Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface (TSI) Update
Argyll and Bute Council · 13 August 2025
Back to Oban Lorn & the Isles Area Community Planning Group — 13 August 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Report Oban, Lorn and the Isles Partner Update Paper Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface Date 4th August 2025 Prepared by Petra Pearce, Third Sector Support Adviser, OLI For Period 22nd April 2025 - 15th July 2025 1. Scottish Government, Parliament, the TSI landscape and policy activity TSI Scotland Network is working on seven third sector relevant policy areas ahead of submission to both main parties for their respective manifesto deliberations in October and December 2025. ABTSI’s CEO is working on two groups – Rural and Public Service Reform. This follows meetings in May and June 2025 with SNP’s Jenni Minto MSP in her capacity as Public Health Minister, Labour leader Anas Sarwar MSP and the SNP’s head of policy. These meetings advocated for how smaller third sector organisations could support both parties’ ambitions to support sustainable and resilient communities with strong public services. The TSI national two-day conference is confirmed for 28th and 29th October 2025. Day one will focus on practice and operational improvement issues and day two will focus on policy and engagement with key change makers and stakeholders at local and national levels. Eight workshops are planned across the two days with 200 TSI staff to attend. ABTSI is one of three TSIs helping to organise the event. 2. Public Service Reform and Population Health The Scottish Government published two key documents in June: Scotland’s Public Service Reform Strategy – Delivering for Scotland -outlining the Scottish Government’s blueprint for transforming public services to be more sustainable, effective and person-centred. There are three key pillars of reform identified in the report – prevention, joined up services and efficiency. The TSI’s pitch to ministers is that through direct and devolved funding to the third sector at a community level we can help them with all three areas. Scotland’s Population Health Framework 2025-2035 – developed by the Scottish Government and COSLA, this sets out a ten-year strategic vision to improve health outcomes, reduce health inequalities and build a fairer, healthier Scotland. Prevention is seen as a key lever but the focus in the document is more statutory led and there is an opportunity to influence government thinking here from a third sector perspective. 3. Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund (years 5 and 6) The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund (year 5) has completed the local consultation and engagement process. We will be looking to expand the panel membership this year if possible and it is expected that applications will open around 15th August and close in mid-September with grants being disbursed in October 2025. The amount of £285k is like last year and there has been no change in local and national priorities. However, for this year there is an expectation that 80 per cent of grants will be awarded for both years 5 and 6 and this will allow Scottish Government to test the benefits of multi-year funding agreements.
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4. Work of the Wellbeing Development Manager The Walking Development Coordinator, Eleanor Aiton- Balfour, is now in post and is in the process of meeting volunteer groups to stimulate healthy walking activity across Argyll and Bute. A meeting organised by the Wellbeing Development Manager, Mahailia Kateryna, was held to review the success of the physical activity and prevention workstream and to devise models for successful continuation. A toolkit for promoting collaborative conversations such as world café and other techniques has been printed and will be circulated to trained advocates. 5. ABTSI Strategy review 2026-2031 Subject to due diligence, the ABTSI strategy tender is due to be awarded imminently to a consultancy with experience of working in Argyll and Bute and who have a strong commitment to working with local partners. The TSSA team have all been involved in discussions about how they can take the three elements of the strategy work into their local communities. 6. Community Directory and Funding Platform Refresh Alongside the strategy refresh and the national work on TSI data collection improvement, ABTSI are taking the opportunity to review our performance systems – as well as what we gather locally to tell our story as a sector. Any groups that would like an in-person or on-line meeting to discuss the support available from TSI or would like the TSI to attend an event please get in touch with petrapearce@argylltsi.org.uk Sources of funding for Third Sector Groups can also be accessed via https://argylltsi- funding.org.uk/