Edinburgh’s Third Sector Reference group is looking for new members to shape decisions, amplify community voices and create positive change.

The Third Sector Reference Group is a place for sharing ideas and insights from our sector to help city leaders make better policy and investment decisions. The group aims to harness the power, knowledge and impact of our sector and to take that directly to the heart of decision-making to help influence policy, strategy and service design that affects communities across the city.

TSRG Terms of Reference 2026 (pdf) 

[Read more…]

EVOC held their 156th AGM at Meadowbank Stadium on Thu 29 Jan 2026.

It provided a good opportunity to meet peers from across the third sector in Edinburgh.  The members heard of the progress that the organisation has made over the last 18 months and a view to future priorities and plans.  The audited accounts for 2024-25 were presented and reflected the challenging time in 2024.

Board Changes

Su Millar stepped down from EVOC’s board and joined Gary Dewar, John Hinton, Glen Liddall who left the board since the last AGM.

George Bellamy was appointed to the board, bringing his experience from member organisation Change Mental Health.

The appointment of five new trustees during 2025 was also approved. They are: Caroline Rodgers, Craig Shepherd, Diego Quiroz, Isabel Garden and Roderick Wylie.

A new management structure has been put in place with Roderick Wylie as the new convenor.

Daniel Fisher continues as vice convenor and Edinburgh TSI representative, Ran Majumder is taking on external relations, and Isabel Garden is leading on people and culture for the board.

You can find the slides for the AGM here.

As part of the Third Sector Reference Group’s ongoing work to redefine the relationship between the Third Sector and the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB), the Change Management Group* (a partnership of Third Sector and EHSCP)  number of events designed to support the development of a new approach to EIJB Commissioning were delivered.

[Read more…]

EVOC has supported the submission of two responses to the EIJB Draft Strategy Consultation.

The first is a collective response that presents views from a range of voluntary sector organisations that engage in health and social care across Edinburgh. These perspectives were gathered through surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions. The priorities, concerns, and recommendations were collated, summarised and submitted on behalf of the third sector by EVOC.

Read the response

The second is on behalf of Edinburgh’s TSI and the Third Sector Reference Group. It recognises the challenges of rising demand and financial pressures on the health and social care system in Edinburgh and highlights the need to focus on three priorities:

• Creating and sustaining healthy communities as the common purpose for the Plan
• Maximise strategic partner collaboration in shaping a City Prevention Programme
• Maximise community and local participation in health and social care.

Read the response

In response to the EIJB consultation inviting people and organisations to have a say on the draft Strategic Plan for 2025 – 28, the Third Sector Reference Group is working on a contribution on behalf of our sector. This is another in a series of actions in light of the future funding crisis third sector organisations are facing across the city.

Download the draft Strategic Plan

[Read more…]

EVOC (Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council) is delighted to announce the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Crawford.

Following a comprehensive recruitment process, led by EVOC’s Board and involving representatives from the Third Sector and Edinburgh’s Third Sector Interface partners (Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network and Volunteer Edinburgh), Bruce will take up the CEO position on Monday 9 December 2024.

Bruce brings a breadth of strategic leadership experience to the role, as a CEO, Trustee and Volunteer. As Director of Grange Associates, he has supported charities and social enterprises to develop and succeed, offering advice in a range of areas including governance, strategy, policy, change management, diversity, risk management, business planning and sustainability. As Chief Executive for Scottish Curling, Bruce led successful negotiations that secured £2m funding for covid recovery from the Scottish Government and played a key role in developing strategies and campaigns to ensure that the Olympic profile and success were capitalised to maximum effect. He is also a member of the Sustainability Committee for World Curling and is the chair of the James Gillespie’s Trust.

[Read more…]

1. Since its inception, the EIJB has operated with a massive and unsustainable financial deficit of £32m;
2. Third sector partners and their volunteers make an invaluable contribution to our communities and are pivotal in keeping our citizens safe, well and active;
3. The proposal for in-year cuts would make a minimal saving in comparison to the overall in-year deficit but would have devastating impact on the residents who rely on these services;
4. Proposals around a potential future model for funding the third sector is due to come to the December board meeting for discussion;
5. Both the previous strategic plan, and the proposed new strategic plan for the IJB centre prevention, early intervention, community resilience and protecting our most vulnerable;
6. Limited engagement has taken place with the third sector to co-produce solutions to the funding shortfall;

1. Agrees to retain the grants programme to at least the end of the financial year;
2. Agrees to note the report and refer it to CEC and NHSL for their consideration on how we can address the in-year financial deficit while protecting services and third sector organisations;
3. Agrees to hold discussions as soon as possible with NHS Lothian, the Council, and third sector organisations to consider alternative proposals for the long-term future of thirdsector funding, mindful of the current financial position across the Scottish public sector and the need to meet EIJB objectives;
4. Agrees that budget discussions comply as far as possible with the Audit Scotland recommendation for “clear and open conversations with IJB partners, workforce, people who use services and other stakeholders around the difficult choices required to achieve financial sustainability”.

Full proposals paper can be found here.