Third sector

The third sector, which includes charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups, delivers essential services, helps to improve people's wellbeing and contributes to economic growth. It plays a vital role in supporting communities at a local level.

Actions

We are supporting and developing the third sector by:

• providing core funding to the third sector to ensure it can continue its vital work
• providing support and regulation to charities
• supporting social enterprises and helping the sector to grow
• funding the Community Capacity and Resilience Fund to help the third sector to provide direct support to communities
• investing in Public Social Partnerships to enable the third sector to participate in the designing and commissioning of public services.
• funding third sector interfaces to support collaboration between third sector organisations and local authorities
• encouraging volunteering through providing funding for awards and voluntary organisations
• contributing funding towards the European Social Fund Strategic Intervention: Social inclusion and poverty reduction

Background

The Christie Commission on public services

In 2011 the Christie commission on the future delivery of public services made several recommendations regarding the reform of Scotland's public services, including the third sector.

Our response, Renewing Scotland's Public Services: priorities for reform in response to the Christie Commission, recognised the role of the third sector, particularly in regard to partnership working, collaborative spend in localities and preventative spend.

Statistics

Information on employment in the third sector is collected in the Annual Population Survey (APS).

• Third sector employment statistics: tables
• Third sector employment statistics: chart

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations' (SCVO) Interactive Evidence Library for the Third Sector in Scotland provides an archive of research documentation relating to the third sector.

Bills and legislation

The Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 sets out the framework within which charities and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) must operate.

Contact

Email: thirdsector@gov.scot

Phone: 0300 244 4000 – Central Enquiry Unit

Post:
Third Sector Unit
Scottish Government
3H-North
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ