News

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.

WEA, Volunteer Glasgow, and Maths Week Scotland are offering a free development course for people who are volunteering or interested in volunteering in charity shops in Glasgow. The course takes place at the Volunteer Glasgow office, 10 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, G2 6LU, and runs for 2 hours each week, 10am – 12pm, on each Friday in February, beginning Friday 7th February. Spaces are limited, with only 12 available. The deadline for bookings is Monday 3rd February.

Kelvin Valley and Falkirk LEADER (KVFL) and Crowdfund Scotland have announced new local dates for their short workshop events in 2020: Tuesday 25th February, Kilsyth, Tuesday 5th May, Falkirk, and Tuesday 9th June, Kirkintilloch. The events aim to provide an overview of what crowdfunding is, as well as tips on getting started with a crowdfunding campaign.

Community Land Scotland, Scottish Government’s Community Land Team and the Community Ownership Support Service (COSS) are holding a training workshop on community land ownership on Thursday 13th February, 9:30am – 1pm. The workshop takes place at the CVS Falkirk office, Unit 6, Callendar Business Park, Callendar Road, Falkirk, FK1 1XR, and is open to third sector intermediary and support organisations working with communities (including community groups) in urban areas across Scotland. Attendees will receive an overview of the different routes to community ownership, and the support available to community groups.