A £63.6 million cash investment in Scotland’s voluntary sector has this week been welcomed on Arran.
The island’s SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson, addressing the annual meeting of Arran Council for Voluntary Service (ACVS) on Monday night, said the money would be forthcoming in the next three years and was being given to secure long-term sustainability of voluntary organisations.
He told the meeting: ‘In Arran alone the voluntary sector encompasses dozens of organisations and hundreds of volunteers who provide a whole range of services that help islanders in ways the public sector often cannot.
‘Volunteering not only involves communities in social and leisure pursuits but often provides the most effective people to deliver support to those hardest to reach in our society.
‘The potential of the voluntary sector cannot be underestimated. It is a key player in achieving our overall objective of making Scotland and Arran more prosperous.’
‘An additional £30 million will establish a new Scottish Investment Fund to encourage greater investment in assets, business development and the skills of people working in the sector.
‘This represents a 37 per cent increase in voluntary sector funding.
‘New resources will enhance the capacity and the potential of third sector organisations to contribute to building a better country and stronger, more cohesive communities.
‘The 71 organisations that comprise ACVS and their volunteers already make a magnificent contribution to Arran life.’
