Publications

How intandem is building trusted mentoring relationships

This week is an important one for us here at intandem. Not only is it Care Experienced Week, which looks to celebrate the care experience community, but it is also National Mentoring Day today (Friday 27 October) and we have lots of mentors and mentees to celebrate! Scotland made a promise children and young people

Finding the right trustees with Inspiring Scotland’s Specialist Volunteer Network

Not only does Inspiring Scotland’s Specialist Volunteer Network (SVN) connect charities with professional volunteers to solve challenges, but our team are also on hand to help you recruit and train your Board. Meet Bill Speirs, Board Director at The Jeely Piece Club Bill was a practising solicitor from 1978 until 2021. He helped set up

Conference to help people with additional support needs get into employment to be held in September

Online conference aims to redesign sustainable employment opportunities for people with additional support needs in the South of Scotland. A conference focused on addressing employment opportunities for young people with additional support needs in the South of Scotland will be hosted by the Additional Support Needs (ASN) Learning Network on Friday 8 September 2023. The

Autistic Adult Support Fund open for applications

The Autistic Adult Support Fund launched today (Wednesday 16th August 2023) aiming to help adults with an autism diagnosis, self-identified autistic adults, and their families and carers understand what neurodivergence means for them and improve their wellbeing. The Autistic Adult Support Fund will provide £500,000 for the six-month period from October 2023 to end of March

Support in the Right Direction 2024 – 2027 fund open for applications

A new phase of the Support in the Right Direction (SiRD) programme was launched today (Wednesday 12 July) to fund independent support services and help people use self-directed support options to organise and manage their social care and support across Scotland. Running from April 2024 to March 2027, applications are now open until midday on

Crowdfunder launched to raise £10,000 for children with care experience to create lifelong memories this summer

intandem, Scotland’s national mentoring service for children and young people with care experience, has today (Wednesday 31st May) launched a Crowdfunder campaign, aiming to raise £10,000 to help children create lifelong memories this summer. All children deserve the opportunity to have fun and try new things to help set them up for a positive future.

Creative Communities Glasgow programme launches

The Creative Communities Glasgow programme launched today (Wednesday 24 May 2023), thanks to £745,000 funding from Glasgow City Council’s Communities and Place Fund, part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Facilitated by Inspiring Scotland, the new Creative Communities Glasgow programme will support community organisations in the area to develop and run cultural and creative projects

Specialist Volunteer Network at the Tech for Good Summit

Inspiring Scotland’s Specialist Volunteer Network (SVN) team supported the Tech for Good Summit hosted by the Scottish Tech Army (STA) on Thursday 20th April. In this blog Tommy Seymour highlights the important work done by the SVN and STA, as well as his key takeaways from the event. ‘Come ready to listen, leave ready to

Could Active Play be the route to better health?

Being physically active is one of the most important things people can do to improve their physical and mental health. It can help prevent a range of non-communicable diseases, those associated with unhealthy behaviour such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and improves mental health and cognitive functioning, among other benefits. However, the new Step Up!

Inspiring Scotland’s Specialist Volunteer Network (SVN)

For a charitable organisation, having access to a broad range of professional skills can be challenging when resources are already stretched. Whether seeking IT or marketing expertise, financial or legal advice, a trusteeship or practical help, Inspiring Scotland’s Specialist Volunteer Network (SVN) can step in. The Specialist Volunteer Network (SVN) is one of Inspiring Scotland’s

Putting Families at the Centre

On Friday 4th November, the Inspiring Scotland Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (PIMH) team, supported the Scottish Government Perinatal and Early Years Mental Health Policy team with hosting the online event: Families at the Centre. With over 250 attendees, from across the perinatal and infant mental health sector, the event offered a chance to bring

Celebrating National Mentoring Day

intandem is a Scottish mentoring programme which supports young people looked after at home. Volunteer mentors make the programme possible and the reason we’re able to make a real difference in the lives of young people. A consistent, caring mentoring relationship gives children and young people the foundation to overcome trauma experienced in the past

Empowering women and girls through Active Play

To mark this year’s Scottish Women and Girls Sports week we want to highlight the positive impact of women and girls’ participation in sports and physical activity through the Active Play Programme. Using a partnership approach it is enabling children, and adults, to participate in, and in turn lead on Active Play across Glasgow and

Supporting the South of Scotland Enterprise Additional Support Needs (ASN) Learning Network

Sally Cavers shares some insight into the work she has been leading with South of Scotland Enterprise bringing people together as a collective to learn and share and create positive change. Background to the Network The Additional Support Needs (ASN) Learning Network grew from a joint concept between The Usual Place of Dumfries and

Key Themes from Peer Support for Dads

Monday 20th June marks International Father’s Mental Health Awareness Day. Earlier this year, the Inspiring Scotland PIMH team alongside Scottish Government hosted an online event: Perinatal Peer Support Scotland. The aim of the session was to recognise the contribution of peer support workers; showcase good practice and highlight the role of peer support and how

Supporting Women, Reducing Harm: Supporting a National Conversation

In April, Inspiring Scotland’s Perinatal and Infant Mental Health team co-hosted Supporting Women, Reducing Harm, the first-ever national conversation on how services should care for families affected by substance use in the perinatal period. This event was in partnership with Scottish Government, Perinatal Mental Health Network Scotland, NHS Scotland, third sectors partners and women with

Matt Baker guests blogs on Creative Communities programme after attending its showcase earlier this Month.

Artist and founder of the Stove Network, Matt Baker guests blogs on Creative Communities programme after attending its showcase earlier this Month. Firstly, I’d like to congratulate everyone who took part in the Creative Communities programme – from those who first thought up the idea and made it possible – to everyone who has been

10 ‘Beautifully Ambitious’ Years of Link Up

Andrew Magowan, Link Up Programme Manager shares his reflections on Inspiring Scotland’s Link Up Programme turning 10. My colleague described our plans for the celebration as “beautifully ambitious”. True, but the phrase is also a great way to capture the essence of Link Up since its launch in 2012. Link Up was never really a

Thrive Outdoors Blog Series: Case Studies- the children’s experience

This month for the sixth instalment of our Botanics Blog series we hear from the two nurseries taking part in the pilot- Outdoor Nursery Edinburgh (ONE) and Edzell. Both nurseries share their own case study on a child’s experience of ‘The Wee Garden’. Hearing about the difference this outdoor space has made to each

Looking after social work and social care staff

A new £1 million fund has been established to support projects which look after the wellbeing of staff working in social care. The Workforce Wellbeing Fund for Adult Social Work and Social Care will be managed by Inspiring Scotland and provide grants of up to £10,000 until December 2022. Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social

Funding to support community-led local development

120 not-for-profit community groups are to benefit from £1.8 million funding to trial new and innovative ways to address local challenges and embrace local opportunities. The Rural Communities ‘Ideas into Action’ Fund opened to applications from Monday 13 September to Friday 8 October, and is part of a £3 million commitment by Scottish Government to

Additional funding for sustainable islands

Additional funding has been allocated to local island projects. Projects delivering strong community climate themes across some of Scotland’s islands will receive a share of almost £600,000 to support sustainability and provide more green travel options. The projects are delivered through the Scottish Government’s Island Communities Fund, which provides investment for community-led projects that support

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

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

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

Celebrating 5 years of intandem

Inspiring Scotland’s Head of Development and Partnership, Julia Abel, reflects upon the impact of intandem mentoring as the programme celebrates its fifth birthday. We all need consistent, trusting relationships. For young people who have care experience, these relationships can sometimes be lacking. The long-term presence of a trusted, supportive adult can make all the difference

Marking 16 days of activism

Today marks the beginning of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. 16 days is an annual international campaign which starts on the 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. Inspiring Scotland are Programme manager of Delivering Equally Safe, the Scottish Government’s

Thrive Outdoors Blog Series: Nurseries experience so far

This month for the third installment of our Botanics Blog we caught up with Edzell Nursery and Outdoor Nursery Edinburgh (ONE), the two nurseries involved in the project, to see how the experience has been so far. Edzell Nursery is based within a church hall at Goldenacre very close to the Botanic Gardens. Being based

COP26, Inspiring Scotland and Climate Justice

COP26 has dominated discussion, media and Glasgow city centre, but how will these international negotiations impact people and places in Scotland? Catriona Patterson, who works on our Creative Communities and Rural Communities Ideas into Action funds, discusses what went on in Glasgow and how it connects to Inspiring Scotland’s vision for everyone in Scotland to

Fixed-fee risk management support for charities

In conversation with charities, our Specialist Volunteer team has uncovered that risk management is a key area that charities request support with. Often times an organisation’s risk register doesn’t solely focus on risk – also incorporating impacts (outcomes) and issues. It’s important to take a step back and really identify what risks your organisation potentially

Creative Communities Programme Case Studies

We are sharing a number of case studies from our charity partners projects who were or currently are part of the Creative Communities Programme. These case studies highlight the brilliant work of our charity partners and the impact these projects had on their local communities. Each project had to pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A day in the life of… Thrive Outdoors Fund Manager

Welcome to our first ever ‘Day in the Life Of’ feature, in which Thrive Outdoors Fund Manager, Melodie Crumlin, talks about her first six weeks with Inspiring Scotland What has a typical day looked like for you? The work itself has varied from day to day. Some days have been spent connecting with the wider

Charities and Volunteers join forces to improve youth employability

The third sector forms the backbone of our communities and spends the majority of its money and time delivering essential services. While this is critically important, it means organisations are often left with precious little resources to dedicate to the core business functions that enable them to streamline, scale and innovate. Skills-based volunteering offers charities

Autism Advisory Forum- learning from those with lived experience

Inspiring Scotland supports charity partners working across a number of thematic funds. Part of our work ensuring individuals can lead full and fulfilling lives focuses on making Scotland a more accessible, inclusive and understanding place for autistic people to learn, work and live. Hearing from people with lived experience is central to this work and

Our Specialist Volunteer Network can help bridge knowledge gaps

Inspiring Scotland’s Specialist Volunteer Network is a free resource to third sector organisations, providing support wherever it is needed most. A common way to use this service is to cover gaps in an organisation’s knowledge or skills. The specialists provide valuable insights and advice from an external perspective, free of charge, ensuring organisations can access

Thrive Outdoors Blog Series: ‘Our wee garden’

Blog 2 Read on as we share Blog 2 in our blog series on bringing Outdoor ELC to the Botanics in Edinburgh. This week’s blog contributor is Cath Ashby part of the learning team at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh. Hi I am Cath Ashby and I have worked at the Botanics for 23

Thrive Outdoors Blog Series: Bringing Outdoor ELC to the Botanics

Blog 1 This week sees the start of an exciting collaboration between the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), Inspiring Scotland’s Thrive Outdoors team, the University of Edinburgh and two Edinburgh-based Early Learning and Childcare settings; Edzell Nursery and Outdoor Nursery Edinburgh (ONE). Over the next six months the partners will undertake research as groups of

Creating resilient and sustainable islands

People living in Scotland’s island-based communities will benefit from new funding for projects designed to support employment, community resilience and health and wellbeing. Through the £2 million Island Communities Fund, 29 successful community groups and businesses across 23 islands have been awarded grants of up to £150,000 each. Projects focus on developing sustainable economic activities

Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Third Sector Funding Announced

18 third sector organisations from across Scotland have been awarded funding from the Scottish Government’s Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Small Grants Fund. These organisations provide vital support for new and expectant parents, carers and families at a crucial stage of life. Building on a recent consultation, the fund supports small to medium sized organisations

Empowering Scotland’s communities through Link Up

To mark this year’s Challenge Poverty Week, Inspiring Scotland is reflecting on nearly ten years of running Link Up, a programme that has enabled grassroots change at the heart of some of Scotland’s most challenged communities. Too many people are locked in the grip of poverty. We know that one in five working age adults

£1.3 million fund opens to support health and wellbeing of Island Communities

Please note applications closed on the 20th of September 2021. The Scottish Government’s Healthy Islands Fund – a £1.3 million fund supporting projects focused on health and wellbeing on Scottish islands opens today 23 August 2021. Successful projects will include community-led wellness initiatives to promote healthier lifestyles on the islands, supporting the delivery of Strategic

intandem expand their team and help map mentoring to Keep the Promise

As part of their ongoing commitment to amplify the voices of children and young people, intandem are taking action to Keep the Promise of the Independent Care Review. After a successful application to The Promise Partnership, intandem secured investment to recruit a Programme Development Intern to support the national mentoring programme, and are delighted to

Successful organisations announced for Equality and Human Rights Fund

48 organisations across Scotland have been awarded funding from the Scottish Government’s Equality and Human Fund to advance human rights, promote equality and tackle discrimination. The successful organisations will share £21 million over three years, from 2021 to 2024, with £7 million distributed annually. Overall, this new three-year programme will provide an additional £1 million

Free support to improve your charity’s digital outreach

Has your charity started using digital in new and different ways over the past year? Or perhaps you’re keen to better connect with your target audience through digital, but aren’t sure where to start? You’re not alone – over the past year a number of charities have taken on new digital approaches and one question

Specialist Volunteers support Interfaith Glasgow’s virtual governance training

To mark small charities week 2021, we’re speaking with Philip Mendelsohn, Chair at Interfaith Glasgow about how Inspiring Scotland’s Specialist Volunteer Network has provided support. “Having engaged with Inspiring Scotland through their management of a grant programme, we noted in the very detailed introduction pack that they offered support through the network that seemed to

Mentoring can build confidence and offer hope for a bright future

As part of the Volunteers’ Week 2021 celebrations, we interviewed intandem mentor Angela Jamieson to find out about her mentoring journey and the impact being a mentor has had on her life so far. Could you tell us a bit about yourself? I’m currently a performance advisor supporting 29 charities who provide services to Survivors

The impact of specialist support on small charities

“We were drawn to the Specialist Volunteer Network because of the wide range of skills and expertise provided by Volunteers and the excellent fit with help we were looking for as a charity.” Small charities often lack the infrastructure that larger charities have for HR, IT, Finance and Business Development. On top of this, accessing

Supporting charity communications

Sam Marriott-Dowding is Managing Director of Marriott Communications and a Specialist Volunteer with Inspiring Scotland. He has brought his expertise in communications to several projects supporting charities across Scotland. As a Specialist Volunteer, I work predominantly within communications – so anything from: PR, media management, crisis communications, digital marketing, content creation, social media management, to

Consultation on funding for independent support sector

This consultation is now closed. Following the success of the Support in the Right Direction (SiRD) funding programme, which empowers people to be equal partners in their social care and support decisions, Inspiring Scotland is opening a consultation for the independent support sector and other key partners. This consultation aims to gather views on the

Delivering Equally Safe Fund-Important Update

IMPORTANT UPDATE On the 24th March 2021, the Scottish Government and COSLA issued a joint statement on the Delivering Equally Safe fund. The statement outlines a number of important changes to the fund which have come in with immediate effect. We understand that those who are intending to apply may have questions and we are

Contract Dispute Support for Youth Scotland

Youth Scotland had run into issues with a company delivering a significant IT project and it was clear we were at risk of the situation becoming a stand-off which could cost us a lot of money. We knew that we needed to obtain advice to understand what our options were but also that obtaining this

Accessing the right kind of help can transform the lives of new parents

Pregnancy, birth and caring for a new baby can involve some of the most rewarding experiences in life. Yet being a new parent can also be difficult and isolating for mothers and families.

The Potential of our Relationships

Link Up worker Hannah Kirby reflects on Hilary Cottam’s book ‘Radical Help’ and the parallels with Inspiring Scotland’s community development and wellbeing programme.

The importance of engaging Scotland’s girls in Active Play

To celebrate Scottish woman and girls in sport week 2020 we decided to interview Anne- Marie, who is involved in the running of the Active Play programme at voluntary organisation FARE Scotland, on the importance of engaging girls in Active play. FARE Scotland (Family Action in Rogerfield and Easterhouse) is a voluntary organisation working within

The world needs people who think differently

In our latest blog, Autism Performance Advisor Allison Crawford writes about the development of the Different Minds. One Scotland campaign and the collaborative process which helped bring the campaign into fruition.

We start with hope

We must take this moment to reappraise and reimagine how our systems of support for the most vulnerable should operate in future, writes Andrew Magowan. How we shape and control the world around us is the primary means by which we develop and express our place and role in this world. If we are unable

Our Future Now – The Need to Act

Alongside trusted charities and investors, we are committed to supporting young people as they navigate the challenges of the post COVID-19 job market, writes Inspiring Scotland Chief Executive Celia Tennant. After 10 years of sustained effort from across government, business, and civil society in Scotland, youth unemployment reached a record low of 6.9% in July

Where should our future classrooms be?

In this collaborative blog, Rachel Cowper of Thrive Outdoors and Central Scotland Green Network Trust’s Deryck Irving present the case for moving classroom teaching outside post-COVID-19. The response to the current pandemic has meant the introduction of new behaviours to many aspects of our day-to-day lives. The process of easing lockdown will require changed behaviours

National Carers Week: raising awareness of hidden carers is more important than ever

Inspiring Scotland supports East Ayrshire Carers Centre (EACC) to work with young people with a caring role at home. This guest blog is from EACC Co-Chief Executive Officer Fiona Robson. It’s National Carers Week, and the theme this year is to “Make Carers Visible”. The irony of our current situation is not lost on us

Scottish Tech Army: free digital help & advice during COVID-19

Entrepreneur Peter Jaco, co-founder of the Scottish Tech Army explains how his volunteer force of technologist can help charities and public sector organisations with any coronavirus-related challenges they might be facing – free of charge. When Alistair Forbes and I launched the Scottish Tech Army (STA) on 28 April, we had no idea it would

Nurturing the ‘new normal’ through outdoor learning and play

As we move out of lockdown, embracing our outside spaces can help society recover and build resilience for the future, writes Thrive Outdoors Programme Manager Rachel Cowper. The online algorithms must be getting to know my reading habits of late, because I have come across many articles over the last few days discussing what the

How your professional expertise can make a difference

Did you know that Inspiring Scotland’s specialist volunteer opportunities enable you to use your skills and expertise for the greater good? Specialist Volunteer Executive Elaine Crichton explains how you can make a difference. Traditional volunteering roles aren’t for everyone – whilst many of us want to share our time and skills with charities and other

Playing outside helps children to have a stake in their communities

By Jill Fraser, Community Play Performance Advisor Community is an old and deeply human idea. It is about sharing; people sharing experiences, sharing places and sharing hopes. We gain a sense of community early in our lives. For children, playing is intrinsically linked to a burgeoning sense of belonging to a bigger group of people

Beyond play: community play charities are a vital support for struggling families

By Jill Fraser, Community Play Performance Advisor Inspiring Scotland exists to address poverty and disadvantage. The role of Play Rangers, our community play programme, in this work isn’t self-evident. Yet giving children the opportunity to play outside, in their own neighbourhood, can reveal the damaging effects and true extent of child poverty in Scotland and

People are at the heart of sustainable charities

All charities have the people they serve at the heart of everything they do, writes Performance Advisor Kirsty Gilchrist. It is a core principle of our sector. But people are also at the heart of how they do it. Without the energy, compassion and expertise of staff, charities could not do the extraordinary work they

Strategic support for Macrobert Arts Centre

Kathryn Welsh, Operations Director at the Macrobert Arts Centre We approached Inspiring Scotland in the hope of finding some pro bono support to help our senior team to navigate a challenging time in our organisational development. Following a funding cut in the new year, we’d been reflecting on our priorities for the year ahead and

The Journey to Charity Director

By Christopher Graham, Vice Chair of Stepping Stones for Families & CEO of The Marketing Department I write this at a time of change for the Stepping Stones for Families (SSfF) board. We are preparing for our AGM in a few weeks, the final one for our outgoing chair. And my fellow board members will

We need our children to be better than us – outdoor play can help

There is a saying, variously attributed to early environmental campaigners but likely a much older proverb from a wiser time and place, that goes: “We do not inherit the earth from our parents, we borrow it from our children.” Whatever its origins, the sentiment rings true and by its maxim we have failed our children

In a just society, we must all challenge poverty

Improving the lives of the people of Scotland is what gets us out of bed in the morning. We set ourselves against poverty and disadvantage, and rightly so. Inspiring Scotland exists to help essential charities become extraordinary charities, so that they can support more of the people who need it, and help us all progress

Working together for wellbeing

I firmly believe that the wellbeing of people is paramount. It directs the work we do at Inspiring Scotland, as well as the work I do personally as a member of several community and advisory groups. It directs the work I do as a sports coach for children and young people. That’s why I was

Celia Tennant: Our response to the incorporation of the UNCRC in Scots law

At Inspiring Scotland, we firmly believe that the health, happiness and wellbeing of children and young people is paramount. It is a shared responsibility of civil society – people and organisations across the public, private and third sectors – to protect children and young people. To support them to grow up with the means

Celia Tennant on the benefits of outdoor play for Holyrood Magazine

Scotland is beautiful. We have mountains and rolling hills, forests, meadows, sandy beaches and rocky bays. Our cities, towns and villages are rich with urban beauty too. In fact, with their abundance of parks and gardens, they are the greenest in the UK. It is a beautiful place to call home and should be a

Celia Tennant thanks intandem charities and volunteers.

Inspiring Scotland recently commissioned Blake Stevenson to carry out an Independent Evaluation of our intandem programme. Established to support children and young people who are looked after at home, intandem provides them with a mentor they meet once a week, with whom they can have a positive and trusting relationship free from some of the pressures that life has thrown at

Financial pro bono support: three case studies.

Case study one – Financial process review. A fraudulent email was sent to a staff member at a charity that claimed to come from the chief executive, asking for a transfer of £28,000 to be made with immediate effect. As the staff member was new, alarm bells were not triggered until after the transfer

We owe it to our young people to build a better Scotland.

Inspiring Scotland Chief Executive Celia Tennant explains the motivation behind Our Future Now. Scotland’s future belongs to its young people. Today’s school children will be the community leaders, business people, teachers, politicians, entrepreneurs and innovators of tomorrow. But far too many young people are at risk of being excluded from that future because of circumstances

Celia Tennant writes about our obligations to young people for Holyrood magazine

Scotland does not belong to you. It does not belong to me. It doesn’t belong to politicians, public servants, business leaders or entrepreneurs. Scotland belongs to our young people, our children and their children yet to come. We are just caretakers. It is our job to build a country, and a society, our children and

Building Collaboration Fund

[THIS FUND HAS NOW CLOSED] We are excited to be managing the assessment of applications to a new £100,000 ‘Building Collaboration Fund’. Applications open on 4th February 2019, with grants of up to £25,000 available for groups of third sector partners working in collaboration, to improve the social care they provide. The Fund is a

An Inspiring Partnership: Venture Trust and Inspiring Scotland

This is a guest post written by a member of staff at Venture Trust It’s the small things that really matter… relationships forged through a shared endeavour to help young people transform their lives for the long term. For the past 10 years, Inspiring Scotland and Venture Trust have been working together to change the

It’s good business sense for charities to be sustainable

MENTION the word “charity” to most people and they’ll immediately think of the grey-haired old lady with the sweet smile standing behind the second-hand shop counter. Yet today’s charities rarely fit into that and clichéd image; the third sector is big business in Scotland, employing more than 100,000 workers and turning over £5.8 billion last

Invest in a good cause to receive greater returns

Former Baillie Gifford & Co partner Leslie Robb shares the rewards of venture philanthropy following his investment in Inspiring Scotland’s 14:19 Fund. When an investor is running the rule over a potential deal, one question pops up again and again: what’s the return on my investment? Whether it is the dividend or the interest rate

Venture that is reaping rewards for young people

WIND the clock back 10 years and Scotland was in the grip of the global banking crisis. Royal Bank of Scotland was bailed out, Halifax Bank of Scotland was forced into a shotgun marriage with Lloyds TSB and consumers stared into the precipice of a decade of ultra-low savings rates. Yet, amongst the gloom of the looming

Engaged HR support for Move On

Move On, a charity in Inspiring Scotland’s 14:19 and intandem funds, has been working with pro bono volunteer and HR expert Lynn Reid over an extended period of time to look at some ongoing staffing and organisational challenges. Lynn has been able to commit time to the project thanks to the flexible working approach and corporate

How to overcome a social media crisis

We can all remember times when companies have got it badly wrong. As social media continues to become the essential medium through which organisations engage with the public, social media blunders have become all too frequent. Not every company error makes headline news and, if it does, it’s often forgotten about amidst the next day’s

Collaborating with communities in Kilmarnock: “We want to lift people out of really dark places.”

This article was written by David McPhee and originally appeared in Positively Scottish in May 2017 Isolated. Cut-off. Islands. These are just a few of the new buzz words used to describe people who, often through no fault of their own, become disconnected from mainstream society. If the isolation lasts long enough, they can become

Sit Up Awards help to highlight the compassionate humanity at the centre of complex issues

I am passionate about the potential of people and communities to create lasting positive change. I wouldn’t be able to do the work I do – as chief executive of Inspiring Scotland and as an active member of several community and social advisory groups – if I didn’t believe it wholeheartedly. Over the last few

Technology for Social Good – working with JPMorgan

Inspiring Scotland’s Pro Bono team has been working with J.P. Morgan over the last two years. Through its Force for Good program, J.P. Morgan provides, on a pro bono basis, expertise in innovative technology to local charitable organisations. The bank’s Force for Good initiative leverages the power of technology and people to inspire change, foster

Catherine Alexander talks about her experience as a Specialist Volunteer

Specialist Volunteer Catherine Alexander, has over thirty-five years’ experience in banking and financial services, having worked with private clients, institutional clients, insured defined contribution pension scheme clients and insurance company clients. Most recently Catherine worked with Aegon Asset Management / Kames Capital where she was she was Head of Client Service before joining Inspiring Scotland as

It’s Volunteers’ Week and we want to say Thank you

From board rooms to community halls, volunteers are the backbone of our thriving third sector. National Volunteers Week (1 -8th June) is shining a spotlight on the extraordinary commitment of the 12 million volunteers who give their time and experience to charities across the country every week. It is an opportunity for those of us

Go2play is now Thrive Outdoors

At Inspiring Scotland, we want all of Scotland’s children to thrive. We have been working in outdoor play since 2010 and we know that by playing outdoors, children grow, learn and develop, emotionally and physically, in the best possible way. In short, growing playing and learning outdoors is how children thrive. That’s why, after eight

The importance of social connectedness for mental health and wellbeing

Mental Health has been a taboo for a long time. It is encouraging to see the topic going up the agenda and becoming a subject of lively conversation, not just amongst professionals but with family and friends too. It is slowly but surely becoming looked at for its universal relevance and central importance to our

Thank you for our first 10 years

The 29th of January 2018 marks 10 years since Inspiring Scotland was founded. The story of our first 10 years is a story about people, a lot of people, the relationships we have built with one another, and the impact we have been able to create together. We started with the ambition of tackling the

There is so much to play for when we encourage young children to enjoy the outdoors

By Juliet Robertson, Outdoor learning and play specialist, Creative STAR Learning The image of children splashing in muddy puddles or running, carefree through the woods, giggling in the way only happy children can, might seem like a nostalgic rural idyll to city dwellers in this age of social media and easy-access tech. But it doesn’t have

Away and Play: Fun, free and vital for development

We have lost something by scheduling ‘fun’ as part of our busy lives. Who remembers hopscotch? Climbing into a cardboard box? A stick that to you was a magic wand or a Light Sabre? Who remembers just running through the woods or over the grass for no real reason at all? I am sure most

Resilience in the charity sector is more important than ever

Resilience is more important now than ever for the charity sector – but it is just the beginning of the journey we need to take, says Julia Abel, Head of Funds. Being resilient to shocks and change is more important for the charity sector now than it has ever been. I need hardly utter why;

Let’s change the way we fight poverty and inequality in Scotland.

Let’s break the cycle, says Deputy Chief Executive Helen Chambers We know inequality breeds poverty. And poverty, in turn, breeds inequality. But it’s not that simple. Inequality is not just about being poor. Inequality means never having opportunity when you have ability and knowledge. It’s about not having a choice when there should be so

Together, we are Inspiring Scotland

Our vision for Scotland is achievable, says Chief Executive Celia Tennant. A Scotland without poverty or disadvantage – that is our vision. It is not going to be easy to achieve. But we know from experience when people, communities, charities and government all work together, remarkable things can be accomplished. We want to tackle some

Make outdoor play the norm for our children

Rachel Cowper from our go2play fund urges us all to let children play outside in The Herald. With a sunny start to April and the longer days ahead, you might begin to see the streets and green spaces of Scotland filled with children and wonder: is it not always so? Sadly, like the rose-tinted memories

Pro Bono brews up a fine new brand of business

Callander’s Bridgend cafe development shows how our free support network can help, says Elaine Crichton, Pro Bono Executive If you find yourself in Callander in need of a pick-me-up, I highly recommend you stop by the Bridgend café and get a young barista named Jamie to make you a coffee; he may well make the best latte

Inspiring heroes are everywhere

A local project that began with a spot of bicycle tinkering has changed lives and inspired a community, says Celia Tennant in The Scotsman Now the rush of finish lines crossed and the jubilation of medals won has subsided, a couple of stories from the Rio Olympics which did the rounds on social media have

Wounds of recession still deepest for the poor

Hard times tend to hit the most in need the hardest, writes our Deputy Chief Executive Helen Chambers. To say these are uncertain times could be considered a significant understatement, but no-one would argue it is one of the few statements which can be currently made with any semblance of confidence. Unfortunately, another such statement

Young people are more than their mental health difficulties

Charis Robertson of Hot Chocolate Trust, an Inspiring Scotland 14:19 Fund portfolio charity is celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week by asking the Hot Chocolate Trust young people what their hopes for the future of mental health support across Scotland. I am no expert on how mental health issues affect young people. However, having worked with hundreds

What makes a Link Up worker effective?

Tackling societies biggest issues depends on very special types of people on the frontline. At Link Up we have been analysing what the critical factors are that make our workers most effective in connecting the communities in which they work. Since 2012 Inspiring Scotland’s Link Up Programme has been leading efforts in actively tackling inequality

Loneliness doesn’t have to be for life

Our Deputy Chief Executive, Helen Chambers, writes about how Inspiring Scotland’s Link Up fund is tackling loneliness through transforming communities from within. At a time when the damaging effects of loneliness are being equated to the effects of smoking, the need to transform our communities is more critical than ever. Combatting community breakdown and isolation

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