An introduction to the Senior Executive Programme

The Senior Executive Programme, a Scottish Business in the Community initiative, uses the business skills of volunteer managers and professionals for the benefit of local communities.

The programme capitalises on the expertise of managers and professionals who are either retired, are working part time, or are taking a career break. The knowledge and experience of these volunteers can benefit community groups, charities and voluntary organisations. Small businesses can also be helped if requested via enterprise or business trust networks. Volunteers enjoy a sense of achievement, the programme providing an opportunity for them to pass on the skills they have acquired and possibly learn new ones.

Senior Executive Programme members give their services on a voluntary part-time basis, enabling community groups to benefit from a wide range of skills including:

• Management
• Sales & Marketing
• Finance
• Personnel and Training

Help is free to users, other than from reimbursement of members’ out-of-pocket expenses.

The programme is active throughout Scotland with groups operating from the Borders and Dumfries/Galloway in the south to Grampian and Inverness in the north. In each area a local co-ordinator is appointed by Scottish Business in the Community whose task is to recruit volunteers with appropriate skills and experience and to seek to match these skills with requests for assistance received from the community. In the Borders over 30 volunteers are currently available to provide assistance and advice, contributing the equivalent of at least £150,000 annually to the Borders economy in terms of "in kind" help.