The annual celebration of Scotland's voluntary sector normally takes place in February at the SEC

The premier event for Scotland’s voluntary sector has been delayed until next year.

The Gathering brings charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups together to learn, share and celebrate the best of the voluntary sector.

The annual event traditionally takes place in February, and last year more than 3,000 attendees were at the SEC in Glasgow over two days to share knowledge and promote their work on a large scale.

However this year’s event has fallen to the coronavirus pandemic, with the SEC currently being used as the NHS Louisa Jordan Hospital to support Scotland’s response to the pandemic.

Organisers the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) have said the difficult decision was taken to cancel the event for this year as the prospect of holding large-scale events is off the table for the foreseeable future, however The Gathering will return for an extra-special celebration in 2022.

Anna Fowlie, chief executive of SCVO, said: “The Gathering is so important to everyone at SCVO. It is one of the highlights of the year, and not only gives us a chance to showcase the work of SCVO and the sector, but also a chance for representatives from all types of organisations to meet and learn from each other.

“Taking the decision not to host the event this year was difficult, however we feel that the magic of The Gathering centres around people coming together to learn, connect and reflect.

“Not being able to meet this year will make the event in 2022 even more special. In the meantime, we look forward to continuing to work with all of our partners through our expanding calendar of online events, networking and training courses.”