Training

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Our training programme aims to respond to the needs of third sector organisations, including social enterprises, community groups and volunteers. Our courses are delivered by trainers with in-depth knowledge of the third sector. All our training is free to BCA member organisations, non-members please contact info@borderscommunityaction.org.uk

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Our courses

• Funding and Fundraising
• Let's Talk about Menopause at Work
• Evaluation - Introduction to the Basics
• Planning for Sustainability
• Financial Management for Non-financial people series
  • Understanding charity annual accounts
  • Reserves and full costing
  • Financial controls, management accounts, budgeting
  • Taxes and Gift Aid
• Digital Skills series
  • a session on how to produce perfect presentations and deliver them with more confidence
  • a Canva masterclass for beginners / new users (Canva is a popular free-to-use online graphic design tool which can be used to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos and more).
  • a session on how to effectively use AI in non-for-profit and charity communications and campaigns.

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Funding and fundraising

About the session

This training is delivered in two sessions. Using a mix of case studies, presentations and discussions, you’ll learn about:

• understanding the Scottish funding landscape and how arts and heritage fit into it
• what your organisation needs to have in place to start from a position of strength, rather than need
• how fundraising works and why people give – three models
• the main sources of funding, including Trusts and Foundations, statutory sources, individual giving, legacies, events and corporate giving
• identifying what part of your work should be aimed at what source of funding
• researching funders and sources of support
• beyond the thank you – how to develop relationships with your funders and supporter

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:

• identify what your organisation needs to have in place before you can start to fundraise effectively
• determine what sources of funding you can approach and identify which ones might be best matched to your organisational needs
• outline the elements needed to make your case to funders
• understand what a range of funders look for when giving support
• feel more confident in approaching a range of sources of support

About the trainer

This programme is delivered by Pam Judson. Armed with over 25 years’ industry experience, Pam works with management committees, volunteers and staff across the voluntary sector to strengthen their fundraising capacity. This includes providing guidance and training in strategic planning, governance for fundraising, proposal writing and research, as well as developing membership and friends’ schemes and individual giving programmes.

Dates

• 27 May & 3 June 2025, 10am-1pm (9.30am arrival), Selkirk

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Collaborations, Partnerships and Legacies

Charities and community organisations are facing unprecedented challenges around key issues such as funding and volunteers.

We all need to be thinking through our plans for sustainability and possible collaborations, partnerships and legacies.

This session will take the form of short presentations and then a question and answer session with a panel:

• Glenn Liddall, CEO of People Know How - What he has learned from the closure of his own charity and the lessons and advice he wishes to pass on to other organisations as the legacy of People Know How.
• Kenneth Pinkerton , Head of Brodies Charities team - On the advice from a legal perspective to organisations looking to develop their sustainability plans.
• Rona Loweth, McKinney HR - Works with a number of charities and community organisations on their people matters.
• Juliana Amaral, CEO of Borders Community Action - Third Sector Interface for the Scottish Borders, representing and supporting the sector.

Date: Thurs 22 May 2.15-4.30pm, Tweed Horizons, St Boswells

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Evaluation - Introduction to the basics

Evaluation Support Scotland (ESS) is providing an Introduction to the Basics of Evaluation course for the 35 projects funded through Round 4 of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund.

This online course will help funded projects learn how to effectively evaluate and report on the impact of their work. The course is also open to projects/organisations that did not receive funding (although priority will be given to CMHWB funded projects).

BCA actively encourages funded projects to report back to BCA on their work so that BCA can, in turn, share this useful evidence with the Scottish Government.

The course is structured in 2 half-day workshops:

• Workshop 1: Outcomes, Indicators and Methods 
• Workshop 2: Analysis and Reporting 

Participants should attend both workshops. There is a 1 hour lunchbreak in-between the sessions.

This training will also help the organisation to apply some or all of the ESS principles that evaluation should:

• Be about what matters
• Fit the way you do your work
• Involve the people you support
• Be used by you
• Be communicated well

ESS helps charities demonstrate the difference they make. They are Scotland’s only charity dedicated to supporting organisations with their evaluation and learning. For more info, go to evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk.

Dates:

• 13 May 2025, 10am-4pm (Online)
• 12 June 2025, 10am-4pm (Online)

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Planning for Sustainability

About the workshop

In an increasingly challenging time for third sector organisations, where more is expected of them and funding is becoming harder to access, managing unpredictability is key to sustainability.

Outcomes

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Have better knowledge of how to use simple tools and processes to plan for the future, set realistic objectives, manage resources, and support funding applications.

The trainer

This course is delivered by Anne McNeill who is Vice Chair, A Heart for Duns and also the Community Led Planning Lead for Duns. Anne’s professional career has focused on working as a Management Consultant and Facilitator, managing the implementation of European Commission Grants and the Neighbourhood Fund for Scottish Borders Council. Anne is an expert in Governance in Public Appointments.

Dates:

• 17 June 2025, 10am-12pm (Online)
• 4 September 2025, 10am-12pm (Online)

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Financial Management for Non-Financial People series

Managing a not-for-profit organisation’s finances can be challenging. Trustees (charities) and directors (CICs) are responsible for making sure their organisation is financially robust enough to operate in line with its purposes and meet the needs of beneficiaries. This series of four sessions aims to guide you through some key areas to support your organisation and boost your confidence and knowledge in the most important areas of managing finances.

1. Understanding charity annual accounts

About this workshop:

This session will cover the requirements for charity accounting, what type of accounts a charity should prepare, what should be included and the level of independent scrutiny required.

By the end of the session, participants will have a better understanding of:

• • The requirements for charity accounting,
  • What type of accounts a charity should prepare
  • What should be included and the level of independent scrutiny required.
  • Overview of the Charities SORP
  • What information and numbers in the accounts mean and what they say about the charity’s financial health. (Note this session does not include accounts for CICs)

Date:

• • 9 September 2025, 6.30-8.00pm (Online)

2. Understanding Reserves and Full Costing

About the workshop:

If you want to help your not-for-profit organisation become more financially sustainable, its important to consider the concept of reserves and full cost recovery. Reserves are the things you hold back to be able to deliver your activities when you need to. We will look at why you might need reserves and how to work out what you need. Full cost recovery means ensuring that all costs (including overheads) for delivering a project are covered by the funding you have.

Participants will learn:

By the end of the session, participants will have a better understanding of:

• • How to calculate full cost recovery
  • What happens to your reserves if you don’t raise enough funding to cover overheads and how to deal with this situation

Date:

• • 23 September 2025, 6.30-8.00pm (Online)

3. Financial controls, management accounts and budgeting

About the workshop:

We need to safeguard our not-for-profit organisation’s assets (for example money and equipment). This session will look at simple measures a small organisation can put in place. One important control is regularly reporting the finances, and so we will consider management accounts – what they are and what they should include.

By the end of the session, participants will have a better understanding of:

• • Budgeting
  • How to build a budget and identify trigger points and how this can help your organisation stay financially resilient.

Date: 

• • 7 October 2025, 6.30-8.00pm (Online)

4. Taxes and Gift Aid

About the workshop:

This session is a basic introduction to taxes – corporation tax, VAT and employment taxes for those who want to understand how they may impact their charity or CIC, and when they should seek advice.

By the end of the session, participants will have a better understanding of:

• • Better understanding of taxes and VAT
  • Gift Aid regime for charities: how to register, what can be claimed and the records to keep.

Date: 

• • 21 October 2025, 6.30-8.00pm (Online)

About the trainer:

Elaine Alsop has over 25 years experience working closely with charities, community interest companies and other voluntary and community groups, develop and strengthen their financial management. 

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Digital Skills Training Series

1. Introduction to Canva

About this workshop:

This session introduces Canva and is aimed at participants who are familiar with the programme but fairly new to using it.

The session will cover:

• Building a brand kit, including setting up your logos, colours, fonts and iconography so that you can create consistent design
• Using AI to resize content so it can be optimised for different social media channels (eg what you post on X would be different to Instagram)
• Give you an introduction to some of the motion and video tools.

This session includes practical tasks. Participants will require a computer or laptop for this and preferably a pro account (which is free for registered charities, with some exceptions).

Date:

• • Tuesday 28th October 2025, 10am - 12:30pm (Online)

2. Effective AI in communications

About the workshop:

Effective AI in communications - an introduction for people who are at the very start of their AI journey

AI is everywhere, but we're seeing lots of evidence of charities using it badly. It's not about asking ChatGPT to write a strategy or plan, or even a pile of social media posts.

In this session you will:

• See a couple of good examples of how to use AI to add value to campaigns, either creatively or through deepening understanding. Electrify will demonstrate how they worked with a charity to develop creative content which they could not afford to capture in a photography shoot.
• Learn how to use AI to interrogate data quicker and more precisely.
• Gain an understanding of some of the pitfalls of using AI.

Date:

• Tuesday 25th November 2025, 10am - 12:30pm (Online)

About the trainer:

This session delivered by Electrify, a strategic, creative communications agency.

Their team uses the extraordinary power of storytelling to inspire action.

They build engaging campaigns that encourage change, finding brilliant ways to reach people’s hearts and minds through actively listening to deeply understand the organisations they support.