SI magazine issue 4 August 2013

Social Enterprise We talk to Partick Harvie MSP social, strategic and sustainable investment and innovation

Issue 4 // AUGUST 2013

Procuring change: how could reform affect you?

Finance

Granted

Balancing the Books

The Bank of England

The Carnegie UK Trust

CrossReach’s Ian Wauchope

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Universal Credit Cross Sector Partnerships in Action, Managing the Repercussions TUES 29 OCTOBER 2013 COSLA CONFERENCE CENTRE, EDINBURGH

Speakers Include: Fraser Kelly, Event Chair, Chief Executive, Social Enterprise Scotland

Nigel Kershaw OBE, Chief Executive, Big Issue Invest and Group Chairman, The Big Issue

Margaret Burgess MSP, Minister for Housing and Welfare

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Cross Sector Partnerships in Action and Managing the Repercussions TUES 29 OCTOBER 2013 COSLA CONFERENCE CENTRE, EDINBURG H

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SI magazine August 2013

IN THIS ISSUE Page 10

Page 24

www.simagazine.co.uk SI magazine is a quarterly digital publication designed to bring together original content which affects business within the third sector at a strategic level such as grant and loan funding, partnerships, social enterprise and efficiencies.

Published by Spectrum Solutions Publisher Andy Crielly publisher@simagazine.co.uk

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Registered office Spectrum Outsourced Solutions Ltd, Catchpell House, Carpet Lane, Edinburgh, EH6 6SP

6 Lead Article

Editor Jen Dunn jen@simagazine.co.uk

12 Granted

Editorial steering panel Social Enterprise Scotland, Scottish Community Foundation, SCFDG, ACOSVO, Scottish Financial Enterprise, Inspiring Scotland.

Advertising Lesley Fraser lesley@simagazine.co.uk Graphic design LBD Design and Print www.lbd.uk.net

Procurement; Shop till you drop

The Carnegie UK Trust, a century of philanthropy

16 Loans and finance The Bank of England, how far away is Threadneedle Street?

22 Social Enterprise We talk to Patrick Harvie MSP

24 Leading by Example Galgael Trust Recyke a Bike

The views expressed in SI magazine are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of Spectrum Solutions.

Spectrum Solutions does not endorse any goods or services advertised or any claims or representations made in any advertisement in SI magagazine, and accepts no liability to any person for loss or damage suffered asa consequence of their responding to, or reliance on, any claim or representation made in advertisements appearing in SI magazine. By responding or placing reliance, readers accept that they do so at their own risk.

30 Balancing the Books We talk to CrossReach’s Ian Wauchope Columns; risk management, ethical investment and legal

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1

Welcome!

SI NEWS

It’s a feel good summer; Andy Murray winning Wimbledon and a summer heatwave that had us all heading to the bars and beaches.

However, work in the government labours on over the hot months, and there are few issues more of interest than to the Third Sector than public sector procurement.

Check out our feature on the Procurement Reform for the lowdown on this sometimes complicated policy area.

We’ve also got two very different takes on how the economy is managed. Patrick Harvie MSP tells us that social enterprise would be better supported if decisions were taken closer to home. However, we also find out how the Bank of England gathers data in Scotland.

Is the current system good enough? You decide.

We’ve also been speaking to projects of sizes. Carnegie UK continue to reinvent themselves, while Recyke-a-Bike are a small but growing social enterprise. Ian Wauchope, the Director of Finance and Resources at CrossReach, tells us about financial goingson within the Kirk’s social responsibility arm.

We’ve got some excellent interviews lined up already for our autumn edition – see you then!

If you’d like your project to be featured, drop us a line at jen@simagazine.co.uk.

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Giles Ruck, Chief Executive of Foundation Scotland, who are leading the scheme

Enterprise Growth and Sustainability Fund Foundation Scotland have announced a new £6m fund, the Enterprise Growth and Sustainability Fund, which is intended to support Scotland’s enterprising third sector.

The fund is being administered in partnership with CEIS, DSL and the Social Value Lab. The Enterprise Growth and Sustainability Fund will run until 2015.

At the moment, details of the scheme are still developing. However, it is expected that the fund will open to applicants later on this year.

The fund is being aimed at new organisations, organisations which are developing into new markets and new products, and supporting existing organisations which are changing and becoming more entrepreneurial.

Projects must have received business training in order to receive funding through the scheme, from bodies like HIE, Business Gateway or Scottish Enterprise, or through any other relevant source.

Foundation Scotland are collating expressions of interest, and intend to e-mail organisations with further information and briefings, as well as invitations to Enterprise Growth and Sustainability applicant surgeries, over the next few months. If your organisation is an entrepreneurial social enterprise, or thinking about becoming one, then you can be added to the list by e-mailing info@foundationscotland.org.uk.

We also hope to cover the programme in a future issue of SI magazine, when more information about the project has been finalised – watch this space for more details.

SI magazine August 2013

the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, through volunteering and contributing to their communities, and creating that wider impact.”

The project has also been hailed as a “fantastic opportunity for young people in Scotland” by Andrew Muirhead, the Chief Executive of Inspiring Scotland, and a “fantastic personal development opportunity” by Ian Duffy, BP’s Community Development Manager.

It is hoped that opportunities at the Commonwealth Games will help disadvantaged young people

BP, Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust and Inspiring Scotland announce new youth partnership BP are funding a new partnership between Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust and Inspiring Scotland. The scheme is an 18 month programme that focuses on disadvantaged young people and the communities that they live in.

BP, who have recently been announced as one of the partners for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, intend it to build on the success of the Young Leaders programme that was hailed as a success during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The programme will fund places for 65 young people to work within their local communities. It is intended that, at the end of the programme, the young people will move into employment, education or training.

Dame Kelly Holmes says that the scheme should build on previous good work; “The London 2012 Young Leaders Programme was a phenomenal success, with 100 young people going on an incredible journey, increasing in confidence and getting the skills they need to be who they want to be. I know Scotland is going to make sure young people have the opportunity to make the most of

If you or anyone you know would be interested in taking part, then they should check out the Inspiring Scotland website for more details.

Town Centre Report Published The Scottish Government have recently published an independent report on renewing and revitalising town centres.

The National Review of Town centres has a number of proposals of interest to the Third Sector, including that councils should work with housing providers to let empty town centre properties to tenants at an affordable rate, that business rate structures should change to incentivise town centre lets, and that town centres should provide a range of services, to broaden their appeal.

The next stage of the process is that the Scottish Government will announce an action plan for town centres in the autumn.

Nicola Sturgeon is the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities

Executive Pay Concern for Charity Commission Head of the Charity Commission, which regulates charities in England and Wales, has criticised charities which pay large salaries to their chief executives and senior managers. While acknowledging that trustees, rather than the Commission, should set salaries, William Shawcross said that “In these difficult times, when many charities are experiencing shortfalls, trustees should consider whether very high salaries are really appropriate, and fair to both the donors and the taxpayers who fund charities.”

He added, “Disproportionate salaries risk bringing organisations and the wider charitable world into disrepute.”

The charities which pay the highest salaries are generally international aid organisations. Oxfam, and Christian Aid, as well as others represented on the Disasters Emergency Committee, paid their most senior members of staff over £100,000 per year; the best paid is Sir Nicholas Young of the British Red Cross, who is renumerated at around £184,000. Eleven people in the charitable sector in total are paid more than the Prime Minister.

The comments have generated a row online and in newspapers, with critics of high wages in charitable organisations agreeing that setting salaries too high undermines the ethos of equality, fairness and social cohesion that many Third Sector organisations promote.

Charities hit back by pointing out that the charities that pay a relatively high wage to their Chief Executives are often those that expect senior officers to co-ordinate supplies and personnel in dangerous, complex and remote areas of the world after major humanitarian disasters, and that charity chiefs who work for organisations which promote socially desirable causes were still only paid a fraction of that which is enjoyed by finance professionals.

3

SI NEWS Cross Party Group for Social Enterprise celebrates another year

Concerns have been raised about the salaries paid to some senior managers within the Chief Executive

Another argument is similar to that made by bankers after the collapse of the industry; that reducing pay will drive the best people away from the UK’s charitable sector.

Many of the DEC members in Shawcross’s firing line operate across the UK. For charities that only operate within Scotland, chief executive posts are generally advertised from around £35,000 to £55,000 per annum, depending on the size of the organisation. The UK-wide average chief executive salary is £58,000.

However, as many of our readers will know all too well, the vast majority of people working in the Third Sector in Scotland earn far less than this.

OSCR Consultation The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator will be running a consultation next month on the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice, or SORP. If your organisation has to submit its accounts to OSCR on an accrual basis, then you may want to take part in the consultation, which is being run jointly by the Charity Commission.

The consultation opened in July and closes on 4th November, and covers the level of detail of staff salary disclosures, how SORP can be made more user friendly to small charities, the structure trustees’ annual report and many other details which may be familiar to those who handle financial and accounting matters in a Third Sector organisation. The consultation can be viewed at www.charitysorp.org 4

Cross Party Groups, or CPGs, were intended to make the Scottish Parliament more accessible to organisations and individuals. There are CPGs on a wide range of topics – from music to animal welfare to business to Russia. The Cross Party Group on Social Enterprise recently held its AGM and submitted its annual report.

It was set up to promote social enterprises both within the Parliament to MSPs and outside of the Parliament to the general public, to assist with promoting the benefits of procuring from social enterprises to the public sector, and to demonstrate the impact of social enterprises on Scotland as a whole.

Like all CPGs, the Social Enterprise group can also provide networking opportunities, with peer organisations, the public sector and politicians, and allow organisations acting within the policy sector to share best practice, and provide a platform to raise any relevant concerns they may have with MSPs. So, what does the CPG do specifically? Duncan Thorpe, from Social Enterprise Scotland, says, “Scotland’s national policy forum for social enterprise is going from strength to strength. The CPG has tackled a wide range of current, relevant and important topics that have a direct impact on the work of social enterprises across Scotland.

From the Glasgow Commonwealth Games to welfare reform, procurement reform, business support and public service reform, we have discussed and debated with keynote speakers and with a wide range of social entrepreneurs and stakeholders. “ To listen to some people active in the Parliament, CPGs can end up running as talking shops. However,

as Duncan points out, “The Social Enterprise CPG is regularly one of the biggest and best-attended in parliament and we look forward to taking it forward and increasing the influence, reach and impact of the group.”

All CPGs must be chaired by an MSP; the current chair is Chic Brodie, with Anne McTaggart taking the role of vice chair. Annabelle Ewing, Tavish Scott, Patrick Harvie and Gavin Brown are also members. Social Enterprise Scotland are the CPG’s secretariat. Membership is open to anyone, and social enterprises and related organisations are already represented on the group, including MacRoberts LLP, Social Investment Scotland, Buchan Dial-a-Bus and many others.

Anyone who works in social enterprise in Scotland can join for free; the meetings are usually held in the Parliament on Tuesday lunchtimes, and occur roughly every quarter. The meetings generally last about 90 minutes and include lunch, although external organisations may need to arrive a little bit early to make sure they get through security on time.

If you or your organisation is potentially interested in joining and would like more information, you can check out the information, minutes and agendas on the Cross Party Group for Social Enterprise’s pages on the Scottish Parliament at http://www.scottish. parliament.uk/msps/41819.aspx, or contact Duncan duncan.thorp@ socialenterprisescotland.org.uk or on 0131 243 2654.

CPGs are intended to make the Parliament more accessible to individuals and organisations

SI magazine August 2013

ONLINE ANNUAL REPORTS

Across Scotland:

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Lead Feature

Shop till you drop The Scottish Government recently published responses to its consultation on the Procurement Reform Bill. So what next for those in the Third Sector who have an interest in providing services to the public sector?

P

ublic sector procurement is worth some £9 billion a year to the Scottish economy, according to Scottish Government figures. Health boards, local councils, non-departmental government bodies, police, the Government themselves, as well as other organisations, need to buy in goods and services.

Procurement might be for stationary, personal care packages for the elderly or for people with disabilities, catering, car hire, office spare, events, temporary staff… the list is almost 6

endless, and the Third Sector is one of the main providers, along with commercial businesses.

The governance and rules surrounding procurement are complex. The Thatcher era encouraged public sector bodies to outsource wherever possible, making cost the most important factor in contracts under Compulsory Competitive Tendering; private sector dinner ladies and cleaners on the minimum wage are cheaper than

council employees. Although the New Labour version of the scheme was called “Best Value”, price remained a key factor when the public sector considered a tender.

As well as UK reforms, EU procurement directives overarch all public sector procurement procedures in Scotland. Any Scottish legislation on procurement must fit in with European law, which is often concerned with developing a Europewide procurement system.

SI magazine August 2013

All of which brings us to the current Procurement Reform Bill which will soon be introduced to the Scottish Parliament.

had a commitment to procurement reform, which has led to this bill – but all major parties included a similar commitment in their manifestos.”

As Paul McNulty, Head of Procurement Policy, Strategy and Systems at Scottish Procurement explains, it’s important to see the latest piece of reform in context; “The Bill isn’t something that we’ve done in isolation; it’s part of a reform process. However, it’s a reform process that chimes with the Social Value legislation in Westminster, and also across Europe; all EU member states have themselves legislated on procurement reform, building on the overarching European Directives.”

The Third Sector was initially very enthusiastic about the new Bill. “The STUC has long argued that public procurement can be used to drive up standards across the economy and therefore we welcomed the Scottish Government’s proposal to introduce a sustainable Procurement Bill.” says Stephen Boyd of the STUC.

The European Directives are why the Procurement Reform Bill is not already further down the path of becoming enshrined in law. A full and comprehensive review of EU procurement rules, and subsequent changes to the Directives, were only completed earlier this year. Progress on Scottish legislation could not be made ahead of this, although it had initially been hoped that the Parliamentary processes would begin before this summer.

Paul continues: “Reform is very important because of the wider financial situation; the public sector needs to make sure that spending and procurement drives economic growth. The SNP’s manifesto for the last Scottish Parliament elections In Scotland, post devolution, procurement reform has continued.

The McClelland Review of 2006 identified areas where procurement could be streamlined. This led to the creation of Centres of Procurement Expertise, such as Scotland Excel, an organisation whose membership includes local councils, as well as voluntary organisations, community groups and some charities. It was set up in 2008 to encourage both public sector organisations to collaborate and share best practice whenever possible.

However, there are also concerns that the Bill, although it is still generally positively received, may not achieve all that was initially hoped for, as Stephen continues, “It is clear that the Bill’s development has caused more than a few headaches for the Scottish Government and, as reflected in the change of name to the Procurement Reform Bill, it is a growing concern that the progressive elements of the Bill might be diminished.”

The Government argue that the name of the Bill is a matter for Parliament and that “Procurement Reform” was more fitting than “Sustainable Procurement”.

More importantly, a key area of concern in the discussion so far has been the lack of a commitment to use public sector procurement to ensure providers pay the Living Wage.

The Bill isn’t something that we’ve done in isolation; it’s part of a reform process. However, it’s a reform process that chimes with the Social Value legislation in Westminster, and also across Europe; all EU member states have themselves legislated on procurement reform, building on the overarching European Directives.

Paul McNulty Head of Procurement Policy, Strategy and Systems at Scottish Procurement

7

Lead Feature

The Living Wage is higher than the minimum wage, and is calculated as being the lowest amount that could afford a worker a reasonable standard of living – currently around £7.45, as opposed to the £2.68 (for apprentices) to £6.31 (for those 21 years of age or more) offered by the minimum wage, depending on the age of the worker.

Many public sector bodies, as well as Third Sector organisations, have adopted the Living Wage, but a large number of private sector contractors have not. This means that it can be cheaper for the public sector to buy in lower paid agency staff to do basic administration, caring and cleaning 8

roles, often on a contractual basis, rather than directly employing their own workers. Although some public bodies have reduced the number of outsourced staff – for example, the practice of outsourcing NHS cleaners ended in 2008, and various commitments have been made across the public sector to retain in-house services, the enshrinement of the Living Wage in procurement law would end any financial benefit to outsourcing.

Although there had been initial high hopes that the Procurement Reform Bill could guarantee the Living Wage across outsourced contract, the complexities of international

procurement law mean that this is very unlikely to be introduced.

Although the Scottish Government can encourage suppliers to pay the Living Wage, a mandatory requirement to do so infringes EU employment and procurement laws. The Bill therefore legally cannot force the Living Wage to be introduced to any worker employed through a public sector contract.

However, the debate about procurement and sustainability isn’t only focused on the minimum wage, as Stephen Boyd explains; “Whilst the STUC accepts that legality of including commitments to the living wage in public contracts is a matter of some dispute, there is no reason

SI magazine August 2013

“However, we are concerned that in its current form the Bill will not deliver the benefits we had hoped this legislation would bring. For that to happen, the Bill must make it clear to all public bodies that sustainability is the core objective of the legislation and put ethical trade and respect for the environment at the heart of the process. Scotland has the opportunity to lead the world with a new and progressive public procurement policy.

This opportunity must not be missed.”

why the Scottish Government should be bold in areas such as community benefit, employment standards, equalities, supported workplaces and the environment. Indeed, without robust clauses on community benefit it is unlikely that the benefits of new investment will accrue to communities across Scotland.”

Community benefit clauses are fairly self-explanatory; they are usually aimed at improving the impact of public procurement in the area where a project is taking place. They’re also something that the government are committed to.

“The desire to give added impetus to community benefit schemes is at the heart of the Bill. However, one of the challenges is that there isn’t an easy, one-size-fits-all solution, as communities have different needs,” says Paul McNulty. “We therefore need to give public bodies latitude to determine how take these needs into account.”

This might sound like a way to avoid changing the law in a way that would force expensive changes, but the Scottish Government believe there are ways of making sure that the public sector is committed to community benefit.

“We are likely to expect all public bodies to publish their approach towards procurement, and procurement rules. All public sector bodies must demonstrate clear, strategic thinking and a transparent approach,” explains Paul. “Cost is very important as public procurement is spending taxpayers’ money.

However, cost isn’t just about what you buy, it’s about part of the procurement process itself. We don’t want to add new, expensive processes, particularly as all public sector organisations already have procurement rules; it’s about making them open and accessible.”

However, international development organisations are keen to point out that the impact of procurement does not begin and end in Scotland.

“With an annual spend of £9bn Scottish Government procurement can have a significant impact on communities beyond our borders by favouring suppliers and products which are ethical and environmentally sustainable. Procurement policy must not, therefore, simply focus on ‘value for money’ but must provide ‘value for society’”, argues Jo O’Neill, Policy Officer at the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF).

However, it seems unlikely that the Procurement Reform Bill will have much room for international issues.

“The Procurement Reform Bill will mostly be focused on Scotland,” confirms Paul. “This is because there is already much legislation in place around international development and climate change, and this means that there is less scope for the Government to use procurement reform to tackle international issues.

However, we have been working with Zero Waste Scotland to ensure that we reduce the environmental impact of public procurement where we can.”

As well as trade unions and international development organisations, a vast range of other organisations also have an interest in public sector procurement; large businesses, small social enterprises, local authorities and an array of others have submitted consultation responses and contributed towards the procurement debate.

This debate is only going to become more intensive after the Bill is introduced to Parliament which is likely to happen at some point over the next few weeks and months. Expect some fierce arguments in the Chamber and, hopefully, a better procurement system when the Procurement Reform Bill becomes law.

9

August 2013 SI magazine

Granted

A century of philanthropy Carnegie UK have been around for a long time – but the organisation isn’t about to rest on its laurels.

W

e tend to think of corporate social responsibility as being a relatively new phenomenon. But it has been with us for a very long time. Andrew Carnegie, the Dunfermline boy who grew up to make a fortune in the US steel industry, expounded a doctrine of philanthropy in Wealth, his famous pamphlet on the issue.

Carnegie argued that “Rich men… have it in their power during their lives to busy themselves organising benefactions from which the masses of their fellows will derive lasting 10

advantage, and thus dignify their own lives.” Essentially, his belief was that people who had done well in business should, in their own lifetimes, use their wealth to better the lives of others – a principle that is still used today.

Carnegie didn’t just write about philanthropy though – he funded the building of over two and a half thousand libraries in the early twentieth century, as well as countless other good works, including Carnegie Hall. When he died, he ensured that his philanthropy would

continue, by creating an organisation to continue making grants and shaping philanthropic policy well beyond his lifetime.

So how does Carnegie UK, the organisation that carries out his work, keep both its sense of history and continuity, and simultaneously remain modern and innovative?

“Every five years we have a fundamental review of the organisation”, says Martyn Evans, the Chief Executive of Carnegie UK. “This can result in some very dramatic

Thursday 28 November 2013 Grosvenor Hilton Hotel, Edinburgh Supported by Social Enterprise Scotland, ACOSVO and the Scottish Charity Finance Group, the first annual social investment awards, hosted by SI Magazine, will celebrate the organisations that are investing in projects in Scotland which are designed to deliver social outcomes, the organisations delivering these projects and the projects themselves.

Categories • Grant Maker of the Year • Lender of the Year • Foundation Scotland Philanthropist of the Year • Project of the year (up to £10k)

• • • •

Project of the year (£10-50k) Project of the year (more than £50k) Cross Sector Partnership of the Year Innovation of the year

Judging panel Jackie Killeen Scotland Director, The Big Lottery Fund

Andrew Muirhead Chief Executive, Inspiring Scotland

Fraser Kelly Chief Executive, Social Enterprise Scotland

Paul Bannon Chair, Scottish Charity Finance Group

Mike McCarron Chair of Apex Scotland and Board Member of Addaction

Giles Ruck Chief Executive, Foundation Scotland

Pat Armstrong Chief Executive, ACOSVO

Click here for more info

Nomination To nominate yourselves or another organisation for one of the above awards please visit www.spectrum-events.co.uk and complete this form.

Deadlines Nomination deadline 16th Sept 2013. Shortlisted nominees deadline 30th September.

Sponsorship We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join the hosts, nominees and other key figures from within the social investment sector on the night for drinks reception, dinner and the awards ceremony. There are a limited number of tables available so we would advise that you reserve your place to avoid disappointment. To sponsor a table, award or enquire about headline sponsorship please visit www.spectrum-events.co.uk for more information.

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August 2013 SI magazine

Granted It made sense for us to focus more on developing strategic policy areas, and effecting change in that way.

Martyn Evans Chief Executive of Carnegie UK

majority of people in the Third Sector would find something of interest in their online library.

Although there are clear advantages to moving to more specific, policy based work, how has the move away from small grant making affected Carnegie UK’s ability to stay in touch with charitable organisations?

changes to the way Carnegie UK is run. Trustees ask us to be thorough and clear with both the review and any proposals that come from it.”

Aside from the question of what the avowedly capitalist Carnegie would have thought of his organisation adopting a Five Year Plan – he was understandably suspicious of communist ideas – this strategy has enabled Carnegie to adapt to changes in the wider world, as Martyn explains; “One of the major examples of this in recent years has been the decision to stop being a grant making organisation. There were big changes in the grant-making sector in the early part of this century. The capacity of other and more recently established 12

organisations, for example, the Big Lottery Fund, dwarfed us in this respect. We also found that making small grants was a very passive way of operating. It made sense for us to focus more on developing strategic policy areas, and effecting change in that way.”

Over the last few years, Carnegie have been very active in developing policy. Recent publications include documents on digital exclusion, the rural economy, the possible effects of constitutional change on the Scottish voluntary sector, pressures on public services, and how to encourage a less passive relationship between the public and decision makers. In other words, Carnegie’s policy work covers such a range of issues that the vast

Martyn believes that communication remains very effective; “We have redoubled our effects to engage with the Third Sector, in Scotland and across the UK as a whole. We now hold board meetings in different locations across the UK, and usually have over sixty people in attendance.“ Carnegie’s venerable history can sometimes mean that strangers who attend board meetings are, in fact, old friends; “The fact that Carnegie has been around for such a long times adds an extra dimension to these meetings. We often discover that we’re meeting people that we have worked with before, and go through a process of “refinding” them. “ “One example of this is the Wildlife Trust. We funded their first members of staff, and in 1913, we helped them set up a project in Ireland. We recently met their Chief Executive, and agreed to work with them again.”

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We are constantly aware of the significance of ethical investment, It’s in our DNA to want, wherever practical, to examine responsible investment in a form that suits each client’s situation. A positive selection will result in support and encouragement of companies that are associated with the following: Environmental protection, pollution control, conservation and recycling, safety and security, education, transport infrastructure, ethical employment practices, etc.

By Virtuo Wealth Management advising the contract you need and recommending the most suitable fund, you will be joining a growing core of people who are making a positive statement with their money. The contracts available include: Stakeholder & Personal Pension Plans, Additional Voluntary Contribution Plans, company pension schemes, Self Invested Personal Pensions, life assurance, regular savings, lump sum investments, Individual Savings Accounts, Discretionary Fund Management, etc.

Meet Scott Murray and his experience behind the market, by clicking here.

To find out how your money can make a difference with the potential for good returns visit www.virtuowealth.com or get in touch with us by phone on 0131 558 5464 or email us at ask@virtuowealth.com

13

Granted

Closer to home, Carnegie have a range of projects and policy development areas that they are developing in Scotland. One of these is the “Test Town” competition.

This is being held in Dunfermline – although Martyn is keen to point out that this is not because it was Carnegie’s hometown and is Carnegie UK’s base, but because “Dunfermline town centre has many of the problems that we’re seeking to resolve, and we’ve also had very good engagement from the local authority, local businesses, and civic society.”

Martyn continues, “’Test Town’ is a way of dealing with the concerns relating to modern town centres – vacant units, reduced footfall, and all the related ills that they bring.”

“Test Town” ran by requesting that groups and individuals under the age of 14

30 put forward ideas of how they would use empty properties in the town. The ten best ideas were given £1,000 and a short let on a shop unit to bring their idea to life. Entrants came from all over the UK, and included businesses selling cakes and crepes, a high street gym offering 20 minute workouts, a company selling soups made from local ingredients, and various other enterprises, some using the highly trendy “pop up” ethos.

The competition culminated at the end of June, with the overall winner, ‘Back on the High Street’ being awarded a £10,000 prize. The winners, Jenna Fairgrieve from Falkirk and Dumfermline local Emma Pauley, are free to spend the money as they wish, although it is hoped that they will use the award to continue to develop their business idea which was to allow local craftspeople to

rent a small amount of space in a shop unit to sell their wares, as well as using their unit to run craft learning and networking session.

The “Test Town” project is something that Carnegie would like to see local authorities in other parts of the country adopt – they are offering councils the chance to use the source code for the online entry forms, free of charge, in the hope that the scheme will benefit other councils across the UK. However, some of the current Carnegie projects reflect the organisation’s traditional role in providing knowledge as the route to a better life.

“Broadband is the 21st century way to access knowledge”, says Martyn. “Traditionally, Carnegie UK funded libraries – six hundred

SI magazine August 2013

The “Test Town” project is something that Carnegie would like to see local authorities in other parts of the country adopt – they are offering councils the chance to use the source code for the online entry forms, free of charge, in the hope that the scheme will benefit other councils across the UK.

when it was published. But Carnegie UK continue to develop the subject.

Hailes to become more cohesive and engaged.

“We have some interesting proposals on the table to try and overcome the low internet useable in Glasgow.

Glasgow Housing Association is looking at providing free broadband with their tenancies.”

Social responsibility has moved on since Carnegie’s day; there’s little chance that today’s philanthropists would get away with being as unashamedly paternalistic as Carnegie’s. In Wealth Carnegie had the idea that the philanthropist knew best when it came to choosing how to help wider society; “the millionaire will be but a trustee for the poor; entrusted for a season with a great part of the increased wealth of the community, but administering it for the community far better than it could or would have done for itself.”

Although communities nowadays are still on the hunt for grant funds, there’s far more of an emphasis on community responsibility.

If this works, it could set a new digital standard for socially rented homes, and encourage other housing providers to follow suit, or at least bundle broadband charges in with rent.

in the UK alone. So we think that access to broadband is a logical way of extending and maintaining our historic activities.”

Carnegie UK are working on increasing access to broadband in rural areas, but also in Scotland’s largest city, as Martyn explains: “Glasgow has one of the highest rates of non-participation in digital technology. Cost, perception of the usefulness of the internet and confidence are all factors across wider society. However, there’s some sort of unique Glasgow effect where broadband take-up in the city is uniquely low. We know that it’s not a physical problem with the telephone system either.”

The initial report, “Across the Divide” was widely reported on in the media

The scheme continues to generate interest, with Carnegie UK recently giving a presentation to a Westminster committee on the findings of the report and subsequent progress.

Another related Carnegie interest is in allowing local communities to access local news – a key area of concern, giving the sparsity of local newspapers in some parts of Scotland. Carnegie have been funding a number of small projects across the UK that are intended support quality local online journalism.

In Scotland, WHALE Arts have been awarded a sum to train and support group of locals to be “citizen journalists”, and they will then write and edit online news. The website, Digital Sentinel, is intended to assist capacity building in the local community, and hopefully help Wester

However, although acceptable language and philanthropic motivations move in and out of fashion, many of the intents remain the same as in Carnegie’s day. Giving communities and individuals the chance to better themselves through the provision of knowledge is an important part of the Carnegie legacy as it has always been, underpinned by a century of experience, yet with the flexibility to adapt to new circumstances. And there’s always the chance that one of the individuals who are given a hand up by Carnegie UK will go on to found a successful business and become philanthropists in their own right.

15

August 2013 SI magazine

LOANS

How far away is Threadneedle Street?

Jenifer Dunn, with help from the Bank’s Agency in Scotland, explains how the Bank works with the Third Sector…

T

he Bank of England seems fairly remote from the Scottish Third Sector. We’re all familiar with Mervyn King and now Mark Carney appearing on the news, usually, at this point in time, preceded by a gloomy news announcement. Although the economic effects of monetary policy is something that we’re all dealing with, all the time, the decision making and engagement of the Bank can seem far away, and rather opaque. But is this a fair perception?

To answer, it’s important to understand one of the main functions of the Bank of England. The first, and most important, is setting interest 16

rates. The Bank of England is a central bank – a government agency that lends to the commercial banking sector, and charges the base rate of interest, known as Bank Rate.

If Bank Rate is high, then the cost of borrowing goes up and savers benefit. If the rate is low inflation is kept low, spending is (hopefully) encouraged, and savers lose out.

At the moment, the base rate is at 0.5%, the lowest it has ever been – and this looks unlikely to change for the foreseeable future.

Before 1997, interest rates were determined by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Although accountability is

generally thought of as being a good thing, having an elected politician in charge of the interest rates did little for economic stability. The temptation to use interest rates with an eye on the opinion polls was irresistible for most Chancellors, and the base rate was hiked up and down to make the Chancellor look like he was decisive and fast reacting.

However, this was an unsettling state of affairs for the financial market. Following New Labour’s 1997 victory, although with approval from all political parties, Gordon Brown made the Bank of England become independent of political control.

Interest rates were henceforth set by

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LOANS

the Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC), which is made up of economic experts, and headed by the Governor of the Bank of England. The main criteria in setting the interest rates is keeping inflation low and stable Another relatively recent innovation of the Bank’s is quantitative easing – this was introduced in 2009 when the economy needed stimulating but Bank Rate had already been cut to its current levels. Contrary to popular opinion, quantitative easing doesn’t mean that the Bank physically prints more money. Instead, it creates more money electronically, then uses it to buy financial assets – which frees up money to be used elsewhere.

The Bank sets its monetary policy after carefully considering data from all parts of the UK’s economy. As you might expect, the Bank uses a lot of data – on economic activity, unemployment figures, pay and price movements. The dealings within the City of London and international markets are important too.

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But the Bank isn’t entirely focused on London and has twelve offices across the UK which monitor the economy in a devolved nation or English region.

The Bank of England’s Agency for Scotland, based in Glasgow, is responsible for gathering information north of the Border. Data is collected and fed back to London to form part of the MPC’s deliberations.

To gage the goings-on in the Scottish Economy, Bank staff and MPC members have regular meetings with conventional businesses, both large and small. Bank members of staff also receive information from public sector agencies, both business facing ones like Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and local and governmental organisations.

Business leaders will let the Bank know whether they’re hiring or laying staff off, whether they expect the economy to get better or worse, whether they have a problem recruiting experienced staff…. anything that might affect the interest rate is discussed and recorded.

However, the Third Sector is an increasingly important part of the Scottish economy. So does the Bank speak to the Third Sector in Scotland?

The short answer is “Yes”- although in a fairly limited way. Bank of England staff regularly meets with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, as well as a few other charities, including Citizens Advice Scotland. The Bank also has informal contact with Third Sector organisations through the Chambers of Commerce.

Of course, Scotland Third Sector doesn’t operate in a vacuum. The Bank also has contact with the sector through business leaders who act as philanthropists or offer venture capital funding for the Third Sector. As the availability of capital to give or to loan to the Third Sector is an economic indicator, this is also of use in gauging confidence in the economy.

So, although the Bank’s main focus area for gathering information for the MPC is on conventional businesses,

SI magazine August 2013

The Bank sets its monetary policy after carefully considering data from all parts of the UK’s economy.

As you might expect, the Bank uses a lot of data – on economic activity, unemployment figures, pay and price movements. The dealings within the City of London and international markets are important too. government statistics and data taken from financial markets, the Scottish Third Sector does have some level of influence within the rate-setting process.

Another relatively new area taken on by the Bank is that of the prudential regulation of banks and other financial institutions which is operated by the Prudential Regulation Authority. The main reason that this body came into being was in response to the banking crisis of 2008.

How does this affect the Scottish Third Sector? Well, credit unions have to be regulated by the PRA – along with bigger, commercial banks.

However, Bank believes that credit unions shouldn’t be monitored as intensively as riskier institutions; they should be supervised, but in a way that’s proportionate to their relatively small size, simplicity and risk.

There is also an indirect impact to the Third Sector. Most of the

financial problems the UK faces at the moment are as a result of the banking crisis of 2008. An improved regulatory system should avoid another banking crisis of similar magnitude. Whether the new system will work remains to be seen – but it’s in everyone’s interest if it does.

As well as engaging the Third Sector when developing monetary policy, the Bank of England also runs a grant making scheme. Don’t start searching for an application form though – the scheme is more based around staff engagement with local communities than a Big Lottery style grants (although the Bank may print money, it’s not its job to give it away!) Agency staff in Scotland are given a budget of £5,000 annually, which generally goes to support organisations that they have a personal involvement with.

Bank’s Head Office also run a centralised scheme, which is based on encouraging staff to volunteering.

However, as most staff are London

based, the Bank also fundraises two selected charities, one of which must serve communities across the UK. In 2012, the UK-wide charity selected was the British Association for Adoption and Fostering.

The Bank doesn’t speak to the Third Sector in Scotland in a blaze of publicity – meetings tend to be fairly discreet, low key affairs, usually by invitation only – but it does certainly engage with charities and philanthropists, to help form monetary policy. And, as an institution, it encourages members of staff to engage with the voluntary sector, both by giving up their time and awarding small grants to worthwhile projects. Its regulatory arm is also familiar to anyone involved in running a credit union.

So, although the Bank may seem a relatively distant institution, it have more contact with the Third Sector than you might think.

August 2013 SI magazine

Social Enterprise

The ideology of social enterprise Jennifer Dunn talks to Patrick Harvie MSP about the ideology of social enterprises, and how politicians can best assist them.

W

hether you agree with his politics or not, Patrick Harvie undoubtedly makes the Scottish Parliament far more interesting than it would be otherwise. Since being elected as a Green MSP for Glasgow in 2003, he has championed not just environmental causes, but brings a hard edged commitment to social justice where other, more established parties can be more talk and less action; think issues like same sex marriage, civil liberties and the redistribution of wealth.

Along with his former colleague Robin Harper, Patrick Harvie proved to be a 20

clever negotiator during the 20072011 Scottish Parliamentary session, working with the minority SNP government to bring in progressive measures like the Climate Challenge fund. For a time, the Green group in the Parliament punched far above its numbers.

Although the SNP landside in 2011 has meant that Harvie now works in a Parliament where minority parties and independent MSPs have less influence than they once did , his desire to change the world for the better seems undimmed, as we find out in his office in St Enoch Square, on an unusually sunny afternoon.

How do social enterprises fit in with the Green Party agenda?

The short answer is that social enterprises tie in very well with the beliefs and ethos of the Green Party. We do not agree with the current conventional model, which is concerned with making as much money as possible. At the moment, we’re going through a terrible world recession as a result of the excesses encouraged by the obsession with economic growth.

The current way of doing business is unsustainable, both in terms of the environmental impact and its impact

SI magazine August 2013

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Social Enterprise

on communities and individuals. We’d like to see a system that doesn’t measure a country’s economy purely in terms of money, but includes factors like life satisfaction and overall happiness. GDP is too narrow a metric to capture the aspects of the economy which impact on the quality of life.

The National Performance Framework has the potential to develop into an alternative. There is also the Humankind Index, developed by Oxfam, and work done in this area by Professor Joseph Stiglitz, who is a member of the Scottish Government’s Council of Economic Advisors. All these projects and theories have parallels with the social enterprise community, as they develop a way of doing business that isn’t focused on one narrow measure, such as the shareholder model.

Social enterprises are a much more sustainable way of doing business as they are focused on people rather than profit. Their success doesn’t purely rest on their financial value, but their usefulness to communities, in terms of providing jobs in both 22

rural and urban communities, and services that are useful and, generally, delivered in a way that minimises their impact on the environment. Social enterprises are something that we would very much like to encourage and support.

Are there any particularly outstanding social enterprises that you’ve come across?

Over the years, I’ve come across many excellent examples in Scotland that help to bring business and services into local communities for community benefit – too many to single out just one or two. However, one of the most memorable social enterprises I’ve come across anywhere in the world has been the “Cabbages and Condoms” project, which is located in Thailand.

It’s a restaurant and resort group set up by the Thai Population and Community Development Association.

The restaurant is excellent; it was the best meal we had when I was out there, and I would highly recommend it.

Although the food is the main reason to visit, the project also works hard

to get its message across to guests in a non-preachy, fun way. The profits from Cabbages and Condoms are channelled into projects that support family planning and safe sex. They also support training and education project to give locals an alternative to working in the sex industry, in areas of the country where there are limited options for young people.

The “Cabbages and Condoms” project has expanded to include environmentally conscious resorts in Sap Tei and Pattaya. Anyone can eat at the restaurant or stay in the resorts.

What can policymakers do to support social enterprises, either through legislation or other policy initiatives?

The Scottish Government could do more to help social enterprises by providing more financial support to social enterprises in the form of start-up grants and other, similar funding streams. At the moment, too much government funding is focused on large, commercially orientated companies.

SI magazine August 2013

I think a lot more could be done at European level to support social enterprises too. The EU controls much of the procurement legislation that public bodies in all member countries must abide by. There’s enormous scope to change these rules to make sure that public sector purchasing gives a better social return. Because of the nature of the European Union, it is very challenging to make any change to its policies, particularly in the short term.

However, it’s something that Green parties across Europe can work together to achieve.

Generally, I also believe that community benefit clauses could be used more wisely, to make sure that local communities receive the maximum amount of benefit from public sector procurement contracts.

The Green Party are part of the Yes campaign, and the independence referendum is the biggest issue in Scottish politics at the moment. So how do you believe independence would help social enterprises to grow?

I think it’s important to note that

Because of the nature of the European Union, it is very challenging to make any change to its policies, particularly in the short term. However, it’s something that Green parties across Europe can work together to achieve.

Patrick Harvie MSP

independence in itself won’t automatically help social enterprises – the help that can be given to the Third Sector depends on the policies adopted by whichever party or parties are in power in a post-independence Scottish Government.

However, independence does open up an enormous number of possibilities that do not exist under the union. At the moment, the UK’s

economy and tax system is focused on the south-east of England and the City of London. All the major financial decisions are made in London; they are made to support an unsustainable economic model, and an economic and social situation that’s very different to the one that exists in Scotland. Across the UK as a whole, there is a deepening gap between rich and poor, and new welfare and tax policies being implemented by the coalition are only going to make things worse.

Subsidies are given to large multinationals to set up bases that often create only short term, low skilled jobs. Some of these companies do not even pay UK taxes – that’s something that the Green Party are campaigning on at the moment. These multinationals also generally have few long term commitments to local communities, beyond their bottom line. I would prefer to see more help being given to local communities to develop their own services and more sustainable jobs.

Under independence, Scotland would have more economic levers to divert help to social enterprises, and the communities that they serve. These levers are currently inaccessible to us at the moment, and this is unlikely to ever change if Scotland stays under the control of Westminster.

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Leading By Example

The Clyde made Gla Shipbuilding is part of the Govan identity. But how can traditional craft skills help a post-industrial community?

F

irst impressions of Galgael are a jumble of contrasts. The project itself is in an industrial estate, close to Ibrox. The first clue that something out of the ordinary happens here is the sign which hangs above the Galgael office, which proudly states that the project was established in the 9th century.

Go through the door – and Galgael are very keen that you do – and you’re in an office area that’s unlike any other. An incredible wooden

24

sculpture of an eagle is suspended above the reception desk. All around are similar, and massively impressive, works of art; this space would be the envy of galleries and boutiques in any of the more wellheeled parts of town.

Through the back, and you’re into the heart of the operations; the Galgael workshop. The benches are roughly divided into different areas as Neil Harvey, the project’s Business Manager, explains, “Our main focus

is the participants on the Galgael programme, “Journey On”. They generally have problems associated with long term unemployment. They come here to learn new skills and join in with others.” The participants form the core part of the Galgael workforce.

Other work areas are rented out to Associate Makers. They are expert crafters and woodworkers who, in return for non-commercial workshop rental rates, interact with

SI magazine August 2013

We don’t like to be compartmentalised, and we don’t fall into one category. Galgael is a kinship organisation.

We’re a family, but we’re also a charity and a social enterprise. We cannot be easily put in a box.

Neil Harvey Business Manager, Galgael

This is one of the ways in which the Galgael ethos mirrors the multipurpose nature of the physical project site.

“We don’t like to be compartmentalised, and we don’t fall into one category. Galgael is a kinship organisation. We’re a family, but we’re also a charity and a social enterprise. We cannot be easily put in a box,” says Neil.

asgow the participants, providing help and advice on working the wood. Galgael also recruits volunteers, to help in a variety of roles.

Outside, there is the timber yard; Galgael uses wood from storm-felled trees, from the whisky industry, and other sustainable sources.

Participants can learn to produce firewood, even if the more artistic or skilled tasks offered by Galgael are beyond them. Everyone has a place here.

Galgael was formed in the aftermath of the Pollok Free State movement, a mid-90s protest community which formed to protest about the building of the M77 through parkland. The protest ultimately failed, but a section of the south side community became radicalised; Rosie Kane and other well-known left-wingers can trace their political awakening to this time.

Colin MacLeod, one of the main leaders of the Pollok Free State, who died in 2005, founded Galgael as a way of continuing the values of the protest movement. The idea that Govan was a declining industrial ship building community was reshaped; people caught up in the fall out of deindustrialisation would be offered the chance to learn traditional shipbuilding skills.

Socially, Galgael’s main focus is on the “Journey On” project. This offers participants, who are generally far removed from the workforce and battling poor mental health, alcohol problems and other addictions, the chance to learn crafting skills in a communal setting. By learning, as a

group, to use physical crafting tools, the participants will also learn the skills to combat the problems that leave them isolated from mainstream society.

Galgael offers four different elements of enterprise. Anyone can commission a bespoke piece from the Trust; participants always help to produce commissions, with the extent of input from the makers depending on each individual project.

The Trust is also available for hire for events, to demonstrate traditional crafting tools. If you are going to the Royal Highland Show, look out for them. They also sell small craft items, both at shows and events and through the Galgael website.

Finally, wood is, as you’d expect, an integral part of the Galgael enterprise. The Trust operates a sawmill, and the project produces and sells slabs of character timber, as well as firewood.

So far, so good. But although you could describe Galgael as a social enterprise that helps the long term unemployed to produce and sell wood and crafted items, that would be far from the full picture.

“Broadening participants’ horizons,” explains Neil, “Is a very important to us. Some of our participants may not have much, or any, experience of what life outside Glasgow is like. And we want to offer them a new way of seeing things.”

The boats that Galgael produces

Leading By Example

Sometimes people go on to work, or further education. However, our emphasis is on taking people back to life, rather than work.

Participants leave with a better sense of who they are and often go on to other volunteering projects.

Neil Harvey Business Manager, Galgael

aren’t just for show or commissions; the project runs sailing and rowing trips every Wednesday on the Clyde, which, as Neil says, allows participants to view Glasgow from a new perspective. The Galgael boats are also used to allow participants to sail further on, too; to Loch Lomond, or up the West Coast in the summer.

But, as well as encouraging participants to explore the world, Galgael also want to invite the world in. Galgael run concerts and regular Thursday soup and sandwich evenings which anyone can attend.

The project office itself is open to anyone who wants to drop in for a chat, to ask about commissions, or volunteering, or just for a nosey.

Referrals to participate in the “Journeying On” aren’t just from more formal, bureaucratic agencies like the Job Centre, Social Work Services, or justice services; they can also come from community groups, or participants can put themselves forward.

The outcomes vary. Neil explains “Sometimes people go on to work, or further education. However, our emphasis is on taking people back 26

to life, rather than work. Participants leave with a better sense of who they are and often go on to other volunteering projects. Finding the good within yourself is an essential part of the Galgael process and that’s what we focus on, rather than a tick-box outcome.”

However, the lack of concrete and easily quantifiable targets can be challenging when applying for funding. Galgael’s core funding used to be through the European Social Fund, but this was withdrawn from Scotland as a whole in the last year.

Galgael have interim funding through private companies, Oxfam and the NHS, but are pursuing other avenues.

One option is to provide more funding through the social enterprise element of Galgael, which leads us to another challenge common to social enterprises; how to balance the ethos of an organisation that has the needs of service users, volunteers and then staff at its heart, with the hard-edged operations of a profit-making business.

Neil believes that Galgael manage to pull off this balance, “We work in a creative and lightly structured

environment. We need to keep that, but also compete in a financial environment. If we take on a commission or timber order, we need to fulfil that. We have systemisation, but not so much that we lose the core of what we’re about.”

Galgael draws many different opposing elements together to form a balanced outcome. The participants learn to work with their hands, but to provide relief from mental scars. Everyone learns crafting skills to their individual level, but teamwork and shared bonding is a key part of the process.

While the items that are produced at the project are beautiful, their origins are rooted in the tough lives of the participants. Galgael is rooted in the South Side of Glasgow, but looks out to the Clyde and beyond. In fact, it’s only after pondering the contrasts the project encompasses that I realise the name is one itself – “Gal” means foreigner and “gael” means native.

FURTHER INFORMATION You can find out more about Galgael at galgael.org

SI magazine August 2013

On your Bike A community enterprise in Central Scotland moves up a gear.

Recyke-a-bike is a growing community enterprise which is based in Central Scotland. It began through Fallin Community Enterprise. A small village near Falkirk, with a population of under three thousand, Fallin has historically been a mining town, but now many of its occupants are commuters. Fallin Community Enterprise was set up to protect the local environment, support local employment, and promote the fitness of young people.

Sandy Mohamet, the manager of Recyke-a-bike, explains: “The idea of the project arose from personal contacts. Bike recycling was not high on people’s agenda at that time.

However, doing so helped to meet the aims of Fallin Community Enterprise, which include protecting the environment, enhancing opportunities for employment and improving community health.”

Recyke-a-bike works by encouraging people to donate their old bikes.

These are then refurbished at the Recyke-a-bike locations in Stirling and Falkirk, or, if they are badly damaged, are either broken down for spares or sold for scrap. Once the bikes are ready to go, they are then sold on at a low cost; children’s bikes are priced from £25 and adult bikes start at £50. Bikes are also available for hire, and the project will carry out servicing and repairs on bikes too.

Finally, the project also runs classes on how to maintain bikes, and fix common problems. Recyke-a-bike doesn’t pay for the bikes it receives, but offers a free pickup service within the local areas that it operates in.

Recyke-a-bike began life in a shop unit in the Riverside area in Stirling.

It has been so successful that the company have recently opened a shop in Falkirk. Recyke-a-bike

carry out community engagement work across the Forth Valley area, including Clackmannanshire, as well as its two “home” authorities and the project are also working on expanding their operation into North Lanarkshire.

The benefits to the local area are numerous. Firstly, Recyke-a-bike is great for the environment. Recykea-bike estimates that it saved 150 tonnes worth of old bikes ending up in landfill in 2012 alone, and has refurbished over two thousand bikes since the project was founded.

A project that provides affordable bikes also has very obvious health benefits. It is good for individuals, as cycling is a convenient way to exercise. It’s also good for communities, both as it improves the overall health, and because it reduces traffic congestion and 27

Leading By Example

pollution associated with motor vehicles. Recyke-a-bike also runs Bikeability cycling training schemes, which aim to make cyclists safer on the roads.

Recyke-a-bike also puts a strong emphasis on employability. Staff and volunteers learn about the mechanics of bike repair, and can work towards recognised qualifications, including those offered by City and Guilds and SQA. So far, the project employs fifteen staff, and also offers ten salaried training positions. The trainees are relatively new initiative for the company, as Sandy outlines; “They are with us on six to twelve month contracts. Some are Community Jobs Scotland posts for six months, and around six of the ten of the salaried training positions have moved to employment or further training or education. We also have three young people from Falkirk who are on a 28

nine to twelve month positions with us, who have not yet completed their contracts. We hope that all holders of salaried training posts will move on to further employment, training or into education.”

Although it sounds simple, there is almost endless room for innovation and spin-off projects.

Partnership working is a key part of Recyke-a-bike, and the project boasts an impressive list of supporting organisations; several local authorities, the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, Lloyds TSB Foundation, Employability Stirling and many others.

One of Recyke-a-bike’s most successful partnerships has been with Stirling University, and offers schemes specifically aimed at university staff and students.

Students are eligible for a discount on bike hire; particularly given Stirling University’s out-of-town campus

location. This gives students an easy, cheap way of getting around. Recykea-bike also runs regular “Bike Doctor” sessions on campus, and these have been massively successful to date.

Students and university staff also have the option of arranging low cost bike hire, if they’re thinking about buying a bike but are not entirely convinced.

Recyke-a-bike also works in partnership to help those who are marginalised from education, employment and training. Another partnership is with HMP Cornton Vale, Scotland’s only custodial unit for female offenders. Participating offenders refurbish bikes, giving them the chance to learn new, sellable skills. But what are the challenges to running a social enterprise project for offenders in custody?

“For us the main challenge is access to the prison, as we have to be there at very specific times of day”, says

SI magazine August 2013

Bike recycling was not high on people’s agenda at that time. However, doing so helped to meet the aims of Fallin Community Enterprise, which include protecting the environment, enhancing opportunities for employment and improving community health.

Sandy Mohamet Manager of Recyke-a-bike

Sandy. “A dedicated member of staff at the prison that runs the project, and we supply the bike, spares and technical advice. Offenders taking part in prison have the opportunity to gain a vocational qualification.”

The Cornton Vale element of the Recyke-a-bike project also requires co-ordination with the community, too. “The offenders carry out the work to an agreed set of standards, and we collect the completed bikes, which are double checked before being sold. We do not see much of the offenders as the majority remain in the prison, with only the odd offender coming down to work at Recyke-a-bike as part of their rehabilitation programme.”

As to whether or not the project will have a lasting impact on the lives of offenders who participate, it’s too soon to tell for sure. However, as Sandy explains, there has been some positive impact on individuals

who have taken part, “In the past two years we have had two offenders working at Recyke-a-bike in the Bike Workshop; one keeps in touch and is currently setting up her own bike repair service. I also know one current prisoner wants to set up a bike repair service on release.”

Fittingly, for a project based on sustainable transport, Recyke-a-bike is also becoming more financially sustainable. Sales of bikes have risen from 190 in 2006, when the project started, to over 2,000 in 2012.

Currently, 40% of Recyke-a-bike’s income is generated by commercial activity. Funding, support and advice from Inspiring Scotland, under their 14:19 scheme, aims to increase this to 50% in the near future.

One area with excellent commercial potential is tourism. Recyke-a-bike offer visitors to Stirling the chance to hire bikes. Prices are low, at £10 per day or £30 per week. This is something

Sandy is keen to expand on, “We are working with a number of hotels and hostels to expand our bike hire operation. The Forth Valley has some very easy and flat cycling routes, and also opportunities for off-road cycling in the surrounding hills. The recent establishment of the Cycle Hub at Stirling Railway Station will also help.”

The “killer question”, as Sandy says, is where the project will go next.

“We’re looking at strengthening its original work and development of our products and services within Falkirk and Clackmannan, where demand has increased. This includes the personal development of existing staff, and the project potentially becoming a SQA Accredited Centre for delivery of recognised Scottish qualifications.

We are interested in the provision of Modern Apprenticeships for the cycling industry. Another option is to franchise the Recyke-a-bike model in other areas.”

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Balancing the Books

Keeping the faith Ian Wautchope, Director of Finance and Resources at CrossReach, tells us about the financial challenges the organisation faces.

O

lder readers might be more familiar with CrossReach’s pre-2005 moniker; the less catchy ‘Church of Scotland Board of Social Responsibility’. It is, as Ian explains, the “social care arm of the Church of Scotland”.

CrossReach is a large, extensive

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organisation and the services it provides are numerous. It runs care homes for the elderly, gives support to families experiencing difficulties, providing counselling for women who have postnatal depression, operates projects that help people with learning disabilities, and also assists those who are excluded from normal

society, including prisoners and people with substance addictions.

In financial terms, Ian says that CrossReach “Employs around 2,000 members of staff, and provides services to people of all ages. In financial terms, it has an income of £50 million pounds per year.”

SI magazine August 2013

In financial terms, how does CrossReach work? What are its main funding streams?

Most of CrossReach’s funding – around two thirds - comes from local authorities, who fund places on our projects. This amounts to over £30 million every year. The rest is made up of grants, donations from individuals, and the church itself.

The Church of Scotland gives around 1% of the total funding every year – around £656,000.

CrossReach has been reported as having a deficit, although one that the organisation has been working successfully to decrease. How are you managing this challenge?

CrossReach has been operating at a significant deficit. Things have been improving – in the recent past, the deficit was £5.6 million, and in 2013 this will be reduced to £2m; in 2012 the deficit of CrossReach was £3m, £1.5m of which was restructuring costs. We are continually looking at new sources of income and for ways to reduce costs.

However, the restructuring is about people and services, as well as for financial reasons. In the recent past, we have introduced a few excellent new projects. These include “Heart for Art”, a service aimed providing

Despite how difficult the financial climate is, CrossReach are still making progress in becoming more sustainable. As well as restructuring, we are investing in people, in our infrastructure, and in our staff.

Ian Wauchope Director of Finances & Resources at Crossreach

an early intervention to those with dementia, which is an inexpensive way of adding value to existing work.

benefit, is something that we’re keen to replicate in other areas of our operation.

We have been searching for new, innovate ways to carry on providing services, in more cost effective ways.

For example, we are operating a brand new care home near Glasgow, the building of which was funded through a land swap. Originally, we had an old care home there, which had very extensive grounds, but did not have modern facilities.

We teamed up with Cala Homes, who built new homes on the spare land. Their part of the deal was to demolish the old care home and build a new, high standard facility on the same site. This has now been done, and we’re delighted with the results. This sort of project, where we work with other organisations to improve our infrastructure to mutual

CrossReach have also recently opened a new visitor centre at HMP Perth. This is intended to give prisoners better connections with the local community, both to support families who are going through the difficulties of having a loved one in custody, and because it is well known that improving and maintaining links with the outside world reduces the risk of a prisoner reoffending when they are released. The visitor centre includes a children’s play area and provides advice to families, about practical issues like housing and the procedure for visiting the prison, but also on stress and anxiety management. It has been very successful so far, and there has been a lot of discussion about rolling the model we have developed at Perth out to other establishments.

For example, we are looking at the use of Social Impact Bonds, which were piloted at Peterborough prison.

Despite how difficult the financial climate is, CrossReach are still making progress in becoming more sustainable. As well as restructuring, we are investing in people, in our infrastructure, and in our staff.

The Church of Scotland recently called for improvements in local government funding for the social care sector. Given that local governments are themselves under a great deal of social pressure, is 31

Balancing the Books We need to work with local authorities, and everyone in the care sector must have compassion for the vulnerable. The main thing is that local governments and third sector organisations have to communicate with each other.

Ian Wauchope Director of Finances & Resources at Crossreach

there any other way in which they can help to improve social care?

We need to work with local authorities, and everyone in the care sector must have compassion for the vulnerable. The main thing is that local governments and third sector organisations have to communicate with each other.

Another point to make is that it can be very disruptive for the charitable sector when local government funding methods and requirements change.

Councils should plan ahead and work to three year funding plans. This would give third sector organisations the security that they need to plan ahead for the medium term and operate efficiently.

Like many religious organisations, the Church of Scotland has a declining number of members. How confident are CrossReach that they can continue to fund services as society becomes more secular?

I’m confident that CrossReach can continue to provide a high level of service, despite decreasing 32

membership of The Church, but Church funding still remains very important to us. Even although it’s a relatively small percentage of our income base, it is still a large amount. The Church is also very supportive in other ways; we pool our resources for a number of services, and importantly the Church provides us with an overdraft facility, which is currently £6m.

Is there any way that CrossReach itself can be used as an example of how the Church remains relevant?

We would like to do much more work with the church. Particularly, we would like to do more work with congregations, so they can become more involved with social care, and also learn more about CrossReach.

Can you tell us more about your employment background, and how you came to hold the position you do now?

I qualified as an accountant and started my working life in an accountancy position with Cadbury’s, the chocolate manufacturer. After

that, I stayed in finance, and moved to working in the local government sector in England. However, I wanted to move back to Edinburgh, to a job that included a lot of variety, and so I moved back to Scotland working in Edinburgh and Glasgow for the social housing sector. The social housing sector has many similarities to my current position, in that both my previous organisations and CrossReach provide places to stay and support to those individuals.

I enjoy my work because the financial elements, particularly the restructuring, are challenging and will lead to better services in the longer term for the vulnerable people we support. I very much like working with the team of people at CrossReach, and I also enjoy working for an organisation that does a lot of good in society.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to take their career in a similar direction to yours?

I think the main piece of advice I could give is that it’s very important to decide what it is you want to do, keep it relatively simple, and stick to it. I like the values of CrossReach, and what it does. But professionally, I enjoy the challenges of working in finance, and find them exciting.

SI magazine August 2013

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33

Balancing the Books

Why volunteers are like gold dust Richard Lane explores why volunteers are more precious than ever, where to find them and how to keep them safe and happy once you do.

Richard Lane is Managing Director of Ansvar Insurance, specialists in the third sector

Most charities are only as good as the volunteer force that supports them. The majority of not-for-profits and many of our public services couldn’t exist without the 100 million hours that people donate to their communities every week. Annually, this amounts to a staggering 20 million people contributing £40 billion worth of time and effort towards our economy.

With spending cuts and plans for a Big Society, volunteers are more vital than ever.

Meanwhile, the recession has driven the number of volunteers down.

Often these consequences are financial. A series of claims will affect your organisation’s insurability. If poor management means you can’t get insured, your organisation’s livelihood and existence could be on the line.

So where can you find those gold dust volunteers? A good place to start is your local CVS (Councils for Voluntary Service).

There’s a UK wide network of 230 CVSs, 60 in Scotland, that offer a huge database of volunteering opportunities and local people looking to volunteer. As well as being a volunteer goldmine, they can help you with training, advice and support.

But most upsetting are the human consequences of poor management. One example that sticks in my mind is a young man in his twenties who volunteered for a charity and lost half his hand after using a circular saw without any training or safety mechanisms in place. How can you ever compensate for changing the course of someone’s life in such a tragic way?

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is also a fantastic treasure trove of information about where to find the volunteers you need.

A reputation for carelessness with your volunteers is something you want to avoid at all costs. Which brings us to the crucial question, how do you take care of the people you rely on? A few basics spring to mind.

Be prepared. Carry out risk assessments.

Have health and safety policies in place and employ them. Make sure children and vulnerable adults are protected.

Assuming you now have your cache of volunteers, how do you keep hold of them?

That’s the £20 million question. A good place to start is to understand what motivates people to volunteer in the first place. Research shows that 75% of people want to see the difference they make in people’s lives, 65% of younger people want to improve their skills and job prospects and over half of the 60+ age group believe volunteering helps them make friends.

It’s vital that charities recognise what volunteers want from their experience, and bend over backwards to make sure they deliver on the skills and personal enrichment people are hungry for.

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Just as important is understanding what puts volunteers off. One national survey discovered that almost half the people they spoke to were worried about risks and liabilities, and with good reason. As insurers we regularly witness the distressing consequences of poor volunteer management through the claims we receive.

In fact, there is a long list of things you can do to help keep your volunteers and the people they come into contact with safe and sound and coming back for more. A good insurance broker can provide you with helpful guidance and the Institute of Fundraising website and the Volunteer Scotland website have some excellent – and free – advice.

SI magazine August 2013

TOWIE: The Only Way Is Ethics Many of us at some time in our lives will need at least one of the following financial arrangements: • Stakeholder & personal pension plans • Additional voluntary contribution plans • Company pension schemes • Self invested personal pensions • Life assurance • Regular savings • Lump sum investments • Individual savings accounts Scott Murray is a Director of Virtuo Wealth Management and can be contacted via scott@ virtuowealth.com

But how many of our financial arrangements are linked to a socially responsible investment fund?

Generally speaking, the criteria used to select companies considered suitable for a socially responsible fund can be split into two groups. The first are those which make a positive contribution, while the second are those which are known to have a negative social or environmental effect.

Positive selection results in support and encouragement of companies that are associated with: environmental protection, pollution control, conservation and recycling, safety and security, and ethical employment practices.

Negative selection results, where required, in the avoidance of companies linked with: • armaments and nuclear weapons • animal exploitation • human rights abuse / oppressive regimes • environmentally damaging practices • poor employment practices • alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and pornography In recent years there has been a shift towards more positive selection instead of just screening out the negatives. These

Capitalism with a conscience with increased shareholder pressure on the practices of boards will see even more positive investment returns but more importantly will see a positive impact on the planet.

new breed of ethical investment funds are delivering strong returns by investing in companies which improve the quality of life for us while we are temporarily inhabiting the planet and provide environmental benefits for the planet while we are borrowing her resources. Capitalism with a conscience with increased shareholder pressure on the practices of boards will see even more positive investment returns but more importantly will see a positive impact on the planet.

How ethical is your pension fund, and how well is it performing for you? Perhaps it’s time to take a step back and look at whether you are financing companies whose activities you are against, and whether you are actively investing in your future, of that of your children, to make a positive difference. It is your money and your choice. Please get in touch if you have any questions.

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August 2013 SI magazine

Balancing the Books

This state of independence shall be…

Despite the title, I am afraid this article is not about uplifting tunes of the 80s. It’s on the rather more prosaic matter of the referendum on Scottish independence.

It’s something of an understatement to say that the referendum will have a significant impact on Scotland and its people in almost all respects, whatever the outcome may be. So, how are charities dealing with this, and to what extent should charities actively participate in the debate?

Lauren Scott is an associate with Morton Fraser LLP. She specialises in charity law and has just recently completed a secondment in the legal team at OSCR.

Last December 2012, the Carnegie UK Trust published a report – ‘A Charitable Concern’ - which summarised the results of a survey into how large charities in Scotland were facing up to the challenges of the referendum. In general the results showed that, of those surveyed, many charities had not planned for the impact of possible constitutional change, were reluctant to step into the public debate for fear of being cast as in favour of one particular outcome, and were also concerned about the extent to which charities can be involved in ‘political activity’. No doubt, some of this nervousness also stems from uncertainty over whether the referendum is about politics, or if it is really about constitutional change.

As a consequence, one of Carnegie UK Trust’s recommendations was for OSCR, as Scotland’s charity regulator, to produce guidance for charities on the issues.

OSCR duly responded and in April issued draft guidance for public consultation. That draft was welcomed in some quarters, but criticised by others who considered OSCR had gone beyond its remit and that the draft guidance was too prescriptive.

Having taken the feedback into account, OSCR has now published its final guidance, which is more positive and concise than the initial draft (though my view is that the key message remains the same).

In short, OSCR recognises the important role charities can and should play in the debate, and its basic message is that a

36

(Scottish registered) charity may participate (including campaigning for a yes/no vote) if it can show:• the activity is advancing its charitable purpose; • the charity’s governing document does not prohibit such activity; • it is not advancing the interests of a political party; and that • the charity trustees are acting in the charity’s interests, and with due care and diligence.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that even if a charity chooses not to participate in the debate, charity trustees should start planning now (at a strategic level) for the referendum, whatever the outcome may be.

There is absolutely no doubt that charities have an important and in some cases crucial role to play in the debate. The outcome will have an impact on many charities, beneficiaries, donors and funders so it is important that charities feel able to participate (provided doing so is in furtherance of their purposes). Carnegie UK Trust’s report was based on research conducted in the spring and summer of 2012 - as we count down to the vote more charities will by now have considered the impact of the referendum and the extent to which they may wish to take part in the debate. OSCR’s guidance should be welcomed as a sign of encouragement for Scottish registered charities to be prepared and, where appropriate, to get involved.

I’m told that the story behind the lyrics to the song referred to in the title is about how the truth will come, which is rather apposite when it comes to the current debate!

To read OSCR’s guidance, click here.

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August 2013 SI magazine

EVENTS Calendar Welcome to our events calendar. This section of SI magazine is designed to give our readers an opportunity to find out what events are coming up over the coming months, and while this list is by no means exhaustive in such an active sector we hope that you find something here that you can benefit from.

September 3 Sept 2013: Foundation Scotland – Resilient Social Investment Event, Dundee

1 Oct 2013: ACOSVO – Governance Stories – Boards and Decision Making, Edinburgh

5 Sept 2013: Foundation Scotland – Resilient Social Investment Event, Edinburgh

8 Oct 2013: Children in Scotland, Training – Child Protection: the use of technology, internet safety and social media

5 Sept 2013: ACOSVO – Strategic Action, Edinburgh 13 Sept 2013: Children in Scotland – Sharing the care: making fostering fairer in Scotland, Edinburgh 19 Sept 2013: Children in Scotland, Training – The Cycle of Observation, Assessment and Planning 24 Sept 2013: ACOSVO – Cross Sector Development for Third Sector Organisations, Edinburgh 25 Sept 2013: ACOSVO – Employment Law and HR Issues Update for Chief Officers, Edinburgh

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October

25 Oct 2013: Children in Scotland – The importance of play, Edinburgh 29 Oct 2013: Spectrum Events – Universal Credit: Cross Sector Partnerships in Action, Managing the Repercussions, Edinburgh 31 Oct 2013: ACOSVO – Annual Conference – Theme ‘Dare to Dream, Work to Win’, Glasgow

November 5 – 6 Nov 2013: Children in Scotland – Children in Scotland Annual Conference 2013, Paisley 14 Nov 2013: Children in Scotland, Training – Working with Parents 28 Nov 2013: Spectrum Events – SI Magazine Awards 2013: Celebrating Social Investment and Third Sector Funding, Edinburgh

About us Quarriers is a Scottish charity providing practical support and care for children, adults and families at any stage of their lives across Scotland and England.

Quarriers offers a diverse range of services which Transform Lives. Over the last 140 years, we’ve built on our expertise at providing a range of support to meet these challenges.

Our services Through more than 150 sites nationwide, our services impact on the lives of over 17,000 people. We aim to continuously improve the services we provide and want to tell you more about them, the needs they address and the benefits they deliver.

We believe effective partnerships are the foundation of sustainable, value-added services.

Expert at providing quality education and residential services for children and young people.

“

I feel that you have done a great job for my son and I am so proud of him and that couldn’t have happened without the support of all the staff.

Maggie, parent

”

Expert at providing the right support at the right time for young adults.

“

Without Quarriers, I don’t know where I’d be now.

John, young person

”

Expert at supporting Children and Families to live safe, happy and fulfilling lives.

“ www.quarriers.org.uk Quarriers is a registered Scottish Charity No SC001960

Everybody is treated the same here no favourites. But you don’t get away with anything either. Staff don’t make assumptions about anything or anyone.

Kelly, mum

”

Registered and Head Office: Quarriers, Quarriers Village, Bridge of Weir PA11 3SX Tel: 01505 616000/612224 Fax: 01505 613906

Talk abOUT it!

To stop child sexual abuse we need to start talking about it Your first steps to getting the right support and advice if child sexual abuse has affected you or someone you know.

Call the Stop it Now! Helpline on 0808 1000 900