With the aim to provide information on sources of funding for organisations and community groups across South Lanarkshire, VASLan held a virtual Third Sector Forum on Tuesday 29th March. It’s the first event of 2022.

Attended by as many as 30 representatives of third sector organisations and community groups in South Lanarkshire, the webinar kicked off with an overview of the VASLan Managed Fund.  It is a form of funding that is administered and distributed by VASLan on behalf of our partners or the Scottish Government.

“It’s a grown recognition that the sector is the best place that understands the needs in the communities. As a Third Sector Interface, we are here to facilitate and we are seeing more and more requests to manage a fund,” said Tina Cameron, VASLan Development Lead.

Let’s take a look in more detail at the 4 different funds that we currently have.

Integrated Care Fund (ICF)

The Integrated Care Fund (ICF) has been available in South Lanarkshire since 2016. The latest ICF applications to the Third Sector were opened on the 6th of January 2021, applicants were able to request up to 2-year funding. The total available funding is £650,000 per year over 2 years totalling £1.3 Million. All applications are assessed by the partnership a grant recommendation panel drawn from representatives of the Health and Social care Partnership, the third sector and the independent sector. The ICF will likely open for new applications in early 2023. More details will be provided nearer the time.

Community-Based Adult Learning (CBAL) Recovery Fund 2021/22

The Community-Based Adult Learning fund was distributed at the end of last year and must be spent by the end of this financial year. The fund is aimed to reduce barriers to learning and isolation for adult learners that have been caused by COVID-19. In South Lanarkshire, we formed a local partnership to help improve the engagement of adult learners in community-based learning activities. We worked with South Lanarkshire Council’s Youth, Family & Community Learning Service, South Lanarkshire Leisure & Culture, and a range of Third Sector partners to coordinate and deliver learning based on our assessment of local needs, targeting those experiencing significant barriers to learning, life and work. We looked to address the negative impacts associated with extended periods of isolation, lack of participation in normal activities, and learning loss experienced during the pandemic.

Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund (CMHWF)

It is a Scottish Government fund to support initiatives that promote mental health and well-being at a small scale, grassroots, community level. CMHWF applications to the Third Sector were opened in November 2021, applicants were able to request up to 2-year funding. Halfway through the journey, the total available funding increased from £888,000 to £1,058,983. Ongoing assessment of all the applications was done via a two-panel meeting every fortnight to assess all applications. The fund is full distribution by the 31^st of March 2022 with the potential of new funds later this year.

Building and Celebrating Communities (BCC) Fund

The Building and Celebrating Communities (BCC) programme is based on the principles of Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD). It challenges the wider traditional approaches that try to solve urban and rural development challenges by focusing on the needs and deficiencies of individuals, and communities. The principles demonstrate that people, local assets, and individual strengths are keys to ensuring sustainable community development and that people have a life of their choosing. VASLan (Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire) would like to invite applications from organisations and community groups across South Lanarkshire to apply for the small grant scheme Building and Celebrating Communities (BCC) programme. More details will be available soon.

If you missed the session, don’t worry! Below, you can find access to the full webinar recording and the presentation slides online.

Presentation slides can be accessed here

£10,000 Grant is Available to Organise the Locality Network in South Lanarkshire

The Third Sector Forum Event is about to get better. And we need your help!

Held quarterly in each of four localities in South Lanarkshire – (Clydesdale, Rutherglen & Cambuslang, East Kilbride & Strathaven and Hamilton, Larkhall & Blantyre) – Third Sector Forum (TSF) has been running since 2015. It is arranged and facilitated by Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire (VASLan) and has been a great platform for the third sector in South Lanarkshire to share ideas and influence public policy, as well as address local needs, encourage creativity and celebrate the contribution of the third sector.

In order to improve engagement in the sector, provide ownership, and drive the local agenda of the event-specific to each locality, VASLan seek to enhance and restructure the agenda to locality network events which will be driven locally by third sector organisations in each locality. A sum of £10,000 will be provided to each successful organisation or partnership to take the role in leading the Third Sector Forum.

Please take time to read the full proposal below:

THIRD SECTOR FORUM: THE PROPOSAL

Register your interest, complete, and submit the online application form below by Friday, 1^st April. Successful organisation or partnership for each locality will be decided by an independent panel and notified by Friday, 29^th April.

APPLICATION FORM

Social Enterprise Network is Officially Launched

We are delighted to announce that the South Lanarkshire Social Enterprise Network (SLSEN) has officially launched. The SLSEN is a membership network of South Lanarkshire social enterprise leaders who believe that social enterprise can transform the economic, environmental, social, and cultural life of South Lanarkshire. By supporting, promoting, and developing social enterprise, we aim to create an environment in South Lanarkshire in which social enterprise are able to flourish.

Get in touch with us to get more information!

• Facebook: @socialenterprisesouthlan
• Instagram: @southlansen
• Twitter: @socialentslan
• Email: socialenterprise@vaslan.org.uk

E3 Community Enterprise Hubs

The brand new E3 hubs, based in Lanark and Blantyre, aim to provide free support, specialist training and business guidance across the local authority area. The E3 project (Elevator Entrepreneurial Ecosystem) is delivered by social enterprise Elevator UK and supported by South Lanarkshire Council thanks to the UK Community Renewal Fund (CRF), which aims to support people and communities across the UK. There will be an in-person networking session at the Blantyre Hub on Friday the 27th of May at 10am. Find out more information and register for free support with E3.

http://www.e3hub.org/