Meeting of the Parliament 16 June 2026 [Draft]
I am certainly not suggesting that people should not question the third sector or, indeed, the Scottish Government on the funding that we give to it. I am saying that some third sector organisations will welcome Scottish Government priorities, some will think that we do not go far enough, some will think that we go too far and some will disagree with us entirely. That is utterly appropriate and is, in fact, a valuable and commendable part of the system that we have in Parliament and is helpful for all politicians.
I recognise that multiyear funding alone does not make for a sustainable sector. Many organisations face uncertainty and funding delays, which impact on service delivery and staffing decisions ahead of financial years. Although that issue is not wholly devolved to the Scottish Government, it is a priority area for improvement. In the past financial year, we have, despite a compressed timetable, worked to ensure that as many organisations as possible received their funding decisions early. Those improvements have been recognised by the sector, and the feedback has been that the action that was taken showed a strong amount of care for the system as a whole. However, we know that we need to go further.
At the heart of the third sector are its volunteers. The first week in June marked volunteers week, which was a chance to celebrate the extraordinary contribution of volunteers across Scotland. Volunteers, including trustees, are the backbone of Scotland’s third sector, and many of the activities and support that we rely on would simply not exist without them. I am delighted to highlight that, through the £2.2 million volunteering support fund, we are helping 116 organisations to grow and diversify their volunteer base.
Alongside steps on fairer funding and volunteering, significant steps have been taken to strengthen the framework in which the sector operates. The Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 has now fully commenced, and the updated legislation improves the public’s access to information about a charity’s operations, provides the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator with stronger powers and aligns Scottish charity law more closely with charity regulation elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Together, those actions demonstrate the clear commitment to supporting the third sector to deliver for Scotland.
Successful collaboration between the Government, local authorities and the third sector is delivering real change. Collaboration is central to eradicating child poverty, which is a defining mission for this Government and not one that we can deliver alone. Through the new £20 million whole family support third sector delivery fund, the Government will enable third sector organisations to deliver holistic wraparound services for families who are experiencing or at risk of poverty. Applications to the fund are currently being assessed, and I look forward to announcing the successful applicants in the coming weeks. Subject to the agreement with the successful organisations, I expect that the funding will move to being allocated on a multiyear basis.
That collaborative approach speaks directly to and aligns with the Government’s ambition on public service reform, which will empower those working in front-line services to deliver for people. Last week, the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Reform set out the Government’s vision for more effective, person-centred services. The third sector is central to achieving that vision. As members have highlighted, further work is needed across Government and with funders and commissioners to ensure that funding, procurement and policy approaches truly enable organisations to thrive in an integrated system.