September 2025 News
SIDA UPDATES
Last call to register for our Annual Conference!
This is your last chance to reserve your space if you haven't got your ticket yet! Join us next week at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, or online, to hear from an incredible line-up of speakers and panellists on topics ranging from a systems-thinking approach to the polycrisis, to power shifting partnerships and alternative funding models. See our event page for the full agenda. Thanks to our headline sponsors, WaterAid UK, StoneX Payments and Kids Operating Room, and our associate sponsors Christian Aid Scotland and Comic Relief for making this event possible.
Reminder: important changes to legal requirements for charities
Following the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 intended to prevent people using companies for illegal purposes, identity verification with Companies House is becoming mandatory in autumn 2025. This requirement applies to company directors and people with significant control. If your charity is also registered as a company: read more and take the next steps here. This requirement does NOT apply to charities who are SCIOs and NOT registered companies.
From 30 June 2025, the Scottish Charity Register, OSCR has been collecting charity trustee information through OSCR Online. Providing this information will become a legal requirement for all charities under the Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023. Names of trustees will be published on the Scottish Charity Register from the end of 2025 to promote transparency and strengthen public trust in the sector. Find out more about the process and requirements here. For further guidance on a range of issues, see the SCVO website for useful templates, including for obtaining trustee details.
How does your organisation fare on gender equality?
We have extended the deadline to complete our gender equality scorecard to Friday 26 September. The scorecard will help you understand your organisation's gender equality practices, and the information will contribute to SIDA's report on Gender Equality in Scotland's International Development Sector, highlighting strengths, areas for growth, and practical steps we as a sector can take to strengthen gender equality, as well as informing our webinars, workshops and other learning resources. Complete your scorecard here.
FOCUS ON: CLIMATE ACTION
This week is Climate Week in Scotland. What are Scotland’s climate advocacy organisations calling for?
Climate Week celebrates progress - and shows us all how to go further
From families making small daily changes, and businesses transforming how they work, to community groups creating local solutions – climate action is happening in every part of our country. Climate Week is a chance to celebrate these efforts and invites everyone to get involved. Together, our actions add up to create meaningful change for Scotland's future. Read more on NetZeroNation.
Climate Action Mass Lobby | Stop Climate Chaos Scotland
Hundreds of people from across the country gathered in Edinburgh to talk climate with political leaders as part of Scotland's biggest ever mass lobby on climate action. Constituents came to meet MSPs face-to-face and discuss actions that should be taken to tackle climate change and build a fairer, safer future for all. The meetings come ahead of the publication of Scotland’s new Climate Change Plan, which will set out how the country will meet its target to reach net zero emissions by 2045, and just months before Scots head to the polls for the next Scottish Parliament election. Learn more about the event here.
MEMBER UPDATES
Afghanistan earthquake: SIDA members respond
A recent earthquake in Afghanistan brought devastation to Kunar Province. Glasgow Afghan United teamed up with The Linda Norgrove Foundation to provide lifeline humanitarian aid to families who have lost everything. GAU's team distributed supplies of food, tents and other essentials to 350 people across 50 families in remote villages where infrastructure is destroyed and support is hard to reach. Volunteers went to Mazar Village in Nurgul District with packs of emergency supplies and food, addressing both nutritional and practical needs.
Campaigns, Advocacy, Youth & Education Manager position | Christian Aid
Christian Aid are looking for a Campaigns, Advocacy, Youth & Education Manager to join their team. If you're passionate about working for justice and have high level experience working with church or grassroots campaigning organisations and experience with NGO networks and political parties in Scotland, this could be the role for you! Application deadline: 26 September 2025.
Placement-Based Dissertations | University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh School of Social & Political Science are looking for host partners for Placement-Based Dissertations projects due to take place in Summer 2026. For organisations, placement-based dissertations offer the opportunity to host a Masters student with specialised knowledge in the field who will contribute to a pre-arranged research project in line with organisational objectives. These projects provide opportunities for students to explore theoretical ideas in ‘real-world’ contexts and to gain transferable skills through applied, practical experience.
Gaia Education | 4D Regenerative Design Literacy
One of Gaia Education’s most in-demand offerings, with previous editions selling out completely: study directly with Daniel C. Wahl, one of the world’s leading voices in regenerative design through six live, interactive sessions designed to explore the synergy of ecological, social, economic, and worldview dimensions.
Become a trustee | The Chesney Trust
The Chesney Trust has been working since 2007 with Malawi partners to improve educational opportunities for girls by the construction and running of a secondary boarding school in Engcongolweni. The organisation is seeking additional trustees for its board, with administrative, financial or fundraising experience an advantage. To find out more, please contact John Dymond.
Call for applications: future leaders humanitarian diplomacy forum
The British Red Cross is inviting applications from early-career policy professionals aged 32 and under to participate in the upcoming Future Leaders: Humanitarian Diplomacy Forum, taking place on 26th-27th November 2025 in central London. This flagship Forum will convene 40–50 postgraduate students and early-career professionals for an immersive two-day programme of crisis simulations, expert masterclasses, and strategic discussions with senior figures from government, international organisations, and the humanitarian sector. Apply by 5th October 2025.
SIDA members, this is your space! If you would like to feature in upcoming newsletters, please get in touch with us anytime at admin@intdevalliance.scot.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Scottish Peace Platform Launch Webinar
The newly established Scottish Peace Platform are hosting a launch webinar to provide interested parties with an overview of the Platform’s inception period, a tour of the new digital platform, and an explanation of membership categories and governance structure ahead of the first SPP annual general meeting (AGM.) There will be a chance to ask questions.
When and where?
- Thursday 25 September, 11-12:30pm
- Online
Liquid Identities Festival – Celebrating Scotland-Based ESEA Talents
Liquid Identities is a first-of-its-kind festival in Scotland celebrating the fluid, evolving nature of East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) identities. Coinciding with UK ESEA Heritage Month, this festival highlights the richness, diversity, and creativity of Scotland-based ESEA artists across all disciplines. The festival includes art exhibitions, live performances, film screenings, keynote talks, book panel discussions, and a DJ afterparty cultural dress parade.
SIDA Annual Conference 2025
In the present context of aid budget cuts, growing conflicts, and climate shocks, join us to explore how alternative funding models, innovation, effective power shifting and partnership working can support progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Register to reserve your space (online or in person!) and keep an eye on the event page for programme announcements!
When and where?
- Tuesday 30th September
- Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh
Training: using international aid and development data
Need to know more about aid and development projects and their impact? Interested in who is spending what, where, how and why? Whether you have questions on big picture global trends in health spending, nutrition programmes in your country, your government’s support for gender equality, or the detail of who funded the new local school, this free training session will show you where and how to find the answers. The training is delivered by the Publish What You Fund team, who have extensive experience of using this data for research, advocacy and campaigning work.
Show the impact of your work to donors – helpful MEL concepts
Join us and Sue Coe, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) specialist and facilitator for this session where you will learn more about core MEL concepts, approaches to help your organisation be more “impact-centred” and explore a “donor-friendly” mindset in communicating the impact of what you do. Please note this event is for SIDA members only.
When and where?
- Tuesday 21st October, 10-11.30am
- Online
Scotland Malawi Partnership Annual Gathering and AGM
The Scotland Malawi Partnership (SMP) Annual Gathering and AGM is a day for SMP members and guests to reflect on two decades of grassroots collaboration. From education and health to climate action and cultural exchange, we’ll explore how personal relationships have driven meaningful change far beyond formal agreements. Attendees will have the chance to share stories of unexpected outcomes, enduring friendships, and community-led initiatives that have shaped lives and landscapes.
Leaders Knowledge Exchange Forum launch event
Join us in person for the launch of our new Leaders Knowledge Exchange Forum! For SIDA members only, those in senior leadership positions are invited to come together to discuss and share about topics vital to their leadership role. This will be the first of what we hope will be many meet ups; an opportunity for members build a sense of community, offer and receive peer support and exchange knowledge. Expect community speakers, discussion and peer to peer networking. Agenda updates coming soon. Please email Kelly at kelly@intdevalliance.scot to secure your place.
SIDA members, this is your space! If you would like to feature in upcoming newsletters, please get in touch with us anytime at admin@intdevalliance.scot.
FUNDING UPDATE OF THE MONTH
H&M Foundation Global Change Award
The Global Change Award is a global innovation challenge to accelerate the transition to a circular and planet-positive fashion industry. GCA is looking for changemakers who fall into one of four overarching areas: Sustainable materials and processes; Responsible production; Mindful consumption and Wildcards – unexpected impactful ideas we haven’t even thought of yet, or that amplify
transformation within multiple areas.
Each winner receives a €200,000 grant. 10 winners are expected . Apply by 6th October.
OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES
‘The needs are huge’: Pakistan reels from floods as millions left homeless
SIDA service Directory
Registered Scottish Charity No. SC035314
Company No. SC307352
CBC House, 24 Canning Street, EH3 8EG