Argyll and Bute TSI Update

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Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group
Report Submitted by: TSI
Date: 24 October 2023 
1. New TSI Support
The Third Sector Support Advisor (TSSA) for Helensburgh and Lomond recently moved on
from the organisation and has been replaced by Caryl McLean who also lives in the area.
Caryl joined the TSI on 3rd October 2023.
2. Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. 
For the third year, the TSI are administering the Fund. The total value of the Fund is
£282,303.16.
A number of workshops were held in September/October 2023. It is notable that there has
been an increase in interest, meaning this year’s fund is likely to be even more
oversubscribed than last year.
The Fund opened for Expression of Interest applications on 29th September 2023 and the
last date for completed EOIs was 27th October, with full applications due back by 24th
November 2023. The TSSAs will score the bids in December and the Reference Panel will
make decisions in early January 2024.  
A number of groups in the Helensburgh and Lomond area have submitted EOIs to the Fund.
3. Events
During the past quarter, the TSI has actively organised a number of events including
Community Wealth Building Workshops, held in various locations across Argyll during
September. These workshops were financially supported by the TSI through the partnership
with the Community Planning Partnership.
Additionally, we assisted with four days of co-production training, a TSI funded initiative,
which garnered substantial in-person attendance in Inveraray, with 17 individuals
participating.
In support of the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund, we organised a number of
online workshops in the run up to the EOI submission deadline. 
Furthermore, we are preparing for and promoting our upcoming Volunteer Conference, to
be held in Helensburgh Parish Church on Thursday 16 November 2023 from 12:00 – 15:30.
4. Board member recruitment 
The TSI Board is currently down from seven trustees as of August 2023 to five and have
current vacancies in the two key areas of Chair and Treasurer.