Social Enterprise Scotland has launched the Festive Gift Guide 2025, an online, curated collection of gifts from its members. Organised by category, gifts and items available include sweet treats creating meaningful employment, experiences designed to improve wellbeing and mental health, sustainably and ethically crafted bookmarks, and ways to “pay it forward”, amongst others.
News
Volunteer Opportunity: Re-engage Telephone Befrienders
Telephone Befrienders are matched to an older person for a weekly or fortnightly chat. Conversations can be about anything and everything and take place from the comfort of the volunteer’s own home, scheduled at a time that suits them. There will be an online induction session with video, and full onboarding training. Each volunteer will have a named contact at Re-engage for support.
Volunteer Opportunity: Active Schools Sports Coaches
Active Schools is looking for volunteers aged 14 years old and over to support its ASN and Disability Sport Sessions as sports coaches.
Leathersellers’ Foundation Small Grants Programme
The Leathersellers’ Foundation will reopen its Small Grants Programme at 10am on Monday 15 December 2025. This rolling fund offers one-off grants of up to £5,000 for charities supporting vulnerable people in areas of high deprivation across the UK. Applicants must be registered charities with an annual income under £200,000. Please note: each application window closes after 40 submissions, and demand is extremely high – the November round filled in under 30 minutes.
Hedley Foundation Grants
The Hedley Foundation offers grants to smaller UK-registered charities supporting vulnerable groups through 4 key categories of social need. Grants range from £250 – £5,000, with occasional awards up to £25,000. The next deadline is Wednesday 10 December 2025 for the meeting on Wednesday 21 January 2026.
W.G. Edwards Charitable Foundation
The W.G. Edwards Charitable Foundation is an independent grant-making charity which assists with the provision of care for people aged over 65 years old. Applications will open for one week on Monday 8 December 2025, and close on Friday 12 December 2025.
Big Give Christmas Campaign 2025
The Big Give has launched its Christmas Challenge, where groups and organisations registered on the Big Give platform can have every donation they receive doubled by match funding. The campaign begins at 12pm this coming Tuesday 2 December 2025, running for one week until 12pm on Tuesday 9 December 2025.
Bank of Scotland Empower Programme
Applications for the Empower Programme from the Bank of Scotland Foundation open on Monday 1 December 2025. Charities may apply for a 3 year grant of £150,000 (£50,000 per annum). Successful applicants will receive strategic support from Lloyds Banking Group colleagues. The deadline for applications is 12pm on Wednesday 10 December 2025.
Forth Valley Rape Crisis Centre Winter Open Day
Part of Forth Valley’s programme of events for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the Forth Valley Rape Crisis Centre will be holding its Winter Open Day on Tuesday 2 December 2025, 1pm – 4pm at the Centre, 22 Millar Place, Stirling, FK8 1XD.
Upcoming Third Sector Forum and Network Meetings
Our final third sector forum and network meetings of 2025 will take place over the next few weeks: Safer and Empowered Communities Forum: Wednesday 3 December 2025, 10am – 12pm, via Microsoft Teams; Health and Wellbeing Forum: Wednesday 10 December, 10am – 12pm, via Microsoft Teams.
