Enabling, Facilitating, Championing

VASLan is delighted to announce the appointment of Lauren McKechnie as Chairperson of its Board of Trustees.

Lauren officially joined the team as Chairperson on Friday, 3rd March 2023.

Lauren McKechnie said: “It’s a wonderful genuine privilege and honour to be appointed as Chairperson. It’s a wonderful organisation that I previously worked with throughout my career. To be part of the Board and to sit as the Chairperson of the Board is an honour.”

On Friday, 3^rd March 2023, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Teresa Robertson as VASLan’s new Trustee.

Teresa Robertson will bring new insights and expertise to the leadership of VASLan.

Teresa Robertson said: “I’m absolutely delighted and honoured to be. The organisation, for me, is very much aligned. There’s the internal passion of always helping people.”

Following the Third Sector Locality Networks launch in September, VASLan is looking to identify organisations in the Cambuslang and Rutherglen; and Hamilton, Larkhall and Blantyre localities interested in leading the planning and facilitation of future events in their locality. 

The South Lanarkshire Social Enterprise Network (SLSEN) meeting continues in January. This time, the networking meeting was held in EK Collective, a warm and friendly workspace and social enterprise in East Kilbride. We invited and brought together social enterprises across South Lanarkshire to develop ideas, discuss challenges and opportunities, and make plans for the future.

In the current climate, third sector organisations need to have the key to creating successful funding applications. Our training sessions aim to enhance the ability of third sector organisations teams with sufficient skills, knowledge, and confidence to develop their funding applications.

By the end of this session, you should be able to:

2022 has been a year of changes, transformations, growth and accomplishments. A year-in-review is a flashback to what has occurred in the past year and what we have learned. We have collected a few events from each month throughout 2022, ranging from Organisation Spotlight, event highlights, and some progress of VASLan internal projects. And the new year is a time to step forward!

Season's Greetings!

We would like to let you know that VASLan staff will be taking days off throughout the festive season. Our office and phone-line will be closed on Thursday, 22^nd December 2022 at 5.00 pm.

We will be back up to speed on Wednesday, 4^th January 2023 at 9.00 am.

VASLan has today been accredited as a Living Wage employer. The Living Wage commitment re-affirms that everyone working at VASLan will continue to receive a minimum hourly wage of £10.90 per hour. This Living Wage rate was announced on Thursday, 22nd September 2022. This rate is significantly higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £9.50 per hour (from 1 April 2022).

On Wednesday the 30th of November, VASLan had the inaugural meeting of the South Lanarkshire Social Enterprise Network. It has been a long time coming and we look forward to events in the future. The network will be a valuable vehicle for progress and growth across South Lanarkshire. 

Thank you to all the finalists and winners of the 2022 VASLan Third Sector Awards who were present at VASLan AGM to accept the trophy and certificates. Congratulations once again for all the finalists and winners on your accomplishments and continued commitment to serving the community in South Lanarkshire.

You are all such an inspiration!