SLCVO

This week's blog looks at the practical steps involved in setting up a community organisation. While each structure has its own requirements, the process is largely the same regardless of whether you choose a SCIO, CIC, Company Limited by Guarantee, Co-operative or Unincorporated Association. Step 1: Start With Purpose, Not Paperwork One of the most common mistakes new groups make is focusing on legal structures too early. Before you think about constitutions, regulators, o

This week's blog looks at how to identify and evidence community need, understand who will benefit from your work, define your organisation's purpose and outcomes, plan activities that deliver public or community benefit, and demonstrate the impact your organisation hopes to achieve. Over the past few months, we have received a growing number of enquiries from people interested in setting up community organisations. These have ranged from groups looking to purchase public b

This week's blog explores what a community group is, how community organisations differ from the public and private sectors, the range of legal structures and operating models available. Community groups are at the heart of local life. They run village halls, support older people, organise sports activities, protect community assets, deliver local services and help tackle social challenges. They are often created by local people who want to make a positive difference in the

This week’s blog shares highlights from across the team, alongside a look at three key themes: why governance structures matter, the relationship between boards and sub‑groups and how to get the balance right, and the importance of making meetings matter to ensure time is used effectively and groups can focus on delivering impact. Team Update This week has been quite busy for Jo‑Anne, with Michelle unexpectedly having to take some time off, resulting in a whirlwind of meeting

This weeks blog brings together practical guidance for community groups and social enterprises, covering charity trading, starting a social enterprise, funding options in Scotland, and support programmes like Just Enterprise. It also explains the key differences between charities and Community Interest Companies (CICs), helping groups understand their options and decide which structure is right for their purpose, plans, and capacity. Team Update This week was busy with a mix

This week we explore how to get involved in volunteering, what a group needs to consider when changing their governing documents, and take a look at support for village halls including SCVO’s Village & Community Halls Handbook and OSCR's guidance. This week, the SLCVO team was working at around 50% capacity as Jo‑Anne was off ill for three days. When she was working, Jo‑Anne supported a couple of groups looking to update their governing documents and met with a couple of peop

In this week’s blog, we’re sharing a round‑up of key activity across SLCVO, including team highlights, our latest performance statistics, an update from the ‘Gaps in Services’ workshop held in November, and a short introduction to governing documents Third Sector Support Services On Wednesday, Michelle hosted the second Reduce, Recycle, Reuse event, bringing together a range of community groups to explore actions in more depth and establish a working group to take forward th