• Category: News

    Recognising Unpaid Carers – Training by VOCAL

    Midlothian TSI staff members recently took part in a bespoke Think Carer training session, delivered by VOCAL Midlothian.

    VOCAL – Voice of Carers Across Lothian – is a charity that supports and empowers unpaid carers through individual support, information, training, and access to services. VOCAL work in partnership with employers across all sectors, supporting their ambitions to upskill managers and become a carer friendly workplace.

    Think Carer Training Recap

    The Think Carer training provided us with valuable insights into the role of unpaid carers and how to better support them. The session offered a chance to reflect on how carers are identified and the impact caregiving can have on their health & wellbeing. We explored practical tips for ensuring carers feel recognised and supported, while also considering the benefits this brings to those they care for.

    Overall, the training highlighted the importance of acknowledging and supporting unpaid carers, offering tools and insight into the range of services VOCAL offers.

    Supporting Carers in the Workplace

    Caring responsibilities are often a hidden issue in the workplace, making it challenging for employees to seek support. In fact, one in five carers leave their jobs because balancing work with caregiving becomes overwhelming.

    As the number of people with caring responsibilities continues to rise, it’s increasingly important for workplaces to create supportive environments where carers feel valued and can access the help they need to balance both roles effectively.

    To address this, VOCAL partners with employers across sectors to help managers develop carer-friendly workplaces. In collaboration with VOCAL, we are hosting an Identifying and Supporting Carers at Work training session, specifically tailored for third sector leaders in Midlothian.


    Join us online on Tuesday 5 November, 11:00 to increase your awareness of working carers, and how you can best support employees juggling work and care. 

    During this session, managers will reflect on the hidden impacts of caring and learn how to identify and support unpaid carers within their organisations. 

    #ProtectUnpaidCarers Campaign

    The Scottish Government recently made the decision to not include unpaid carers as an eligible group for the COVID-19 vaccine in Scotland. We support VOCAL’s campaign to advocate against this decision and ensure the Scottish Government recognises the crucial role of unpaid carers. Read more about the campaign and learn how you can get involved here.

    Contact

    For further information on the training and support VOCAL can provide, please contact employers@vocal.org.uk.

    See all of the support & services VOCAL provides on their website: www.vocal.org.uk

    Interested in more free training & events?

    Keep an eye on our websiteTwitterFacebook, and LinkedIn pages or sign-up to our third sector e-bulletin.

    Climate Action Funding: Top Tips and Insights from Our Workshop

    Community-led climate action and environmental projects are essential in tackling today’s environmental challenges, but accessing the right funding is often a barrier. That’s why we teamed up with our colleagues at the Midlothian Climate Action Network (MCAN) to host a workshop all about funding.

    Watch the full session now:



    Re-cap

    What makes a good funding application?

    We reviewed some top tips to ensure your funding application is as good as it can be, including making sure that you write for an “intelligent outsider” and avoid acronyms and jargon.  

    Common mistakes to avoid

    There can be a wide variety of reasons why funding applications are rejected, but in MVA’s experience there are a few comments that crop up over and over again. These include not clearly linking the activities proposed with the impact expected, not answering questions asked in the application and not providing proof for statements such as “we have a long history…”.  

    Key climate-action & environmental funding providers

    If you click through to the presentation here: MCAN Funding Event Presentation FINAL.pdf you will find a list of funders that provide funds for climate and environmental projects within Midlothian. For SCVO members, you can access their Funding – SCVO page that allows you to search for funding opportunities specific to the project you are planning.  

    Visit our Funding page to find out more about third sector funding in Midlothian. 

    Contact Us

    We’re here to help! You can email us with any questions or to set up a one-to-one meeting, at info@mvacvs.org.uk.

    Community Benefits in Action – Wishes Delivered

    Community benefits are special contract conditions, additional to the main purpose of a public contract, whereby suppliers or developers must make contributions to improve the economic, social or environmental well-being of the local area.

    Here are a few examples of benefits which have been delivered recently in Midlothian:

    FES Energy Shawfair Energy Centre and District Heating Network project donated £1,000 to Newton Church Hall to kickstart their fundraising for a new automated door to make it more accessible for the many groups that utilise the hall. They also provided gardening equipment for their after-school club to plant a vegetable garden.

    Millerhall Residents Group also received a donation of £1,000 from FES towards a new gate for their play area and some bat boxes for bats whose habitat may have been lost in the new housing development.

    The Base, a new youth club in The Hub Danderhall, received a donation of £500 towards their rental costs from Clark Contracts, who are undertaking work at the Western General Hospital.

    Roslin Guerrilla Gardeners were delighted to work with 2 volunteers from Clark Contracts who spent a day clearing weeds at Roslin Medical Practice.

    Midlothian Voluntary Action placed a bid on the NHS portal for 8 new office chairs which was fulfilled by Langstane Press Ltd.

    We offer free community benefits training to organisations & community groups in Midlothian! We’ll take you through how to apply, offer 1-1 support, and answer any questions you may have.


    MVA staff happy with their new office chairs!

    Overdose Prevention: Key Lessons from Our Naloxone Training Session

    Last week, MVA held a Naloxone training and harm reduction session for third sector staff and volunteers in Midlothian. The session was delivered by Ross Ballantine, Clinical Support Worker with the Midlothian Substance Use Service, and David Boyd, Harm Reduction Worker from MELD and the Scottish Drugs Forum.

    National Context

    Scottish mortality rates to drug misuse and related deaths are the highest in Europe. The annual National Records of Scotland report provides insightful statistics of the ongoing drug crisis:

    • In 2023, 1,172 people in Scotland died due to drug-related causes—a 12% increase from the previous year.
    • Opiates and opioids were implicated in 80% of all drug-related deaths.
    • People living in the most deprived areas of Scotland are more than 15 times as likely to die from drug misuse compared to those in the least deprived areas.
    • Drug-related deaths have been steadily rising since 1996, with a much steeper increase since 2013.

    This stark reality reinforces the need to raise awareness of harm reduction approaches.

    Harm Reduction & Lived Experience

    During the session David spoke of his own lived experience, sharing his journey through different support services, the mindset change that led to him to recovery, and the harm reduction work he does now. David’s message echoed a quote from Johann Hari,

    “The opposite of addiction is connection.” – Johann Hari

    His story serves as a powerful reminder of the role community, support, and understanding play in recovery.

    Hearing David’s real-life experiences emphasises the importance of involving those with lived experience in service delivery. It underlines the significant impact that partnerships between mental health professionals, wellbeing staff, and individuals with lived experience can have in delivering more comprehensive support.

    Following the discussion on harm reduction, participants were trained on how to recognise an overdose and administer naloxone.

    Two injectable naloxone kits, one is open and shows inside a sealed Prenoxad injection and needle. In the background is a small box of 'nyxoid' - the nasal spray solution.

    What is Naloxone?

    Naloxone is a life-saving medicine that can temporarily reverse the effects of opioids in the event of an overdose. It works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain, restoring normal breathing for someone who has stopped or is struggling to breathe due to an overdose. Administration of naloxone provides crucial time for emergency services to arrive and for further treatment to be given. In the UK it is legal for anyone to administer naloxone to anyone for the purpose of saving a life.

    Always call 999 if you think someone is having an overdose. Administering naloxone is not a substitute for calling an ambulance.

    How is Naloxone Administered?

    In Scotland, naloxone kits can come in two forms:

    • Nasal Spray (Nyxoid): A quick and easy method that involves spraying Naloxone into one of the person’s nostrils.
    • Injectable (Prenoxad): A pre-filled syringe that can be injected into the muscle, typically in the thigh, buttock, or upper arm.

    Scotland’s National Naloxone Programme

    Scotland was the first country in the world to introduce a national naloxone programme. The Scottish Government established the programme in 2010, aiming to reduce opioid-related deaths. Through this initiative, take-home naloxone kits are made widely available to those at risk of overdose, as well as to people who are likely to witness an overdose, such as family members, friends, or workers in the community. The availability of take-home naloxone has become even more crucial as Scotland faces a rise in synthetic drugs and polydrug use, both of which are contributing to the country’s alarming overdose statistics.

    Takeaways from the Session

    While the session offered practical naloxone training, the broader conversation touched on the challenges faced by third-sector and public services in supporting people with addiction. Cuts in funding resulting in low staff retention and reductions in services, make it difficult to provide consistent, trauma-informed care. Addressing these systemic issues is critical to improving outcomes for service users.

    A recent report by the Scottish Drugs Forum gives insights into the experience of people in Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), identifying the need to improve treatment. You can read the report here.

    Special Thanks

    We are incredibly grateful to Ross Ballantine for organizing the training and supplying take-home Naloxone kits, and to David Boyd for sharing his lived experience—his openness brought an important perspective to the session. Ross & David are happy to arrange similar training for organisations & volunteers in Midlothian. Please contact MVA for more details.

    Getting the Message Out

    As we continue to push forward with harm reduction efforts, it’s vital to raise awareness of harm reduction strategies like the provision of naloxone. Campaigns like #StopTheDeaths and International Overdose Awareness Day aim to amplify this message, ensuring more people understand how they can help prevent overdoses in their communities. You can find out more in the resources linked below.

    We can all do something to help prevent drug related deaths.


    Relevant Resources


    Authored by Ellis Paterson.

    £247k Fund Launching for Midlothian Community Groups

    October 24 2024 Update:

    CLOSED: Year 4 of the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund for Adults is now closed for applications. Thank you to everyone who applied, we recognise the time and effort that goes into each applicaton.

    Decisions for small and larger grants will be made via a panel w/c Monday 28 October, using pre-determined marking criteria and scoring. Decisions about micro grants will be made in November and will be referred by the TSI to a local panel made up of people with lived experience. We aim to inform applicants within a week of the panel meetings, with the goal to transfer the funds before the Festive season.

    We are excited to announce that Year 4 of the Midlothian Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults launches on Monday 9 September 2024. We will distribute a total of £247,983.21 to local third sector organisations and community groups by the end of March 2025.

    Fund Purpose and Objectives

    This fund, highly valued and eagerly anticipated, aims to support people’s mental health and wellbeing while offering opportunities for community connections. It focuses on funding activities that address mental health challenges early or prevent the deterioration of wellbeing. Midlothian Third Sector Interface has been appointed by the Scottish Government to distribute the funding locally. The fund emphasizes prevention, early intervention, and supporting grassroots community groups in tackling mental health inequalities. Organisations are encouraged to work together, and the fund’s processes are designed to be easy to understand and accessible. We seek to fund group projects that promote good mental health, foster meaningful and supportive connections within communities, and help individuals find a sense of purpose.

    History and Evolution of the Fund

    The fund was initially established to respond to the mental health effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. In Year 2, the fund expanded its scope to address the cost-of-living crisis. Year 3 continued to emphasize the importance of supporting mental health and wellbeing through tough times, particularly for those living in poverty or experiencing work-related distress.

    Year 4 Focus and Objectives

    In year 4, the grant will continue to support community-based initiatives that promote and develop good mental health and wellbeing. It also aims to mitigate and protect against the impact of distress, anxieties, diagnosed mental ill health, and neurodiversity within the adult population. The fund is particularly focused on addressing social isolation and loneliness, as well as preventing suicides.

    Grant Streams in Year 4

    Year 4 will continue the existing distribution model, dividing the fund across three separate grant streams:

    • Microgrants: Up to £2,000 (min £500)
    • Small Grants: Up to £10,000
    • Larger Grants: Up to £30,000

    To complement these grant streams, up to £5,000 per organisation will also be available for capital spending. Both new projects and existing ones that demonstrate impact and progress are encouraged to apply.

    Oversight and Community Involvement

    The model used in Midlothian has been replicated across Scotland over the last three years. Every Third Sector Interface (TSI) and voluntary group in the country has been involved in raising awareness of mental health and wellbeing through community-based activities.

    In Midlothian, the fund is overseen by a team of staff and volunteers from the TSI, Midlothian Council, Health in Mind, NHS Lothian, and Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership. Like the previous years, the year 4 funding—informally called “the Sunflower Fund”—emphasizes collaboration, partnerships, capacity building, and the development of creative projects that operate at a grassroots level.

    In year 4, people with lived experience are again involved in the fund’s administration and decision-making processes. The Detailed Fund Guideline outlines various aspects of the fund, continuing the year 3 theme of building on existing collaborations while empowering new ones.

    A Message from Our Chief Officer

    “We are delighted to have been given this money again to support local organisations in such difficult times of austerity and scarce funding streams. We strongly believe in community strength and spirit to support each other, learn from each other, and connect. Throughout the years, we have seen evidence of good partnership working, and we will encourage this yet again this year to leave a lasting impact and pave the paths for future collaborations.
    We know that Midlothian’s communities are committed to supporting good mental health and wellbeing, whether this is through specialist trauma-informed practices, walking and talking, or simply a cup of tea and a blether. I believe the Fund will enable more people to make social connections and access opportunities that promote good mental health, prevent worsening of wellbeing, and empower people to overcome mental health challenges.”

    Dr Lesley Kelly

    Chief Officer, Midlothian Third Sector Interface

    Pond Rescue! Volunteers Renew the Community Garden

    Our community garden at Dalkeith Country Park had a very welcome visit from the Scottish Government’s Infrastructure Division. The team arrived as part of a corporate volunteering day, just in time to help us repair our leaky pond!

    They worked together to empty the pond and reline it, even rescuing three frogs and some tadpoles along the way.

    On top of restoring the pond, the volunteers took on the task of painting our boundary fence. Despite the hot weather, they worked tirelessly and made a huge difference in a single day.


    We are incredibly grateful to the team for their time and effort. Without their support we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish such a big job so efficiently!

    Thank you for helping us create a beautiful space for both our community and local wildlife.


    Click here to learn more about our Transform project and community garden.

    Ready, Teddy, Go! Success for Young Volunteers’ Event

    After two weeks of planning and learning about event management, young people from across Midlothian came together to host a Teddy Bears Picnic for local children and their families. The event took place on Friday 2 August 2024 in Dalkeith Country Park Community Garden, and was facilitated by Volunteer Midlothian. We had 80 parents/ carers and children in attendance. The volunteers designed a famous bears treasure hunt and there was a pop up café serving refreshments and snacks. Children had the opportunity to meet the bear and guess his name, the children were so excited they could bearly contain themselves!

    Young volunteers welcoming guests to the ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic’ event.

    Carey Douglas, Youth Coordinator at Volunteer Midlothian said:

    “The young people were full of enthusiasm and energy from the get go.  They became a team very quickly and worked hard to plan and host the event which was a roaring success, I am very proud of them all for their commitment and hard work.”

    When asked about the volunteering experience, one volunteer said:

    “I enjoyed organising the event and deciding what to include.  I enjoyed working as a team and meeting new people.  I enjoyed welcoming the children on the day and seeing all the smiley faces.  Its been great everyone has been very supportive.”

    A member of the public who came along to the event said:

    “This is the third event I have been to in the garden it is such a safe space there is always someone on the gate so you can let the kids enjoy their treasure hunt, I had a cuppa.  It is such a great event well done to the young volunteers for organising it.  I will be back again next year!”

    A young guest at the event said:

    “It was Pawsome!”

    The event was the culmination of two weeks of hard work from the young volunteers, who met weekly to plan the event as part of Volunteer Midlothian’s Summer Youth Programme, ‘Event Volunteers’.  The young volunteers took part in team working activities, they learned about poster design principals, marketing, customer service, planning and communication.  With the latter in mind young people also helped at our conversation café funded by UK Shared Prosperity fund.  The café is dedicated to helping learners in Midlothian enhance their English speaking abilities. 

    The young volunteers will all now receive Saltire Awards as recognition for organising and hosting this unbearably special event!

    Thank you to everyone who came along and supported our volunteers! Learn more about our Transform project for young people here.

    Article by Carey Douglas, Volunteer Midlothian.

    Third Sector Funding: Have Your Say

    MVA are hosting an online session on Tuesday 13 August, 14:00-15:00 to discuss the Social Justice and Social Security Committee’s third sector funding principles consultation.

    This is our opportunity to tell the Scottish Government how they can improve their funding to make it fair, flexible, sustainable, and accessible to ensure that third sector organisations can keep providing the services and projects that are crucial to communities across Scotland.


    In this session, we’ll dive into key questions and gather feedback to create a combined response to the consultation. We also encourage everyone to submit their own response before the deadline on August 16.

    What is the Aim of the Consultation?

    The Social Justice and Social Security Committee seeks to address the significant challenges faced by the third sector, including recovery from the pandemic, the cost of living crisis, years of underfunding, and poor funding practices. The Committee want to hear from both funded and funding organisations, to understand what can be done now to make the public funding process more efficient and sustainable. By submitting our views on the Scottish Government’s approach to funding, we can help champion the need for Fair Funding.

    When Does It Close?

    The consultation closes on Friday 16 August. Make sure to share your feedback before the deadline to ensure your voice is heard.

    What Do We Mean by Fair Funding?

    Fair Funding, as defined by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), is a funding landscape that is fair, flexible, sustainable, and accessible. This includes longer-term funding models, accessible and consistent processes, and more unrestricted funding with in-built uplifts.

    SCVO has divided their Fair Funding calls into four distinct definitions – multi-year funding, sustainable funding, flexible funding, and accessible funding. Read more on their website.

    Consultation Background

    For almost a decade, the Scottish Government has acknowledged the need for multi-year funding. In April 2023, the policy prospectus ‘New leadership – A fresh start’ committed to achieving fairer funding by 2026. Despite this, little progress has been made, highlighting the need for this consultation.

    What Are the Questions?

    The consultation includes specific questions for third sector organisations, covering five key topics. These will be discussed in our online session:

    Longer-Term Funding Impact:

    • How would a shift to longer-term funding of three years or more support your organisation?
    • What specific challenges do you foresee in transitioning to such a funding model?
    • If relevant, please provide any specific examples of how your organisation has been affected by a lack of longer-term funding certainty.

    Flexibility and Core Funding Needs:

    • In what ways would flexible, unrestricted core funding enhance your organisation’s operational effectiveness and governance?
    • What specific challenges do you foresee in transitioning to such a funding model?
    • If relevant, please provide any specific examples of how your operational effectiveness and governance have been affected by a lack of flexibility in your core funding.

    Sustainable Funding and Inflation Adjustments:

    • How critical are inflation-based uplifts and full cost covering, including core operating costs, to the sustainability of your organisation?
    • What impacts have you observed or anticipate without these adjustments in your funding?
    • If relevant, please provide any specific examples of how your organisation’s sustainability has been affected by a lack of inflation uplifts and/or full cost covering.

    Real Living Wage Commitments:

    • What challenges does your organisation face in ensuring all staff are paid at least the Real Living Wage?
    • How would improved funding arrangements support your organisation to meet this commitment?

    Efficiency in Funding Processes:

    • What improvements in the application, reporting, and payment processes could make the funding system more efficient for your organisation?

    More Information

    Read more about the consultation here.

    Read SCVO’s blog here.

    Register for our online session here.

    Let’s make fair funding a reality for Scotland’s #EssentialSector

    Scottish Charities Invited to Shape Future Regulations

    The Scottish Government is running a consultation to understand whether a review of charity regulation is needed, and what the Third Sector would like this review to focus on.

    Midlothian Voluntary Action will be submitting a response to this consultation and would like to have your feedback to ensure our presence is reflective of the opinion of the Third Sector within Midlothian.

    Please email info@mvacvs.org.uk with your comments before Thursday 18th July. 

    We are also encouraging organisations and individuals to respond on their own behalf, the link can be found here:

    What’s the goal?

    The purpose of the consultation is to understand whether a review of charity regulation is needed and, if so, what the purpose and parameters of it should be. Specifically, the consultation focuses on: 

    • understanding whether the sector still want a more general review of charity regulation 
    • identifying what areas of charity regulation the sector want to be reviewed, and why 
    • identifying any areas for review that might fall within a technical workstream 
    • establishing the purpose and parameters of a review to allow for next steps to be determined. 

    The consultation is split into two strands.  

    1. Should there be a review of charity regulation?

    The first strand is focused on whether there should be a review of charity regulation and asks what the focus of any review should be. Two options are offered, as well as space for organisations/individuals should suggest others: 

    • To assess the effectiveness of current charity regulation in meeting the future needs of the sector .
    • To review the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 – exploring if the Act is doing what it set out to do and if any changes are required.

    The consultation then references specific parts of charity regulations that have previously been suggested for review, and asks if you believe any of these should be prioritised at this stage:  

    Charitable purposes 

    There are 16 charitable purposes set out in section 7(2) of the 2005 Act. Each charity must have at least one of these purposes in their written constitution. The purpose(s) make clear what the charity has been set up to achieve, its broad aims.

    Public benefit 

    Public benefit is the way a charity makes a positive difference to the public (either in general or to a specific section) through the activities it carries out when advancing its charitable purposes. This is set out in Section 8 of the 2005 Act

    Charity trustee duties

    All charity trustees have legal duties and responsibilities under charity law. A duty is something that you must do, and all the duties must be met. The duties are set out in Section 66 of the 2005 Act. 

    2. What technical areas are being reviewed?

    The second strand focuses on Technical Areas that have also been identified for review, and the consultation asks for your opinion on these:  

    Charity reorganisations for statutory charities 

    Reorganisation allows often older charities to make changes to become more effective in a number of ways. For the small number of charities established under Royal charter or an Act of Parliament or Act of the Scottish Parliament, the process of reorganisation can be complex. 

    Incorporation to a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) 

    Incorporation means that the charity as a legal entity can enter into contracts in its own right and the charity trustees do not have the same liability if something goes wrong. In recent years incorporation is often a requirement for funding, including SG funding. This area can be problematic, particularly for smaller charities.  

    The OSCR processes for establishing new SCIOs, registering other incorporated bodies as charities, or winding up the old charities are not necessarily the issue here. It is often the transfer of all assets and liabilities from the old charity to the new charity which can be time consuming and expensive. Some charities who would benefit from the SCIO form withdraw from the process due to these complexities.  

    Review of audit thresholds 

    We have become aware that charities are finding it increasingly difficult to appoint an auditor. At the moment the evidence is anecdotal. However, we believe that over time there is a risk that charities requiring an audit will struggle to appoint an auditor, meaning that they would be unable to file annual accounts with OSCR to comply with the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (the 2006 Regulations) and the 2005 Act. 

    The audit income threshold for charities in Scotland and Northern Ireland is currently £500k, in England and Wales the threshold is higher, currently £1m. Some stakeholders have publicly called for the threshold to be raised to £1m. The Scottish Charity Sector in broad terms has a lower income than England and Wales, with only around 1,500 Scottish charities currently subject to the audit thresholds.  

    Raising the threshold would have a knock-on effect of creating more demand for independent examinations (required where an audit is not), where there is already a shortage of independent examiners. So, a change of threshold would not in itself reduce the demand on professional accountancy firms and individuals.   

    The audit thresholds are set out in the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Any change to the threshold would need to be made by amendment regulations, as opposed to it being a matter of discretion for OSCR. We understand from OSCR that data on the Scottish Charity Register indicates that an increase in the audit threshold to £1 million would bring around 500 charities out of the current audit requirements and place them under independent examination requirements. 

    Please email info@mvacvs.org.uk with your comments before Thursday 18th July. 

    Panda-monium at the Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2024!

    On Thursday 6 June, volunteers across Midlothian arrived at Newbattle Abbey College for our annual Midlothian Volunteer Awards. The night was a blast and we want to thank everyone who attended. It is a joy to celebrate the hardworking volunteers in Midlothian each year. We hope you all had as much fun as we did!

    Photographs

    Thank you to our wonderful photographer, Kris Soul Photography, for capturing the evening.

    Click the button below to see photos from the awards ceremony:

    Programme

    You can see the winners and nominations from the night in our awards programme:

    Mascot Campaign

    In 2024, our mascot campaign is a little different. Each year we usually have a student placement who works with us to organise a competition and campaign with a brand new mascot. This year, we didn’t have a student placement but we couldn’t bear to have Volunteers’ Week without a mascot! We brought back mascots from previous years; Bramble the Bear, Pretzel the Panda, and Ringo the Rhino to keep the tradition going. Take a look at our campaign video down below.

    We hope these mascots will find someone to look after them next year!

    If you attended the ceremony, we’d love to gather your feedback, please fill in this short 3 question survey. Your feedback helps us continually improve for future events.

    A BIG thank you to our generous sponsors:

    EDF Energy

    Esk Valley Rotary Club

    Scottish Fire & Rescue Service

    Scottish Qualifications Authority

    Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership

    Midlothian Council

    Well Done You Ltd

    and of course, Newbattle Abbey College.

    We can’t wait to see you all again for next year’s ceremony!

    Free Unrestricted Funding With Easyfundraising

    MVA hosted an online event today with Becky Coleman at easyfundraising.org.uk.

    Don’t worry if you missed the session, you can view the recording below:

    You can download the slides from this session here.

    How does easyfundraising work?

    Brands see that easyfundraising has sent you to them, so they pay easyfundraising a commission when you start your shop from the easyfundraising website or app. If you make a purchase, a commission is generated, and they turn that into a donation.

    Becky explained that there are over 8,000 retailers who will donate to your charitable organisation every time one of your supporters makes an online purchase through easyfundraising.

    How do I sign up?

    It is straightforward and free for organisations to register. Easyfundraising will undertake the due diligence and then set up an easyfundraising page on your behalf. They will even provide you with promotional materials and graphics to encourage your supporters to sign up with easyfundraising.

    Your supporters can then go onto the easyfundraising page, select the retailer they wish to use, and shop as normal. The donation will be made at no cost to you or them. Supporters can also download the easyfundraising app or browser extension, which will remind them to use easyfundraising when making a purchase.

    You will receive a quarterly donation from easyfundraising which is stress-free unrestricted funding. No reporting is required.

    Participating retailers include Amazon, John Lewis, Tesco, and Argos. Your supporters can also raise funds when they book holidays, buy insurance, electricity, and office supplies!

    There’s really no downside. You can register now at easyfundraising.org.uk/midlothian

    Don’t want to miss any more MVA training sessions?

    Keep an eye on our website, or our TwitterFacebook, and LinkedIn pages.

    Scottish Government proposes charges for volunteers’ PVGs. 

    What’s Happening? 

    Disclosure Scotland has opened a proposal to introduce fees for volunteering. They plan to remove the current fee waiver and apply a  fee of £28 for volunteers to join the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme membership (this is a 60% reduction on the proposed standard fee of £70). If implemented, this will have a huge impact on volunteers and volunteer involving organisations. 

    Disclosure Scotland are also making changes to the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020. As part of this, the PVG membership scheme will become a legal requirement for those in ‘Regulated Roles’, this could mean that even more people will need to be signed up to the PVG scheme, thus more people will be affected by the fee proposal. 

    Our Stance 

    • We believe volunteering should be free for everyone. Volunteers give their time and effort to help others and asking them to pay to do so is insulting.  
    • At a time when we are in a volunteer crisis and volunteer numbers are steadily falling, this only puts up more barriers to volunteering. Many organisations rely on volunteers to do important work, and adding fees will make it harder for them to recruit volunteers. 
    • The implementation of this fee goes against core values and meaning of volunteering. The Volunteer Charter from Volunteer Scotland mentions, “No one should be prevented from volunteering due to their income.”. 

    What You Can Do 

    Now is your chance to speak up. We are conducting our own survey to examine the impact  implementing fees for PVGs could have on volunteers and volunteer involving organisations: 

    ALSO, we strongly encourage you to submit your views to the VSDS online consultation. They will use this feedback to decide whether to go forward with these fee structures. Your responses are crucial. 

    Submit your views now before the consultation closes on Tuesday 28 May. 

    You do not need to answer every question, however we urge you to answer the ‘discount for volunteers’ section. The two questions are as follows: 

    Question 6 – Do you agree with the proposal to move to a fee discount structure for volunteers in QVOs? 

    [Yes / no / don’t know] 

    Question 7 – What information do you think we need to consider when proposing moving to a fee discount for volunteers in QVOs? 

    [Free text] 

    We think Question 6 is ambiguous and could be interpreted in different ways. We recommend you do not to answer this question, and instead write your full response under Question 7

    Spread the Word 

    Share this information with your colleagues, friends, and anyone else who might be interested. Together, we can make sure volunteering stays accessible for everyone. 

    To learn more about changes to the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020, visit www.disclosure.gov.scot/changes

    National Lottery Funding – Briefing Blog

    MVA recently held a National Lottery Funding Briefing to provide third sector organisations with an update on some changes the National Lottery are making to their funding streams.

    Community Led, Improving Lives, and Cost of Living Support Scotland will close on the 21st August 2024. Applications will still be accepted until that date and assessed as usual. For further details you can contact your NL Funding Officer.

    New streams of funding will come online at the end of the year, but no date has been confirmed yet. They will likely fall around these four priority areas.

    Supporting communities to:

    • Come together
    • Be environmentally sustainable
    • Help children and young people access resources and experiences that help them thrive
    • Enable people to live healthier lives

    National Lottery Awards for All, Young Start and Scottish Land Fund will remain open to applications with no closing dates.

    Please do contact MVA if you would like support in applying to any of these funds before they close. The Development Team would be more than happy to review applications or provide advice about other potential sources of funding. See more about the support we can provide here.

    Contact us at info@mvacvs.org.uk or call our office, Monday – Thursday, on 0131 663 9471.

    Slides from this briefing can be viewed here:


    ALISS (A Local Information System for Scotland) Training Recording & Recap

    We recently held training alongside Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland & Midlothian Council to help organisations in Midlothian learn more about ALISS (A Local Information System for Scotland) and how they can utilise it efficiently.

    These training sessions were popular, but don’t worry if you missed out! You can watch the recorded training session here:

    ALISS Training session presented by Cameron MacFarlane, ALISS Programme Engagement and Insights Manager at the Alliance.

    We’ve also written up a brief overview, if you need a refresher:

    What is ALISS?

    ALISS is a digital tool operated by Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (The Alliance) that allows groups and organisations to find or share information on local resources, services, groups, and support.

    Why should you use ALISS?

    ALISS allows you to share services, activities, and resources that help;

    • Enable social connection
    • Assist people to self-manage their long-term conditions
    • Support outdoor or physical activity
    • Access digital technology

    Outside websites and directories pull information from ALISS, these include:

    The information they use is automatically updated when it’s edited on ALISS.

    How do you use ALISS?

    There are different ways to use ALISS:

    • To search for information
    • To upload information
    • For community mapping
    • For signposting
    • For creating your own directory/ embedding on your website

    When searching for information, it’s helpful to utilise the search filters.

    How do I add to ALISS?

    There are three main ways to get information on ALISS:

    • Basic Account – Good for one-off events/ postings, information approved by ALISS
    • ALISS Editor – Good for posting in bulk, doesn’t need to be manually approved by ALISS
    • Claimed Organisation – Claim your own organisations information, take responsibility to ensure it is accurate and up to date. Edits don’t need approval from ALISS

    ALISS for Alexa

    ALISS can now be used on the Amazon Alexa app and voice devices. By using voice commands, like “Alexa, search My Scottish Community for walking groups.”, those with low digital literacy or who may have a physical condition or disability, can stay connected to their communities and access the support they need when they need it most.

    For more information, and how to set it up check out these articles:

    Connecting communities through voice activated technology – Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (alliance-scotland.org.uk)

    Amazon.co.uk: My Scottish Community: search ALISS for support : Alexa Skills

    Don’t want to miss any more MVA training sessions?

    Keep an eye on our website, or our Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages.

    Boogie & Arlene Want You… To Nominate For The Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2024!

    NOMINATIONS CLOSE NEXT WEEK for the 2024 Midlothian Volunteer Awards! 🎉

    The Midlothian Volunteer Awards take place each year, and are all about celebrating the amazing efforts of volunteers in Midlothian. This celebration is a part of Volunteers’ Week, where we appreciate people’s kindness across the whole of Scotland. It is a great opportunity to promote some of the fabulous volunteering projects that exist in Midlothian.

    Please ensure you read the FAQs here before you submit.

    A big thank you to Boogie & Arlene from Forth One for helping us get the message out!


    If you have any questions, email info@volunteermidlothian.org.uk