Some Brief Thoughts From Our AGM

2025 is fast approaching, but we just about managed to find time for a moment of reflection on 2024, assess where we are now, and where we want to be in the future. This years AGM was an opportunity to celebrate past success, and prepare for the challenges the new year will bring.

For anyone who wants to know what’s next for VCEL, we have put together some brief thoughts on our past, present, and future. If you would like to see the slides used on the day, click here.

Vision, Mission, and Values

As the TSI for East Lothian it is our responsibility to promote and develop volunteering, support a strong and resilient third sector, and ultimately create a fairer, more equitable Scotland. We want to see a strong and sustainable third sector with the power to make lasting change to the health, wellbeing and community life of people in East Lothian.

Community is at the heart of what we do. We want to inspire people and organisations to develop and become active members of their communities.

Looking to the Future

No one can predict the future, but we will do our best to ensure that East Lothian’s third sector remains as vibrant, diverse, and resilient as possible.

• We will continue to build on the positive relationships we have already established and ensure that the work of the third sector is embedded in everything we do.

• We will continue to promote and set up themed forums, to allow us to be the “voice” of the sector.

• We will continue to deliver our Community First and Youth Befriending Services.

• We will develop a local volunteering strategy in line with the Governments Volunteering for All framework.

• We will help integrate SIGNAL (an innovative tool that identifies and tracks real-time needs across multiple dimensions of well-being), within existing frameworks in East Lothian. You can find more info on SIGNAL here.

Thank you for being part of our story this year — we look forward to what’s ahead in 2025.