We are delighted to share details of a new addition to the EVOC training programme focused on supporting people to lead a systemic approach to anti-racism within their organisation – download the programme outline.

The Black and Minority Ethnic/People of Colour Working Group established through EVOC’s Children Young People and Families Network have  developed this concept to meet the needs of local community-based organisations. The facilitators of the programme are Vicky Nyanga-Ndiaye (Project Esperanza) and Helene Rodger (Passion4Fusion).

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Edinburgh Ukraine partnership scooped two awards at the 2023 Scottish Public Service Awards hosted at the Scottish Parliament on Wed 6 Dec  – Commercial Partnerships and Voluntary Sector Partnerships.

The Commercial Partnerships Award is in recognition of the support provided by Natwest and the City of Edinburgh Council to establish the Ukrainian welcome hub at Gogarburn which welcomed over 11,000 Ukrainians seeking safe refuge in Scotland.

The Voluntary Sector Partnership Award was award to Edinburgh’s Community and Voluntary Sector Partnership who have supported the response over the last 21 months. The work of third sector organisations delivering food provision, mental health support, youth work and children’s integration, English language, social and cultural support etc has been critical to Edinburgh’s Warm Scottish Welcome and will continue to be critical as we look forward to the Warm Scottish Future.

Genuine partnership is about being good listeners and thus, I am genuinely humbled to see EVOC, Volunteer Edinburgh, AUGB, alongside City of Edinburgh Council (led by Alistair Dinnie) Capital City Partnership and many more amazing organisations, winning the two awards – the Voluntary Sector Partnership Award & the Commercial Partnership Award with the Royal Bank of Scotland led by Sheena Hales BEM.

We are so proud of the work of Edinburgh’s third sector who have continuously stepped up over the last 21 months to support some of the most vulnerable people seeking safe refuge in communities across the city.

The awards finished up with the utterly brilliant and challenging John Carnochan who received a Life Time Achievement Award, who gave credit to so many in his life, and challenged all nominees: ‘Be curious, try things! Listen & do stuff!’

Both awards are collected on behalf of the 26,000 Ukrainians who now call Scotland their home.

More information and a full list of nominees is available here.

 

Edinburgh’s Community Link Worker Network has been recognised for the work they do to tackle health inequalities in this year’s Scottish Health Awards. The Network has been chosen as one of three finalists for the 2023 Tackling Health Inequalities award, highlighting the impact of the 24 community link workers (CLWs) who are helping improve the lives of people in some of the most deprived areas in the city.

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Campaigners are calling on the First Minister to ‘put Scotland’s money where his mouth is’ by beginning to deliver his commitment to explore “bolder” income and wealth tax reforms and to do so ahead of the next Scottish Budget.

In a new briefing, The case for fair tax reform in Scotland, published today, IPPR Scotland, Oxfam Scotland, the Poverty Alliance, CPAG in Scotland, the Scottish Women’s Budget Group, One Parent Families Scotland and the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Scotland lay out a series of progressive options to reform the Scottish tax system using devolved powers.

The briefing urges the First Minister to use Scotland’s existing tax levers, such as the Scottish Rate of Income Tax, more progressively in the Scottish Budget for 2024-25.

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We’re delighted to be leading a new community led project to find a sustainable future for the Gorgie City Farm site.

Following discussions with the City of Edinburgh Council after the closure of the site last month, we will be working with the local community and a range of stakeholders to explore options for a strong plan that allows the site to re-open. EVOC is one of three partners that make up Edinburgh’s TSI (Third Sector Interface), helping to support and develop the city’s community and voluntary sector, with a role to develop robust solutions and approaches that underpin strong organisations.

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In response to proposals from the City of Edinburgh Council to cut budgets to services for children, young people and families Bridie Ashrowan our Chief Executive led a deputation to the Finance and Resources Committee meeting on Tue 7 Feb 2023. This also involved Laurene Edgar (Director, LAYC), Amanda Farquhar (Co-Chair, SW Locality Operational Group) and Andy Thomas (Co-Chair NE Locality Operational Group). 

You can watch the deputation here (starts at 0:59:00)

You can read the Council paper that includes details of the proposals here. 

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