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. 

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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 

Research undertaken throughout the COVID-19 pandemic allows us to understand the immediate response of the voluntary sector, the impact on organisations and citizens, and what support will be needed post-pandemic. This summary report is the first version of what we plan will be an evolving document throughout autumn 2020.

Read the report here: Common Themes and Lessons Learned COVID-19 Aug 2020

Hello Everyone

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been involved in an ever-increasing number of meetings that are planning for the transition from the COVID-19 crisis/responsive situation to planned re-opening and adaptation. 

During each of these meetings I have been worried and have voiced the opinion that we also need to contingency plan – what happens when there is a local spike or (heaven forbid) a return to national lockdown.  I have worked in the voluntary sector all my life and it seems we always have to plan for the worst and hope for the best! 

The need for a local lockdown in Aberdeen should surely be a wakeup call to all our statutory partners.  More importantly, it’s a stark reminder to us of the fragility of our communities as we consider how we are going to continue to support people and communities during such uncertain times.  If it wasn’t enough to deal with our own financial and capacity concerns, we know the anxiety in our communities is at a level we haven’t experienced before.

Our strength is our ability to work with people, support our staff and volunteer teams, and to collaborate with each other. 

Over the next few months, I believe it’s even more important to continue to come together through the various networks supported by EVOC and many others to share our intelligence and hard learning from the last 5 months. 

Please also check out EVOC website – we are about to launch a series of free courses/seminars for voluntary sector staff focused on building and support their resilience and wellbeing. 

This is a long haul and we must support the very people we know make a difference.

Ella Simpson

Chief Executive, EVOC

REPORTS, SURVEYS AND LESSONS LEARNED

We are currently pulling together as many surveys, reports and reviews carried out by the sector and local communities as possible – to compile a summary of the findings to share with organisations and decision-makers across the city.
We would be very grateful indeed if you have done any pieces of work like this in the last three months and we were willing to share to add to a bank of knowledge we plan to hold about the pandemic and the voluntary and community sector response in the city. Please submit reports/surveys to ian.brooke@evoc.org.uk

EVOC IS RECRUITING

Do you know someone who is passionate about the voluntary sector? 
Someone who believes that by working collectively as a city we can tackle some of the issues contributing to poverty and inequality? 
We are seeking to recruit a skilled individual to a new and exciting post to lead on the marketing of EVOC, the wider Edinburgh voluntary sector’s work and to develop our communications:

Marketing & Stakeholder Affairs Officer Full-time

• EVOC Grade 4 – SJC Points 28-32 £27,916 – £31,708pa
• Fixed-term to 31 March 2022

Full details of the vacancy can be found here we’d be grateful if you could please share amongst your networks!

CELEBRATING THE POSITIVES

In our previous newsletter, we spoke about recognising and celebrating the positives that have come out of the past few months.
Organisations of all sizes have come together to maintain connection and collaboration as well as look at the future, adapting the delivery of their services and their own thinking in response to Covid-19. 

We wanted to continue to share with you all the positive stories and encourage you to share yours too whether that be on your social media or within your communities. 

Inspiring stories of change and adapting
Our inspiring story is one is around Inspiring Change: how organisations in Edinburgh have come to adapt, maintain connections, and collaborate for the benefit of their local community.  There are many local Edinburgh organisations that have contributed to this story and shared their viewpoints, if you haven’t already read this article then we would encourage you to do so as it really serves to highlight how organisations have adapted to make a difference: Inspiring Change article

Sharing positive stories is something that is very important to us as a way of facilitating change and supporting the adaptation of the services we provide.
We have adapted our training sessions taking them online, as we discussed in our last newsletter there were lots of factors that we needed to consider but we really enjoyed delivering the course online as did our participants: 

“Excellent pre-course administration and distribution of course materials. The online course was managed very well. The speakers were knowledgeable and friendly.

Please have a think and share any positive stories of change or how you have adapted your services during recent times.

As a sector, we have done a brilliant job in supporting our local communities so it would be great to celebrate our stories together. 

We will soon be adapting our own website to enable you to submit your positive and inspiring stories (more to follow soon), but until then tweet your stories and tag @EVOC so that we can see them and share!

UPDATES ON TRAINING

We have lots of new training information to share with you. 

As the summer continues we are delighted to announce three areas of training provision for the coming weeks and into the autumn:

• Manage time. Harness energy. Avoid staff burn out: Thu 20^th Aug (3pm – 4:30pm)  To note your interest please email julieanne.hill@evoc.org.uk and she will send you the link to book a place. Note we have a limited number of places available on this course. 
• Cultivating a Positive Mindset: Tue 25^th Aug (10am – 12noon) then will be run again on 15^th Sept at the same times.
• Coping with Change and Building Resilience: Wed 26^th Aug (9:30am – 11:30am)

• 25th August: ‘Governance Four’: An introduction to Charity Finance Reporting session. 
• 16th September: ‘Governance Four’: Trustees Roles and Responsibilities.

Full details for of all of our courses visit the training page of the EVOC website here

Feedback from our previous online sessions has been really positive with one of our recent participants saying: ‘Courses are always interesting, well presented, enjoyable, and very informative‘

3. The traditional EVOC training programme starts again in September with our ‘Support and Supervision: An Essential Guide online course’.

The programme will be further developed in the coming days and weeks. We will also resume our training bulletin, if you would like to sign up to receive this please you can do so here

Further information on training can also be found at the Institute of Fundraising. 

RED BOOK ONLINE DIRECTORY

As we emerge from lockdown and more organisations and services restart, we have dusted down the EVOC RedBook and repopulated all the data to reflect exactly what is happening across the city right now. There are currently over 330+ services and activities provided by voluntary organisations across the city to meet local need and overcome adversity. We have archived the original directory data ready for further reopenings and relaxing of lockdown – but all organisational data is searchable even if services are currently mothballed.

Have a browse HERE, check your entry is up to date and share.

SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON ORGANISATIONS THAT ARE A LIFELINE FOR COMMUNITIES

We are shining a spotlight on something a little different in this newsletter. 
Working together whether it be in the community or local organisations coming together has brought about new connections. One of the South Edinburgh Voluntary Sector Forums, early on in the Covid crisis came together to collaborate and produce a leaflet for the elderly in their communities. 

Perhaps not your ‘traditional’ format of leaflet, but one that contained all of the information that people in their local communities needed in an easy to read visual format and was very well received by the recipients!

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Edinburgh Pact – City Wide Workshop

An opportunity for voluntary organisations and community groups from across Edinburgh to come together with officers from Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership to discuss the ‘Edinburgh Pact’, which is currently being developed to create a different type of relationship with residents, communities and organisations across the city.

To read more, book a place and receive details of the log on to Zoom conferencing:

https://www.evoc.org.uk/updates/edinburgh-pact-city-wide-workshop/

Slack online channel

As well as the EVOC networks and forums that we all attend and enjoy, did you know that there is a thriving online community of 350+ organisations sharing information and ideas on our EVOC Slack Channels?  Each network and forum will also have a more focused ‘private channel’ which members will be invited to join – both the geographic Voluntary Sector Forums and the various thematic networks and forums.
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 

EVOC MEMBERSHIP AND BENEFITS

Full EVOC membership is open to all voluntary and community organisations. 
Membership 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. 

All EVOC members can now benefit from our partnership with Law at Work. 

Find out about all the benefits of EVOC membership here

AND FINALLY…..

It’s August and at this time of the year, Edinburgh would usually be alive with all things festival related.

However, with the festival having being cancelled this year, that isn’t the case, so we wanted to share some information from Edinburgh Festival City.
Even though the festival isn’t happening as usual in person, there are in fact lots of events both online and offline that are taking place.

You can find more information on what is happening by visiting the Edinburgh Festival City website here, please do share this information with your networks and communities. 

An opportunity for voluntary organisations and community groups from across Edinburgh to come together with officers from Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership to discuss the ‘Edinburgh Pact‘:

To book a place at the workshop on Wednesday 19 August, 10.30 – 11.45am and receive details of the log on to Zoom conferencing:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/edinburgh-pact-voluntary-sector-workshop-tickets-116598355821

I was reading a Guardian article this morning which detailed how unprepared governments across Europe were for the coronavirus pandemic. 

Apparently, on 26^th February the Italian government issued an appeal to the EU as a whole asking for help as their hospitals were overwhelmed with the numbers of patients and they didn’t have either the trained staff to deal with people coming through their doors or the equipment to keep the staff safe. The appeal was met by a deafening silence – not because no-one wanted to help but because no-one was prepared in any way shape or form to deal with this level of crisis. 

On 17^th January only 12 of the 27 EU member states joined a conference call which was convened to address what public health experts knew to be a major crisis. 

Against this backdrop haven’t we absolutely nailed it as a sector! 

Citizens have volunteered in every community, voluntary organisations have provided immediate support and help to people, voluntary organisations have worked together to ensure no-one was left behind. 

As a sector we didn’t just think about immediate needs – food, medicines, getting the dog walked – or longer-term needs – loneliness, anxiety – we actually DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT. So thank you to every single “problem solver” out there, thank you to everyone who peeled the tatties, walked the dogs and turned their hands to anything that needed doing. 

The newsletter highlights some of this amazing work – we can’t possibly cover all the amazing work but we wanted to celebrate in a small way.
Happy reading!

Ella Simpson
Chief Executive, EVOC

UPDATES FROM TSI SURVEY

The national Third Sector Interface (TSI) survey that many of you will have completed has been published.
This gives a Scotland-wide picture from across third sector organisations who completed the survey.

On Wednesday EVOC will publish an in-depth analysis of the results from those organisations working in Edinburgh that completed the survey.

Keep an eye on our website should you wish to see a copy.

UPDATES ON TRAINING

Our usual training sessions for trustees have been on pause as we all went into lockdown and adjusted to new challenges and new ways of working. But after getting some requests to restart we decided it’s time to take the plunge into online delivery!

These are sessions we’ve done hundreds of times before, it’s obviously impossible to perfectly replicate face to face training, and of course, there are things lost in not being able to do that, but there are some real advantages as well. Namely, it makes training so much more accessible when no one has to travel or arrange childcare.

For people attending our (or other) online training sessions, our best tip is to try to embrace it and continue to ask questions or add your comments as it really helps the sessions feel a bit friendlier and interactive despite the format.

One of the best things about our training sessions normally are the excellent questions people raise and the discussions they lead to, and also the valuable experience that people share, and if your child wants to say hello or a cat jumps in front of the screen, the more the merrier!

More online training sessions will be confirmed soon, please keep an eye on the training page of the EVOC website. 

If you’d like to read our full review of how our first few online training sessions went then click head over to the EVOC blog here.

SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON ORGANISATIONS THAT ARE A LIFELINE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES

It’s so important to build on and celebrate the positives that have come out of the past few months such the willingness of organisations to learn and adapt their services and offerings; networks and communities coming together as well as maintaining the equal respect of everyone within our communities. 

One such smaller organisation that we wanted to shine a light on is ACE IT, an Edinburgh based charity that helps older people learn IT skills.
We got to know ACE IT through their attendance at one of our voluntary sector forums (VSF’s). Katie from ACE IT gave us her view on how the VSF’s have helped ACE IT, as well as how they have enabled her to connect with other organisations for their and their communities benefit.

The VSFs have been fantastic for me. I was new to this job in June and within two weeks, I had built up a large contact list of people from other charities/organisations.

We were able to reach out and promote our projects to new audiences as well as collaborate with other charities/organisations to improve our outcomes.

– Katie, ACE IT

Please also share your partnership stories with SCVO #nevermoreneeded campaign which is focused on how essential the voluntary sector is in society. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF FORUMS AND NETWORKS IN KEEPING US ALL CONNECTED

Recent months have shown us the continued importance of us all keeping connected. One of the positive things to have come out of the Covid crisis is how networks and organisations have adapted and come together to help and support each other and their local communities in different ways. 

Whether that be sharing ideas, peer support, or new connections made, the digital world of the past few months has enabled us all to keep in touch with one another. 

There are different ways that we can all stay connected with each other – as well as the network forums we also have our increasingly popular non thematic Voluntary Sector Forum.

As many of you know, these forums are held across localities, bringing together different organisations and groups both small and large. 
The past few months have seen the VSF’s go into overdrive with new links that have made been between groups and organisations. 

The aim of the VSF is to link people and networks for present and future working be it for signposting or laying the groundwork for future partnership working.

‘The tenacious linking with the four small area networks, from Gorgie to Oxgangs, Broomhouse to Wester Hailes has also been of real support’

– Bridie, Space Broomhouse

‘The VSF lead has supported the VSF with insightful comments about everything from technology platforms and challenges to supporting people to feel included.’

– Leah, WHALE Arts

We would like to say thank you and to celebrate the commitment of all of the local organisations in coming together for the benefit of their local communities. 

If you haven’t yet had a chance to join your local VSF but would like to please contact Kate, using the contact details below.

Another reminder that our Slack online channel is still open. 

Many of you will have joined your respective online networks and forums on Slack, but if you haven’t yet we would encourage you to do so. 

Please join if you are an Edinburgh voluntary sector organisation – it is where you’ll get the most up to date information, be able to share things quickly, and stay connected.

How it works

When you join you’ll have access to a number of ‘public channels’ on topics such as community food, funding, legal regulation, offers of help and training.

Each network and forum will also have a more focused ‘private channel’ which members will be invited to join – both the geographic Voluntary Sector Forums and the various thematic networks and forums.

How to join

Please contact the forum leads for access to specific channels: please just get in touch:

EDINBURGH COVID – 19 SERVICES MAP

The map is continually being updated with information submitted to the Directory – please use and share it to promote what you’re doing. 

NEAR ME NOW: INVITATION TO PROVIDE YOUR COMMENTS AND SHARE WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITIES AND NETWORKS

The use of video consultations in Scotland has rapidly escalated since the Covid-19 pandemic started. Prior to March, there were around 300 appointments using the Near Me system, by June, there were over 17,000 every week, with over 150,000 in total.

Building on this and looking to the future the Scottish Government has produced a vision that all health and care consultations in Scotland are provided by Near Me whenever it is appropriate.

To raise awareness about the vision an engagement exercise is underway across Scotland. The purpose is to find out what people think about having their appointments by Near Me and how it might be improved for the future.
The engagement will include inviting the public to take part in an online survey or the option to phone or email their views to the National Near Me team.

To ensure that as many views are captured, please share this amongst your team/ members and communities as you deem appropriate. 

The Technology enabled and Digital Healthcare Innovation Directorate would also like to invite comments from you and your teams including potential policy links, benefits, and barriers for future use from your perspective. As well as ideas and support as to how we reach out to those not online or seldom online during Covid-19. Please contact Maimie Thompson – who is overseeing the public engagement by emailing her direct to mnthompson@btinternet.com

The findings will be analysed and published and will feed into the wider evaluation which will inform the future use of Near Me.

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

As we start to slowly transition out of lockdown it remains our responsibility to be vigilant and to help and guide our local communities on how to continue to protect themselves and their loved ones. 

Whilst we are only in July, the months leading up to Winter will be crucial in helping prevent the spread of many winter viruses including Covid-19. 

The past few months have shown us that prevention and keeping on top of the things we take for granted can have a positive impact on our local community, so we would appreciate you sharing and continuing to share the following ‘health housekeeping’ messages within your networks and communities.

• 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

We will be adding more messages for you to share with your communities over the coming months, thank you for sharing!

CYBER RESILIENCE & COVID SCAMS: LATEST NEWS

As a result of the significant rise in COVID-19 related scams, over the next few months, the Scottish Government Cyber Resilience Unit will share important information. They aim to share these updates weekly.

Advice and information is changing daily as we navigate our way through the COVID-19 pandemic, so please ensure you only take information from trusted sources.

Get the Cyber Resilience Bulletin

EVOC MEMBERSHIP AND BENEFITS

Full EVOC membership is open to all voluntary and community organisations. Membership 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. 

All EVOC members can now benefit from our partnership with Law at Work. Find out about all the benefits of EVOC membership here

Hello Everyone

In “normal times” next week would be the start of school holidays and we would all be looking forward to well-earned breaks.  I know that my team are feeling the strain and getting tired and I’m sure you will be seeing the effects of the pressures on yourself and your colleagues.  I have therefore taken the unprecedented decision to close EVOC for a week from Monday 29^th June.  We need to make sure we are looking after ourselves to be able to continue at this pace for the longer term.  We will be in touch with everyone re any work which was planned for next week to let you know how we are going to ensure we are continuing to support you and your amazing work.

Looking forward there are a number of things which COVID-19 has brought into sharp focus for us all but fundamentally we know that at the wellbeing of people must be at the heart of every decision.  EVOC is a member of a national network of Third Sector Interfaces (TSI) and across Scotland we have just completed a questionnaire.  The full details will be published by the end of this week.  It won’t be a surprise to you to hear that the concerns we hear in our networks and forums are being echoed nationally.

• Sustainability of the voluntary sector: the short-term crisis funding has supported incredible work in communities but it all comes to a grinding halt early autumn.  We are increasingly hearing about the longer-term issues of statutory funds and how these have been depleted during the last 4 months – what of the future planning?
• People: there are growing concerns for mental health and wellbeing of a large number of people who were already vulnerable pre-COVID-19
• Poverty: the greatest economic impact of COVID-19 will be felt by people who were in jobs which were already unstable.  This will only increase the levels of poverty in our communities.
• Partnership: all the statutory bodies have praised and thanked communities and the voluntary sector for their incredible work over the last few months.  How can we ensure this new found understanding of the power and reach of the voluntary sector translates into a partnership approach going forward.

All big questions which we will be discussing at the various networks and forums and Third Sector Strategy Group over the next couple of months.  Please join us for these meetings – it is important that our collective voice is heard as recovery/refresh/review work forges ahead within the statutory sector.

Finally – please take time for yourselves.  This is a marathon and there will always be urgent, important and vital work to be done but unless we look after ourselves, we really won’t be able to have either the headspace or the energy to best serve our communities.

Ella Simpson
Chief Executive, EVOC

UPDATES FROM SCVO AND OSCR ON THE IMPACT OF CORONAVIRUS ON THE SCOTTISH VOLUNTARY SECTOR AND CHARITIES.

SCVO and OSCR have both published their results from their respective surveys on the impact that COVID – 19 has had on the Voluntary Sector and Charities. The survey results outline how voluntary organisations and charities have had to adapt through the crisis in order to continue to provide support.

Various themes emerge from both surveys:

Finance and Income: OSCR’s research showed that 51% of charities had lost fundraising income and taken action financially, 25% had applied for emergency funding of some kind.
Both OSCR and SCVO reported financial stability being of concern: 20% of charities foresaw decrease in income within next 6 – 12 months, (strongest for charities with an income over £25K (OSCR)) and SCVO reporting that income drops and reduction of funding meaning that over 50% of charities will run out of funds within 6 months fearing closure.

Adaptation of services: Both reports showed that charities have had to adapt the way they provide services.
OSCR reported that the most common reaction from charities was to change the way in which they deliver services (84%), whilst SCVO stated that many leaders are looking at ways to ‘build back better’ to make the most of new ways of working and delivering services.

Methods of Support:
OSCR reported that guidance on funding, making funding applications and processes easier were considered to be the most beneficial methods of support by those responding to the survey. With SCVO reporting the importance of transitional funding that will help charities impacted by closures and loss of revenue being highlighted across a number of surveys.
SCVO are continuing to collect surveys, briefings, case studies or blogs on the impact of coronavirus on voluntary organisations. All research and insights shared will be collated in their searchable Evidence Library.
Email research@scvo.org.uk if you have any that you would like to share.

You can get more information on the survey results from: 
SCVO on the sector response to COVID here
OSCR: COVID – 19 Impact on charities here

The national Third Sector Interface (TSI) survey that many of you will have completed is also published shortly and we will analyse the Edinburgh results in our next newsletter.

INSPIRING CHANGE: VOLUNTARY SECTOR RESPONSE TO COVID-19

“Thanks for still being there for me.”

‘Said by a young person who is being supported by The Junction, it was the shortest and simplest, but summed up the fact that in the toughest of times, local organisations have found a way to adapt, focus on people in need and make people feel heard and looked after.’

We’ve written a blog article to highlight how Edinburgh’s voluntary sector has collaborated to create new opportunities and meet the needs of the city’s most vulnerable.

People Know How, The Junction, Health Opportunities Team, The Yard and Go Beyond gave us their insights. It’s an article that looks to the future and inspires change – you can read the article here.

If you have an inspiring story to share, contact Tessa Williams (tessa.williams@evoc.org.uk).

UPDATES ON TRAINING

Training dates confirmed
Our popular Governance Four: Roles and Responsibilities training for Trustees will be running on the 14th July . 

We are also planning on holding a Writing Funding Applications workshop on the 21st July. 

Both sessions will be online sessions. 
To find out more or to book your place please visit the EVOC website here

EDINBURGH COVID – 19 SERVICES MAP

The map is continually being updated with information submitted to the Directory – please use and share it to promote what you’re doing. 

PARTNERSHIPS ‘WORK’

In the sector we talk a lot about ‘partnership working’ but we want to shine a light on the fact that ‘partnerships work’.

We’re collecting examples from across the city and across thematic areas to show Government, the statutory sector and the public that the voluntary sector rises to current challenges again and again, that we’ve done it quickly, effectively and together. 

Tell us your partnership stories

Please also share your partnership stories
with SCVO #nevermoreneeded campaign which is focused on how essential the voluntary sector is in society. 

CYBER RESILIENCE & COVID SCAMS: LATEST NEWS

As a result of the significant rise in COVID-19 related scams, over the next few months, the Scottish Government Cyber Resilience Unit will share important information. They aim to share these updates weekly.

Advice and information is changing daily as we navigate our way through the COVID-19 pandemic, so please ensure you only take information from trusted sources.

Get the Cyber Resilience Bulletin

FORUMS AND NETWORKS: CONTACTS

 Join us on Slack

If you haven’t already, you can now join all of our networks and forums online via Slack.

Slack is a very accessible and easy to use platform. We can provide guidance on how to get set up and use it well.

Please join if you are an Edinburgh voluntary sector organisation – it is where you’ll get the most up to date information, be able to share things quickly and stay connected.

How it works

When you join you’ll have access to a number of ‘public channels’ on topics such as community food, funding, legal regulation, offers of help and training.

Each network and forum will also have a more focused ‘private channel’ which members will be invited to join – both the geographic Voluntary Sector Forums and the various thematic networks and forums.

How to join

We’ll be supporting you all the way to get to grips with Slack – once you’ve got started it’s easy to use.

Please contact the forum leads for access to specific channels: please just get in touch:

EVOC MEMBERSHIP + LAW AT WORK PARTNERSHIP

Full EVOC membership is open to all voluntary and community organisations.  Membership 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. 

All EVOC members can now 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 a template staff handbook to download and you’ll also see legislation updates.

They also have a wide-ranging Covid-19 resource section with toolkits and checklists.

Find out about all the benefits of EVOC membership here

You can now join all of our networks and forums online via Slack.

Slack is a very accessible, easy to use platform and we can provide guidance on how to get set up and use it well.

Please join if you are an Edinburgh voluntary sector organisation – it is where you’ll get the most up to date information, be able to share things quickly and stay connected.

How it works

When you join you’ll have access to a number of ‘public channels’ on topics such as community food, funding, legal regulation, offers of help and training.

Each network and forum will also have a more focused ‘private channel’ which members will be invited to join – both the geographic Voluntary Sector Forums and the various thematic networks and forums.

How to join

We’ll be supporting you all the way to get to grips with Slack – once you’ve got started it’s easy to use.

Please contact the forum leads for access to specific channels: