Third Sector
There is a strong tradition of volunteering in the isles, and almost all community and social activity in the rural areas rely on volunteers to make it happen.
Over 650 third sector organisations are registered with Voluntary Action Shetland (VAS), of which 272 were charities registered with OSCR. It is known that there are organisations which are not registered with VAS, and so the total number of third sector organisations in Shetland will be higher.
The 2022 Scottish Household Survey showed that Shetland has the highest volunteering rate in Scotland, with 75% of the population aged 16 and over, involved in formal and/or informal volunteering - the national average is 46%.
The third sector is important to Shetland, both in social impact and economical benefit. In financial year 2023/24 third sector organisations in Shetland secured more than £14 million in grant funding.