As we continue to put a focus on the invaluable work of voluntary Trustees Carole Maccartney, Chair for MS Therapy Centre Lothian, shared some of her experiences as a Trustee with us. 

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and the organisation where you volunteer as a Trustee?
My name is Carole Macartney and I volunteer as a Trustee in the role of Chair for the MS Therapy Centre Lothian. MS Therapy Centre Lothian was established about 35 years ago and was originally set up to support people living with MS. Over the years we’ve developed our offering and now provide a range of services, advice and support to people with a variety of long-term health conditions – empowering them to self-manage their decisions and lives. And we support people living across Lothian, down into the Borders and across the water in Fife.

What inspired you to get involved with the MS Therapy Centre Lothian?
I was diagnosed with MS in 1993 and started attending the Centre as a service user in 2005. I could therefore really understand the benefits that attending the Centre offered and felt that volunteering as a Trustee was something I could contribute. I’m very keen on self-management and taking control of my life and not feeling defined by my condition and wanted to support other people to do the same. I have a background in law and spent a number of years working in the NHS in an HR capacity so I also had some specific skills and experience to offer.

Can you tell us some of the highlights during your time as a Trustee for MS Therapy Lothian?
I think the way that the charity has evolved and developed is a real highlight for me. Back when I started attending as a service user, I was very much aware the Centre was a small-scale charity that relied on fundraising from events like jumble sales, people doing sponsored activities and selling their arts and crafts. When I see how far we’ve come and that now we’re able to ‘punch above our weight’ in terms of what we deliver and the support we offer – I am proud to have contributed to that change in various Trustee roles off and on over the last 11 years. The Staff and Board of the Centre help to make such a difference in peoples’ lives, supporting them in the bad times and offering a welcoming community space for people to come together. We have also survived the COVID storm and been there for our service users when they needed us most, setting up online services, making sure there was someone to talk to at the other end of a phone and re-opening when restrictions permitted with a COVID-safe model of services and support.

What would you say to someone who was considering volunteering as a Trustee?
Being a Trustee is an opportunity like no other. You get the chance to meet so many different people, make great contacts, learn new skills and if you’re willing to get your sleeves up and get stuck in you can really make a significant difference to the organisation you volunteer for and the people they support. I would also say that all charities need committed, enthusiastic and passionate Trustees. From young people just starting out, to older people with a wider experience base, to those with lived experiences of the support offered – a diversity of people helps to bring a good balance to a charity’s Board. Since the start of lockdown we’ve appointed 3 new Trustees one with lived experience, one who’s originally from Spain and another who got involved through the Furlonteer programme – connecting people on furlough with remote volunteer opportunities – and I look forward to continuing working with them, and the rest of the board, as we continue to support and develop the MS Therapy Centre Lothian.

To celebrate the work of Voluntary Trustees as part of this year’s Trustees Week we sat down with Mairi Norman from the North East Edinburgh Counselling Service to talk about the impact and role of Trustees in her organisation. 

Can you tell us a bit about you and your organisation?
My name is Mairi and I am the Service Co-ordinator at North East Edinburgh Counselling Service (NEECS). We have been around since 1995, offering free counselling services to the communities of North East Edinburgh, working with people aged 16 and over. We’re lucky to have an extremely invested team of Counsellors, most of whom have been involved with NEECS for a long time – our newbie has ‘only’ been with us for 6 years.

What kind of impact do your Trustees have on your organisation and the people you support?
I work very closely with our Board of Trustees who bring a great mix of skills to NEECS, including experience of the social care sector, human resources and IT. Unfortunately, we lost our key funding earlier this year and our Trustees have been phenomenal in what has been a really challenging time. They’ve come up with funding ideas, worked with us to build a fundraising strategy and taken on specific roles as we find ways to keep NEECS going. Each and every one of our Trustee’s makes a real difference and we are very, very grateful to the time and energy that they contribute.

You’re currently recruiting for two new Trustees can you tell us a bit about the skills and experience you’re looking to add to your Board?
Volunteer Edinburgh has always done a great job of helping us recruit new Trustees and at the moment they’re supporting our search for a new Treasurer – a person with basic accounting skills – alongside someone with experience in digital marketing and fundraising. It’s really important that we develop the online profile of NEECS and look at suitable crowd-funding opportunities as we find new ways to secure the future of the Service. Anyone who has either of those skill sets and would be interested in becoming an NEECS Volunteer Trustee can find out more on Volunteer Edinburgh’s website.

What role do your Trustee’s play in the future of NEECS?
Although we are facing a challenging time financially, our Staff, Counsellors and Board all have aspirations for the future of our Service, and we are planning some restructuring. Like most organisations we have had to learn and adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic, and although digital support isn’t for everyone it is an alternative we would like to develop in the future. Our Trustee’s continue to play a very key role as we move forward, and so for us it is really important to thank them, and celebrate their ongoing support this during this year’s Trustee’s Week.

Join EVOC for a discussion to inform Edinburgh’s Third Sector response to the Independent Review of Adult Social Care – Wed 4 Nov, 9.30am to 10.30am

We’re reaching out to colleagues and partners to make sure Edinburgh’s Third Sector is represented in Phase 1 of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care in Scotland.

We’re aiming to gather details of your experiences as organisations working with and within the adult social care sector to share with the Review by the deadline – Fri 6 Nov.

Overview of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care

The session will involve a brief overview of the Independent Review as well as group discussions.

REGISTER

We’re delighted to be offering small grants to community organisations across Edinburgh, thanks to support from the Foundation Scotland Response, Recover and Resilience fund.

Guidelines for applications I Small Grants Application Form

What grant amounts are available?

• Up to six grants of between £1,500 and £2,000
• A number of smaller grants of between £100 and £1,500

What types of projects/activities can be funded?
Organisations or projects that support people living with poor, interrupted or impaired access to food, shelter and necessary amenities (e.g. sanitation, heat).

Who can apply?
This fund is aimed at organisations and groups who seldom qualify for or receive financial support. Organisations don’t need to be constituted, have a set of rules or a bank account to apply. Larger organisations looking for support to deliver specific projects can also apply along with groups who work with city-wide communities.

How do I apply?
You can download the application form below and get in touch if you’d like to find out more. 

Guidelines for applications I Small Grants Application Form

Application Deadline: Fri 27 Nov, 5pm

Hello Everyone,

In my wildest dreams I couldn’t have predicted my final year of paid employment. 2020 has felt as though I’m living in a snow globe – someone took everything I know and literally shook it.  My life is built around relationships – personal and professional – working with people, debating, disagreeing and trying to find a compromise, frustrating, exhilarating and celebrating.  I took for granted the physical presence of people I respect and care for without recognising how important that presence was to me.  I’m sure other people are feeling the same way. So it’s even more important that we lift our head and make the time to connect any way we can. 

I’m delighted that so many of you were able to join in our wellbeing series recently. I know from the feedback that it was a much appreciated and needed series.  Hopefully we will be able to run these again.

This newsletter is packed full of ways to stay connected.  We have an incredible range of events, discussions, seminars, training and hopefully some fun leading up to winter.  From the really necessary and series issues of managing finance (RSM Charity Finance in difficult circumstances) to Round Table events re-imagining our future to our AGM. In partnership with our colleagues in Glasgow (Glasgow Council Voluntary Services) we are bringing together a programme of challenge speakers, learning and “Ted talk” reflections for the last week in November. Watch this space for more details under the banner “People Places Possibilities”. 

Stay in touch, take care of yourself and each other.

Ella Simpson

Chief Executive, EVOC

BOOK NOW: ROUND TABLE EVENTS

We’re holding a series of FREE, online ‘Round Table’ events in partnership with the Third Sector Strategy Group (TSSG) and would like to invite you to attend and contribute to what we believe will be informative and actionable sessions. 

PEOPLE’S STORY
Wednesday 14th October, 10am – 11.30am
Using information from the Poverty Commission, Food Fund Work and the Mind the Craic report as a basis for the discussions, we will discuss and highlight the experience of inequality and the urgent need to come up with ideas about how these could be addressed.
Book a place

AN URBAN COMMONS
Wednesday 28th October, 9.30am – 11am
The focus of this session is how to increase participation, create purposeful partnerships and continue to develop community wealth building.
Book a place

AGM / ONLINE CONVERENCE
Tuesday 3rd November, 9.30am – 11.30am
Introduction & welcome: Jan-Bert van den Berg (Convenor of EVOC Board)
Key Note Speaker: Dr Jim McCormick (CEO Robertson Trust)
AGM Business
The New New: Hosted by journalist Karin Goodwin, we will look at what we should practically change to make our aspirations to end poverty and redesign services from a community-led approach. 
Book a Place

PUBLICATIONS

The ‘Mind the Craic’ report has been published and is available to read on our website. Based on lived experiences of prevention and early intervention at community level, this report is a must read for everyone and informs the foundations for our Round Table events.

Summary of COVID Related Publications Issue 8: September 14th 2020
Alongside summaries of statistical updates, this issue also refers to articles and papers that provide a more focused analysis and predicts what the situation might look like over the next few years. It also argues for changes in policy to reduce unemployment and help the economy.
Read the full report on our website Noticeboard. 

NATIONAL LINK WORKER DAY 2020

Friday 9^th October was National Link Worker Day and to celebrate we released the Edinburgh Community Link Worker (CLW) Network Annual Report. It focuses on the work carried out by CLWs in Edinburgh (April 2019 to March 2020) engaging with over 2000 clients. The report looks at:

• Referrals to a CLW.
  How and why were clients referred? The number of referrals was above average in winter months, with mental health and social isolation being the main reasons.
• Engagements with a CLW.
  What are the different types of engagements CLWs have with clients, with over 7,800 face-to-face and telephone engagements taking place in the year.
• Demographics of the clients.
  Details of client demographics, helping to understand who is referred to the CLWs in Edinburgh.
• Links and outcomes for the clients.
  Finally the report focuses on onward referral destinations and found activity-based referrals, mental health support and social and community groups to be the most common. We use a mental wellbeing scale (sWEMWBS) to assess whether engaging with a CLW had a positive effect on mental wellbeing.

Read the full report

PEOPLE, PLACES, POSSIBILITIES

In partnership with our counterpart the GCVS (Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector), we are delighted to invite you to join us for our first ever joint annual conference.

People, Places, Possibilities. will be full of debates, ideas and learning – focusing on priorities for our communities and how we plan for the future.

A full week of sessions are planned, all online so you can pick and choose which ones to join. 
We will be ready to share full details soon, but to make sure you can attend mark the week in your calendar now – 23 to 27 November.

FUNDING UPDATES

• Are properly constituted and registered with OSCR as charitable
• Have aims and objectives to provide social welfare and support those in need
• Are specifically for the benefit of people in Edinburgh and the Lothians
• Are solvent, not in debt, and having an annual turnover of under £200,000
• Have reserves of no more than 6 months operating costs

• Volunteer expenses
• Recruitment and training of volunteers
• Training of staff
• Essential equipment, including IT
• Printing and publicity
• Telecommunications and postage

Edinburgh Community Link Worker Annual Report 19-20

Friday 9^th October is National Link Worker Day and we are launching the Edinburgh Community Link Worker (CLW) Network Annual Report!
This report focuses on the work carried out by CLWs in Edinburgh between April 2019 and March 2020, during which the project engaged with over 2000 clients. The report looks at:

• Referrals to a CLW.
  How and why were clients referred to the CLW? The number of referrals was found to be above average in winter months, with mental health and social isolation being the main reasons.
• Engagements with a CLW.
  We look at the different types of engagements CLWs have with clients, with over 7,800 face-to-face and telephone engagements taking place in the year.
• Demographics of the clients.
  This section details the demographics of the clients in order to understand who is referred to the CLWs in Edinburgh.
• Links and outcomes for the clients.
  Finally the report focuses on the onward referral destinations and found activity-based referrals, mental health support and social and community groups to be the most common. We use a mental wellbeing scale (sWEMWBS) to assess whether engaging with a CLW had a positive effect on mental wellbeing.

Read the full report here: CLW Annual Report

“Voices of citizens in Edinburgh on what works in prevention and early intervention at community level”

Mind the Craic is the voice of citizens across Edinburgh. Citizens have told us what works for them and their community in terms of prevention, early intervention and better support. We believe people must be heard: please read what they have to say.

Read the final Mind the Craic report here.

To find out more about Mind the Craic visit our webpage here. 

Hello Everyone
 

As I write this we are all assimilating the Scottish Government announcements on 10^th September which brought in changes to rules around social gatherings.  We have never said transition out of full lockdown would be a smooth trajectory back to what we would recognise as “normal” and many of us know this will be a long hard haul.  However, our commitment to our communities is also in the long term.  As a sector we are passionate, tenacious, stubborn, and downright bolshy.  We are united in our drive for social justice and ensuring people’s voices are heard loud and clear.

So how do we listen and amplify people’s voices in this uncertain world?  It’s clear that returning to face to face discussions is a long way off but it’s more important than ever that people are at the centre of our altered world.  How can we make the digital world more inclusive and less impersonal? How do we make sure the hard learning from the last six months isn’t lost in a cacophony of voices focused on budgets rather than assets and resources?  How can we make sure the interests of our communities are front and centre to any and all planning and decisions that impact directly on them?

These are not easy questions but we need to address them honestly and quickly.  EVOC in partnership with the Third Sector Strategy Group will be holding a series of roundtable discussions to explore these questions over October and November. 

Please join us – the details are below. These discussions will build on the findings from Mind the Craic which will be launched 21^st September. 

The more voices the greater the noise!

Ella Simpson

Chief Executive, EVOC

SAVE THE DATE: EVOC ROUND TABLE EVENTS

We will be holding a series of ‘Round table’ events in partnership with TSSG and would invite you to save the dates in your diaries. 

Our first session will be on : People’s Story
What can we do about the experience of inequality and urgent need?
Date: Wednesday 14^th October 2020 10.00 – 11.30am
This session will use the Mind the Craic report as a foundation for our discussion, taking what we have learnt from Food Fund work carried out over the pandemic and using data from the Poverty Commission. Poverty is still an endemic and inherent structural problem,  we want to use this session to hear about the problem, discuss, and explore what the solutions are. 

The next session will be:  An Urban Commons
Date: Wednesday 28th October 2020 09.30 – 11.00am
A facilitated discussion focused on how we can continue to increase participation in existing networks, build purposeful partnerships and make our local communities more resilient by focusing on community wealth building.

Please note, our AGM will take place on Tuesday 3rd November 2020. 

Full details including exact timings and links to book your place at these sessions will be circulated very soon. 

IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS TO READ

The ‘Mind the Craic’ report is due to be published next week 21st September and will be available to view on the EVOC website. 
As always it details lots of important information relevant to us all, the report will also form the foundations for our up-coming round table events

GOVERNANCE: KEEPING THE POSITIVES AND REACHING OUT FOR ASSISTANCE

I don’t know if anyone is keeping track of all the unpredicted consequences of COVID-19 but the list will be long.

Whichever sphere we operate in, we are noticing the effects of this pandemic across our work and our operations, the good and the bad. Some of those more positive aspects we are hoping to retain as we manoeuvre into our changed working lives.

We’ve written an article that looks at the importance of reviewing your governing documents and where you can turn to if you need some help. 

It’s a short but important read that you can view here

YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE THEIR SAY

The City of Edinburgh Council recently launched Edinburgh Talks, starting a new phase of engagement and collaboration around climate change. 

In February, they talked to some of the young people attending the Edinburgh Youth Summit to find out what they feel the key issues are around climate change.  They also discovered why they felt it was important to be included in work and discussions aimed at creating a better, fairer, and more sustainable city.

A follow-up challenge has been launched aimed at the interests of younger people in Edinburgh and what changes they think need to happen to make Edinburgh a more sustainable city. 

We’d be grateful if you could share this with your colleagues and networks and ask them to join in the discussion here 

UPDATES ON FUNDING

We have been adding details of new funding opportunities to the funding section of the EVOC noticeboard and the external funding channel on Slack so please to check these channels for this information. 

Some of the new funds added that are open for applications include:

• The Digital Inclusion Fund: used to facilitate the purchase of laptops, tablets, and other devices in order to promote digital inclusion and connectivity, and is open to organisations working with young adult learners.
• Macmillan Community Grants are available for community groups and organisations to apply for small grants of up to £500 to work in their local community to support people with cancer.
• NHS Lothian Tobacco Prevention programme is now accepting applications for grants to deliver work relating to tobacco prevention among care experienced young people and young people affected by homelessness.

You can view the funding section of the noticeboard here.

See below for details on how to join our external Slack channel if you haven’t already. 

UPDATES ON TRAINING

September sees lots of new online courses running!

As we detailed in our last newsletter, we know that there is an increasing need to support staff with their own mental health and wellbeing especially as much of our work is still being carried out online. 

To go along with the internal support already on offer in many organisations, we are running various courses to further enhance this by offering FREE courses that provide a range of tools and techniques to assist with your self-care. 

Some of the courses open for booking are listed below,

• Selfcare in difficult times: Intro to Shiatsu (24th Sept 9.30am – 12.00pm)
• Working remotely – practical skills for wellbeing, resilience and communication (29th Sept 9.30 – 12.30pm

We also resume our usual training programme with our Effective Support & Supervision Course (29th Sept and 10th Oct 10 – 4pm). EVOC members will benefit from a discount on the course price.

All courses are to be held over Zoom –  visit our website for a full course list and to book. 

EVERYONE IS WELCOME: ONLINE FESTIVAL FOCUSING ON HOW CREATIVITY CAN SUPPORT OUR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

On World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2020, Thrive Edinburgh, the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival and Health in Mind will be hosting an online festival focusing on how creativity can support our mental health and wellbeing. 

In these times of uncertainty, confusion and chaos people have reached to the arts for support, solace, fun, and understanding.   To celebrate and provoke the resilience and imagination of the human spirit there will be a series of online events, discussions, and workshops. 

At 6.00 pm GMT our Thrive city sisters – New York City and London will join together in the  International Chatroom.  Frank Ross, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Sidaq Khan, the Mayor of   London, and Chirlane McCray, New York City’s First Lady will share their thoughts and experiences on how they have looked after their own and their city’s mental health during these troubled times.

In light of current guidelines and social distancing measures this festival will be hosted online and will include both pre-recorded and live content.

A full schedule of events published by the end of September.

How can I attend the events?

You can simply register your interest via eventbrite and you will be updated with the programme of events nearer the time. You will be able to choose what events you would like to attend on the day and hopefully, you can join in for an international plenary at the end of the day!

For tickets visit here

If you are interested in providing content for the online festival please do drop an email to thrive.edinburgh@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk and one of the Team will get back to you to talk through your ideas. 

RED BOOK ONLINE DIRECTORY

The Iconic EVOC RedBook online directory is getting a  make-over!

There are currently over 330+ services and activities provided by voluntary organisations across the city to meet local needs and overcome adversity. 

We will be sharing the new look RedBook with you very soon. Until then please view your entry HERE and check to see if it is up to date and share.

Watch this space for the updated directory being launched soon. 

CYBER RESILIENCE & COVID SCAMS: LATEST NEWS

Get the Cyber Resilience Bulletin 

FORUMS AND NETWORKS: KEEPING US ALL CONNECTED

As a reminder: our Slack channel is still open to join. With many of us still working remotely this means of online communication and sharing is vital to keep us all connected.

To join, please contact the forum leads as below: 

EVOC’S REMINDERS FOR YOU, YOUR NETWORKS AND YOUR COMMUNITIES

With one eye on the coming Autumn and Winter months, we’ve already started the discussion around keeping on top of the day to day things that we take for granted.
Building on the things we know make a difference to the local community as well as the key messages from local and government bodies will we hope, make a difference as we approach the Autumn and Winter, and what this often brings health and wellbeing wise. 

Please help us in sharing these key messages with your local communities and networks.

• Keeping on top of your medication: make sure that you request your repeat prescriptions in plenty of time so you don’t run out of or leave getting your regular medication to the last minute
• If you aren’t already then register with a local GP. Details on how to find a GP local to you, and on how to register can be found here 

SCVO recently held a webinar to discuss the public health issues for voluntary organisations and charities of emerging from lockdown and moving into recovery and renewal.

If you didn’t get a chance to watch live, you can watch the replay here.  

EVOC MEMBERSHIP AND BENEFITS

Thinking about YOUR organisation joining EVOC and YOU becoming a Board Member?

As a member, your joining fee helps to support EVOC’s work, and whilst membership is not necessary to be part of any of our networks or forums, membership does provide an established network of all kinds of voluntary and community organisations working in Edinburgh.

EVOC Member Benefits:

• All members benefit from our partnership with Law at Work including up-to-date Covid-19 information
• Opportunities to be elected to the Board of EVOC · 10% discount on EVOC Training Courses
• Priority booking for the EVOC AGM, events, and training
• Priority bespoke training, both free and paid
• An exclusive range of courses and seminars that are available to members only
• The right to vote at the AGM or other General or Extraordinary General Meetings of the organisation
• A say in the governance of EVOC

Partnership with Law at Work

All members benefit from our partnership with Law at Work. You’ll be able to access their exclusive online client area which contains their employment law and HR template letters, style policies and guidance notes – there’s even a complete template staff handbook to download You will also be able to see at a glance what legislation is changing soon, and there’s a section that shows any new document uploads in the portal. Please note that we will have to share your information with Law at Work.

How much does it cost to become an EVOC member?

There is a tiered subscription structure based on income, which reflects the known categories in Scottish Charity Accounting regulations:

• Income below £25,000, full membership is FREE
• Income between £25,000 and £500,000, full membership is £35 annually
• Income above £500,000, full membership is £55 annually

Full information and to sign up to EVOC membership can be found here

AND FINALLY…..

The Edinburgh City Archives has been working on a particularly exciting project cataloging of the records of Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC).

This collection dates from 1868 through to the present day and the fact that the project has been ongoing since April 2018!

Lots of interesting records have been discovered. These include a fascinating personal account of an ex-serviceman’s experiences when visiting two Scottish lodging houses and the records of the Edinburgh Night Asylum and Strangers’ Friend Society (1840-1989). Originally called the Night Asylum for the Houseless Poor (1840-1871), this series includes minutes, accounts, admission registers, and reports. 

More records will be added and we hope to be able to share some more information over time, more information can be viewed here.

We are currently inviting all EVOC members to make nominations for EVOC’s Management Board. 

All Full Members may nominate an authorised representative to stand for election at the AGM, which is being held on Tuesday 3rd November via Zoom! 

As a member of EVOC’s Management Board you will be involved in the strategic planning and decisions of EVOC, with quarterly annual meetings. 

For any questions about the position, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with Dianne Morrison at dianne.morrison@evoc.org.uk 

You can download a Nomination Form here, nominations must be received by Monday 5th October and sent to info@evoc.org.uk