I am writing this at the end of my first week in the job as chief executive for EVOC. My induction has been non-stop, meeting my new colleagues and some of the people with whom we do business, our partners, funders and members. I have received a warm welcome and look forward to meeting more people from voluntary organisations across Edinburgh in the coming weeks.
EVOC is in a good place. We have an enthusiastic and talented group of employees who are motivated and keen to serve the needs of our members and voluntary sector organisations in Edinburgh. The board of directors have stepped up to handle challenges over the last eight months, taken some tough decisions and reset the compass to enable the organisation to rebuild and thrive again.
In March 2024, EVOC experienced a cash flow crisis, that was a result of procedures not being followed. The board stepped in to resolve the issues and led a process of change, centred around a recovery plan to reduce costs, review activities and restore sustainability. We have appreciated the support from our TSI partners and stakeholders.
The board contacted OSCR (the charity regulator) and they carried out an enquiry which concluded that the EVOC trustees were consistent with the general duties provided for by the 2005 Act and no matters of a regulatory nature that warrant any further action were identified. The audited annual accounts have been approved by the board and submitted to OSCR and Companies House – you can find a copy here.
The board has approved a positive cash flow to March 2026, our financial controls and procedures have been improved. A redundancy programme has reduced the head count, so the organisation is now operating within its means.
Part of the change has been a restructure of staffing, with my appointment as CEO being one of the last steps in the process to create a new leadership team. We are being agile in our operations and working in teams but also in matrix, so will use our talents across projects and workstreams. Our focus will be to continue to deliver services by working towards achieving outcomes that have impact for our members and the third sector.
Looking ahead, we have started the process of creating a new strategy that will guide our work in 2025 and beyond. We will seek input from our members and stakeholders as the strategy evolves, so I encourage you to get involved in the new year.
We will provide greater transparency, particularly in terms of our governance and will communicate openly with our members and the communities we serve.
Thank you for reading this and if you would like to contact me about any of the issues that I have raised, please contact me by email [email protected] or call me on 07761 039 392.
Bruce Crawford, CEO
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