Debbie Shields, director at Aspen People, reflects on the benefits of partnership working and why she chose to extend her support to SCVO

Supporting the SCVO Charity Awards and The Gathering in 2023, it has prompted deeper reflection on how Aspen People can collaborative its efforts within the Scotland’s third sector.

It is easy for a business like Aspen to pay to sponsor an award or an event in a space that is relevant to them and their business – it is something we are often asked to do. This has always felt very transactional and that is not who we are or what we want to promote, we’re all about relationship building and partnership. 

So, I thought it was time to put my money where my mouth is and spoke to Ryan at SCVO about how we could work together to partner going forward.

Last year we were delighted to be one of the sponsors of the Charity Awards, the first time we’ve been involved, and we were the proud sponsors of the Employee of the Year category.

This was an amazing and emotional night that fills you with empowerment, leaving you invigorated and deeply passionate about the sector - truly wonderful to be involved. On reflection, it got me thinking about the meaning of true partnership. Beyond merely sponsoring an award and remaining passive until the next year, how can a company like Aspen truly collaborate with SCVO, actively support the sector, and enhance overall engagement?

The Gathering cemented this for me; a well organised and thoroughly attended event, every charity in Scotland was there in one capacity or another. The team and I had an amazing time and met so many brilliant people and caught up with our connections and colleagues. Conversation topics ranged from the on-going budget cuts and recruitment issues, notably individuals asked if we had any advice or could help. But when it was over, we felt that we wanted to do more and be more involved. 

Once we caught up with Ryan, he proposed a prolonged partnership involving increased interaction with the sector, leveraging our extensive experience in recruitment to provide assistance and support to both the sector overall and SCVO Members. It is important to us to invest in the space and support the third sector where we can.

It’s no secret that recruitment and retention is a huge challenge facing the sector and we thought our expertise in the executive and non-executive space could be helpful to SCVO members; giving them insights, ideas and access to our knowledge, experiences and a few hints and tips along the way. 

It was no-brainer for us to partner with SCVO and we are excited about working together. We are privileged to work with so many fantastic charities and people in the space already and we felt that SCVO were the perfect partner for us in the sector to widen our network and reach. 

Their work in TFN, Goodmoves, Trustee Service etc seemed like a perfect fit for us as a business. We’re looking forward to seeing what the partnership brings.

Aspen People are specialists in executive recruitment, working in partnership with clients to attract and secure exceptional leadership talent.

If you have any questions about the services offered, positions they can fill, or the vacancies that they currently have available, please email dshields@aspenpeople.co.uk or call 0141 212 7555.

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