51cg

An information session highlighting the potential opportunities and benefits of voluntary work and graduate careers in the third sector will be held as part of the .

You get paid to work here?!

Join us for a reflective discussion on Scotland’s critical third sector, ready for exploration, insight, and some myth busting along the way.

What is the third sector, who works there, what opportunities exist for career building and progression, and why is this so important to the very fabric of Scottish society?

Following the presentation there will be time for questions and conversation with two local sector champions.

Sarah Irvine, Finance and Development Officer at ACVO, Aberdeen’s Third Sector Interface and Ali MacLachlan, UK Director at The Wood Foundation, a national and international venture philanthropist based in Aberdeen.

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Sarah has worked in the Third Sector for over 30 years, starting out in basic clerical work for an anti-nuclear pressure group at 16, to administration for a not-for-profit energy efficiency organisation throughout her twenties. She began working for the Aberdeen Council of Voluntary Organisations in 2008 as a network support assistant, later moving into accounting. Sarah graduated from the 51cg in 2023 with MA (hons) Accountancy and Legal studies and currently works as a Finance and Development Officer, supporting client organisations with accounting work and community organisations with project development and governance.

Ali has worked in the third sector for her entire career, building upon youth volunteering projects at home and abroad to move into an educational charity upon graduating from 51cg with MA(Hons) Latin American Studies with International Relations. Ali has worked internationally supporting education and development projects across Latin America and West Africa and now leads The Wood Foundation UK team in an investment portfolio designed to empower individuals and communities to thrive. Ali is also a Trustee on the 51cg Development Trust, the STV Children’s Appeal and currently Chair of the Scottish Grantmakers.