Voice
Mission of
the future
is set for
take-off!
The Magazine of Victim Support Scotland
SENIOR management are drawing
up a new strategy document and
strategic plan to take us forward for
the next three to five years
following the success of the recent
consultation on the new Vision and
Mission for Victim Support Scotland.
A wide range of interesting and
valuable views and feedback
emerged from the consultation
which included an online survey,
focus groups and stakeholder
workshop.
It is now planned to take forward
the success of this initiative by
holding another round of focus
groups with volunteers and staff in
early July on the proposed content
July 2014
Honouring 10 years’ service
of the plan
before the
VSS Board
is asked
to approve he new strategy in
August.
The findings of the Strategic
Review consultation are available
to all on the VSS Intranet at
www.vssintranet.org.uk/page/strat
egic-review but among the results
to emerge were that a clear
majority of respondents felt the
present vision statement “No More
Victims” was relevant and
conveyed the purpose and
ambition of VSS but that it was
not easily understood without
THERE was a
decade of good
memories when
Glasgow Witness
Service volunteers
Janette Millar, left,
and Val Daly, right,
were presented
with their 10-year
long service
awards at a
ceremony in the
Glasgow office by
Business Delivery
Manager Eilidh
Brown.
explanation. A significant majority
felt the focus of the statement
needs to be sharpened.
There was virtually unanimous
opposition to the statement across
the three focus groups with the
main objection being that the
vision was seen as unattainable
and therefore of questionable
relevance. It was also felt to be
unclear who the main audience
was – politicians, the public,
victims, internally – and that
witnesses should be specifically
Conti nued on Page 2
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Voice of Victim Support Scotland
Proud day for new Victims Fund
VIcTIM Support Scotland
is enormously proud of its
newly established Victims
Fund, with the first meeting
of its Board having taken
place in our Glasgow
Offices in June.
Scott Brown, chair of the
Victims Fund Board said:
“I am delighted and
honoured to have been
asked to chair this new
Board at this particularly
exciting time for Victim
Support Scotland.
“I see the new fund as
being instrumental in
offering the additional
support to people
throughout Scotland
who find themselves in
immediate need of help in
the aftermath of being a
victim of crime.
“I look forward to working
with my Board colleagues
in overseeing the
First meeting: Members of the new Victims Fund Board at Abbey House
in Glasgow (left to right) Jim Dow, Ian Chisholm, Janette Mitchell, Chair
Scott Brown, Susan Mallinder and Malcolm Rust. Board member Ray
Entwistle, inset, was unable to attend.
Governance arrangements
of the Fund.”
Victim Support Scotland’s
services have benefited
from the previous Victims
Fund which has been in
existence since 2009 with
support and services being
provided to people in a
range of areas.
The new fund will build
on the success of the
previous body and will
expand its ability to offer
this most valuable area of
support.
Jim Andrews, cEO of the
new fund, said the first
meeting of the new Victims
Fund Board represented a
significant milestone in the
development of the
organisation.
He added: “Victims and
people affected by crime
who find themselves in
immediate need of help
will remain at the heart of
the fund and over the
coming months we will
work closely with other
organisations in the
voluntary sector who
support victims of crime so
that we can maximise the
number of people who can
be supported.”
Further updates will be
provided in relation to the
development of the fund in
the coming months.
Charity’s Mission of the future is set for take-off
Continued from Page 1
referred to in the statement. There were a number of
suggestions for a new statement including: Improving the
lives of victims affected by crime; Putting victims first;
Giving victims a voice; Advancing victims’ rights and
Empowering the victims’ voice.
Almost all respondents felt the present mission statement:
“Supporting individuals and communities, helping to rebuild
lives and keeping people affected by crime at the heart of
justice in Scotland” to be relevant but there was less
conviction that it links successfully to the vision. There was
a wide feeling the statement needed to be simplified.
Partnership Manager John Evans said: “This process has
been a valuable learning experience for all concerned and
those taking part can be assured their views and ideas have
been valued and considered in producing the new strategy.”
Voice of Victim Support Scotland
Voice for the victim:
Yvonne Lyon, above,
performs her song to
the Briggait audience
who were asked to
think about and sum
up their reactions and
questions which were
then put up on the
walls of the venue
cAN the reality of crime be understood
through the medium of music and
song? It is a question that was examined at the innovative Distant
Voices project held at the Briggait
centre in Glasgow in June before
a public audience.
VSS helped put across the views
of victims at the project, which was
organised by Vox Liminis and supported by Glasgow University. It centred
on an imagined crime scenario of an assault
in a late night taxi queue and used the songs
to examine the impact on the victim, offender
and his family.
The songs were written by Kim Edgar, Lucy
cathcart Froden, Andrew Howie, Yvonne Lyon
and Rachel Sermanni. Yvonne Lyon, who
wrote “Pockets full of Storms” from the point
of view of the imagined victim, thanked VSS
Deputy chief Executive Susan Gallagher for
her help in crafting the song, and in particular
for reflecting the isolation a victim can feel.
The audience were asked to sum up their
reaction in a word; give a question they
would ask the person the song was written
about; and an outcome they would wish for
that individual and write these on post-it
notes. The notes were added to posters for
each song and the results produced a striking
insight of emotions and responses.
Professor Fergus McNeill, of Glasgow University’s criminology Department, said: “criminology is flat, but crime is visceral, emotional,
so we conceived this ‘conversation’ between
criminology and music to get over that gap.”
3
4
Voice of Victim Support Scotland
With a lot of help
from our friends
From pop-up shops to encounters with psychic phenomena,
it’s been a busy time for our champion fundraisers...
THE momentum to develop a
charity-wide Income Generation
strategy for Victim Support
Scotland is growing.
As well as a second Musselburgh
race day on November 7 this year
there are plans, still at an early
stage, for a golf tournament and
for the establishment of an annual
fundraising dinner.
Dame Elish Angiolini, the former
Lord Advocate for Scotland and
now Principal of St Hugh’s College
at Oxford University, has accepted
an invitation to be the guest
speaker at the inaugural VSS
Annual Lecture, which will be held
in the Signet Library, Edinburgh,
on February 18, 2015.
VSS is also working to establish a
Corporate Friends of VSS group
where individuals or businesses
commit to supporting the charity
over an extended timescale.
We are seeking to encourage
individuals who identify with VSS’s
aims to consider providing support
in the form of legacy giving and to
attract financial support via our
website or by text giving.
This is in addition to the very
valuable fundraising work carried
out by our staff and volunteers –
a great example of which was the
recent collection day at Glasgow
Central Station when staff and
volunteers raised £521 between
7am and 7pm.
The income generation plan will
grow as we identify more
opportunities and we would be
happy to receive proposals for
fundraising projects. You can do
this directly to David Sinclair, Head
of Communications, at
david.sinclair@victimsupportsco.
org.uk or by making your
suggestion via our Intranet.
There are forums where you can
make suggestions and anyone who
has not yet registered can do so by
emailing Communications Officer,
Chris Macrae,at chris.macrae@
victimsupportsco.org.uk
5
Voice of Victim Support Scotland
Ayrshire
VSS South
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A FUNDrAISING race night organised by VS renfrewshire proved quite
an accumulator – bringing in a fantastic £750. The event was held at
Priorscroft Bowling Club, Paisley, on Wednesday, May 16 and was
attended by more than 50 volunteers, staff, families and friends. The
Mackenzie family, pictured, won the auction race. Lorraine MacKenzie,
front second right, is a VS and WS volunteer. Area Committee members
Cherry Salisbury and Walter Baird helped organise the event, while
special thanks go to Mary Castle who is leaving to return home to
Canada after serving with the Area Committee for some years. Mary
walked the West Highland Way and raised more than £100 recently. SDO Caroline Prentice said: “It was a really fun night, our thanks go to all.”
Background picture: Howard Lake
6
It’s so great when people thank you
Voice of Victim Support Scotland
Volunteering with VSS has been a learning process for graduate Abbey Scott, as well as a rewarding one
Q How did you start with VSS?
I was studying law at Dundee University and I became very
interested in domestic abuse as a topic. My lecturer
said I could get practical experience by volunteering with
VSS. I came into the Arbroath office and took it from there.
Q Why did you want to volunteer?
It was to gain knowledge and experience of how the
criminal justice system works in action. I wanted to see
how the system works day-to-day and affects people within
it. I have also done a lot of volunteering in my Duke of
Edinburgh project and with the Rotaract club and really
enjoyed it, so I was attracted to volunteering with VSS.
Q What have you learned about victims?
It’s shown me the harsh reality of the law for victims –
and offenders. I work mainly in court and I see people
coming in and saying: “This is my seventh time here,
it’s been a year now” and it’s terrible for them. One
girl was six months pregnant and when she same in
for the fourth time I joked that she might have her
baby before the case was finished! When you are
studying law you forget what it actually means for
people involved in a case. This has underlined to
me the gaps and difficulties that people face.
Q What has being with VSS brought you?
It’s very rewarding when people thank you for your
efforts. I’ve met a lot of great volunteers too,
most of them older than me and that has
been good for me because I’ve
gained from their knowledge and
experience – and they’ve got
great stories too.
Q What’s the best part?
Meeting new people and feeling like you’ve made a
contribution. There’s a lot of criticism of young people for
not making a contribution to society and that’s a
misconception. I know a lot of young people who contribute
– significantly. It’s also good to help people. There was one
case I dealt with where the person involved was both a
victim and an accused and that changed my perception of
accused people and reinforced that I’m not here to judge. I
have helped with someone who was suicidal and I just felt
that I’d supported someone through a very hard time.
Q What’s the worst part?
People working in the court system are working very hard
and it can be very difficult to get good communication with
them and that affects what I can pass on to
clients. It can also be very frustrating when
you can’t get a victim to speak to you. You
can only help if they want it, even if it’s
clear they need help. But you just have to
keep being there for people.
Q How could things be improved?
There’s not much I can think of. I find
communication with the office and my
colleagues is good. VSS treats us
volunteers well, and it’s really good that
there is no pressure to come in when it’s
difficult for me. I help out with my parents’
fish retailing business and I have
other demands in my life and
VSS recognises that.
Abbey Scott: I’ve seen the
difficulties people face
Awards
for long
service
VIcTIM Support services
from Highlands and Islands
got together at The Waterside Hotel in Inverness in May for an
awards lunch. Alan Mccloskey, Director
of Operations, presented volunteers Margaret Mackinnon (WS Portree), Helen
Maclean (WS Lochmaddy) Elma Mowat
(WS Wick) and Linda Smith (VS High-
land) with their 10-year long service
awards and Gordon Gibson (WS Orkney),
Joy Fraser Hall, David Fraser Hall, Steve
Appleton (VS Highland) received their
five-year awards.
Volunteers who were unable to attend to
Special day for volunteers
DUNFERMLINE
Sheriff court Witness
Service volunteers
Mary Mccue, left, and
Susan King, right,
were presented with
their accreditation
certificates by Fife
and central Business
Delivery Manager
claire Bernard at a
ceremony in the
Witness Service
office.
Sarah’s new role
GRAMPIAN and Tayside Business
Delivery Manager Sarah Crombie
has been appointed Acting Director
of Corporate Services for Victim
Support Scotland. Sarah has taken
up the role while the present
Director, Frida Wheldon, is on
maternity leave.
7
Voice of Victim Support Scotland
collect their awards were Gillian Howarth
(VS Highland) 25 years, Norman Mackenzie (VS Highland), Olga Hammond
(Orkney) and Brian Gregson (Shetland),
all 10 years and Yvonne Stuart (WS Elgin)
for her five-year award.
Handy session at B&Q
FRAUDSTERS have
been preying on OAPs
in the Borders and to
raise awareness of the
problem the local
service operated a
stand at the B&Q store
in Galashiels. Volunteer
Tom Ingoldsby and
Victim Service ASDO
Gill cain joined local
police officers for the
event on “pensioners
discount day”.
Doug’s badge of honour
VSS East Ayrshire SDO Doug Whitton has
a permanent vote of thanks on the wall from
a satisfied customer who made him a sheet
metal sign incorporating the charity’s logo
and his name as a mark of gratitude for all
the work Doug did in supporting him. The remarkable 8 inch by 10
inch memento, is now on show at the Kilmarnock office and Doug
said: "I'm really chuffed. I was very touched to receive it."
Kirkcaldy for Kerri
GLASGOW Victim Service
volunteer Kerri Duncan has been
appointed ASDO at the Witness
Service Kirkcaldy and Glasgow
staff and volunteers would like to
congratulate her on this much
deserved achievement and wish
her every success for the future.
8
Voice of Victim Support Scotland
European event a success
Horizon thinking: The Victim Support Europe Warsaw conference heard a presentation on best practice from VSS which was very well received
By Sarah Crombie,
A/Director of Corporate Services
VIcTIM Support Europe’s
Annual conference 2014
“Developing Victim Support
across Europe – Quality,
Standards and
capacity-Building” took
place in Warsaw, Poland,
from May 14 to 17, 2014
and was hosted by our
Polish member organisation
Subvenia Victima.
Voice is published by
Victim Support Scotland
15/23 Hardwell Close,
Edinburgh EH8 9RX
Tel: 0131 668 4486
Fax: 0131 662 5400
Email:
[email protected]
Website:
www.victimssupportsco.org.uk
VSS is a company limited
by guarantee
Registered number 110185
Scottish Charity No SC002138
The conference, which
was addressed by VSS
chief Executive David
McKenna in his role as
President of VSE,attracted
more than 200 participants
including victim support
practitioners, EU member
states’ representatives,
academics and journalists.
With more than 50
presentations divided into
five plenary sessions and
14 workshops, the
conference, held in
Warsaw’s Sheraton Hotel,
was an excellent chance
for fruitful best practice
exchange, particularly
regarding implementation
of the EU Directive setting
minimum standards on the
rights, protection and
support of victims of crime.
The main topics for
debate were quality and
standards in victim
support, next steps to
successful delivery of the
EU Directive,
capacity-building for victim
support organisations as
well as new challenges
and victim support beyond
2015.
VSS Director of
Operations Alan Mccloskey
and I delivered a workshop
on ‘Developing services for
victims and witnesses of
crime in Scotland.’
The presentation included
content on the Victims and
Witnesses Bill, the Tayside
Pilot and volunteer
development and was
warmly received by all
who attended.
VSS at heart of new world organisation for victims
VICTIM Support Scotland has taken
a leading role in the launch of the
world's first global organisation to
promote the rights and interests of
victims. Chief Executive David
McKenna and Chair Bob Leitch joined charity
and victims groups leaders from the UK,
Europe, North America and Asia on a visit to
Washington and New York to establish the
Designed and edited by The Words Agency, 20 Minto St, Edinburgh, EH9 1RQ Tel 07896 259277
organisation and win formal
recognition and rights of
representation at the UN.
VOCI is a landmark global
initiative. It is a non-governmental
body committed to developing the human
rights and the practical standing of victims by
sharing best practice and establishing basic
standards and principles for their care.
Printed by Robertsons Printers, 7 Queen Street Forfar, DD8 3AJ Tel 01307 464078