Third Sector Lab

📢 New Guest Blog: Kailen Budge from Third Sector Lab on The Curve. When you’re working flat out to support people, digital skills training can feel like “just another thing” on the list. But what if 90 minutes of learning could save hours every week? In this guest blog, Kailen explores how The Curve – a digital skills programme available free to our grant holders – is helping charities: ✅ Save time ✅ Build confidence ✅ Strengthen frontline work Since 2020, more than 15,000 people have joined Curve workshops, learning practical tools from AI and cybersecurity to fundraising and data skills. https://lnkd.in/eg5Mtbqt

Last Saturday, a customer came in to drop off a donation and they met Tracy Purdie - our fabulous sewing machine mechanic! This is what they said: "My wife and i visited today to drop off a table cloth and a pair of curtains, hopefully which can be re used by someone either training or for their own use. Tracie was enthusiastic in relating what Stitch the Gap do and who you help. We have also donated to ensure that the future young people (boys included!!) become ardent SEWERS. You are a special kind of organisation" They gave a donation that covers a young person to take part in a full term of our beginner classes! Why am I telling you this story - well in 2024 we were very fortunate to take part in a programme where Sage delegates visited and helped us solve a business problem. One of the issues that Simon Lamb helped us identify was that we were not all communicating the same message and so we were out of step and not necessarily pulling in the same direction. We were determined to fix that and so when I saw this course from Third Sector Lab we were all in - and it didn't disappoint! I still enjoy seeing and supporting and sharing the posts from the cohort who joined me on the shared trauma of clicking the 'POST' button that first time!! What this Open Working course enabled was a practical way to ensure our message is uniform and transparent across our organisation so that when someone pops in and talks to anyone within the organisation we are clear in communicating our mission and in doing so are now making great strides forward! MASSIVE thanks for your guidance and invaluable insights on this course Ross McCulloch and to Simon Lamb for those hard truths - look we fixed it!

Tomorrow we will be hearing from John Fitzgerald,  Digital Evolution Manager at SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations) and member of the Scottish AI Alliance panel and the wonderful Professor Anna Feigenbaum, Chair in Digital Storytelling at the University of Glasgow. The day will kick off with networking (and coffee) before we hear from Anna on the dance between AI and human, and guidance on the ethical use of AI. A short break to refuel is followed by our talk from John, who will explore the importance of strong and smart tech beyond the shiny new toy. We have only a couple of spots left so be sure to grab your tickets!

Want training that actually helps with the real problems you’re dealing with in digital, data and design? Come and tell us what would make the biggest difference to you. On Wednesday 19 November, we’re running a ‘Have Your Say’ session for organisations funded by The Robertson Trust or The The National Lottery Community Fund. Just a chance to talk honestly about what you’re struggling with and what support would genuinely be useful. Why it’s worth coming along: You can shape the next set of Curve trainings. If you’ve ever thought “I wish someone would just explain this properly…”, this is the moment to say it. You can ask specific questions about your organisation. Whether it’s your website, data, digital tools or something else entirely, we’ll help you figure out what support would help. We’ll bring the right experts in. Whatever themes come up most, we’ll build training around them - practical, clear and based on what you actually need You’ll hear what others are finding tough too. It’s reassuring to realise you’re not the only one wrestling with these things! This session is simply a space to talk, share and shape what comes next. If you’d like training that meets you where you are - not where someone assumes you should be - we’d love to have you there.

Good communication isn’t just about getting information across - it’s about helping people feel seen and understood. Amanda Hannah MA (Hons), PgDipCE, Dip RSA, who works with Relationships Scotland Dumfries & Galloway, joined The Curve to explore how storytelling could help her organisation connect more deeply with the people they support. Her reflections on what she learned, and why case studies still matter, are a reminder of how small shifts in how we tell stories can have a big impact. 👉 How does your organisation share the stories behind its work?

Join us as our Digital Project Manager 🌟 https://lnkd.in/gVCwcTWZ Closes midnight 16th Nov 2025 We’re looking for an experienced digital agency project manager to keep our website and digital projects running smoothly - from discovery and design to launch. You’ll bring structure, calm, and clarity to a creative, values-led team. 🕓 Ideally 3–4 days per week but also open to full-time applicants. 💻 Hybrid – Glasgow / Remote 💰 £36,000 (plus lots of benefits - see full job ad) 🎂 PS you get your birthday off every year. If you’ve managed projects in a digital agency, care about meaningful work, and like the idea of a small, supportive team with a big impact - we’d love to hear from you. Full job description and apply: https://lnkd.in/gVCwcTWZ

Becoming a trustee is one of the most rewarding steps you can take in your career, and it has just as much benefit for you as it does for the charity. Here’s why: 📈 Professional growth Research shows 70% of employers say trustee experience makes candidates more attractive. You’ll gain strategic, leadership and governance experience you simply can’t get in most day jobs. You’ll learn how boards make big decisions on finance, risk, safeguarding, and digital strategy.t 🌍 Social impact Your digital skills — whether in data, marketing, IT, product or design — could directly strengthen a charity’s ability to deliver services, raise funds, and keep people safe. The impact is immediate and meaningful. 🤝 Networking and collaboration As a trustee, you sit alongside senior leaders from different sectors. You’ll expand your professional network and work with people who share a drive for social change. 💡 Personal growth Trusteeship gives you perspective. You’ll learn about communities, social challenges and lived experiences you may never otherwise encounter. Many trustees describe it as a humbling and motivating experience. And here’s the truth: the third sector needs digital trustees. Charities are asking for support, and we make it easy for professionals to step forward. 👉 Sign up to our Digital Trustees matchmaking programme. We’ll connect you with a board that needs your skills, and you’ll get the chance to make a genuine difference.

🔍 Hot take: The biggest digital transformation most charities need right now isn’t a new platform - it’s better listening. Not surveys. Not assumptions. Actual listening that shapes the way we design services, choose tools, and save time for frontline work. We talk a lot about “digital inclusion”, but inside organisations there’s another gap: the listening gap. Teams buy software before asking staff what’s slowing them down. We build forms before asking service-users how they actually find and access support. We implement systems that should save time… but end up adding admin. Here’s what the numbers tell us: -A single short user feedback session can prevent weeks of rework later. -5–7 service-user interviews often reveal 80% of the insights you need to design digital well. -Organisations that do even light-touch user research are significantly more likely to say digital change reduced workload rather than increased it. So what does “listening smarter” look like in practice? Here are three things any charity can do this month, no budget, no big tech project required: Ask one question before making a decision: Instead of “Which tool should we choose?”, try “What’s the single biggest frustration in our current process?” You’ll be shocked by how often the problem is not what you assumed. Run a 15-minute staff ‘friction check’: Ask your team: “What digital task drains the most time each week?” If multiple people say the same thing, you’ve found your first workflow win. Test with 3 people before you launch anything: Whether it’s a form, a booking process, a report template - watch 3 people use it. If they struggle, your whole audience will too. Small, consistent listening habits beat big digital projects every time. 🗣️ What’s one digital decision your organisation made without enough listening? 🛠️ Or - what’s one small listening tactic that’s already changed how you work?

It’s Trustees’ Week – and the skills charities need most are digital. Yet 74% of charities still don’t have a trustee with digital experience on their board. We’re working to change that. On Tuesday 20 January, 2–3pm, Third Sector Lab is hosting our next Digital Trustees Matchmaking Event – an online session designed to connect: - Charities looking for digital, design or data expertise at board level - Professionals who want to use their skills for social good as a trustee Why this matters: Digital confidence is no longer a “nice to have” for charities. Boards with digital leadership make better decisions, reach more people, and build more resilient organisations. What to expect: -Welcome and short introduction from Ross McCulloch, Founder of Third Sector Lab -Rotating breakout rooms to help charities and potential trustees meet in small groups -Practical guidance on how to find the right match Event details: Online – limited to 40 places Tuesday 20 January, 2–3pm #TrusteesWeek

This #TrusteesWeek, we’re celebrating the impact trustees make across the third sector. But it’s also the right moment to ask: are our boards ready for the future? Charities can no longer treat digital as “just an operational issue.” 📊 A recent survey found that 88% of charities say they need digital skills on their board. Yet in practice, fewer than 1 in 10 boards have trustees with strong digital knowledge. That gap is holding the sector back. Think about it: every part of a charity’s work now touches digital. Service delivery: Online therapy, hybrid youth work, digital inclusion programmes. Fundraising: Online donations, JustGiving campaigns, crowdfunding, supporter data. Compliance and safety: Cyber security, GDPR, protecting service user data. Internal operations: Remote working, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, digital collaboration. If a board doesn’t understand digital, it risks: ⚠ Making poor investment decisions ⚠ Missing opportunities to innovate or diversify income ⚠ Overlooking cyber risks that could damage reputation and trust Boards need at least one trustee with digital expertise to ask the right questions at board level. Not to take over or become “the tech person” - but to provide the confidence, challenge, and assurance boards need to govern effectively in 2025. Digital trustees are not optional. They are now as essential as having financial, legal, or safeguarding expertise on your board.