My first stop was Voluntary Action Orkney. They were incredibly welcoming to me; it was exciting to hear about the broad spectrum of work they are doing in Orkney – not only do they provide befriending, volunteering and other services, they are dedicated to supporting all third sector organisations and all under the stress of trying to build a new home for themselves in the process.
I also popped in to visit ORSAS Equality Hub. Originally an essential support for victims of the most harrowing crimes with trained counsellors and a safe space, ORSAS have expanded their service to include a community fridge for anyone struggling and an equality hub so LGBT+ people feel supported in the community and have a place to spend time. If I had to sum up the work going on in Orkney, I would say progressive. They are pushing for change and are fearless in the process.
The next day, I had the privilege of meeting with colleagues at Moray TSI. My main point of contact was Elidh, who looked after me incredibly well for being so busy! I was invited to speak at a regular forum they hold with third sector workers in the area. These fantastic organisations represented everything from people living with Dementia to youth groups and veterans.
It was inspiring to hear their updates on all the hard work they are carrying out in Moray. After this session ended, I then held another presentation for the Moray TSI staff, again with lots of great discussion around human rights and equalities. This all took place in the amazing building the Inkwell which is a cafe (with very tasty cookies) that held a youth group for the community later that day.
Next on my itinerary was Dundee. My first stop was a visit to Dundee Volunteer and Voluntary Action, where I was welcomed by Lali and Maryam and had the honour of being updated on all the fantastic work going on in Dundee. It was hard to keep up with all the projects, ideas and thoughts that are happening there – everything from community cafes to addiction support, financial support and more. I was given an open invitation to return anytime and even some dates of events that I could visit in person. After I left there, I travelled around the city on foot, popping in THRE leaflets and introducing myself to a range of local charities.
Running out of time and with a long drive home ahead of me, I popped into my fourth TSI of the trip, Angus Voluntary Action in Forfar for a quick hello and dropped off some information about how THRE can help their local organisations.
I felt inspired at the end of all this travelling and visiting. People were so pleased to see me in person and I was made to feel welcome everywhere I went. Between this and the hard, progressive, and enthusiastic work being carried out, everywhere I went I feel like this trip was a great reflection of what Scotland’s third sector stands for.
Graham Ross
Development Officer
North of Scotland Lead
