Inspiring Scotland

05/06/2026

As comes to a close, we’re saying a heartfelt thank you to all those who give their time, skills and expertise through Inspiring Scotland to support charities and the people they serve. From Intandem mentors to our Specialist Volunteers, your contribution makes a real difference. 🤝

Our Specialist Volunteers support organisations to deliver greater impact for the people and communities they serve. This year, we are delighted to celebrate four individuals who have reached significant milestones in their volunteering journeys.

Collectively, they have contributed 1,500 hours – equivalent to 42 weeks of full-time work – in free professional support through the Specialist Volunteer Network (SVN).

A special mention goes to Elaine Crichton, who previously worked with Inspiring Scotland on the SVN team. Now retired, Elaine continues to give her time and expertise so generously, embodying the very best of volunteering.

If you’re interested in using your skills to support Scotland’s third sector, find out more about becoming a Specialist Volunteer 👇

https://inspiringscotland.org.uk/specialist-volunteer-network/

And, if you’re interested in making a difference in the lives of children and young people, find out more about becoming an Intandem mentor 👇 https://www.intandem.scot/get-involved/become-a-mentor/

Image description:

Graphic with the text “Thank You, Volunteers” and “ ” in bold black lettering, accompanied by the Volunteers’ Week logo below. Colourful arrow shapes in pink, orange, and green point inward from the edges, creating a celebratory design on a white background.

02/06/2026

To mark the start of , we brought Specialist Volunteers and charities together in Edinburgh to celebrate the power of giving time, skills and expertise.

Our Specialist Volunteer Network connects professionals with Inspiring Scotland funded charities in need of specialist support, from legal advice and HR to communications, strategy, finance and more. Over the last year, this has translated into 1,507 hours of support across 758 different projects, helping charities strengthen governance, build resilience, and plan for the future.

We also highlighted our mentoring programme Intandem, showing how volunteering your time can benefit children and young people too.

Dave Close, CEO of Canongate Youth and former CEO of the Hot Chocolate Trust, emphasised the importance of thoughtful, collaborative giving:

“Here is where you can give a little that means a lot. Making your skills and experience available to charities like the Hot Chocolate Trust and Canongate Youth, not as a careless throwaway, or blithe for-the-cameras philanthropy, but attentively, in a relationship where you add your expertise to ours, listening to each other, working out the need and the action together and then really getting stuck in together. That is transformational.”

As our Chief Executive, Celia Tennant FRSA, reflected in her closing remarks, this is what it means to be a nation that gives — bringing together experience and expertise to strengthen charities and support communities to thrive.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and continues to give their time so generously, and to CMS Edinburgh for hosting!

Read more about the event in our latest news piece 👉 https://inspiringscotland.org.uk/news/a-nation-that-gives-inspiring-scotland-kicks-off-volunteers-week-with-our-specialist-volunteers/

Image Descriptions:
1: Three attendees sit side-by-side, listening to a speaker. They are facing slightly to the left, wearing name badges, and appear engaged in the discussion.

2: Hazel Crombie, Inspiring Scotland Corporate Partnership Manager, stands at a lectern, addressing the room. They are wearing a navy dress with a white blazer and have notes in front of them on a small table.

3: Two attendees are in conversation. One person in the foreground is wearing a name badge and glasses, while the other is turned slightly away.

4: Dave Close speaks at a lectern. Beside him, a presentation screen displays slides referencing his previous role at the Hot Chocolate Trust and the Specialist Volunteer Network support received.

5: Two Specialist Volunteer Network volunteers stand together for a photograph, each wearing a name badge. A screen in the background displays a welcome slide.

12/05/2026

In March 2026, 15 projects from Creative Communities Glasgow and Creative Communities Scotland came together to reflect on their shared learning and explore what it will take for a programme like Creative Communities to deliver impact at scale across Scotland.

The conversations highlighted four connected conditions for system‑level change:
🟣 A shared agenda recognising community‑led creativity as essential civic infrastructure
🟣 Better ways of measuring impact that reflect local context, wellbeing, and non‑linear change
🟣 Stronger support systems and communication, built around trust, clarity, and peer learning
🟣 Long‑term investment in resources and capacity for people, places and pathways

Together, participants emphasised the need to move from competition to collaboration, invest in long‑term, flexible funding, share learning honestly (including challenges), and amplify community voices to influence policy and practice nationally. These conditions would enable Creative Communities to strengthen local impact while contributing to wider prevention and wellbeing outcomes across Scotland.

The graphic below was captured live as a summary during the session. 🎨

[Image Description: Hand-drawn visual summary titled “Developing the Conditions for Change,” illustrating ideas around the collective impact of a programme like Creative Communities. The graphic is divided into sections: building a knowledge base and maximising potential; a “Collective Impact Framework” with shared agenda, infrastructure, resources, and capacity; and “Exploring Conditions,” highlighting collective voice, diverse representation, shared measurements, education and access, and supporting creativity. A lower section on “Cross-pollinating” shows collaboration, communication beyond local “bubbles,” and learning from others. The final section, “Closing Reflections,” emphasizes art as a tool for activism, learning, motivation, and building confidence and belief. The image uses colourful sketches, icons, and handwritten notes (e.g., arrows, stars, people, and tools) to convey collaboration and systemic change across organisations and communities.]

06/05/2026

1 in 5 women experience a perinatal mental health illness, such as anxiety or depression. It can affect anyone, at any stage of pregnancy or early parenthood, and accessing the right support can be life‑changing.

This Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re shining a light on our Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (PIMH) Fund and the third sector organisations making a real difference for families across Scotland.

Our 2025 national survey shows families most often seek support because of pre‑existing mental health conditions, loneliness and isolation, relationship or attachment challenges, postnatal anxiety, financial pressures, and other often complex and overlapping issues.

Through the PIMH Fund, 16 community‑based organisations provide vital, person-centred support during the perinatal period. From peer and parenting support to counselling and psychological care, they work with families at their own pace, building trust and responding to what matters most to them.

“I love Healthy Valleys 2026! I come to meet other mums like me and get the kids socialising. Everyone is so lovely and helpful. It has really helped get over my anxiety of leaving the house with the kids on my own.” - Parent supported by a PIMH-funded organisation

While demand is rising and services are under strain, we continue to see how third sector perinatal mental health support can change lives. Sustained investment is essential to unlock its full potential.

To help families, midwives and health visitors find support, the Scottish Government and Inspiring Scotland have created a Directory of Third Sector Perinatal Mental Health Services across Scotland, with over 100 organisations currently accepting referrals.

Explore the directory here: https://inspiringscotland.org.uk/perinatal-mental-health-services/

30/04/2026

We welcome the Government’s commitment to introduce social media restrictions for under‑16s through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill currently progressing through UK Parliament. 📲

At Inspiring Scotland, we believe tackling online harm affecting children and young people across Scotland needs to be a priority for everyone. With our partner Changing Ideas, we are working with a range of charities to find solutions – sharing research, convening conversations, accelerating campaigning, listening to those with direct experience, upskilling the workforce and bringing support to families, schools and communities.

Restrictions for children under-16 accessing social media are an important part in keeping children safe. However, there is more action which can, and must be done to mitigate against the risks of online harm. Alongside this, we must also invest in the environments that help children thrive offline – in schools, in the family home and through nurturing supportive communities with opportunities for physical activity and positive diversion. ⛹️‍♂️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

All children and young people deserve the chance to grow, play, explore and feel safe. We remain committed to tackling online harm and believe that we all share a responsibility to make that possible.

We will keep you up to date with our work in this area. Find out more about what we’ve done to date, visit ➡️ https://inspiringscotland.org.uk/latest/?_policy_areas=online-harm

[Image Description: The photograph shows an outdoor garden with raised beds filled with large green leaves and herbs. In the centre, an adult wearing a light blue hoodie stands among several children, gesturing toward the plants as if explaining or demonstrating something. The children form a loose circle, facing the plants and the adult, and appear to be listening and observing closely.]

28/04/2026

Nominations are now open for the Tenacious Campaigner Awards 2026 🏆

Our philanthropic partner Changing Ideas are looking to support campaigners to be more effective in achieving their goals, with award winners receiving £20k funding, tailored development support and access to a peer community of campaigners.

This year, they're particularly interested to hear from campaigners holding corporates to account where there is clear evidence of harm, campaigners working to prevent avoidable deaths, and campaigners based in Scotland.

⏳ Nominations close 15 May 2026.

Find out more here:

About the Campaigner Awards Nominations close: 15 May 2026The Tenacious Campaigner Awards are annual awards supporting campaigners to be more effective in achieving their goals. We believe determined campaigners can achieve significant impact for society, and we want to back them to have the greates...

27/04/2026

Our Thrive Outdoors team have been running practical training sessions for practitioners of outdoor play and learning, covering outdoor skills, loose parts, open-ended play and much more. 🤸☘️

They want to hear from those working in this space - your needs, interests, and what you'd most like from future CPD opportunities from the Thrive Outdoors programme at Inspiring Scotland.

Your responses will help inform the programme to ensure that it genuinely supports you and reflects what matters most to the communities, settings and organisations we support and work alongside.

Fill out the short survey here ➡️ https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8743037/Thrive-Outdoors-CPD-Survey-2026

Find out more about Thrive Outdoors CPD and upcoming events here ➡️ https://thriveoutdoors.org.uk/what-we-offer/continuing-professional-development/

As part of our commitment to providing high-quality CPD, we’re keen to hear from you. This brief survey asks about your needs, interests, and what you’d most like from future CPD opportunities from the Thrive Outdoors programme at Inspiring Scotland.

Your responses will help inform our programme to ensure that it genuinely supports you and reflects what matters most to the communities, settings and organisations we support and work alongside.

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8743037/Thrive-Outdoors-CPD-Survey-2026

The survey closes of Wednesday 6th May. We look forward to hearing from you and building a programme to support your practice.

22/04/2026

We’re welcoming several new team members to Inspiring Scotland this week, bringing a wealth of experience across our programmes and partnerships.

Susan Smith will lead our Campaigning for Social Justice work, supporting groups across Scotland to build powerful, impactful campaigns, and also collaborating on our other philanthropic projects in partnership with Changing Ideas.

Hazel Crombie becomes our new Corporate Partnerships Manager, building strong cross-sector relationships to maximise impact and reach for the charities we support, including leading our Specialist Volunteer Network.

Mollie McGoran joins the Equality and Human Rights Fund, supporting a diverse portfolio of 47 organisations tackling inequality and discrimination, advancing equality, and helping realise human rights across Scotland.

Geraldine Cardenas is joining the Delivering Equally Safe Fund team, contributing to work to prevent and tackle violence against women and girls, in line with the Scottish Government’s Equally Safe strategy.

Angelina Lombardo-Park joins us as Fund Manager for the Learning Disability Support Fund, working alongside charities and the Scottish Government to strengthen organisations, influence change, and support people with learning disabilities to live full and meaningful lives.

Our Intandem team is also growing, with two new colleagues joining:

Kieran Platts comes on board as Participation and Engagement Officer, developing Intandem’s influencing work and strengthening our youth and mentor forums. Bringing those with lived experience of Scotland’s care system to the forefront of decision-making and shaping our mentoring programme and kinship work.

Scott Milne joins as Communications and Impact Officer, shaping our communications, coordinating events, and supporting fund management activity.

We’re excited to have each of them with us, and to see the impact their work will help deliver across Scotland. 💛

21/04/2026

Inspiring Scotland welcomes the launch of the Queen Elizabeth Trust, a new UK-wide independent charity, which has been established on the occasion of the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth to honour her lifelong commitment to public service.

We were pleased to be invited to meet The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee (QEMC) and support their work, which has culminated in this exciting legacy opportunity.

Inspired by the late Queen’s stated belief that “everyone is our neighbour”, the Trust will work hand in hand with communities, providing funding and targeted support to restore and sustain shared spaces at the heart of local life.

We wish the Trust every success and strongly support its ambition to deliver genuine and meaningful change in the lives of people across the United Kingdom, putting Queen Elizabeth’s values into action for present and future generations.

Find out more on their website:

The Queen Elizabeth Trust is a new UK-wide charity that helps communities restore and sustain the buildings and green spaces at the heart of local life.

14/04/2026

We're hiring! 📢

We are looking for a Communications Assistant to support the smooth running of Inspiring Scotland’s communication team. You will be able to work with colleagues across the organisation and across policy areas such as equality and human rights, outdoor play, mental health, and youth employability, to deliver purposeful, creative, and engaging communications materials.

- Full time, 35 hours per week
- Office-based
- £26,000 per annum
- Closing date: Tuesday 5th May 12pm midday

Apply here 👇

Our aim is to create a happy and healthy workforce. Vacancies Communications Assistant Core Team We are looking for a Communications Assistant to support the sm