News

Voluntary Health Scotland (VHS) has launched an online survey to help evaluate the Clear Pathway guidance. They are keen to hear from third sector organisations that actively recruit and engage volunteers in hospitals and other NHS settings – even those who are not familiar with the guidance. The deadline for responses is Friday 21st February.

Falkirk Funders Fayre exhibitors Community Shares Scotland, alongside their partners at Cooperatives Development Scotland and the Plunkett Foundation, are delivering a free workshop, “Community Owned Shops and Pubs: Making It Easy”, on Friday 13th March. The workshop takes place 10am – 4pm at the Norton Park Conference Centre, 57 Albion Road, Edinburgh, EH7 5QY, and aims to give groups in the early stages of community ownership the knowledge they need to get their projects moving. Speakers will cover fundraising, governance and engaging local communities.

The Third Sector Voluntary Sector Children’s Services Forum returns for 2020 on Thursday 27th February, 10am – 12pm at the CVS Falkirk office, Unit 6, Callendar Business Park, Callendar Road, Falkirk, FK1 1XR. The meeting will include a development session on the Integrated Children’s Services Plan.

The first 2020 meeting of the Third Sector Economic Resilience and Employment Forum will take place on Thursday 20th February, 10am – 12pm at the CVS Falkirk office, Unit 6, Callendar Business Park, Callendar Road, Falkirk FK1 1XR. Guests from Social Security Scotland will be in attendance to provide an update on their services.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has been working in partnership with the British Heart Foundation to provide communities across Scotland the opportunity to learn life-saving skills. All SFRS fire stations are equipped with CPR training kits, and each station will now act as a base for local people to learn CPR skills, potentially saving someone’s life should they go into cardiac arrest. Training sessions are free and last roughly 30 minutes, including a practical session using a resuscitation manikin.

This year’s Purple Friday will be Friday 28th February. Purple Friday takes place on the last Friday in February each year, providing an opportunity to show support for LGBTI equality and stand against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.

Forth Environment Link is holding their next Community Meal on Wednesday 19th February, 6pm – 7:30pm at their Falkirk office, 199A – 203 High Street, Falkirk, FK1 1DU. The event is free and open to everyone, though donations are welcome. There will be freshly prepared vegan food (including vegan sheperd’s pie and sticky toffee pudding alternatives), and the opportunity to meet new people within the local community.

Scottish Government’s Cyber Resilience Unit, Cyber Resilience Scotland, has organised the second Cyber Scotland Week campaign, running Monday 17th February – Sunday 23rd February. Cyber Scotland Week aims to raise awareness of good cyber resilience, showcase the innovative work being done across Scotland’s cyber sector, and promote careers in cyber security.

Social Security Scotland is holding a series of roadshows in advance of the Job Start Payment launch, with the Falkirk event taking place on Thursday 13th February, 10am – 12:30pm at the Forth Valley Sensory Centre, Redbrae Road, Camelon, FK1 4DD. The Job Start Payment (previously known as the Job Grant) is a new payment from Social Security Scotland to help young people with costs associated with the transition into employment, after a time out of paid work.