Dear ,

In January, SENScot submitted a response on behalf of SEN members to Scottish Govt’s consultation on becoming a Fair Work Nation. Following up on this and to help organisations get a better understanding of how Fair Work will operate in practice, SENScot is hosting an event, in partnership with SCVO, on Wednesday, 23rd February (10.30am). With over 70 organisations having signed up to date, the session itself is being designed to learn about and share Fair Work practices that social enterprises and the wider third sector have implemented within their own organisations.  Speakers will talk through the Fair Work practices they have embraced. Scottish Govt will also provide an update on the Fair Work Nation consultation, and the upcoming refresh of the Fair Work Action Plan It will also be an opportunity to explore again some of the key messages that emerged from our response  If you’d like to sign up for the session on 23^rd February, see link above.

The 2019 SE Census identified that 65% of social enterprises in Scotland were led by women – often being cited as one of the most positive aspects of the sector. Those close to the sector, however, have always been aware that this figure can be misleading - reflecting more on the thousands of small, locally-based social enterprises operating on the frontline (55% with turnovers of less than £100k) - as opposed to our large, national social enterprises or delivery organisations. This view has been re-enforced by recent research by the David Hume Institute that reflects that charity leaders (over 70% of SEs are charities) in Scotland are “not representative of the communities they serve”.

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Readers of this newsletter will be aware that Scottish Govt is supporting a number of local authorities in adopting a Community Wealth Building (CWB) approach to local economic development. For those interested in learning more about how this is progressing in Scotland as well as getting an international perspective from examples in the USA – including Cleveland and Chicago amongst others – a CWB Open Session is being hosted by EDAS, Scottish Govt and COSLA, next Tuesday, 15^th February, between 3pm – 4.30pm. See link to register – it’s free.

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Over the years, the old Senscot Bulletin highlighted the importance the Italian city of Bologna places on the role of its social economy – and local co-operatives in particular. This week’s Scottish Community Alliance Briefing cites further examples of innovation in the approach being taken in the city where the usual dynamic is being turned on its head – and where local communities initiate and submit proposals – which Council leaders then enable and support. So far, 90 different ‘collaborations’ have been entered into – falling into three main categories: living together (collaborative services); growing together (co-ventures); and working together (co-production).

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The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on our poorer communities and third sector organisations who seek to support them, has been highlighted in the national media over the past week. Glasgow CVS featured in this BBC piece, stating that many charities are ‘running on empty’ and will be struggling to meet the increasing demand for their services. In Edinburgh, social enterprise, The Leith Collective is promoting its ‘Coat Exchange’ to help tackle poverty amid fears lives could be lost with the country facing its highest hike in fuel bills yet.

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The Scottish Third Sector Tracker was launched last year and is run by DJS Research on behalf of SCVO, Scottish Govt, the William Grant Foundation and the National Lottery Community Fund. Its intention is to build a research community across the Scottish third sector to share experiences, views and concerns as the sector emerges from the pandemic. The Tracker is already providing valuable data which is of use to the sector as well as the Scottish Govt, Funders and OSCR. See link above to find out more and to sign up your own organisation as a member of this growing community.

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The first meeting of the newly re-formed Aberdeenshire SEN took place this week (Tuesday, 8th). The Aberdeenshire SEN is being co-ordinated by Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action, with support from SENScot. This first meeting attracted a strong turn out from a wide range of individuals and organisations - all at different stages of developing and growing their enterprise and activities – but with the common theme and purpose of putting social enterprise clearly on the map in the North East of Scotland. We’ll keep you updated on Aberdeenshire SEN’s progress. If you are located in the area and interested in finding out more, please contact aileeen.longino@avashire.org.uk or janice@senscot.net.

Next Thursday, 17^th February, sees the launch of the new Glasgow Arts Partnership (GAP). GAP is a consortium of artists, freelancers, creative practitioners and small organisations which has been established to address the barriers between grassroots practitioners and larger funded projects or opportunities. The launch will highlight the benefits of joining the consortium – as well as hearing from industry speakers such as Marie Christie (Visit Scotland), Helena Ward (Creative Scotland) and Morvern Cunningham (Culture Collective). For more information about GAP, see link above – or you can sign up here:

Community Enterprise has been supporting social enterprises, community groups and other third sector organisations for over 30 years - working with hundreds, if not thousands, of organisations across the length and breadth of Scotland. They are now looking to commission an external review of their impact over the years. Closing date for tender submissions is Tuesday, 22^nd February 2022 – with final report to be completed by mid-June 2022. See Invitation to Tender document:

Reminder: Scottish Govt’s Analytical Exchange Programme is now in its 10^th year. The programme invites bids from third sector organisations for short, sharp projects (anything from an afternoon up to 10 person days) where statistical or analytical skills could make a difference to your organisation. The work would include individuals or small groups of analysts acting as analytical consultants to solve problems in your organisation and would be delivered free of charge. If interested, Application Forms have to be submitted by email to chiefstatistician@gov.scot by Friday 4^th March 2022:

February edition of the SE & Sport Newsletter is now available. As well as news and information for and from members, the newsletter also includes information on Community Learning Exchanges and the participation of Sport SEN members in the 2022  Community Wellbeing Exchange (formerly Pockets and Prospects):

Edinburgh Food Social  is a social enterprise that has been providing hands-on cookery classes, workshops, school projects and community meals to young people in the city since 2015. They are currently looking to recruit new Board Members. As well as sharing a passion for improving the food landscape in Scotland, candidate, ideally, should have a good understanding of social enterprise, small charitable organisations and education in Scotland.  See link for further details. Closing date for applications is 20^th February 2022:

With various SEN meetings scheduled over the coming weeks, we’ll be listing core details – dates, times, guest speakers etc – to keep people up to date with what’s on and when

Monday,21^st February – Thursday 24^th February 2022 – Forth Valley Third Sector Conference. Running over four days, this event is a collaboration between Stirlingshire Voluntary Enterprise (SVE), CVS Falkirk and Clackmannanshire TSI (CTSI). The theme is ‘Sustainable Places’ and sessions and workshops will deliver varied perspectives, ideas and discussion on the aspects of sustainability that matter to the Third Sector. These include environmental sustainability, sustaining and improving your volunteer programme, sustainable and inclusive community planning, financial sustainability, and more. See Registration Form:

Tuesday, 1^st March 2022 (2pm) – Communities Leading Collectively – is a session, hosted by the Rural SE Hub, that will focus on the theme of collective leadership from a community-led perspective - delving into how collective leadership can be used within communities to inspire collaboration and creativity. See link to register:

Thursday, 3^rd March 2022 (11am) - Communities Taking a Lead in Tourism is a Community Learning Exchange being hosted by the Rural SE Hub. The event will explore the topic of community-led tourism in rural Scotland – and will hear about two rural communities who have been affected by changes in tourism: