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Edinburgh Community Lottery Launch

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ONE WEEK UNTIL THE LAUNCH EVENT

We here at EVOC are getting excited as the launch event for the Edinburgh Community Lottery draws closer!

We’re inviting Edinburgh-based charities and local good causes of all sizes, to attend the Good Cause Launch Event on Thursday 9th September at 2pm, where you will get a chance to find out more and sign up.

Be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook page and Twitter account as we countdown the days until the Edinburgh Community Lottery launch event!

How the Lottery Works:
Tickets for the Edinburgh Community Lottery will cost £1. A whopping 60p (compared to just 25p from tickets by the National Lottery) from every ticket goes towards local good causes. There will be a weekly draw with a jackpot of £25,000 for a matching sequence of six numbers. The other prizes on offer include: £2500, £250, £25, or three free tickets!

There are two parts to the Edinburgh Community Lottery scheme. Good causes across Edinburgh will be able to set up their own lottery page, receiving 50p from every £1 spent by players. A further 10p from every £1 will go into an EVOC good causes fund, with the remainder being put towards prizes, operating costs, and VAT. Players who do not wish to support a specific cause can still take part in the Edinburgh Community Lottery, with 60p from their ticket going into the general EVOC good causes fund, which will then be distributed by the organsation.

Here’s what our Deputy Chief Executive, Ian Brooke, had to say:
‘We’re really excited to be launching the Edinburgh Community Lottery, a new way to support communities and good causes in Edinburgh. While the past eighteen months have thrown a spotlight on the amazing work of community groups and voluntary organisations everywhere, it has also stretched staff, volunteers, and resources up to and beyond breaking point. That combined with the loss of fundraising activities in light of Covid restrictions, means that the Lottery is a really important new opportunity for good causes to raise money, making sure they can continue to support citizens and communities across our city.’

If you have any queries, you can get in touch with the Edinburgh Community Lottery team at EVOC: communitylottery@evoc.org.uk

Lunchtime Seminar – The Facts About Covid Testing

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We’ve had another great event with our guest speakers from the NHS! Along with an update on the vaccine programme, we learned a lot about Covid testing and had a Q&A section which made for some very interesting discussions.

In case you didn’t get a chance to sign up or weren’t able to attend live, here’s the recording of the main discussion:

Thriving Local Event Series

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We’ve had a great start to our Thriving Local Event Series with the first of that series last week. Professor Duncan MacLennan and Bridie Ashrowan (our Chief Executive) were in conversation about ‘A Scotland of Better Places’. They discussed the actions in the report, which engaged with more than 4,500 people from across Scotland, and the role that Scotland’s places can play in our recovery from the pandemic.

In case you didn’t get a chance to join the event live, here is the recording:

If you found this interesting, please register to see our next Thriving Local event – ‘The Power of Communities’ – with guest speaker Professor Donna Hall!

Could you be an EVOC Board Member?

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We are looking for new Board Members to support the development of the organisation at a critical time for both the citizens and communities of Edinburgh and the community and voluntary sector across the City.

Skills & Experience
We are looking for people with a variety of professional skills including HR, marketing and communications, political campaigning and those with experience working in small charities. We are also interested in encouraging enquiries from people who understand the key issues Edinburgh faces coming out of lockdown or with an interest and understanding of key policy drivers such as the Edinburgh Poverty Commission or the setting up of the National Care Service/the Feeley Review.

We would particularly welcome applications from groups currently under-represented on our Board, including people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds; younger people and people living with a disability – this is part of our commitment to Scotland’s Equality Action Pledge. 

What’s Involved?
EVOC Board Members attend quarterly Board Meetings, playing an active role in informing organisational policy decisions as well as working with the Chief Executive and Senior Management Team to develop long-term strategic plans. They provide financial oversight and ensure EVOC adheres to all legal and regulatory responsibilities including employment legislation, ensuring a safe and supported working environment for all staff members.

Interested?
If you’re interested in being an EVOC Board Member then please get in touch with Jan-Bert van den Berg, Chair of the Board. 

Find out more

More Micro Grants to Support Communities with Vaccines & Testing

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We’re delighted to announce that Edinburgh & Lothians Health Foundation has provided additional funding to support more micro-grants (up to £500) to community organisations based across Edinburgh and the Lothians who are supporting groups and communities experiencing vaccine / testing inequality. 

At a time when case numbers are rising, it is even more important that our sector is able to support groups like carers; black, Asian and minority ethnic communities; homeless people; people with mental health conditions; SIMD areas (amongst other groups of people, this is not an exhaustive list) to get vaccinated and/or tested.   

You can apply for funds for a range of activities and ideas, some of these are detailed on the application form, but we are open to hear about your ideas too! 

Applications are now open and will be considered on a first come first served basis. 

If you had previously applied to this fund to support vaccinations, you can now reapply in order to support testing.

Download an application form

Submit completed applications and get more information by emailing us: funding@evoc.org.uk 

Thriving Local Event Series

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As part of our commitment to working towards a thriving community and voluntary sector, we’re pleased to announce a new event series – ‘Thriving Local’. Our aim for this series is to share learning and ideas that can help us build a resilient sector, empowered to support our citizens and communities.

A SCOTLAND OF BETTER PLACES: Professor Duncan MacLennan in conversation with Bridie Ashrowan
Thu 29 Jul, 2.30pm – 3.30pm

Our first event will feature Professor Duncan MacLennan – Professor of Public Policy at the University of Glasgow and author of the new report ‘A Scotland of Better Places‘ in conversation with Bridie our Chief Executive. They’ll discuss the actions in the report, which engaged with more than 4,500 people from across Scotland, and the role that Scotland’s places can play in our recovery from the pandemic.

We plan to add more events to the ‘Thriving Local’ series in the coming weeks, covering a range of key topics and featuring an array of guest speakers. 

Register for the event

 

A Community Lottery for Edinburgh

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Over 10,000 charities and good causes raise millions each year across the UK via community lotteries and we are hoping to launch a local community lottery to support fundraising across Edinburgh.

We invited organisations from across the City to join us for an Info Seminar on Wed 2 Jun and a big thanks goes out to everyone who came along. It was great to have so many people in the Zoom room and to have such a positive response to the idea.

If you couldn’t make it along you can access the slide presentation here or watch a recording of the presentation here. 

What is a Community Lottery?
A community lottery is a free fundraising opportunity for charities across the City and every one that signs up with have access to the following:

  • Your own dedicated page on the lottery site
  • Great prizes for your supporters including a top prize of £25,000 (each ticket has a 1 in 50 chance of winning)
  • 50% of tickets sales to your cause, 10% to a fund supporting good causes in the city
  • Marketing help and resources (FREE)

Moving Forward
There was an overwhelmingly positive response to the idea of a Community Lottery for Edinburgh so we are moving forward with the process – watch this space for more details or feel free to get in touch: communitylottery@evoc.org.uk 

Other Community Lotteries in Scotland:

Glasgow Community Lottery I East Lothian Community Lottery

Grants to Combat Vaccine/Testing Inequality & Hesitancy

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Thanks to Edinburgh & Lothians Health Foundation we’re offering micro-grants of up to £500 to community organisations based across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

The funding is to support groups working with people who may be experiencing vaccine/testing inequality – carers; black, Asian and minority ethnic communities; homeless people; people with mental health conditions; SIMD areas (amongst other groups of people, this is not an exhaustive list). It can also be used to help reduce vaccine hesitancy. You can apply for funds for a range of activities and ideas, some of these are detailed on the application form, but we are open to hear about your ideas too!

Applications are now open and will be considered on a first come first served basis. 

If you had previously applied to this fund to support vaccinations, you can now reapply in order to support testing.

Download an application form

Submit completed applications and get more information by emailing us: funding@evoc.org.uk 

Thriving Local & 2021 Election Candidates

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As we countdown to the Scottish Election on Thu 6 May 2021 Bridie (our Chief Executive) has reached out to all of the candidates standing in Edinburgh and the Lothians looking for a response to vital themes and issues for our Sector and citizens and communities across the City. As we hear from individual candidates we will share their responses here and on our Twitter and Facebook channels. 

Response from Karina Faccenda, Scottish Labour, Edinburgh Northern & Leith Constituency

Dear Candidate, 

We wish you all the very best in your campaign for a seat at the Scottish Parliament in 2021. The election comes just over a year after the start of the pandemic. I am certain that you will agree with me, that citizens of the City, social enterprises, community and voluntary organisations of Edinburgh, have been outstanding in their role at the heart of the response to COVID-19.

From looking out for their neighbour, to volunteering to get food to people in need, to making sure that older people in localities were not left isolated and alone – this is what drove the response that energised communities. From established local organisations to many local groups, the people who led this are visible in our wider research, Mind the Craic and the evidence from the Edinburgh Poverty Commission.

There are vital themes (below) that we would like to hear your response to and more importantly share with our members and the wider sector. We would be delighted to receive your response by video or in writing so that we can share across our digital communications channels*.

We would therefore like to draw your attention to key policy areas:

  • An Enhanced Role for the Community and Voluntary Sector
    EVOC has a strategic partnership with Volunteer Edinburgh and Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network and this makes up the ‘TSI’ in Edinburgh. In our national manifesto created with the 31 other TSI across Scotland we ask for an enhanced role for the third sector – community and voluntary organisations and implementation of place-based approaches.
  • A structural change in the further integration of Health and Social Care
    EVOC fully endorses the recommendations of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care including the formation of a National Care service.
  • An Accelerated Pace in Systems Change
    There is a clear and coherent need to empower communities further to mitigate the ongoing impact of the pandemic. However, this can only be achieved with the right support and resources: ‘If not now, When’, Social Renewal Advisory Board Report Jan 2021
  • A National Plan for Universal Family Support
    We call for a transformation of Scotland’s investment in children and families, shifting spending from dealing with the consequences of failure and inequality to preventing these and enabling children & families to thrive, and an emphasis on wellbeing: Children in Scotland Family Support Campaign & Manifesto 202

Finally, in coming to EVOC I have deliberately wanted to take a listening approach, to understand better the state of the community and voluntary sector now. In particular I am focused on what it means to have a thriving local community and voluntary sector in the city – what are the conditions for communities to be resilient and more than that, to thrive – and have launched a Thriving Local campaign to support this.

I would be very interested in your response and to start a conversation on this and the four key policy areas identified above.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Bridie Ashrowan, EVOC Chief Executive

* We will share your responses through our social media channels, website and a range of e-communications.  

Community Mental Health & Wellbeing Funding Awards

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We are delighted to be able share the final report on the distribution of over £329,000 of grants to children, young people & families organisations in Edinburgh to support and improve mental health and emotional wellbeing in our communities: Mental Health & Wellbeing Funding Report 2021

This investment of Scottish Government money through City of Edinburgh Council is fully detailed, providing a guide to funded additional services in the city during 2021. 

Over £1million of applications were received from 65 organisations, with 24 grants being awarded by the funding panel based on the Community Mental Health & Wellbeing Support and Services Framework.

Grants were awarded to the following organisations and partnerships:

  • Big Hearts Community Trust
  • Canongate Youth
  • Citadel Youth Centre
  • Collaborative Partnership: City of Edinburgh Council, LAYC, NHS
  • Cyrenians
  • Deaf Action
  • Firsthand Lothian
  • Granton Youth
  • Multi-Cultural Family Base
  • NHS Lothian Psychology Adding Value: Epilepsy Screening (PAVES)
  • NHS Lothian Training in Psychological Skills-Early Intervention for Children (TIPS-EIC)
  • One Parent Families Scotland / Family Journeys
  • Richmond’s Hope
  • Safe Families
  • SCOREscotland
  • Space & the Broomhouse Centre
  • Stepping Stones / Circle
  • Tailor Ed Foundation
  • The Junction North East
  • The Speech Language Communication Company
  • The Yard
  • Wester Hailes Youth Agency
  • With Kids
  • YMCA / Pilmeny Development Project

 

 

Contact Us

EVOC
525 Ferry Road
Edinburgh, EH5 2FF

T: 0131 555 9100
F: 0131 555 9101
E: info@evoc.org.uk

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