JGP News

The charitable sector in Scotland is benefiting from wider investment opportunities, it has been suggested.

Following on from new rules which were introduced in the Charities and Trustee Investment Act for Scotland Act, those working for small charities and voluntary organisations in Scotland now have the ability to make contributions into common investment funds which are based outside of the region.

Due to such changes it is possible that charities in Scotland are able to maintain sustainable efficiencies more effectively.

Andrew Robinson, director of CCLA - which provides investment opportunities for other charities - pointed out his organisation’s common fund recently received an investment of £250,000 after speaking at a Scottish social enterprise conference, ThirdSector.co.uk reports.

Martin Sime, chair of the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations, pointed out that as thousands of Welsh charities are currently invested in common funds, there could be similar opportunities for investors north of the border.

He said: "The investment culture is changing. Scottish organisations now have the same range of opportunities as those in England and Wales."

At the beginning of this month, the Investment Matters study conducted by Beth Breeze for the Institute for Philanthropy indicated that charity investment could be more effective.

If performance was improved by two per cent from 1998 it was suggested that charities would have benefited form an extra £750 million in income.

More about sustainable efficiencies.