AVA Magazine: Winter 2023
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>AVA</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />
<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Photo: Jodie Bews<br />
• Funding Success in Aberdeenshire • Member Spotlight<br />
Member Spotlight •<br />
• Autumn Connections • Warm Spaces •
join<br />
us<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Membership<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> members come in all sorts<br />
of shapes and sizes. From small<br />
community-based organisations<br />
working to support a small<br />
number of people in a restricted<br />
geographic area, to large<br />
charities delivering services within<br />
Aberdeenshire that are sometimes<br />
a small part of a much wider<br />
portfolio. Community and third<br />
sector organisations are invited<br />
to join <strong>AVA</strong> as full members.<br />
Volunteers are the lifeblood of our<br />
sector and those who volunteer<br />
on a regular basis are invited to<br />
join <strong>AVA</strong> as individual members.<br />
Apply here H<br />
www.avashire.org.uk/join-ava.html<br />
When you join <strong>AVA</strong>, you and your<br />
organisation will have access to the<br />
following benefits:<br />
• Enhanced communications through<br />
specialism networking and information<br />
mailing lists<br />
• Promotion for your organisation and<br />
projects<br />
• Priority access to news, updates and<br />
information<br />
• Free and priority access to <strong>AVA</strong><br />
membership and specialist forum events<br />
• Priority access to <strong>AVA</strong> Training resources<br />
• Priority access to <strong>AVA</strong> services and<br />
facilities<br />
• Access to discounted rates for <strong>AVA</strong><br />
Office Support Services<br />
• Access to professional services offering<br />
discounted rates to members
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 3<br />
Supporting your future...<br />
Dan Shaw<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Chief Executive Officer<br />
Dan.Shaw@avashire.org.uk<br />
To coin an often used phrase, ‘there’s<br />
a lot going on at the moment’.<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> is becoming very aware of the pressure<br />
that continues to increase on Aberdeenshire’s<br />
third sector. More people are needing<br />
support for many different reasons, whilst<br />
human and financial resources are become<br />
harder to secure. We are being contacted<br />
on a more regular basis by organisations who<br />
find themselves unable to keep going due<br />
to a lack of funds, which is heartbreaking.<br />
At <strong>AVA</strong> we want to support organisations to<br />
become stronger and more sustainable which<br />
is why you’ll notice a focus on organisation<br />
governance and management in this edition<br />
(alongside some examples of the amazing<br />
work that has been going on recently).<br />
With changes having been made to the<br />
Charities & Administration (Scotland) Act,<br />
there is increased scrutiny on charities and<br />
their trustees. Transparency is important, but<br />
this may require increased work by some to<br />
conform (pg.6). Independent Examination of<br />
Accounts is a critical part of that transparency<br />
process and we’re keen to hear from you about<br />
this through our survey (pg.12) and support you<br />
by delivering this service for you (pg.11). We are<br />
here to support you with funding searches to help<br />
your organisation secure more of an income to<br />
cope with the demands (pg.14), and we can<br />
help you with business planning activities that<br />
are about trying to secure income in the longer<br />
term to take pressure off you in the short term<br />
(pg.18). We also have a range of ways that we<br />
can try to help you find more people to work<br />
or volunteer with your organisation through our<br />
jobs and volunteering boards on our website.<br />
Whilst we will be closed from Friday 22nd Dec<br />
and open again on Wednesday 3rd January,<br />
our team will be back to full working capacity by<br />
Monday 8th January after the Christmas break,<br />
so why not think about how we might be able<br />
to support you to plan for the future over the<br />
coming weeks? We can’t wait to hear from you.<br />
We wish you all a happy and peaceful Christmas<br />
(if you celebrate it), and we’re keen to be a<br />
part of a prosperous new year for you and your<br />
organisation.<br />
With very best wishes,<br />
Dan and the entire <strong>AVA</strong> Team<br />
Contents<br />
4-5<br />
6<br />
8-9<br />
10-11<br />
12-13<br />
14-15<br />
Funding: Community Mental<br />
Health & The Just Transition Funds<br />
Policy: The Charities &<br />
Administration (Scotland) Act <strong>2023</strong><br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Event: Autumn Connections in<br />
October<br />
Member Spotlight: SensationALL<br />
in search of volunteers to join their<br />
team<br />
Governance: Independent<br />
Examination of Accounts and a<br />
great new resource for village halls<br />
Funding: Fundraising Conference<br />
14-19<br />
21<br />
22<br />
24-25<br />
26<br />
28-29<br />
30<br />
Funding: Funding Success for<br />
local groups and promoting<br />
resilience planning<br />
Children & Families: HENRY in<br />
Aberdeenshire<br />
2024 Aberdeenshire Wellbeing<br />
Festival: Get involved!<br />
Member Spotlight: Scottish<br />
Families Affected by Alcohol &<br />
Drugs<br />
Magpie: Circular Communities<br />
Scotland Conference<br />
Social Enterprises: Support and<br />
Warm Spaces<br />
Support: OSCR’s top tips
PUBLIC VOTE IN DECEMBER!<br />
Congratulations to the Aberdeenshire groups<br />
already awarded level 1 and 2 funding for initiatives<br />
that promote good mental health and wellbeing at a<br />
small-scale, grassroots, community level.<br />
For level 3 applicants - Aberdeenshire residents can vote for<br />
which projects they would like to see funded up to £50,000.<br />
View all 18 projects and cast your votes here:<br />
www.avashire.org.uk/cmhwfundvote<br />
Voting is open from: 12pm on Friday 1st<br />
December to 5pm on 15th December <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
Find out more and vote here: www.avashire.org.uk/cmhwfund
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 5<br />
Funding|Success for Just Transition<br />
Fund groups in Aberdeenshire<br />
After receiving over 42,100 votes from 8428 voters across<br />
Aberdeenshire, we are delighted to announce the results of the<br />
Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Fund!<br />
Successful<br />
projects in<br />
Aberdeenshire!<br />
Distributed by Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action with<br />
support from Nescan Hub on behalf of The Scottish<br />
Government, we are excited to reveal the following<br />
third sector groups who have received funding for their green,<br />
eco-friendly projects:<br />
• Aboyne Men’s Shed<br />
• Action for Climate and Environment Newburgh<br />
• Books Abroad SCIO<br />
• Buchan Dial-A-Community Bus<br />
• Deeside Bike Collective<br />
• Fraserburgh South Links Sports Development<br />
• Friends of Magpie Charity Shops<br />
• Friends Of Tarlair<br />
• Inverurie Community Energy Society Garioch District Heat<br />
• Garioch Sports Centre<br />
• Huntly Sports Trust<br />
• Play For All (Banchory)<br />
• SensationALL (SCO43156)<br />
• Strichen Community Park<br />
• Waulkmill.Menagerie<br />
• Woodrecyclability<br />
• Zero Carbon Daviot<br />
Discover all<br />
successful projects<br />
in Aberdeenshire at:<br />
www.jtpbfund.scot/<br />
aberdeenshire<br />
A massive thank you to everyone who voted and had their<br />
say on which projects should receive funding – helping shape<br />
our path towards a net zero future in Scotland.
6 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Policy|Implementation of the<br />
Charities & Administration (Scotland)<br />
Act <strong>2023</strong><br />
Alasdair Ross<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> & ACVO Policy &<br />
Consultations Officer<br />
Alasdair.Ross@avashire.org.uk<br />
We previously updated you on the progress<br />
of The Charities and Administration<br />
(Scotland) Act <strong>2023</strong> which is bringing in<br />
new powers to strengthen the role of OSCR, the<br />
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.<br />
The Act aims to boost transparency and<br />
accountability within charities and their trustees,<br />
strengthening public confidence in Scotland’s<br />
charity sector. Although several of OSCR’s<br />
existing powers will stay as they are, there will<br />
be enhancements to the ‘charity test’, the<br />
responsibilities of charity trustees, and other<br />
facets related to information transparency. The<br />
Act will also bring Scottish charity law into closer<br />
alignment with comparable regulations in the rest<br />
of the UK.<br />
The main changes brought about by the Act are:<br />
Publishing Information: OSCR will share more data<br />
on its website and the Scottish Charity Register.<br />
This includes unredacted annual accounts for all<br />
charities and a list of trustees barred by courts.<br />
Merged charities will also be recorded.<br />
Increased Inquiry Powers: OSCR’s authority will<br />
expand to include the investigation of former<br />
charities and trustees. Inquiry processes and<br />
information collection will be streamlined. The<br />
new power of ‘positive direction’ will allow OSCR<br />
to give instructions to trustees in specific cases.<br />
Disqualification: Automatic disqualification of<br />
charity trustees will broaden to cover offences<br />
like bribery, terrorist group association, and<br />
sexual offences. This will also apply to senior<br />
managers within charities. OSCR can appoint<br />
interim trustees when necessary.<br />
Charity Removal: OSCR can remove charities<br />
from the Scottish Charity Register if they do not<br />
submit accounts or communicate with OSCR.<br />
Connection to Scotland: OSCR can reject<br />
charity status for those with minimal connections<br />
to Scotland. Existing charities must maintain<br />
Scottish ties to remain on the Register, except<br />
for genuine cross-border charities.<br />
OSCR have now provided some further<br />
information about the implementation of the<br />
provisions in the Act which will be brought in<br />
gradually.<br />
The first measures will be introduced in Spring<br />
2024 and will include:<br />
• Changes to OSCR’s powers of inquiry,<br />
removal of defaulting and persistently non<br />
engaging charities from the register.<br />
• New powers to appoint interim trustees<br />
(temporary trustees which will be appointed<br />
if a charity does not have enough trustees to<br />
make decisions (quorum).<br />
Read more here, and if you have any questions<br />
about the implications of the new measures,<br />
please contact Alasdair Ross for a chat.
the ava<br />
website<br />
H<br />
bringing you more of the<br />
resources you need...<br />
Funding search<br />
We have teamed up<br />
with Funding Scotland<br />
to bring you a fantastic<br />
funding search engine<br />
- from small grants to<br />
funding for big capital<br />
projects, we can help<br />
you track down the<br />
funding you need. It’s<br />
so easy to use, and you<br />
can also subscribe to a<br />
weekly funding bulletin<br />
there too.<br />
Organisation search<br />
Search for Third Sector<br />
groups and organisations<br />
across Aberdeenshire.<br />
Our search engine will<br />
show you a range of<br />
information for each<br />
organisation as well<br />
as any volunteering<br />
opportunities they have<br />
on offer.<br />
Our Magpie website<br />
Visit our Magpie<br />
website to find out<br />
about how our project<br />
promotes sustainable<br />
living. Our shops are<br />
also on Facebook and<br />
Instagram, so give us a<br />
follow.<br />
A-Z of <strong>AVA</strong> Members<br />
Our A-Z of <strong>AVA</strong> Members<br />
has links to their websites,<br />
or social media – get an<br />
overview of the scope of<br />
our membership, as well<br />
as useful links with fellow<br />
members.<br />
Volunteering Forms<br />
Let us know if your<br />
organisation has any<br />
volunteering roles<br />
and we can upload<br />
them to our system for<br />
sharing. Subscribe to<br />
our Volunteering Bulletin<br />
published every few<br />
months with the latest<br />
opportunities across<br />
Aberdeenshire.<br />
Nominate a volunteer for<br />
an <strong>AVA</strong> Award<br />
Use our nomination<br />
form to recognise<br />
individual commitment<br />
to volunteering for 1,<br />
5, 10 and 15 years and<br />
for volunteers who<br />
have given 20 years<br />
or more there is a<br />
Lifetime Volunteering<br />
Achievement Award.<br />
Support Request Form<br />
Get in touch with us via<br />
our Support Request Form<br />
and we’ll make sure the<br />
right person gets back to<br />
you to offer support.<br />
Volunteering<br />
Opportunities<br />
Use our search engine<br />
to search for local and<br />
national volunteering<br />
opportunities.<br />
Resources<br />
Find a range of links<br />
to useful pages and<br />
organisations – and Quick<br />
Guides for new groups.<br />
Find out about our<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Office Services for<br />
members, and read past<br />
and present newsletters<br />
and blogs.<br />
Training<br />
We have partnered with<br />
Highland Third Secor<br />
Interface to provide<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> members with a<br />
discounted extensive<br />
training programme,<br />
including over 30<br />
e-courses in a range of<br />
subjects.<br />
www.avashire.org.uk
8 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
<strong>AVA</strong>|Autumn Autumn Connections<br />
Autumn Connections – Future Foundations<br />
12th October at World Horse Welfare, Belwade, Aboyne<br />
Aileen Longino<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Development Officer<br />
specialising in Social Enterprises<br />
Aileen.Longino@avashire.org.uk<br />
Last month we had a very successful Autumn<br />
Connections event on a glorious October<br />
day, set in the beautiful surroundings of Royal<br />
Deeside at the World Horse Welfare Centre,<br />
Belwade Farm outside Aboyne.<br />
We had a packed venue with a wide range of<br />
organisations including social enterprises who<br />
came along to learn ways in which to future<br />
proof their organisations as best they can. The<br />
theme was ‘Future Foundations’ and our team<br />
of Aileen, Gloria and Alasdair talked through<br />
how to think and plan ahead. We looked at<br />
a range of techniques and group exercises<br />
which generated a lot of noise and chat in the<br />
room with some very lively conversations. The<br />
morning covered a range of areas including<br />
value propositions, business planning essentials,<br />
cashflow forecasting and looking at gaps in<br />
what organisations do and how to fill them.<br />
There were great interactions from everyone<br />
who came and lots of new networking<br />
during group exercises, breaks and lunch.<br />
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and hope<br />
everyone that came along did too. A special<br />
thank you to the World Horse Welfare for being<br />
such excellent hosts.<br />
The takeaway for the day, we hope, were<br />
some useful practical tools for delegates to<br />
take back and use in their own organisations,<br />
including a cashflow forecasting template. In<br />
these uncertain times planning and forecasting<br />
is essential and helps in moving forward with<br />
vital funding applications and other sources<br />
of income no matter what size of organisation<br />
you are. Being as prepared as you can be<br />
is something we always recommend. If you<br />
weren’t able to attend and would like support in<br />
this area please email us at enquiries@avashire.<br />
org.uk or complete and Support Request Form<br />
on our website here.<br />
We loved being able to meet with so many<br />
of you in person at Autumn Connections and<br />
look forward to our Spring Connections event in<br />
2024. Watch this space for details!
10 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Volunteering|SensationALL needs you!<br />
SensationALL is a charity based in Westhill which<br />
provides support and activities for neurodivergent<br />
individuals, those with complex needs and their<br />
families. Their group sessions are based on clinical<br />
principles in order to build each attendee’s social<br />
skills and confidence while giving them access to fun<br />
opportunities that are tailored to their sensory and<br />
behavioral needs.<br />
At SensationALL, volunteers are at the heart of what<br />
they do. They rely heavily on the skills, empathy and<br />
dedication that their volunteers bring to the charity in<br />
order to run their services that are essential for so many<br />
attendees.<br />
SensationALL volunteers regularly speak about the<br />
satisfaction they get from being part of the SensationALL<br />
family. From developing new skills and meeting others,<br />
to growing in confidence and improving employability,<br />
the benefits of taking on one of their volunteer roles are<br />
widespread. Volunteers can expect to be provided<br />
with the training and support required for their role and<br />
to be included as part of the team from day one of<br />
their volunteering journey.<br />
The types of roles they are currently recruiting for<br />
include:<br />
Emma Christie<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Development Officer,<br />
specialising in Volunteering<br />
Emma.Christie@avashire.org.uk<br />
Contact volunteering@sensationall.org.uk<br />
for more information on how you can<br />
use your skills to help growing charity.<br />
Visit: www.sensationall.org.uk/<br />
• Session volunteers – help staff facilitate group<br />
sessions by getting involved in activities (crafts,<br />
baking and games), meeting and greeting families<br />
and supporting play.<br />
• Events/fundraising volunteers – support the team<br />
during the calendar of fundraising events like selling<br />
raffle tickets, manning stalls or serving refreshments.<br />
• Skilled volunteers – support the running of the<br />
organisation with key business skills like Marketing,<br />
IT and HR. Also, if you have a skilled hobby, like<br />
photography or an additional language, they<br />
always welcome your support.<br />
If these opportunities sound like something you can help<br />
SensationALL with they would love to hear from you!
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 11<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Office Services<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> members can access office services at very competitive rates.<br />
Payroll services<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> can provide monthly payroll<br />
services, including production of<br />
monthly payslips, HMRC submissions<br />
and end of year returns, assistance<br />
with auto enrolment compliance and<br />
pension file uploads.<br />
Independent examination<br />
of accounts<br />
Receipts and Payments Accounts<br />
examination is available for noncompany<br />
charities and groups with a<br />
gross annual income of
12 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Support|<br />
Independent Examination of<br />
Accounts<br />
Are you aware that <strong>AVA</strong> offers Independent<br />
Examinations (IE) of Receipts and Payments<br />
Accounts, for non-for-profit organisations and<br />
registered charities, (excluding charitable companies)<br />
who have a gross annual income of £250,000 or less,<br />
and where your governing document allows?<br />
Equally, if your organisation does not meet these<br />
criteria, and the preparation to submit your annual<br />
returns and accounts to your respective regulatory<br />
body, (Companies House, OSCR, etc) are likely to be<br />
affected, <strong>AVA</strong> would like to hear from you, so we can<br />
contribute towards collective solutions.<br />
Rhona Davidson<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Development Officer<br />
specialising in Governance<br />
Rhona.Davidson@avashire.org.uk<br />
We are currently involved in a mapping exercise across<br />
Scotland on behalf of OSCR (Office of the Scottish<br />
Charity Regulator), to evaluate the range of difficulties<br />
organisations within the Third Sector are currently<br />
experiencing and can foresee in the future, relating to<br />
the submission of Annual Accounts and Returns.<br />
Issues experienced or predicted could include the<br />
general lack of awareness of the correct standard of<br />
submissions and the responsibilities and consequences<br />
associated with non-submission or delays, the correct<br />
type of accounts prepared associated to the<br />
organisation, difficulty in sourcing suitably trained and<br />
experienced independent examiners and qualified<br />
auditors and any unforeseeable financial expense<br />
incurred by an organisation completing this process.<br />
To allow us to contribute towards a collective solution to<br />
these issues, and equally to the Scottish-wide discussions<br />
on this topic, we would appreciate your input to hear<br />
about your experiences. By completing our short survey<br />
below, we will be able to build a better picture ofthe<br />
issues and needs relating to this subject across the<br />
Third Sector in Aberdeenshire. (Please complete by<br />
Wednesday 20th December).<br />
Complete our survey here<br />
If you are interested in finding out more about<br />
how <strong>AVA</strong> can help with your Independent<br />
Examination of Accounts, contact <strong>AVA</strong>’s Finance &<br />
Administration Manager, Jacquie Milne, at:<br />
Jacquie.Milne@avashire.org.uk
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 13<br />
New Community Resource|<br />
Village and Community Halls<br />
Handbook<br />
A<br />
useful resource was recently launched at<br />
the Gathering from SCVO. The SCVO Village<br />
and Community Venue E-handbook is a<br />
centralised information hub, created with input<br />
from the Scottish Rural Network, COSS and DTAS.<br />
It contains lots of useful pointers, and resources for<br />
anyone either directly related to a venue or those<br />
supporting the management of such properties.<br />
Village halls are often at the heart of a community.<br />
They are places to gather, learn, access services<br />
and have fun. Making sure they are well run and<br />
maintained is an important but not always easy<br />
role, often fullfilled by committed volunteers and<br />
workers.<br />
This handbook is for everyone running a village<br />
or community hall in Scotland. From governance<br />
and facilities management to net zero and<br />
digital, it will guide you through what you need<br />
to know.<br />
Find the resource at:<br />
scvo.scot/support/village-community-halls
14 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Funding|Highlights from the <strong>2023</strong><br />
Scottish Fundraising Conference<br />
Donna Speed<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Funding Officer<br />
Donna.Speed@avashire.org.uk<br />
<strong>AVA</strong>’s Funding Officer, Donna Speed,<br />
attended the <strong>2023</strong> Scottish Fundraising<br />
Conference in September. It was an<br />
inspiring and informative event that brought<br />
together over 400 fundraising professionals<br />
each day from across the country. Held in<br />
Glasgow over 2 days, this year’s conference<br />
offered delegates a wealth of knowledge and<br />
networking opportunities.<br />
The conference kicked off with fresh thoughts<br />
on leadership and the notion that everyone is a<br />
leader, and to be successful there is a need to<br />
be adaptive, self-aware, and authentic.<br />
Next followed a series of interactive workshops<br />
covering topics such as digital fundraising,<br />
individual giving, community and events<br />
fundraising, and donor engagement.<br />
Fundraisers shared what had worked and what<br />
hadn’t, and how they had adapted fundraising<br />
campaigns along the way to meet their targets.<br />
The importance of getting everyone in an<br />
organisation on board with a campaign to build<br />
enthusiasm was highlighted. Whilst building<br />
relationships with donors is key to gaining long<br />
term support.<br />
Other speakers shared their expertise about<br />
how to write a great case for support and how<br />
to devise a competitive grants program. These<br />
hands-on sessions provided practical insights<br />
into the power of storytelling to connect with<br />
donors emotionally.<br />
Keynote presentations delved into the evolving<br />
landscape of charitable giving and ethical<br />
fundraising practices. A session about the latest<br />
trends in philanthropy with three of Scotland’s<br />
top Grantmakers - Corra, National Lottery<br />
Community Fund, and The Wood Foundation -<br />
gave people the chance to ask them questions<br />
about their grant schemes and funding<br />
strategies. The need for grants to cover ongoing<br />
running costs and<br />
multi-year funding<br />
was highlighted<br />
by many in the<br />
audience.<br />
There was an<br />
interesting session<br />
around the<br />
use of Artificial<br />
Intelligence (AI)<br />
in fundraising. AI<br />
can be used to<br />
analyse data and<br />
offer predictive<br />
modelling about<br />
the best way to<br />
target potential
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 15<br />
donors. Delegates saw how ChatGPT, an online<br />
writing tool, offers natural language generation<br />
capabilities. It can be used to simplify the process<br />
of articulating project goals, impacts, and<br />
budget justifications effectively. It can be used<br />
for crafting compelling funding applications,<br />
writing a case for support,<br />
generating marketing<br />
materials, or suggesting<br />
a fundraising slogan etc.<br />
Whether seeking grants,<br />
investments, or donations,<br />
ChatGPT can help create<br />
persuasive proposals that<br />
stand out. Find out more<br />
about this new resource<br />
here.<br />
As well as sharing<br />
knowledge, people had<br />
ample opportunities to<br />
network and collaborate.<br />
From coffee breaks and<br />
chatting to exhibitors<br />
and sponsors in the Expo Hall, to the Scotland<br />
Fundraising Awards ceremony in the evening,<br />
the conference fostered connections and<br />
discussions among like-minded professionals<br />
that may lead to future fundraising success and<br />
partnerships.<br />
Perhaps the most memorable moments were<br />
the personal stories of impact shared by<br />
fundraisers. These heartfelt and inspirational<br />
testimonials served as a reminder of the<br />
profound difference fundraising and the Third<br />
Sector can make in people’s lives. Delegates<br />
left with fresh perspectives, new strategies,<br />
and a shared commitment to creating positive<br />
change through effective fundraising efforts.<br />
The <strong>2023</strong> Scottish Fundraising Conference was<br />
a testament to the resilience and innovation of<br />
the fundraising community.
16 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Funding Success<br />
in Aberdeenshire<br />
Donna Speed<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Funding Officer<br />
Donna.Speed@avashire.org.uk<br />
We love sharing success stories from our<br />
Aberdeenshire Third Sector, here are just<br />
a few:<br />
Aberdeenshire Council has approved £3.4m in<br />
Shared Prosperity funding for 21 local projects.<br />
The fund aims to improve pride in place and<br />
increase life chances across the UK, investing<br />
in communities and place, supporting local<br />
business, as well as people and skills. This<br />
month, Aberdeenshire UKSPF Investment<br />
Plan has enabled a wide variety of activities<br />
to be supported - from the improvement of<br />
community buildings and facilities, business<br />
support schemes and initiatives aimed at<br />
supporting adult numeracy, cost-of-living<br />
advice services and improving skills to enhance<br />
employability. Projects include Aboyne Castle<br />
Woods Path (Mid Deeside Development Trust)<br />
- £111,558, Revitalising Insch (Bennachie Leisure<br />
Centre) - £54,670, Social Enterprise Huntly (Huntly<br />
Development Trust) - £59,313, Lead Scotland<br />
Numeracy (Lead Scotland) - £64,694, and<br />
Barnardos Employability programme (Barnardos)<br />
- £92,995. Read the full list of awards here.<br />
Aboyne Highland Games has donated to<br />
several local groups after raising £12,000 at<br />
their ‘Prosecco Picnic’. They donated to 2367<br />
(Banchory) Squadron (Banchory Air Cadets) -<br />
£500, Aboyne Bowling Club - £500, Scotland’s<br />
Charity Air Ambulance - £500, Friends of Glen<br />
o’ Dee Hospital - £500, Crathie Opportunity<br />
Holidays - £500, Aboyne Paths and Tracks Group<br />
- £500 and Friends of Anchor - £9000.<br />
In addition to the funding success detailed<br />
above, Aboyne Paths & Tracks have also been<br />
voted Path Group of the Year <strong>2023</strong> based on<br />
what was seen as the outstanding commitment<br />
and dedication of their team of volunteers in<br />
improving our local path network. Read more<br />
here.<br />
Search for funding using our<br />
search engine and subscribe<br />
to our weekly funding bulletin<br />
on the <strong>AVA</strong> website at:<br />
www.avashire.org.uk/searchforfunding<br />
Aberdeenshire Clubsport SCIO have awarded<br />
Buchanhaven Hearts JFC funding from the<br />
Aberdeenshire Clubsport Positive Participation<br />
Grant. The funds will enable the club to buy<br />
training equipment which will not only benefit<br />
the main team but the many hundreds of<br />
youngsters who participate on a weekly basis.
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 17<br />
Twelve Aberdeenshire groups have been<br />
successful in their applications for National<br />
Lottery Community funding. Amoung them<br />
are Aberdeen Cyrenians Limited - £188,192<br />
for a community hub that will support people<br />
experiencing homelessness, isolation, crisis and<br />
financial hardship. There will be access to food,<br />
clothing, showers, a utility room and a digital<br />
literacy section. Staff and volunteers will also<br />
provide support and advice with benefits.<br />
Crathes Public Hall Trust (SCIO) - £9,999 to<br />
replace the soffits and fascia’s and redecorate<br />
the hall as part of a wider renovation overhaul<br />
for their village community space. Networks of<br />
Wellbeing Ltd - £133,389 to deliver and develop<br />
a programme of free, community-based work<br />
supporting people with poor mental health to<br />
become more resilient and re-connect with<br />
others. The services provided will take place in<br />
Huntly and surrounding villages but are open to<br />
people across the NHS Grampian region. Slains<br />
and Collieston Community Council - £6,369<br />
to fund a programme of community drop-in<br />
sessions through the winter months to reduce<br />
social isolation and promote community<br />
wellbeing. The funding will also fund a robotic<br />
lawnmower to assist with maintenance of the<br />
community garden. Royal British Legion Scotland<br />
Oldmeldrum Branch - £10,000 to install insulation<br />
into their Royal Legion Hall in Oldmeldrum.<br />
Ury Riverside Park SCIO - £6,981 to monitor<br />
biodiversity and people numbers, helping to<br />
build a picture of how the development of the<br />
site by the community affects the site overall.<br />
All sorts of community volunteers will take part<br />
and it will be both active social projects, and<br />
educational school and young people projects.<br />
Read the full list of successful applicants here.<br />
Kemnay Community Council have received<br />
£2000 for their running costs from the Robertson<br />
Trust Wee Grants September Awards.<br />
Congratulations to these Aberdeenshire<br />
organisations - there are so<br />
many groups and volunteers doing<br />
fantastic work. Thank you all for making<br />
Aberdeenshire a better place to live!
18 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Funding Support|Firm Foundations<br />
For The Future: Planning +<br />
Forecasting = Sustainability<br />
Gloria Malcolm,<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Development<br />
Officer, specialising in<br />
Funding & Business Planning<br />
Gloria.Malcolm@avashire.org.uk<br />
The recent OSCR Sector Overview Report<br />
dated 03/10/23* noted that there are<br />
roughly 25,000 charitable organisations<br />
on the charities register generating a gross<br />
annual income in the region of £15.14bn; these<br />
organisations also generate in the region of<br />
£15.12bn in expenditure.<br />
34% of those organisations have an annual<br />
income of less that £5,000 and over half those<br />
organisations have an annual income of less<br />
than £25,000. In terms of legal form - 41% of those<br />
25,000 organisations are unincorporated, only<br />
26% are incorporated (SCIO) and the remaining<br />
33% are a combination of companies, trusts,<br />
community benefits societies etc.<br />
Unincorporated organisations carry a risk in<br />
terms of liability, and many are considering<br />
moving to incorporated legal form with good<br />
reason – see Morton Frasers (Lawyers) insight<br />
into the subject: Unincorporated associations -<br />
the facts | Morton Fraser Lawyers | Edinburgh<br />
and Glasgow (morton-fraser.com)<br />
To summarise then, a significant number of<br />
unincorporated organisations with limited<br />
annual income which is potentially very close to<br />
their annual expenditure are leaving little room<br />
for unexpected financial challenges that may<br />
come along.<br />
In a time of more predicable challenges such<br />
as the cost of living crisis, real living wage/fair<br />
living wage requirements, volunteer shortages<br />
and fatigue, it is becoming more and more<br />
important for smaller organisations to be as<br />
robust as possible to ensure the long term future<br />
of their organisation.<br />
A key factor in ensuring the longevity and<br />
sustainability of any organisation is planning –<br />
does your organisation have a business plan<br />
(sometimes called a strategic plan) that projects<br />
the organisations aims in the short, medium<br />
and long term? If it exists, does it include plans<br />
to review your current legal form to ensure it is<br />
fit for purpose, your existing governance, your<br />
policy & procedure, does it identify any gaps<br />
that could be addressed in this area and a plan<br />
for how to do so?<br />
As part of the planning process, is financial<br />
planning a strong feature? Does your financial<br />
planning include the build-up of reserves
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 19<br />
including potential reserves for the future<br />
replacement of big ticket items such as heating<br />
systems and any major refurbishment of key<br />
assets that may be required? Does your<br />
financial planning consider any significant<br />
changes such as accommodating the real<br />
living wage, increases in utilities costs or the<br />
move to governments drive towards Net Zero for<br />
example? Does your organisation have a strong<br />
understanding of how many months running<br />
costs it has and why it’s important to understand<br />
this factor? Are you analysing income streams,<br />
income and expenditure projections and<br />
cashflow with a view to building a strategy<br />
which may include grant funding to address<br />
any gaps? With a strong understanding of these<br />
elements in hand, do you have a grant funding<br />
strategy? Do you have a cashflow forecast<br />
which is regularly reviewed and updated to<br />
identify any potential pinch points so that your<br />
organisation can address them proactively?<br />
If your organisation can say yes to the majority<br />
of these questions, then you can safely say<br />
that your organisation is in a strong position for<br />
the future – well done. If you do not currently<br />
consider these elements then <strong>AVA</strong> can provide<br />
guidance and support to help you build your<br />
business, financial and forecasting plans to give<br />
you greater confidence in your organisation’s<br />
sustainability. We cannot recommend getting<br />
in contact with us enough, as soon as possible,<br />
even if you feel your organisation is in a<br />
strong position - too often, as a result of these<br />
challenging times, organisations get in touch<br />
when it’s too late to make any significant<br />
changes.<br />
If you would like support in any of these areas<br />
please email us enquiries@avashire.org.uk<br />
or complete a Support Request Form on our<br />
website here.<br />
*OSCR Sector Overview Report - OSCR | Sector<br />
Overview
Thrive<br />
on-line training<br />
E-Learning Hub for groups, clubs and<br />
organisations in Aberdeenshire.<br />
NOW FREE FOR<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> MEMBERS<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> offers both members and nonmembers<br />
access to the Highland<br />
and Island e-learning platform.<br />
And <strong>AVA</strong> members can now access one<br />
free E-Learning user licence per member<br />
organisation!<br />
This online training resource offers over<br />
40 courses which are grouped into topic<br />
areas such as Workplace Development,<br />
Compliance, Finance, Communications,<br />
Wellbeing, Self Management and IT Skills.<br />
The topics covered span a wide variety<br />
of subjects that are suitable for your work<br />
colleagues, including your volunteers.<br />
The online training courses are designed to<br />
be fully intuitive and easy to use. Learners<br />
can navigate the system simply. You can<br />
track and report on your own or you team’s<br />
progress. It allows you to quickly see who<br />
has completed courses, set deadlines and<br />
create reports. As a manager it is easy to<br />
find out how many users need to finish a<br />
module, their score percentage and much<br />
more.<br />
self-management<br />
communications<br />
IT skills<br />
compliance<br />
finance<br />
workplace development<br />
Sign up here<br />
wellbeing<br />
H<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> can offer one free E-Learning user<br />
licence per member organisation. Cost<br />
for any additional licences will be £40 for<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Members and £75 for non-members.<br />
Organisations are free to buy as many<br />
licences as needed. A free trial period<br />
can also be arranged. Please contact<br />
Training@avashire.org.uk for more<br />
information or complete the online user<br />
licence application by filling out the form<br />
here: https://tinyurl.com/vpjm3zy5
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 21<br />
Children & Families|<br />
HENRY in Aberdeenshire!<br />
Shona Reynolds<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Development<br />
Officer specialising<br />
in Children & Families<br />
Shona.Reynolds@avashire.org.uk<br />
HENRY provides families with a range of<br />
support to help achieve a healthy lifestyle.<br />
The Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care<br />
Partnership are working together with Home-<br />
Start North East Aberdeenshire to deliver HENRY<br />
Healthy Families - Right from the Start.<br />
Everyone wants the best for their children, but<br />
with so much conflicting advice it can be hard<br />
to know what to do for the best as a parent.<br />
Therefore, trained and accredited HENRY<br />
facilitators are able to provide evidence-based<br />
information through their HENRY programmes.<br />
The HENRY approach focuses on changing<br />
behaviour, helping to build confidence,<br />
knowledge and skills the whole family can<br />
adopt. They include topics such as healthy<br />
eating, portion sizes, age-appropriate activity<br />
ideas, understanding children’s behaviour, and<br />
much more.<br />
From May 2022 to March 23 HENRY had 35<br />
parents/carers complete the 8-week course,<br />
and below is some feedback:<br />
Parent A: “Really good, interesting course. The<br />
little bag of stuff you get is amazing. It’s great<br />
knowing that they’re always there if you needed<br />
anything. “<br />
Parent B: “It was great seeing a different<br />
approach to food and healthy living. Our<br />
bedtime routine is more consistent.”<br />
This FREE programme is available to families<br />
with children aged 0-5 years that live in<br />
Aberdeenshire and are able to commit to the<br />
8-week programme - self referral by the family is<br />
encouraged. They are now booking both online<br />
and face to face groups as well as a range of<br />
1-2 hour workshops taster sessions till the end of<br />
the year.<br />
To refer any families, receive further information<br />
about the workshops or to request a HENRY<br />
information session for your staff/service please<br />
contact: gram.henryaberdeenshire@nhs.scot.<br />
Find out more about HENRY on the website here.
22 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Mental Health & Wellbeing|<br />
Planning the 2024 Aberdeenshire<br />
Wellbeing Festival<br />
Planning is underway for the 2024 Aberdeenshire<br />
Wellbeing Festival! The Festival will run for the<br />
whole month of May, giving you lots of time to<br />
attend the fantastic activities on offer.<br />
The Aberdeenshire Wellbeing Festival is an annual<br />
event which brings together communities through<br />
activities that promote and support good mental<br />
health and wellbeing. This year there were lots of<br />
face-to-face activities as well as some online ones<br />
making the festival as accessible as possible.<br />
The events really are for everyone and they range<br />
from workshops to help reduce stress in the build up to<br />
exams for youngsters to health walks, creative cafes.<br />
singing groups, relaxation events, health and lifestyle<br />
checks, poetry, cancer support and lots more. Have<br />
a look at the <strong>2023</strong> brochure of events here to see the<br />
range of activities involved.<br />
Heather McKay<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Development Officer<br />
specialising in Mental Health<br />
& Wellbeing<br />
Heather.McKay@avashire.org.uk<br />
Many of our Aberdeenshire third sector organisations<br />
are involved with delivering sessions for the festival, so<br />
if you are interested in getting involved, contact the<br />
Public Health team. You can reach them at gram.<br />
shirepublichealthadmin@nhs.scot and they can add<br />
you to their distribution list for further information.
24 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Member Spotlight|<br />
Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol<br />
& Drugs<br />
As part of my specialism, I have the<br />
privilege of offering advice if required<br />
to this fabulous organisation and had<br />
the opportunity to meet with Carly and Katie<br />
to learn more of their amazing work they do<br />
throughout Aberdeenshire.<br />
Sharon Francis<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Development Officer<br />
specialising in Supporting<br />
Independent Living<br />
Sharon.Francis@avashire.org.uk<br />
In the words of SFAD, please find out more<br />
about the fantastic work they do and how they<br />
strive to make a difference in families lives within<br />
Aberdeenshire.<br />
Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and<br />
Drugs is a national charity that supports families<br />
affected by someone else’s substance use in<br />
Scotland. Through national and local support<br />
services, raising awareness, and advocating for<br />
change, they are dedicated to supporting and<br />
empowering families across Scotland. SFAD<br />
was established in 2003 by family members<br />
themselves who came together<br />
to support each other and to<br />
campaign for recognition. They<br />
are recognised as Scotland’s<br />
leading charity for families<br />
affected by alcohol and drugs,<br />
and each year they support<br />
family members from all 32<br />
council areas of Scotland and<br />
from all walks of life.<br />
Families are at the heart of<br />
everything SFAD do. Their<br />
relationship-based practice with<br />
families focuses on trust, respect,<br />
compassion and time. They meet each family<br />
member where they are and work with them at<br />
their own pace.<br />
SFAD know that families affected by someone<br />
else’s substance use are often unsupported,<br />
excluded, isolated and judged by others. Many
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 25<br />
thoughts and feelings, and helps them<br />
to come up with ideas and solutions to<br />
move forward. Common topics include<br />
improving communication, setting<br />
boundaries, and looking after yourself.<br />
They facilitate an online family support<br />
group every fortnight for any adult<br />
who is affected by someone else’s<br />
substance use. During group sessions<br />
they host an array of different sessions<br />
to suit all needs whether that be selfcare,<br />
arts and crafts and time to talk<br />
sessions as well as sessions provided<br />
by external agencies. There are also<br />
various in-person family support groups<br />
running regularly across Aberdeenshire.<br />
Photo: Sharon with Katie Summers and Carly Patterson.<br />
do not feel able to talk to anyone about what is<br />
going on, due to the secrecy, shame and stigma<br />
of alcohol and drug harm in families. SFAD’s role is<br />
to support and empower them to discover the skills<br />
they have and to help them to see that they can<br />
make choices and move forward in a positive way.<br />
The Aberdeenshire Family Support Service offers<br />
support to anyone over the age of 16 in Aberdeenshire<br />
who is affected by someone else’s substance use.<br />
Team members here are Carly Patterson and Katie<br />
Summers.<br />
They currently offer one-to-one support, group<br />
support, CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and<br />
Family Training), access to naloxone, and support to<br />
access bereavement counselling.<br />
The team offers time and space to explore the issues<br />
affecting family members, lets them express their<br />
Other supports include access to<br />
bereavement counselling, where if you<br />
have lost someone who used alcohol<br />
or drugs, their bereavement service is<br />
available where they can chat and<br />
offer information, including arranging<br />
free counselling sessions with a local<br />
accredited counsellor. SFAD also<br />
provide a naloxone ‘Click and Deliver’<br />
service where they can provide<br />
naloxone directly to anyone living in<br />
Scotland over the age of 16. Naloxone<br />
is a drug that can reverse the effects<br />
of opioid drugs like heroin, methadone,<br />
opium, codeine, morphine and<br />
buprenorphine. You can order a kit on<br />
the SFAD website here.<br />
SFAD accept both self-referrals and<br />
professional referrals. For anyone<br />
referring themselves for support, please<br />
get in touch at aberdeenshirefamilies@<br />
sfad.org.uk or on 01339 336056. You<br />
can get in touch with them using their<br />
webchat at www.sfad.org.uk and<br />
they are also available on Facebook.<br />
Professionals can make referrals by<br />
filling out the online referral form here.
26 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Magpie|<br />
The Circular Communities Scotland<br />
Conference <strong>2023</strong><br />
Magpie Manager, Marie-Anne Brown attended<br />
the annual Circular Communities Scotland<br />
conference at the Radison Blu in Glasgow in<br />
November and what a fantastic event it was.<br />
The conference aimed to celebrate amazing<br />
examples of partnership working that show the<br />
strength and power that comes with cooperating<br />
for a greater cause, and as always, showcased their<br />
members’ incredible work in Scotland’s circular third<br />
sector.<br />
Photo: Laura McNeil from GRA speaking about<br />
The Bikery.<br />
Marie-Anne Brown<br />
Magpie Manager<br />
Magpie@avashire.org.uk<br />
www.magpieshops.org.uk<br />
The speakers were really interesting and spoke<br />
so passionately about the circular economy and<br />
reuse. Speakers included Lorna Slater MSP, Dr Jane<br />
Beasely from Zero Waste Scotland, and many others<br />
including <strong>AVA</strong> members, Gordon Rural Action where<br />
Laura McNeil spoke about their Bikery and bike reuse<br />
in Aberdeen and Abereenshire. It’s certainly worth<br />
checking out what they are doing over in Huntly with<br />
bikes and their partnership working with Stella’s Voice<br />
and the Cylce Hub.<br />
Another interesting speaker was Laura Young, or<br />
some may know her better as “lesswastelaura”, on<br />
her campaign to have single use vapes banned due<br />
to the huge impact they have on the environment<br />
and everyday living. Laura is an award-winning<br />
climate activist, environmental scientist, and ethical<br />
influencer and she started, and continues to lead,<br />
the campaign to see single-use disposable vapes<br />
banned across Scotland and the UK. This work has<br />
been nominated for a Holyrood Climate Action<br />
award, and has led the Scottish Government to<br />
launch a consultation on the issue. You can read<br />
more about the campaign here.<br />
It was great to take part in some very good break out<br />
rooms with Zero Waste Scotland and CCS - all very<br />
interesting and Marie-Anne came away with lots of<br />
ideas and thoughts for the future of Magpie and<br />
the reuse sector. Oh and the event was hosted by<br />
Heather From The Weather, Dr Heather Reid OBE!
second hand<br />
furniture<br />
electricals<br />
homeware<br />
bric-a-brac<br />
white goods<br />
clothes<br />
vinyl<br />
& loads more...<br />
Tillybrake Industrial Estate, Banchory AB31 5UN<br />
Tel: 01330 823800 www.magpieshops.org.uk<br />
magpieshops OPEN MON-SAT 9-4<br />
Scottish Charity Number: SC014223 Company Number: SC137343
28 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Social Enteprise|<br />
Supporting Social<br />
Enterprises in<br />
Aberdeenshire<br />
Photo:<br />
Gloria Malcolm and<br />
Aileen Longino at the<br />
Elevator UK Transform<br />
Business Festival at<br />
Aberdeen Science Centre.<br />
Aileen Longino<br />
<strong>AVA</strong> Development Officer<br />
specialising in Social Enterprise<br />
Aileen.Longino@avashire.org.uk<br />
Our Social Enterprise specialist, Aileen<br />
Longino has been out and about at<br />
several events recently with another<br />
couple coming up. Aileen attended the<br />
Foundation Scotland - Vattenfall Unlock the<br />
Future event where she talked about <strong>AVA</strong>.<br />
She also recently spoke at Social Investment<br />
Scotland Funding Social Event at Aberdeen<br />
Foyer and was at the Social Investment Scotland<br />
Leading an Impact Economy day on the 1st<br />
November at Aberdeen Arts Centre. Aileen is<br />
delighted to be asked to be involved at these<br />
events, meeting many new and familiar faces.<br />
On the 14th November she represented <strong>AVA</strong><br />
at the Elevator UK Transform Business Festival at<br />
the Aberdeen Science Centre with colleague<br />
Gloria Malcolm who specialises in Funding and<br />
Business Planning, where they had some great<br />
chats with people from the city and shire about<br />
social enterprises, business planning and all<br />
things <strong>AVA</strong>.<br />
Following on from her August Social Enterprise<br />
Forum which focused on the Circular Economy,<br />
Aileen has also been chatting with Aberdeenshire<br />
Council’s new Circular Economy Business<br />
Officer, Murray Wallace. Murray is encouraging<br />
local businesses to take a circular approach to<br />
identify savings into their business approaches.<br />
This involves working with businesses, third sector<br />
organisations and contractors to reduce the<br />
amount of waste generated consigned to<br />
landfill, reduce consumption, reuse items and<br />
recycle.<br />
We hope to work with Murray along with <strong>AVA</strong>’s<br />
social enterprise, Magpie, and other social<br />
enterprises and third sector organisations to<br />
explore and establish a working model that<br />
allows items from businesses to be passed<br />
onto the third sector, where appropriate, and<br />
therefore avoiding landfill. We will of course,<br />
keep you posted on any developments.<br />
As usual if you have an idea that you think might<br />
be a social enterprise and you want to talk it<br />
through or if you are an existing social enterprise<br />
needing support on your legal entity or other<br />
queries please don’t hesitate to contact aileen.<br />
longino@avashire.org.uk who, as always, will be<br />
very happy to help.
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 29<br />
Photo: Young@Heart Deeside, Aboyne.<br />
<strong>AVA</strong>’s Aberdeenshire Warm Spaces Map is back at:<br />
www.avashire.org.uk/warm-spaces-aberdeenshire<br />
As the temperatures start to fall and people still struggle to heat<br />
their homes many communities across Aberdeenshire are setting<br />
up Warm Spaces again, to encourage people to stay cosy and<br />
connect with others in their community. These are free, welcoming<br />
spaces for people of all ages to have a blether, play a board game,<br />
read the paper, and keep warm over a cup of coffee or a bowl<br />
of soup. All sorts of venues are offering warm spaces in<br />
Aberdeenshire such as local libraries, halls, community<br />
centres or churches and here at <strong>AVA</strong> we are<br />
capturing all these wonderful spaces in one place.<br />
We launched our Warm Spaces interactive map<br />
last year and we have brought it back this year<br />
to show you exactly where and when in your<br />
community these warm spaces are happening,,<br />
how frequently and what’s on offer.<br />
If you know of a Warm Space that’s open to the<br />
public in Aberdeenshire, whether a new addition or<br />
one continuing from last year, please let us know by<br />
filling in this form.<br />
For further support with setting up a Warm Space in Aberdeenshire,<br />
contact Aileen Longino, our Development Officer at: Aileen.Longino@<br />
avashire.org.uk or call: 07824 096531. Thank you!
30 <strong>AVA</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Support|OSCR’s Top Tips on what<br />
makes a good, well-managed<br />
Charity<br />
In this video, recorded at The Gathering <strong>2023</strong>,<br />
Martin Tyson (OSCR’s Head of Regulation<br />
& Improvement) and Neil Edwards (OSCR<br />
Casework & SRQ Manager) share their top tips<br />
on what makes a good, well-managed charity<br />
and how trustees can effectively deal with<br />
some of the difficulties that often arise when<br />
managing a charity.<br />
The video explains more about:<br />
• What kind of behaviours help the charity’s<br />
trustees and board to work effectively<br />
• The behaviours or actions that can prove<br />
counter-productive or difficult to manage<br />
• The idea of collective responsibility and<br />
ensuring all trustees are fully involved in<br />
managing the charity<br />
• Case study examples with learning points for<br />
charity trustees<br />
• Key areas charity trustees can focus on to<br />
improve their organisation’s governance<br />
If you would like some advice on<br />
Governance and the effective running of<br />
your organisation, contact <strong>AVA</strong>’s specialist<br />
Development Officer, Rhona Davidson at:<br />
Rhona.Davidson@avashire.org.uk
<strong>AVA</strong> |<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 31<br />
H<br />
Read previous editions<br />
Read previous editions<br />
of the <strong>AVA</strong> newsletters,<br />
bulletins and magazines<br />
on our website at:<br />
www.avashire.org.uk<br />
If you’re an <strong>AVA</strong> member and<br />
would like to contribute to future<br />
magazines, please get in touch<br />
with us at:<br />
newsletter@avashire.org.uk<br />
Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action is a charitable company<br />
limited by guarantee. Company number: SC137343.<br />
Scottish Charity Number: SC014223<br />
Registered office: 45 Queens Road, Aberdeen, AB15 4ZN<br />
Tel: 03718 110008<br />
Email: enquiries@avashire.org.uk<br />
Website: www.avashire.org.uk<br />
Follow us on Facebook<br />
AberdeenshireVoluntary Action1<br />
Twitter @<strong>AVA</strong>Shire Instagram @magpieshops<br />
YouTube <strong>AVA</strong> Shire<br />
We want to hear from you!<br />
Give us feedback, suggestions,<br />
whatever - fill in our form here.<br />
www.avashire.org.uk