinburgh Third Sector Interface (TSI) partner, Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC), has submitted the TSI response to the Edinburgh Budget Consultation.

City of Edinburgh Council is currently consulting on their proposals for savings and investments for the annual budget 2015/16. 

The response comes in light of the suggested cuts that the Third Sector is facing – making up 15% of the local authority’s proposed budget reductions, whilst only accounting for only 8% of the Council’s total spend.

EVOC has been at the forefront of the debate, hosting a Budget Consultation thinkSpace at which 45 organisations attended, in late November at City Chambers with local Councillors, as well as CEC’s Head of Finance, to discuss the Council’s budget proposals for 2015/16.

The eight page report, entitled ‘The Year of Reckoning’, acknowledges the extent of the cuts and states quite simply, that the Council cannot, “keep doing what you’ve always done, and expect different results.”

With the hard facts of Edinburgh’s Third Sector laid bare – 15,000 people employed through Edinburgh’s Third Sector, generating over £2 Billion to the Edinburgh economy  – as well as case studies that reflect on the ‘Better Outcomes’ the Third Sector strives to achieve, the report shows the disproportionate impact that a fiscal approach would have on the people of Edinburgh who are living an unequal life.

Calls were also issued for Third Sector organisations to respond to the budget, and those seen by Edinburgh TSI partners have all echoed the forewarning of the disastrous consequences of such cuts – including increased crisis intervention, increased inequality and increased poverty – ultimately costing the city much more.

View the TSI Response – as well as other Third Sector organisation responses and resources – on EVOC’s dedicated Council Budget web pages.