SCVO has been awarded lottery funding to help the voluntary sector respond to the Covid-19 crisis
A new support service for voluntary organisations across Scotland aimed at helping them to build back better is set to be created.
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has been awarded over £200,000 in funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.
The funding will be used to create an HR and Employment Support service, which will provide consistent and sector specific, employment support for the charity and voluntary sector thanks to a grant of £204,056. It will help to strengthen HR practice from the grassroots to large national charities at a time when the third sector’s role across society is #NeverMoreNeeded.
Since March 2020, SCVO has seen an increase demand for HR support through both their information service and coronavirus hub. Website traffic to the support section of the SCVO website increased by 1500% with a doubling of queries around employment law as well as requests for information about furlough, maintaining positive work culture, remote working and employee mental wellbeing.
Lorna Forrest, SCVO’s head of service delivery and improvement, said: “This funding means that here at SCVO we can now provide specific support, guidance and advice to Scotland’s third sector on queries around remote working, returning to premises, restructure, redundancy and supporting positive mental health for employees.
“We know that a strong third sector is key to a stable recovery from Covid-19 and thanks to support from The National Lottery Community Fund for our new HR and Employment support service we are now better equipped to help organisations of all sizes to cope during these difficult times.”
The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland chair, Kate Still, said: “Scotland’s voluntary sector is responding directly to the crisis, delivering key services to vulnerable people within the communities, at the same time it is facing immediate pressures to adapt working practice, review finances as well as support and manage staff in different ways. These changes have placed significant pressures on organisations, many of whom have no specific HR resources and are often led by a volunteer board.
“Thanks to funds raised by National Lottery players we are delighted to be able to support the provision of this new service from SCVO which will address that gaps for Scotland’s third sector and offer expert advice and guidance at a time a time when it is most needed.”
Across the country 257 groups are receiving awards worth over £5.5 million from The National Lottery Community Fund, Scotland for a range of activities, many of which will help people to support each other through the Covid-19 crisis and beyond.
