Promoting healthy and resilient island communities

Launching a fund during a pandemic- lessons learned

The Creative Communities programme was due to launch just as the pandemic struck. Erica, head of the Creative Communities team takes a look at just what this meant for third sector organisations and Inspiring Scotland as a funder, and shares key learnings from the experience.

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Our Future Leaders Course paves the way for greater inclusion in the charity sector

This ground-breaking course, titled ‘Our Future Leaders,’ is now in its third cohort. It was developed by Inspiring Scotland and the Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD) to create a unique leadership course for people with learning disabilities, the only course of its kind in the whole of the UK.

Research Scotland Creative Communities Year 1 Evaluation

We recently commissioned Research Scotland to complete an independent evaluation of the first year of the Creative Communities Programme.

Read the report

£2 million investment in the creative arts continues to positively impact Scotland’s communities

The second year of the Scottish Government’s Creative Communities programme has now launched, seeing a total of £2 million invested in creative projects across Scotland. Since the programme began in 2020, it has supported 46 community-based charities working with communities where social or geographical circumstances make engaging with culture more challenging.

For a Scotland without poverty or disadvantage

We transform vital charities. We empower visionary leaders. We shape public policies. We believe in opportunity for everyone. Since 2008 Inspiring Scotland has worked towards a Scotland where everyone, no matter where they live, or the circumstances they are born into, is given the chance to enjoy a happy, healthy life free from poverty or disadvantage.

We do not accept the status quo and we are committed for as long as it takes, whatever it takes, to build a better Scotland.

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Our Model

Philanthropic funding is added to Scottish Government and Trust and Foundation money

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£0m managed funding in 20/21

We believe in long-term, flexible funding

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0 year fund delivered

We provide tailored business development support and rigorously evaluate, to drive charities' ambition and long-term development goals

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0 professional volunteers able to support charities alongside our dedicated staff.

Portfolio charities become stronger, more efficient, more accountacble and better governed

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The portfolio approach creates a collaborative network for sharing knowledge and experience

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0 charities collaborating

Charities raise more funding, increase their scale, and reach more and more young people for longer

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0+ people supported across Scotland.

Inspiring people, communities, organisations, and government to work together to drive social change and transform lives.

Read about the impact of our work across Scotland throughout 2020/2021 in our latest annual report

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What we do

We design rigorous and innovative social solutions.

We identify and solve problems on a national scale, working together to get results.

Thematic funds

We build networks of people, charities and organisations, and fund, design and implement pioneering solutions address Scotland’s deep-rooted social problems.

Specialist Volunteer Network

Our network of professional volunteers lends vital expert assistance to Scotland’s charities, helping them to build capacity and overcome problems.

Collaborative working

We solve problems. With our experience, we can help identify social issues, improve practice and maximise impact for charities and organisations.

21.01.2022

Thrive Outdoors Blog Series: Sharing learning from the Wee Garden

This month for the fifth instalment of our Botanics Blog series we hear from Caroline Walsh an Early Years Outdoor Learning Officer at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Caroline shares her experience of the project so far and the key learnings along the way! I came into this exciting research project full of ideas. I had a vision

06.01.2022

Promoting healthy and resilient island communities

People living on Scottish islands will benefit from community-led wellness initiatives designed to support them to live healthier lifestyles as funding has now been allocated for the Scottish Government’s Healthy Islands Fund. The Healthy Islands Fund will help to deliver these initiatives with just over £1.3 million of Scottish Government funding from the wider £30

17.12.2021

Thrive Outdoors blog series: researching the magic of the Botanics’ Wee Garden

This month for the fourth instalment of our Botanics Blog we spoke with Selvarani Selvaraja, a medical doctor from Malaysia, currently pursuing MSc Education (Early Childhood and Froebel) at The University of Edinburgh. Selvarani has been involved in this project as part of the research team, led by Dr. Lynn McNair, Head of Cowgate Under Fives Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland, and a Lecturer in

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Contact us

We work with experts from the voluntary, public, private and academic sectors. Get in touch if you want to help us build a better Scotland.

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A brilliant and #inspiring blog from @FunderHub sharing some fantastic ideas from #Funders on new ways to work toge… https://t.co/HJQuFopwsV about 22 hours ago

Promoting healthy and resilient island communities

Launching a fund during a pandemic- lessons learned

Our Future Leaders Course paves the way for greater inclusion in the charity sector

Research Scotland Creative Communities Year 1 Evaluation

£2 million investment in the creative arts continues to positively impact Scotland’s communities

What we do

For a Scotland without poverty or disadvantage

Our Model

450+

Organisations supported.

£21m

of funds managed in 20/21

200,000s

of lives transformed.

500+

expert volunteers.

Delivering Impact

Inspiring people, communities, organisations, and government to work together to drive social change and transform lives.

What we do