Back in February we were at SCVO’s ‘The Gathering’ – this two-day event was packed with conversations, connecting and a lot of learning!
The Gathering is the largest free voluntary sector event in the UK. It’s an opportunity for all the amazing people working in – and with – the voluntary sector to network, showcase what they do and learn from each other.
We kicked off our time at the Gathering with a workshop, led by our Deputy CEO Martha, and spent the rest of our time exhibiting and chatting evaluation!
We also asked attendees to vote on our polls, the most divisive of which was: ‘are bounty bars a top tier or bottom tier chocolate?’…
In this blog, the ESS team share their experiences and highlights of the event, and insights they gained.
Lynsey Kidd, CEO
“What a great couple of days we had at the Gathering. We attended some fabulous sessions, chatted with lots of people about our work when they stopped by our stand, networked, and networked some more.
Two Gathering highlights for me were:
- Gordon Brown sharing his commitment to positive change for children, families and communities, and offering practical ideas. One of the most inspiring speakers I’ve been lucky enough to hear.
- Welcoming Cabinet Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville to our stand and sharing a little of our work with her.”
Centre: ESS Team members with MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville – Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (photo – SCVO)
Martha Lester-Cribb, Deputy CEO
“I had great fun facilitating our well-attended session on the morning of the first day. We were exploring how organisations can use our 5 Principles for Good Evaluation to make sure their evaluation is good enough for them. The positive buzz in the room set me up for the rest of The Gathering.
I also loved having the chance to talk to so many people from a range of organisations at our stall. There was never a dull moment (and as an added bonus, we now know more about how Bounties are viewed in the third sector – 68% say they’re top tier!).”
Dr Gary Walsh, Senior Evaluation Support Manager
“The Gathering was very enjoyable and stimulating. It’s always great to meet up with colleagues from across our vibrant sector. I’ve had some useful follow-up discussions with people who came to the ESS stall and people I spoke to at the wide variety of sessions I attended.
A highlight for me included an excellent session run by the Centre for Public Policy at University of Glasgow, discussing the vital role of the third sector in the safeguarding of Scotland’s public purse. Another highlight was a panel discussion looking at the role of the third sector in health creation. It struck me that demonstrating the impact of the sector continues to be a vital task, and is arguably getting more important. Looking forward to the next Gathering!”
Jess Martinez, Training Officer
“I had a great time at the Gathering, the atmosphere was buzzing and I never stopped chatting with people the whole time I was there! Not only did we meet lots of new people, but we were able to catch up with people we have worked with in the past and hear how they’d been getting on.
It was clear from the conversations we had that not only is evaluation still very relevant, but it is possibly more important than ever.”
Marianne Kirsop, Communications Officer
“The Gathering was a great opportunity to showcase the different types of support that we offer. We were able to use our stall to introduce attendees to different areas of our offering including workshops/training, tailored support, free resources, as well as on-going support in the form of our networks.
Two gathering highlights for me were:
- Seeing how much interest there was in our stall from attendees as well as other exhibitors
- Winning a lovely hamper from fellow exhibitor Historic Environment Scotland!”
