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Scottish Government to review how it measures poverty targets
The Scottish Government will review the way it measures its legally binding targets to reduce poverty amid warnings they will be missed, the Social Justice Secretary has said.

During her Ministerial Statement for the 2025-26 progress report on the tackling child poverty delivery plan yesterday, Shirley-Anne Somerville said current targets were based on income and did not capture the true impact of anti-poverty measures.

Self Service Locker Systems for Sharing Libraries
Circular Communitites Scotland are hosting a free Share & Repair Network workshop online on 27^th August from 10-11.30am. You can learn about the potential and practicalities of self-service locker systems. Self-service lockers offer a convenient way for customers to collect or return items from sharing libraries at a time that suits them, outside of regular opening hours. This provides an opportunity to expand the number of people benefiting from borrowing,  not buying. Join them for this online event offering an overview of self-service locker systems and hear about the experience of people developing their use. Find out more

New Sector Overview Report shows Scottish charity sector remains steady
Scotland’s charity sector has remained stable over the past year, with increases in overall income and expenditure, according to the data in their latest Sector Overview Report. The report provides a snapshot of Scotland’s charity sector based on information held on the Scottish Charity Register, highlighting key data on charity income and expenditure, beneficiaries, activities and operations. The latest edition, covering the period April to June 2026, shows that the sector remains largely steady, while total income and expenditure have both increased compared with the previous year.

MCA v Groom – Impact on Volunteer Management
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) v Martin Groom is a landmark UK Court of Appeal judgment that established paid “volunteers” can have legal “worker” status. Mr. Groom, a volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officer for over 30 years, was found to be a worker because he was contractually obliged to follow instructions and received remuneration for his time. The case serves as a warning that paying individuals for their time and tying this to expected standards of work can result in enforceable employment rights, regardless of whether the organisation classifies the role as “voluntary”. More details here

Free PVG checks launched for social care workers
From 1 August 2026, the cost of Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme disclosures will be waived for eligible workers joining social care services in the private, voluntary and independent sectors. The waiver will run until 31 July 2027. The initiative, funded through the Scottish Government’s 2026/27 Budget, recognises the exceptional contribution made by the social care workforce, and reflects the Scottish Government’s commitment to fairer working conditions for those delivering vital services across Scotland’s communities. PVG scheme disclosures also remain free for volunteers working with qualifying voluntary organisations, regardless of sector. Full details of which roles and areas of social care are eligible for the fee waiver are available on the Scottish Government website

Earth Overshoot Day
The 30^th July was Earth Overshoot Day for 2026 – it marked the date when humanity exhausted nature’s budget for the year. It means that for the rest of the year, we are using resources beyond what our planet can replenish. A variety of factors contribute to overshoot, such as cars, power plants and factories emitting more CO₂ than the biosphere can absorb, more freshwater being consumed than is replenished, more trees being harvested than can regrow, and more fish being caught than stocks can replenish. Overuse depletes natural capital and threatens long-term economic security worldwide. Humanity is currently using nature 73% faster than ecosystems can regenerate, the equivalent of living off 1.73 Earths. Find out more