Annual Report 2021

2021
Annual
Report

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTIONS
3-7
OUR STRATEGIC AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
8
AVA SPECIALISMS
11
MAGPIE
12-13
SPOTLIGHT
14-15
FUNDING
16-19
SPOTLIGHT
20-21
CHILDREN & FAMILIES
22-23
VOLUNTEERING
24
YPG PROJECT
25
HOSPITAL HOMECOMING PROJECT
26-27
AVA FINANCES & FUTURE PLANS
28-30

AVA 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
✻
2020-21
... MIKE ADAMS, CHAIRPERSON
This annual report comes 20 months after the start of the global pandemic that
continues to affect every one of us in many different ways. For the community,
voluntary and third sectors within Aberdeenshire, those 20 months have shone a
very bright light on how they continue to adapt to enable themselves to provide the
changing types of support that people require because of the altered times we now
live within.
I, along with my fellow directors/trustees are proud of the way that AVA has stepped up
in its role as our Third Sector Interface (TSI) to support the many groups and organisations
that comprise those sectors, and the way it continues to support, connect and promote
those sectors in any way that it possibly can.
Since April 2021, AVA’s TSI team of 10.2 full time equivalent staff has interacted with the
sectors more than 3,000 recorded times, delivering governance, volunteering, funding,
and office services advice, and they have been building networks of likeminded
organisations to enable them to have a stronger and more connected voice. The
team continues to engage at operational and strategic levels with public sector
partners through our connections with Aberdeenshire’s Council, Health & Social Care
Partnership, and Community Planning teams, and our connections with the national TSI
network allows us to deliver outcomes for people that make a difference to peoples’
lives.

Our Magpie team of 3.5 full time equivalent staff, and the many invaluable volunteers
have successfully reopened the shops and created some really important outcomes,
especially in this year when COP 26 arrived in Scotland. Through their efforts, a significant
amount of furniture and other household goods have been diverted from entering
landfill, and they have supported families in crisis to move and start over following
difficult circumstances.
AVA remains a key partner to the public sector in Aberdeenshire and continues to
work hard to have the voice of the sector represented at decision making tables; we
will continue to champion the values that drive the sector to do the right things by
those who need support; and we will work tirelessly to bring recognition to the people
who make the community, voluntary, and third sectors the amazing places they are.
Thank you for your continued support of AVA.
Mike Adams
Chairperson
we have
contact with
1265
third sector
organisations who
deliver services in
Aberdeenshire
538
members
407 organisations
& 131 individuals
Banff & Buchan 166
Buchan
97
Formartine
174
Garioch
176
Kincardine & Mearns 148
Marr
276
Aberdeenshire-wide 228

3044
Interactions with organisations since april 2021
✻
46%
CONTRIBUTED TO
CROSS-SECTOR
COLLABORATION
32%
used AVA as
a voice for
the sector
54%
used AVA as
a source
of knowledge
65%
CONTRIBUTED TO
ORGANISATIONS
RESPONDING TO
LOCAL NEED
61%
CONTRIBUTED TO
MORE PEOPLE
BEING INVOLVED IN
THEIR COMMUNITY
56%
used AVA to facilitate
capacity building
within the sector
13%
CONTRIBUTED TO
THE THIRD SECTOR
BEING INCLUDED IN
KEY DECISIONS
65%
used AVA to act
as a connector for
the sector
26%
CONTRIBUTED
TO A THRIVING
LOCAL SOCIAL
ECONOMY

2020-21
✻
OUR YEAR
... DANIEL SHAW, CEO
This year has been one of considerable change for AVA. Early in the year we
undertook a significant review of our Third Sector Interface operations and rebuilt
them from the ground up. Every member of the Third Sector Interface team was
involved in making sure we were repositioning ourselves in a meaningful way without
losing the connections we had worked hard to build up over the previous years, and
every step along the way, we kept asking ourselves the ‘so what?’ question to make
sure that what we did had clear meaning for our service users.
We undertook a significant review and refreshed the services that we offer our members
and the wider community, voluntary, and third sectors. We examined the way that
we record, store, use, and evaluate our data, and invested in a new data system to
enable us to capture and control the data that enables us to offer tailored support. We
also examined the way that we use our different communication channels, launching
a new style members’ magazine, and reinventing our Forums programme which has
been really well attended by a range of groups and organisations.
The biggest and most important change was to recognise that in a world changed
forever by the pandemic, groups and organisations would benefit from being able to
access specialist support, advice, and guidance. Being able to connect with a network
of Development Officers specialising in specific and relevant knowledge areas such as
governance, volunteering, and funding that enable those groups and organisations
to survive, revive and eventually thrive underpins our new operating model. Coupling
this with our desire to build networks of likeminded organisations, starting with groups
that support children & families and supported living, along with Social Enterprises,

your Third Sector Interface has spent the last 12 months reinventing itself. One constant
however is the delivery of office services, incorporating independent examination of
accounts, payroll, and a PVG checking service that take the headache out of some
of the necessary tasks that groups and organisations must perform.
Magpie has also been on a significant journey this year, facing its own challenges as a
retail outlet, like so many have in recent times. However, with a lot of hard work by our
dedicated staff team and our volunteers, we are really proud of the often understated
work that happens there, and the role it plays in improving people’s lives. As a reuse
outlet, Magpie offers people a chance to buy a bargain, but more importantly than
that, it offers a chance to make a small contribution to climate sustainability, whilst also
directly supporting people who for many reasons find themselves in crisis; this includes
making donations of goods to those in need, or enabling people to make a fresh start
in life.
AVA has also secured project funding for two very different projects this year that
have the opportunity to make significant differences in the lives of individual people:
The Community Volunteering Enterprise project supports young people to gain skills
and experiences that will help them to secure paid work in the future. The Hospital
Homecoming project provides a community-based support programme for patients
being discharged from inpatient hospital care. Both are based on volunteering and
each demonstrates the invaluable role that volunteers play in todays’ society.
We have more plans for delivering more services that support Aberdeenshire’s
community, voluntary, and third sectors, and we look forward to sharing these with
you in the coming 12 months.
Everything that AVA does is because of the dedicated and passionate team that we
have, and is based on working in partnership with groups and organisations that are
supported by people who selflessly go about doing what they do; who believe in the
power of working together for a better future. To every single person that works or
volunteers in the sectors that we support, thank you for the difference that you make.
Dan Shaw
Chief Executive Officer

AVA
✻
AVA
OUR STRATEGIC AIMS
AVA will contribute to the delivery of positive outcomes for people in Aberdeenshire by supporting:
1. Connected community, voluntary, and third sectors engaging in mutually beneficial
collaborations with the public and private sectors.
2. Diverse and responsive community, voluntary, and third sectors with the necessary capacity
and capability to deliver its services.
3. Resilient community, voluntary, and third sectors able to adapt when circumstances require.
OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
AVA will prioritise its activities in the follow ways:
1. Nurturing a culture of volunteering across Aberdeenshire.
2. Enabling capacity building for groups and organisations.
3. Promoting the community, voluntary, and third sectors as a source of knowledge, skills, and
experience.
4. Empowering community, voluntary, and third sector organisations to engage in public sector
decision making that affects their service users.
5. Facilitating effective partnership working that benefits communities across Aberdeenshire.
6. Advocating for an inclusive, sustainable, and social values-led Aberdeenshire.

“The support from AVA gave me confidence in my work on
funding applications, in particular: Donna Speed gave me
constructive guidance and support at a time when I had
very little confidence in my ability.”
Rape Crisis Grampian
✻
“Invaluable guidance on where to find the correct
information on GDPR compliance for our group. Wonderful
sounding board for ideas on governance arrangements
and the process of setting up bank accounts and applying
for funding.”
Oldmeldrum Green Growing Space SCIO
✻
“[AVA’s involvement] highlighted our need for volunteers in
the geographical areas that I requested, and made it very
easy for me - one email to Aileen resulted in multiple areas
of publicity, with good results”
Kincardine & Deeside Befriending
✻
“Spoke with Rhona and she provided information and
practical advice as well as ongoing support which was
fantastic.”
Houseability

volunteering
Our Development Officer, Lorna Sandison matches volunteers
with opportunities, signposts volunteers, promotes volunteer
roles, hosts a volunteering forum and has introduced a regular
Aberdeenshire-wide Volunteer Bulletin.
social enterprise
Our Development Officer, Aileen Longino offers support to
social enterprises across Aberdeenshire in a variety of areas
such as governance, bank accounts, charitable status, funding
and plans to run forums as well as a social enterprise network.
governance
Our Development Officer, Rhona Davidson offers support to
organisations of all shapes and sizes across Aberdeenshire.
Support includes advice on charitable status, funding, GDPR
regulations, bank accounts, policies and group management.
supported living
Our Development Officer, Sharon Francis works specifically
with organisations who offer health, social care, and wellbeing
services to people across Aberdeenshire. Sharon enables
partnership working, knowledge sharing and policy awareness.
funding
Our Funding Officer, Donna Speed, supports groups searching
for the right funding and offers support and advice with
applications and business plans. Donna also contributes to a
weekly Funding Bulletin and is establishing funding forums.
children & families
Our Development Officer, Sandra McGuigan works specifically with
groups and partners that support families, children and young people.
Sandra sources training, assists with organisational development and
also runs forums and a Children & Families Network.
1055
people
subscribe to our
information
sharing bulletins
12,790
visitors to
our website
in the past
year
In 2021
we introduced
a digital ava
magazine to
spotlight our
work and our
members’ work

MAGPIE
✻
MAGPIE
... OUR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
The past year at Magpie has been very different to any other. Like most other retailers,
we couldn’t welcome customers into our shop for many months in 2020/21, but
work continued for our staff and volunteers. Magpie continued to work tirelessly
behind the scenes to accommodate requests for emergency household items, gifting
around 50 items to families in crisis. Those items might be a fridge, or a table to allow a
family to sit and eat together, or beds – whatever is needed, we were happy to help.
During that time, we also used our resources to deliver food parcels throughout South
Aberdeenshire to those who needed them. Customers also continued to donate
goods for us to sell on too – and that invaluable support allows us to keep going.
Throughout 2020, we diverted an amazing 22.5 tonnes of goods from landfill - an
impressive amount considering our shop was closed for much of the time.
Magpie spent time establishing a system for when restrictions eased and customers
could return, making sure the shop was safe for everyone. With safety measures in
place, face masks on, sanitising stations and one-way systems in store we opened our
doors to the public once again in July 2021.
At the same time Magpie also opened an online shop - allowing customers to purchase
goods from our website and social media and collect from the shop. We were keen
to provide an alternative selling space. Along with our refurbished website, Magpie
continues to build our presence on social media, coordinating posts on Facebook and
Instagram to widen our customer base in Aberdeenshire.

18.1
tonnes
of goods have
been diverted from
landfill during
2021 so far
72
items
were donated
to families in
need in the past
year
15
volunteers
currently
support magpie
and together
they donate over
55 hours weekly

DEVELOPMENT
✻
SPOTLIGHT
... ZERO CARBON DAVIOT
“Thank you for your ongoing support,
and we look forward to working with you
and AVA over the next few months and years.”
Zero Carbon Daviot
Zero Carbon Daviot are a very proactive, engaging community group in the village
of Daviot, which is just west of Oldmeldrum. The village has around 450 homes. The
group was established to bring about radical reductions in carbon emissions to
avoid runaway climate change. This is driven through a range of projects that aim to
decarbonise how they live and to restore their natural environment for the wellbeing of
the community in Daviot, Aberdeenshire. Some of their project themes are biodiversity
and community gardening, home retrofit, renewable energy generation, electric
vehicles and car club, farming and soil carbon sequestration, outdoor access and
paths. Big themes and issues never more vital in the current climate.
This energetic group have had support over the last couple of years from Aileen Longino,
one of our Development Officers, with setting up their organisation. Aileen’s support
helped the group with writing a constitution, establishing their policies and registering
with OSCR. She gave them advice on youth membership and child protection
related policies as well as being a grant referee, offering bank account advice and
independent examination help. Zero Carbon Daviot are now AVA Members with
Aileen’s support and she has also advised the group on funding.

FUNDING
✻
FUNDING
... COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
& WELLBEING FUND
In February 2021, an additional £120 million was announced by the Scottish Government
for a Recovery and Renewal Fund for delivery of the commitments set out in the Mental
Health Transition and Recovery Plan. The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing
Fund has been established to provide grants to small, grassroots community groups and
organisations. This funding comes in response to the mental health need arising from the
pandemic and the intended outcome of The Fund is to develop a culture of mental
wellbeing and prevention within local communities and across Scotland with improved
awareness of how we can all stay well and help ourselves and others. Over £631,000 will
be distributed in Aberdeenshire. Applications will be assessed by the AVA team on a
rolling basis to enable faster distribution of the funds.
We have now rolled out the fund and invite applications of up to £50,000 to deliver
community-based initiatives that promote and develop good mental health and
wellbeing, and/or mitigate and protect against the impact of distress and mental ill
health within Aberdeenshire.
Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action are leading assessment teams comprising of AVA staff
and a small number of external, public sector panel members working within cognisant
areas who will meet on a weekly basis to assess applications. Applications are being
invited through the AVA website.

The RRR Fund
... RESPONSE, RECOVERY & RESILIENCE
The 2020 Foundation Scotland Response,
Recovery & Resilience funding offered
additional financial support to community
groups, charities and third sector organisations, to
enable them to mitigate the impact of Covid-19
on their services and to help facilitate their work in
supporting communities during challenging times.
In total £292k of funding was distributed nationally
by TSIs. Any non-profit group or organisations that
had been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic
in Aberdeenshire were invited to apply for funding
awards of up to £1,000.
In Aberdeenshire, AVA administered the two
RRR fund rounds: £14,000 awarded in November
2020 then a further £2,550 in February 2021. The
application process was simple and fast, designed
to get help to those who need it as soon as
possible. In total, 15 Aberdeenshire groups were
supported through this fund.
HomeStart North East Aberdeenshire
Awarded: £1000
The fund helped to provide winter coats,
hats, gloves, scarves, pyjamas, boots,
socks and underwear for vulnerable
families who were struggling during
lockdown - supporting 21 families which
is around 52 individuals.
Bervie Pantry
Awarded: £1000
“The money awarded to the Pantry
has ensured we were able to maintain
stock levels and continue to help those
in need. The number of people/families
requiring support has now increased to
around 80-85 in total.”
Garioch Community Kitchen
Awarded: £956
“In total we provided 73 families with a
Christmas Food Parcel which supported
154 children. The funding you provided
was able to support 28 families
including 66 children. This really helped
the families as it took away some of the
worry around where the food was going
to come from at Christmas.”

FUNDING
✻
FUNDING
... SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES FUND
On 18th March 2020, the Scottish Government announced an investment of £350
million to support local communities and households in the context of the Covid-19
pandemic. This funding was established as part of an investment package to
provide financial support targeted through community anchor organisations, working in
partnership with others in the community and with public services, in co-ordinating local
responses to the pandemic.
The £50K Supporting Communities Fund was launched in May 2020 and sought to disperse
awards to voluntary organisations across Aberdeenshire in response to Covid-19. Any
non-profit group or organisations were invited to apply for funding awards of up to £1,250
to help support their activity in response to Covid-19.
In total 58 groups received funding for a range of projects and activities.
Cromar Future Group
Awarded: £165
“AVA kindly provided funding to cover
the costs of two Adobe software
subscriptions used in the online activities
of their “Everything Electronic Club”.
The group has a membership of 12, all
aged between 8 years and 15 years.”
Waulkmill Menagerie
Awarded: £1000
“We used the funding to purchase PPE,
equipment, materials and utility costs.
Approximately 80 people attended the farm
due to this funding, all struggling with their
mental health, made worse by lockdown. They
left the farm relaxed, happy, de-stressed.”

FUNDING
✻
SPOTLIGHT
... TURRIFF & DISTRICT MEN’S SHED
“Support for our Shed has secured some serious money
and enabled us to develop our facilities and contribute
to our community in a very positive way.”
Turriff & District Men’s Shed
Turriff and District Men’s Shed describe themselves as being a free workshop and
social area open to all, where you can work on your own project or hobby, help
others or get help, share your knowledge, talents and abilities, or just relax over a
tea or coffee.
In 2020, AVA’s Funding Officer, Donna Speed, connected with the Men’s Shed to offer
advice about where to find grants, funding criteria, and alternative ways of fundraising.
She also carried out a bespoke funding search for the group for their revenue costs
and the cost of materials. Their first application for a grant to help pay their rent was
successful. They said it came “at a critical time for the Shed as we cannot raise any
funds through our normal streams of stalls at local events due to the lockdown. Having
the grant will ensure we can survive until things return to normal.”
Further grants they received included contributions to their core running costs, a
commercial grade gazebo, a storage container, a flammable storage container,
and safety equipment. Anyone can purchase already made items, or have your own
bespoke project made by the Men’s Shed members, and they look forward to seeing
you at the Shed.

DEVELOPMENT
✻
CHILDREN
& FAMILIES
Aberdeenshire has a fantastic range of organisations that support families,
children and young people at a local level, who have long established
relationships with their communities and have a real understanding of the
challenges that are faced. As part of Development Officer, Sandra McGuigan’s
Children & Families role last year she joined Aberdeenshire’s Child Protection
Committee, the GIRFEC Coordination and Support Hub and the Supporting the
Third Sector Project led by Children in Scotland. There is a key role for sharing the
third sector’s views at local and national level and also for AVA to share information
locally.
Sandra launched AVA’s Children and Families forums in May 2021, with the
purpose of giving opportunities for organisations providing services for children
and families to connect and come together to network and share good practice
and experience. The forum has since launched a Children & Families Network and
both events offer a place for groups to benefit from mutual support and gain the
opportunity to work collaboratively forging partnerships and linking organisations
with statutory partners.
“Thank you Sandra, [the forum] has been
really useful and informative.”
Aleisha Douglas, Befriend A Child

DEVELOPMENT
✻
VOLUNTEERING
... IN UNUSUAL TIMES
The Third Sector really came into its own at the head of the tsunami of care and
concern that came over the country over the past year. This was replicated here
in Aberdeenshire and at AVA we found ourselves having to up our own pace to
keep up with the new local Covid-related support groups and networks that popped up,
almost overnight in some cases.
By the time things had begun to settle AVA were aware of 21 new Covid-specific support
groups that were operating in communities bringing much needed support, care and
essential sustenance to people affected by the lockdown and those who were having to
isolate because of the increased risks to their own health. As well as these new groups we
became aware that 142 existing third sector groups and organisations were adapting their
normal practice to either directly provide Covid-related support or continue providing
their normal services.
While the response in our communities to the lockdown was incredible it also came
with the task of ensuring that all the new volunteering was going on safely, was being
coordinated, supported and everyone involved – both volunteers and their beneficiaries
– were protected. We were able to connect with all the new groups, making them aware
of their local TSI and what we could do by way of support and guidance. We responded
to requests for help interpreting government issued guidelines and what these mean to
groups being able to start activity again in local communities.
AVA also became key members of new local Covid-focused resilience groups, created
with local Council support across our area – our staff contributed to more than 100 of
these local meetings, and in some cases have led on activities.

PROJECT
✻
PROJECT
... COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERING
ENTERPRISE
Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action is facilitating a year-long Community
Volunteering Enterprise Project specifically for young people aged between
16-24. This exciting project is funded through the YPG Fund and subsequently
participants have to meet the YPG criteria. This project allows us to offer a challenging
and rewarding opportunity for young people that has three main aims; firstly to engage
young people who have been unable to engage in other development opportunities;
secondly to work with the young people on a SQA qualification and thirdly to offer
access to supported volunteering with all the potential benefits that volunteering
brings. The project is delivered in three phases:
1. Initial engagement in a learning environment where the participants interest,
existing skills, knowledge, and abilities would be assessed
2. The participant being offered an opportunity to enrol in a SQA Employability Award,
which if completed would lead to the achievement of an SQA certificated award
3. Support to engage in a relevant volunteering activity with all the benefits that can
come from volunteering in the community (volunteering can continue beyond the
planned end of the phase)
For our CVE Project Officer, Pauline Anderson, the impact of Covid 19 has meant the
project has taken slightly longer to establish as many of our partner organisations were
trying to re-establish their services again. However, as restrictions have eased and with
supportive information and positive engagement about the project, referrals started
to come in and Pauline is working with participants across Aberdeenshire. The project
is delivered face-to-face or by video calls ensuring everyone can access the project.

PROJECT
✻
PROJECT
... HOSPITAL HOMECOMING
Hospital Homecoming is a two-year Test of Change project aiming for faster
discharge of patients from acute settings, back home, by providing support from
community groups and volunteers. The project is funded by the NHS Endowment
Fund/NHS Charities Together and aims to co-produce a solution with the three TSIs
(AVA, ACVO, tsiMORAY), NHS Grampian, the Health and Social Care Partnerships and
the community. A Steering Group encompassing these partners is in the process of
being established.
Work to date includes looking at identifying community groups who could provide
support in the three Aberdeenshire project sites (Huntly and Clashindarroch, New
Pitsligo, and Portlethen) and understanding the capability and capacity of these
groups. Lived experience of hospital discharge is being sought, as part of the baseline,
to understand the support activities that would be valued.
Health and Social Care Partnership contacts for each locality are being met, awareness
of the project is being raised and their ideas and suggestions taken on board. In
addition to speeding up hospital discharge working in partnership may also free up
caring resources which can be utilised to discharge another patient from hospital.
Work with NHS Grampian has begun on looking at the discharge process and how
patients can be identified and referred; in addition initial steps have been taken to set
up Information governance protocols for the third sector to receive NHS patient data.

AVA Finances
TSI Income Magpie Income AVA Group Income
Donations & Grants Charitable Activities Donations & Grants Charitable Activities Donations & Grants Charitable Activities
Trading Activities Other Income Trading Activities Other Income Trading Activities Other Income
TSI Expenditure Allocations
Magpie Expenditure Allocations
AVA Group Expenditure Allocations
Staff Operations Staff Operations Staff Operations
Property Property Property

AVA FINANCES
✻
✻
✻

AVA 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
✻
OUR PLANS
IN THE COMING YEAR, AVA WILL:
Enhance our support services, ensuring they
remain relevant to our members and fit for the future.
✻
Expand our reach across the breadth of our partners, making
better connections for the benefit of our members.
✻
Advocate for a fairer and just society, promoting the capabilities
of the community, voluntary, and third sectors, and the
improvements in people’s lives that they deliver.

Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action
is a charitable company
limited by guarantee.
Company number: SC137343.
Scottish Charity Number: SC014223
Registered office: 57 Station Road,
Ellon, Aberdeenshire AB41 9AR
Tel: 03718 110008
Email: enquiries@avashire.org.uk
Website: www.avashire.org.uk
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