Supporting small organisations to flourish with new membership category

As Children in Scotland celebrates its 30th anniversary, it is delighted to launch a new membership category supporting small organisations to flourish with ‘invaluable’ opportunities for learning, knowledge sharing and collaboration.

This year Children in Scotland is celebrating 30 years. From early beginnings, as a small network of voluntary children’s organisations, to where the organisation is now, with a vibrant membership of more than 430 organisations, one thing has remained the same, our members sit at the heart of the work we do.

While this milestone year offers an opportunity to celebrate achievements throughout the sector, we are also acutely aware of how challenging the current climate is for organisations working across children’s services and we want to do what we can to support the workforce.

Over the past 30 years, Children in Scotland’s membership offer has continued to evolve to reflect our external context and today is no different. That’s why we are delighted to launch a new category of membership which will offer organisations with an annual income below £50,000 all the benefits of our membership free of charge.

This new category expands on the 12-month free membership offer that was introduced earlier this year and has already positively impacted small organisations working across Scotland.

Highland Action for Little Ones, a charity supporting families and children in poverty and fleeing domestic violence, joined Children in Scotland’s membership in March 2023 and shares how its team has utilised the benefits:

“We are a very small charity with limited income streams, so having the opportunity to engage with Children in Scotland through our free membership has been invaluable. Our membership keeps us updated with legislation, policy, and what's going on in and around Scotland to support children. The membership benefits we value are the Insight magazine, full of interesting articles, our discounts, and access to training and podcasts.”

The introduction of a new membership category demonstrates our commitment to supporting as many organisations as possible in their pursuit to better the lives of children, young people and their families.

Simon Massey, Head of Engagement and Learning at Children in Scotland said: “We’ve been working hard to keep the activities Children in Scotland charge for as low-cost and accessible as possible, so I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to extend the free Membership offer to a wider group of organisations.

This will provide the opportunity for support and connections for smaller organisations across Scotland, who otherwise would not have been able to access our Membership service.

Please join us and help us deliver on our vision that all children in Scotland have an equal chance to flourish.”

Any organisation becoming a Children in Scotland Member will access a range of benefits (click here to access our Membership Guide 2023). Some of the key ones include:

· Joining our network, including 430 members comprising a wide range of individuals and organisations (click here to access our Member Directory).

· Accessing free Member events including our Voices Forum (click here to find out more about our Voices Forum)

· Getting discounts on our open Learning Programme, with prices starting at £35 for Members (click here for information about our upcoming learning events)

· Receiving our bi-annual Member publication, 'Insight', providing a space for inspiration, reflection, discussion and sharing of knowledge.

New membership category for organisations with annual income below £50,000

Our free membership category is available for voluntary organisations, professional and statutory bodies with an annual income below £50,000.

The membership runs for a 12-month period and organisations will be contacted about membership renewal at the end of each year.

Members have responsibility for notifying Children in Scotland if their annual income increases above £50,000 when membership is due for renewal at the end of the 12-month period.

How to join

If you meet the criteria above, then you just need to complete our application form, which can be found on the 'Join us' page.
Click here to access the 'Join Us' page

We ask that, in the ‘Membership category’ section, you choose ‘Organisations: voluntary organisations, professional and statutory bodies’. Then send it to membership@childreninscotland.org.uk.

We look forward to welcoming you to Children in Scotland!