PRESS RELEASE – VOLUNTARY ACTION SHETLAND – ANNUAL REPORT 24/25
On behalf of Voluntary Action Shetland’s board and following on from their Annual General Meeting in Aug 25, the Executive Officer of Voluntary Action Shetland, Lynn Tulloch is delighted to present their annual report for 24/25
Voluntary Action Shetland (VAS) is Shetland’s Third Sector Interface. VAS provides a single point of access for support and advice for the Third Sector within Shetland. The role and aim of VAS is:
- To be a Central Source of Knowledge - About the Third Sector locally
- To be the Voice – Ensuring a strong Third Sector Voice at strategic Level within Local and national planning
- To Build Capacity – Developing the capacity of volunteering, community and voluntary groups to achieve positive change
- To Connect – Providing leadership, vision and co-ordination for the local third sector to better respond to local priorities.
On reflection of the last 12 months Lynn Tulloch said “We have had continued increased demand for our VAS support and volunteering services with a steady increase in groups/organisations requesting help on a number of issues. Last year we engaged in a range of local partnerships, inputting into local plans and annual reports. It’s great to see increased collaborative working to support those in our community. VAS also provided input into the national consultation of PVG charges, and the outcome (of which we were delighted about) was that costs did not significantly rise and PVG’s will remain free of charge for volunteers. We also saw the introduction of new regulations for Charities to get to grips with, which always brings about additional enquiries for support”
“Both projects that sit under VAS have been busy, the Shetland Befriending Scheme supporting individuals on a one-to-one basis regularly and their group tea and cake sessions have been popular. Shetland Carers have been busy providing well deserved breaks for our local carers through the short break grants scheme and respitality initiative as well as providing information to carers through their quarterly newsletters”
The Chairperson of Voluntary Action Shetland Magnus Flaws said “We had 164 young people receiving Saltire Award certificates at our annual event in June 2024. It was wonderful that we were able to recognise their achievements and support organisations to help develop and enhance young people’s key life skills. We also saw increased numbers of local volunteers being nominated by those in our own communities for our local VAS Volunteering Awards: Peerie Trows and Willin Haands. These awards complement the Saltire Awards initiative to celebrate and recognise volunteering efforts locally. Its great to see such rich community spirit, and much of our local activities are so reliant on volunteers helping others in all manner of roles”
To read the full publication go online to: www.voluntaryactionshetland.com and find it under the resources and publications section.
Further information about Voluntary Action Shetland can also be found on Facebook, search for Voluntary Action Shetland.
To get in touch with Voluntary Action Shetland telephone: 01595 743900 or e-mail: [email protected]
