NO FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY CENTRES
COMMUNITY HEALTH PROJECT CORE FUNDING REJECTED
It was the news voluntary sector organisations have been anxiously awaiting … and late on Thursday afternoon, the emails arrived. For some projects, relief and celebration to hear that the security of three year funding had been secured. But for others, the dreadful news that a funding application has been rejected – and dozens of projects who deliver much-needed services to citizens across the capital may now face closure.
Over the coming days, voluntary boards, management committees and managers will be coming to terms with dreadful news and passing this on to loyal staff. Instead of writing Christmas cards, some will be issuing redundancy notices.
With a shrinking budget, applicants were warned in advance that the Integrated Joint Board’s Health and Social Care Grants fund was always going to be oversubscribed and that some organisations were going to be disappointed.
As it was, 152 applications were received, requesting funding of more than £31 million over three years – but the funding available was just £14.1 million.
As a consequence, a number of much-valued projects – some of which deliver services to the most vulnerable people in our communities – may be forced to close their doors for ever when their current funding ends on 31 March … and there is no appeal process.
Buried deep within the papers for Friday’s Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board meeting – 344 pages in all – is the report containing Recommendations from the Health and Social Care Grants Review Programme. The report reads like a last will and testament for some community services.
While sixty organisations which currently receive funding have been successful, and sixteen new recipients have been recommended, thirty-five current grant holders have been rejected, with carers services and older people services particularly affected.
North Edinburgh faces major concerns over:
- the withdrawal of funding for community centres
- the consequences of core funding withdrawal for Pilton Community Health Project, one of the area’s longest established community organisations.
To quote the report: ‘Funding for neighbourhood/community centres in the North West Edinburgh, which provide a wide range of locally based services and help enhance health and wellbeing, will no longer be provided.‘
And while ‘the reduction of health inequalities continues to be a priority‘ there follows a chilling paragraph: ‘The core funding application for the community health organisation in the North West of the city was unsuccessful in it’s application, which may result in a significant loss of health and wellbeing services in this locality.‘
North Edinburgh TimeBank was another casualty.
Some projects do receive income from grants and other fundraising sources, and third sector organisations have proved particularly resourceful and enterprising in finding new ways to finance services, but the withdrawal of core funding makes it extremely difficult to attract other revenue and could prove catastrophic for some organisations. Instead of planning Christmas parties, some management committees and boards of directors all over the city must now meet to make some horribly difficult decisions.
Those decisions are going to have a grievous impact on some voluntary organisations and the communities they serve, and third sector umbrella organisation EVOC is likely to be as busy as they have been in their 150 year history as they try to mitigate the damage.
In a statement issued on Thursday EVOC Chief Executive Ella Simpson told the city’s third sector organisations: “As many of you will be intensely aware, the recommended recipients of the fully reviewed IJB grant programme will be published in the Board papers on Friday (7th December). The papers are recommendations to the IJB and the final decision will be made at the meeting on 14th December 2018.
“For some organisations this will mean stability for three years, but inevitably for others the announcement will bring bad news – closure of services and difficult decisions will have to be made. At EVOC we have been planning how we can offer constructive support to organisations through this time.
“Like so many organisations the majority of EVOC staff are part time so most of my team won’t be around on Friday 7th to offer immediate advice and support but Denise Horn (0131 555 9117) and I (0131 555 9105) are both happy to lend a listening ear if that helps.
“For ongoing support if you complete our referral form and head it up “grants enquiry” we will work out the best person within EVOC to help you, or signpost you to someone else who can. We have scheduled a meeting early next week to review the potential impact on organisations, services users, carers and communities. We will then be able to respond to the enquiries which have come in – so if you don’t hear from us immediately please don’t feel forgotten. But do call and if we can answer immediate questions we will.
“We will be running training courses to support you, whether you find yourself needing to make funding applications to ensure to ensure the sustainability of your organisation, need advice and support to close services or review all your options. We have allocated some funds to be able to provide one-to-one support with consultants on relevant issues such as strategic planning, change management and succession planning. These will be free to any organisation impacted by the grants decisions.
“In terms of the broader impact on communities, the IJB and the associated work programmes are very aware of the need to take account of the impact of the grants decisions. I would also urge you to participate in EVOC forums and networks so we can work together to discuss the impact, share ideas and gain support from each other.
“Please let me know if you have any suggestions about what else would help.”
The process inevitably produces winners and losers, and while the picture is bleak for some, there is some good news for community organisations based in North Edinburgh.
Pilton Equalities Project (PEP) has been recommended to receive £520,000 over three years to fund mental health and daycare services.
Fresh Start, the Ferry Road Drive-based charity that helps people who have been homeless to get established in their new home, is recommended to receive £261,000.
And Granton Information Centre will share in £2.5 million set aside for advice services across Edinburgh. GIC, CHAI, Citizens Advice Edinburgh and NHS Lothian will work together to co-produce a citywide income maximisation, welfare and debt advice programme.
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