The Scottish government has announced that it will develop a partnership agreement with the country’s voluntary organisations.
Announced yesterday, the devolved administration’s “third sector partnership” will be guided by some of the principles in the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations’ (SCVO) recently published manifesto.
The Scottish government said its partnership would include a focus on “fairer funding”, shared goals to improve outcomes for people and communities, and providing greater opportunity for charities to contribute to policy and service design.
It said it intends to work with voluntary organisations to develop and refine the agreement in the next Scottish parliament, subject to the outcome of the election in May.
The Scottish government is already delivering a fairer funding pilot of multi-year funding for charities worth more than £130m over 2025-2027 and committed £20m for third sector partners in its recent budget.
Scottish social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “This partnership will put our relationship with the third sector on a clear, principled footing, strengthening their voice and improving lives.
“It builds on our commitment to fairer funding and signals that we value the sector as an essential delivery partner and as an independent, strong voice that provides support for people across the country every single day.”
‘Public bodies overlook the voluntary sector too often’
Welcoming the announcement, Anna Fowlie, chief executive of the SCVO, said: “Voluntary organisations are at the heart of Scotland’s response to the biggest challenges we face. They make our communities better places to live.
“Too often, however, public bodies overlook the voluntary sector in planning, decision-making and delivery. That must change.
“To ensure that our sector is properly recognised as an essential partner, we need the right infrastructure in place – to support genuine partnership working between the voluntary and public sectors.
“Our manifesto sets out why a formalised relationship, set in law, would help achieve this. We welcome all commitments that move Scotland closer to achieving that goal and will engage constructively with their development.
“It is essential that any future scheme is properly resourced, and co-designed with the voluntary sector, so that it reflects, from the start, the experience, evidence and needs of Scotland’s essential sector.”
Last year, the UK government published the Civil Society Covenant, setting out its own plans to work in partnership with the sector.
