TFN

thirdforcenews.org.uk covers stories about charities, social enterprises, volunteers and everyone who make a difference in Scotland and beyond

Legal

Comments on TFN’s Facebook posts are not pre-moderated. Messages containing offensive or inappropriate content may be deleted. Acceptable content

We welcome discussion and comment on Third Force News articles and posts. We encourage healthy discussion about issues that matter to you and accept that some articles are likely to provoke different points of view. Unacceptable content

We cann

ot allow:

• Swearing – no swear words will be tolerated and messages will be removed if they are found to contain such words.
• Posting libellous or malicious material – we will not hesitate to remove any messages that we believe may contain libellous content.
• Distributing information on behalf of a political party – the forum is not an arena for promoting the ideals and objectives of any political party.
• Posting offensive messages about groups or individuals – Offensive messages can cause distress and anxiety and all contributors are asked to refrain from making personal remarks about individuals. Racism or any other attacks on any person or groups will not be tolerated on the forum. These messages may be forwarded to the police for further investigation.
• Revealing the name or contact details of individuals who would otherwise prefer to remain anonymous.
• Promoting groups, organisations or commercial ventures – it is not an advertising board.
• Impersonating or falsely claiming to represent a member of staff, an organisation or another individual. Approving messages

The moderator screens all messages after publishing and will remove any that fit the descriptions above. Removal is at the moderator’s discretion and the moderator’s decision is final. In becoming a contributor to the Third Force News page, individuals are asked to acknowledge and accept this. Please contact [email protected] to report an issue with the content, or with the above policy.

12/12/2025

New mag looks at the precarity of funding, the mis-match between what the sector gets, how it gets it and the increasing amount demanded from us and you can read it all here: https://tfn.scot/magazine/december-20/read

Welcome to TFN magazine’s final edition of the year.

This month we hit themes which we have been returning to a lot over the past year – and will continue to in the years ahead.

The precarity of funding and the mis-match between what the sector gets, how it gets it and the increasing amount that is demanded from us.

We have returned to this theme and will keep returning to it because it frames absolutely everything we do. It is literally the stuff of the sector’s existence.

This month, we look at the architecture of funding – and specifically the geography of the funding landscape.

Is there a level playing field for smaller charities when applying for funds?

One of the biggest stories of the past year has been the impact of the hike in employers’ National Insurance.

Linked to the precarity of funding, this has taken a real toll

The first data-sets are becoming available about its impact – and, as expected, the results aren’t pretty.

The wider operating environment also impacts funding. This month we look at the impact the UK Government’s hard line on people seeking refuge in the UK, and we find that it could have a big impact on those providing frontline services to some of the country’s most desperate and vulnerable people.

We also look at the need to defend human rights and have an excellent focus on RNIB’s Tech Hub – an example of where, if things can feel gloomy, we must remember the transformative effect our work and services have.

You will find all of that in this month’s magazine as well as TFN's usual line up of excellent columnists.

18/11/2025

TFN’s November edition is out now – you can read it all here: https://tfn.scot/magazine/november-2025/read

This month’s magazine asks what now for , how we combat homelessness and how we overcome division - plus, our festive gift guide.

The magazine takes both a look back and at and a look forward from last month’s Scotland Demands Better march in Edinburgh.

This event brought together the breadth of Scotland’s voluntary sector and civil society, based around an array of demands, all of them linked with the idea that we want change – profound, transformational change to how we live and how things are organised.

It was a great moment and a huge success – but the momentum must not be lost now, especially as we move into an election year.

Housing demands were boldly put on the march (whether that was from the likes of Shelter or Living Rent), and this month we report on the Homelessness Network Scotland conference.

We clearly have a problem – in fact a declared emergency - but it is actually heartening to see Scotland’s voluntary sector at the core of coming up with ideas to deal with this vast and complex issue.

Elsewhere, but linked into the idea of voluntary sector ideas at the grassroots providing solutions to Scotland’s profoundest problems, Ross Ahlfeld - in response to last month’s feature on the rise of the far-right - tells us what is being done in Inverclyde to overcome division.

And yes, it’s nearly that time of year – so don’t forget to check out our annual guide.

You will find all of that and much more in this month as well as TFN's usual line up of excellent columnists and features – it’s free for all to read, so feel free to share the link!

03/11/2025

TFN’s Guide to Running a Charity or Social Enterprise 2025/26 is out now – and you can read it all here: https://tfn.scot/guide

Every year TFN produces its Guide to Running a Charity or Social Enterprise. This year’s publication has just been released featuring invaluable expert commentary and an exclusive preview of in-depth research into what it's like to work in the voluntary sector.

It uses as its starting point unique workplace research conducted by SCVO which will be published in full next year - but you can get an exclusive preview of the findings in the new Guide.

The survey set out to uncover how people from across the voluntary sector feel about their work - from frontline staff and volunteers to managers and senior leaders. It asked: what do you enjoy and value? What is less satisfying? How could you be better supported?

It will help explore how employers might improve working environments and strengthen routes into voluntary sector careers, and TFN’s latest Guide explores similar themes, with the input of dozens of experts from SCVO, the wider sector, businesses…

We hope you find the TFN Guide to Running a Charity or Social Enterprise 2025-26 enjoyable, informative and useful: it is available to everyone, so please feel free to share the link far and wide: it is simply tfn.scot/guide

29/10/2025

October's TFN magazine is out now - you can read it all here: https://tfn.scot/magazine/october-2025/read.

This month’s magazine has a special focus on one of the most urgent issues of our time: the rise of the far-right.

And specifically: how to stop it.

TFN isn’t pulling any punches here – and neither are the range of people in the sector we have spoken to.

One of the main things to emerge is that we have to create and/or be part of a movement that speaks to the most bewildered and lost in our communities, overcoming division and lies with transformative answers and truth.

Linked to this is the absolute urgency of creating and showing meaningful solidarity with those who are the primary victims of this far-right surge – those in our communities who have been subjected to violence, smears and intimidation, whether that’s by fascist-led mobs, online trolls, parts of the media or state actions.

The other main piece this month is a look at how humanitarian aid workers have tried to operate in Gaza in the two years of hell that followed October 7.

Things may have moved on since the welcome announcement of a ceasefire (just as we were compiling this edition), but the suffering is endless for the bereaved, traumatised and maimed in this land of rubble.

You will find all of that and much more in this month as well as TFN's usual line up of excellent columnists and features.

12/09/2025

This month’s TFN magazine is out now - you can read it all here: https://tfn.scot/magazine/september-2025/read

The new magazine looks ahead to the and much, much more

If you’ve not noticed by now, you will very soon: even though it’s not till next May, we are now well and truly into an election campaign.

This month’s TFN serves as the starting point for our coverage of next May’s Holyrood poll.

In it, we look at a landmark report from Engender (Scotland) on women’s political representation and the barriers that are faced. Its publication couldn’t be more timely.

We also feature an interview around the SCVO election manifesto, and the group’s asks from Scotland’s political parties.

On manifestos, at TFN we have been collecting voluntary sector and civil society manifestos as they come in and aim to publish them soon – please contact [email protected] if you want to be included.

Elsewhere in a packed mag, we drill into some of the hideous figures around the killing of humanitarian aid workers. The scale of what’s going on is truly horrific.

On a different tack, we take a fascinating look at how helped – literally – to build post-war Yugoslavia.

We also hear an inspiring story from The Action Group of a community project to make a tapestry, and Jeff Zycinski of Partnerships for Wellbeing talks about how a cancer diagnosis led to a career change and a new perspective on the value of community

You will find all of that and much more in this month as well as TFN's usual line up of excellent columnists and features.

21/08/2025

New mag looks at community organising and much, much more - you can read it all here: https://tfn.scot/magazine/august-2025/read

This month’s TFN magazine celebrates the power of community – exploring how ordinary people have organised from the grassroots to achieve change.

We focus on the Glasgow scheme of , but there are examples everywhere, for example, the wonderful work done by Supporting Our Community in Hillhouse in Hamilton.

This is real civil society in profound action – charities and voluntary groups have to be there to help people, but ordinary people themselves have a remarkable, collectivist ability to help themselves.

This is the lifeblood of our sector – we should celebrate it more.

What happens when a keystone organisation in our communities closes or is taken away? We look at that through an anatomy of what happened at Edinburgh's Engine Shed, 10 years from its closure.

We look at that this month – it’s a lengthy and detailed read, but an essential one.

Elsewhere, Nina Barough reflects on the success of the and we look at what lessons can be learnt from failures of data governance at Birthlink.

You will find all of that and much more in this month as well as TFN's usual line up of excellent columnists and features, including Ewan Aitken of Cyrenians and Sara Redmond of Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland

And don’t forget - if you work for a member or supporter organisation, why not set up an account so you can access members only content such as the full archive, TFN app and exclusive content.

17/07/2025

TFN magazine's July edition is out now – read it all here: https://tfn.scot/magazine/july-2025/read

The lastest magazine looks at Scotland Demands Better, a minimum income guarantee, the Scottish Charity Awards winners and much more

The power of our sector is that we are able not just to highlight problems in society – but also that we have the expertise to formulate solutions.

We look at both of these aspects in this month’s TFN.
First, we highlight the Scotland Demand Better campaign, which both TFN and SCVO are getting fully behind. You can read about this important cross sector and civil society push to bring a focus on the basics of how we live in our society to demand better lives – starting with real action on the scourges of low pay and poverty.

On the latter, another cross-sector collaboration has seen important work done on establishing a minimum income guarantee in Scotland – a level below which wages are not allowed to fall, and a means of lifting people out of poverty.

The findings are wide-ranging, but importantly they are not wishes or even demands: they are detailed and costed proposals which are now going to the Scottish Government.

And while we are looking at things cross-sector, a big shout out to all of this year’s Scottish Charity awards winners and nominees. The list of winners is a truly inspiring snapshot of the breadth of what we do.

You will find all of that and much more in this month as well as TFN's usual line up of excellent columnists and features.

Address

Edinburgh

Telephone

+441314748000

Website

http://www.thirdforcenews.org.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when TFN posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to TFN:

Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company in Edinburgh?

TFN