The Big Lottery Fund Scotland is investing over £400,000 in improving Scotland’s local voluntary sector support services.

Voluntary Action Scotland is to work in partnership with Quality Scotland to introduce a system of quality improvement within Scotland’s 32 third sector interfaces, thanks to a grant from the Big Lottery Fund Scotland.

The £419,648 grant aims to help the interfaces, which act as representatives for the voluntary sector within their local authority area, develop to take on new challenges including enhancing their roles within Community Planning Partnerships.

Scotland’s third sector interfaces perform a valuable role in supporting the voluntary sector

Quality Scotland will train them in the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model and will work with them to help them achieve accreditation.

The aim, at the end of the programme, is for the interfaces to have a formal quality mark and the tools to ensure that they continue to improve in the long-term.

It will help them to better understand what an excellent organisation looks like and how they can be a strong partner to support the local voluntary sector.

Big Lottery Fund Scotland director Jackie Killeen said: “Scotland’s third sector interfaces perform a valuable role in supporting the voluntary sector. This funding, from our Investing in Communities programme, will provide the support they need in order to achieve this European standard of recognition and continue to enhance the important work of the third sector at the local level.”