Creative Scotland has taken the difficult decision to close the Open Fund for Individuals to new applications due to the Scottish Government being unable to confirm release of £6.6m in Grant-in-Aid budget in the current financial year, 2024-25.
The Fund will close to new applications from 2pm on Friday 30th August 2024.
Creative Scotland planned to apply £3m of the £6.6m budget to support the Open Fund for Individuals in 2024-25, alongside £3m of National Lottery income.
Without confirmation of release of this budget, Creative Scotland does not have enough funds available to support all the funding routes that we currently provide, as set out in our Annual Plan for 2024-25.
All currently submitted Open Fund for Individuals applications will be processed as per the published Guidance. The National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations remains open.
Iain Munro, CEO of Creative Scotland said: “The level of uncertainty regarding the provision of Grant-in-Aid budgets from the Scottish Government is creating critical problems for the ongoing support we can provide to Scotland’s culture sector.
“This decision to close the Open Fund for Individuals is not one we would have wanted to take but is unavoidable without the funding from the Scottish Government being available.
“Like everyone working in Scotland’s culture and creative sector, we understand the extreme pressures on public finances but want to see longer term budget certainty from the Scottish Government, including the additional £100m announced in October 2023, details of which have yet to emerge.”
EVOC has announced a strategic review that puts a renewed commitment to supporting the community and voluntary sector in Edinburgh at its heart.
The ongoing cost of living crisis is hitting groups and organisations hard and this is a chance to refocus on creating a strong sector for a strong city.
An engagement programme will take place in the coming months, involving the sector in shaping a new EVOC strategy, and to ensure stakeholders are fully briefed on the changes.
After 3 years, Bridie Ashrowan has decided to step down as Chief Executive of EVOC to concentrate on research interests around nature-based learning and biodiversity recovery.
In the meantime, two interims have been appointed to lead EVOC through this period of change – David Peace (Interim Chief Executive) and Claire Ritchie (Strategic Advisor to the Board).
Bridie’s tenure at EVOC has brought many successes. She has been a strong advocate for investment in the community and voluntary sector, to support organisations through the ongoing cost crisis, and to strengthen sector capabilities to lead change.
Against a background of decreased funding and increased running costs, EVOC is focused on reducing costs and delivering a balanced budget for the year ahead. This will include an analysis of the current organisational structure.
EVOC Convenor, Diarmaid Lawlor said:“Firstly, I would like to thank Bridie for her commitment, passion and advocacy for the voluntary sector during her tenure at EVOC and we wish her well in her next ventures.
“Our focus continues to be the wellbeing of the many community and voluntary organisations who play such a vital role in the city. We are working with partners and funders to make sure that remains our top priority throughout this strategic review.”
David Peace added: “As Interim Chief Executive, I will be working with staff, Claire and the Board to refocus our efforts and ensure we continue to support voluntary and community groups in delivering core programmes and activities in the city.
“As a sector leader we remain focused on building a strong, sustainable and resilient future for our sector. I welcome engagement with the sector, partners and funders to help shape the way ahead collectively.”
An ambitious new report by Scottish Book Trust has revealed that one in three librarians in Scotland believe that their whole service is at risk of reduction or loss.
The Survey of Public Librarians, as part of the Value and Impact of Scotland’s Libraries research, published by Scottish Book Trust, Scotland’s national book charity, also revealed a vital service under threat from underinvestment. It reports:
82% of public libraries reported a restriction in their resources and funding
One in three public librarians said they had lost librarians and other library staff
One in three public librarians reported that their whole service is at risk of reduction or losses
The report reveals the vital role libraries play in the community as they help to close the poverty-attainment gap. Librarians overwhelmingly agreed that they not only provide free access to all forms of books, but offer a safe, warm and accessible space where those without computers can access digital resources and support, with help from knowledgeable and approachable staff.
While libraries across Scotland are facing ongoing cuts, librarians reported a widespread lack of understanding from their local authorities about the social, long-term impact of their service.
Two thirds of the librarians surveyed reported that their community faces digital poverty, and libraries are bridging the divide.
96% of librarians reported that their library offers access to Wi-Fi, 99% to computers with internet, 71% to ebooks and eReaders and 40% to courses in digital skills
These are lifelines for those with limited resources, including the homeless, the elderly and those who have been released from prison.
Librarians also reported that their libraries are a safe space for refugees and asylum seekers, LGBTQ+ people and disabled or neurodiverse people.
As one librarian stated: “We are the first place that people come when they need help, possibly the only place in a landscape of shrinking services. When we are gone then these other agencies will need to foot the time bill and the mental health crisis we are averting.”
This survey of public librarians is part of a wider study of both public and school libraries in Scotland, as conducted by Scottish Book Trust, in partnership with the National Library of Scotland (NLS), the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS).
Preliminary findings from school librarians will be published over the summer, with the final report published later this year.
Marc Lambert, Chief Executive of Scottish Book Trust, said: ‘Libraries are a vital lifeline for communities across Scotland. Not only do they provide free access to books in a warm and safe environment, but, as this wide-ranging report reveals, they are also a levelling up factory that sends people in a positive direction.
‘There is no other public space where people can access information, combat digital poverty, learn new skills, socialise with others, express themselves creatively, and seek to self-improve, entirely for free. It’s incredibly concerning that these important institutions are endangered.’
Scottish Book Trust is also conducting a survey of public library users, which will be open for responses until the end of June 2024.
Council refuses to pass on uplift in Housing Benefit to charity housing provider as Scottish Government declares a housing emergency
Right There, a charity which helps prevent homelessness, has been forced to end its contract with City of Edinburgh Council, to provide critical housing in three locations for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
The charity, which was formerly called Ypeople, says this is its ‘absolute worst case scenario’, and ‘a last resort’ but after months of trying to negotiate with the Council, housing bosses are refusing to pass on its uplift in housing benefit to increase the Housing Management Payment.
The Housing Management Payment has remained unchanged since 2019 despite the cost of living skyrocketing in that time. Over the last five years, the local authority has received increased housing benefit which it refuses to pass on to providers to help deal with increased costs of running an assisted housing programme.
The housing facilities facing closure are one in Broomhouse and two residential units in Pilton. Their closure comes after the local authority failed to engage with the charity on contractual terms over recent weeks.
It will build pressure on the Council’s administration after a housing emergency was declared in the capital in November of last year, now even more so with the Scottish Government expected to announce a national housing emergency later today.
Janet Haugh, CEO of Right Theresaid: “We are devastated that we are having to pull the plug on this service, this is our absolute worst case scenario, especially when Scotland is at the brink of a national housing crisis.
“We have done everything in our power to resolve this with the Council but sadly as a charity we simply cannot absorb a projected £2.5 million deficit over the next five years and continue running this service.”
Housing Benefit levels have increased across Scotland to reflect the increased cost of living, utilities and general inflationary increases. Despite that, the Council expects Right There to subsidise the cost of an essential service despite being in receipt of additional payments to which the residents are entitled.
The project run by Right There provides accommodation support for 44 of Edinburgh’s most vulnerable people, who live with the consequences of family breakdowns, homelessness, poverty, addiction, and many other challenges. In addition, the jobs of 19 support workers are now at risk.
Janet Haughadded: “We have exhausted all avenues with the Council and bringing the contract to a conclusion by triggering the three months’ notice period is our last resort.
“Our priority now is to work with the Council to hand over the running of the programme to either the local authority or another provider to ensure as much continuity and as little distress as possible for the 44 residents affected, and the support workers whose jobs are at risk.”
A third of organisations reported this as one of their top challenges
Third Sector organisations in Scotland are increasingly facing shortages of staff and volunteers, a new report has warned.
The Scottish Third Sector Tracker has found that issues relating to staffing and volunteers are one of the top challenges for a third of voluntary sector organisations.
Data from the tracker observes the emergence of the sector from the Covid-19 pandemic through 2021, followed by the development of the cost-of-living crisis and associated organisational concerns during 2022 and 2023.
In August 2021, 35% of organisations reported a significant concern about staff and volunteer numbers. Just two years on, that figure has now risen to 65%, with only finances currently proving a bigger challenge for the sector.
While staff and volunteer support remain a growing concern, third sector groups report an ongoing increase in demand for their core services and activities over the six waves of the tracker. In Wave 1 (Aug 2021), 56% of organisations reported an increased demand, rising to 63% by Wave 6 (Apr 2023).
These factors, on top of growing financial pressures due to the rising costs crisis and public sector funding cuts, are leading to a perfect storm for charities and voluntary groups, with strain put on already stretched teams.
Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), said: “The Scottish voluntary sector is a significant employer, providing jobs for 5% of the Scottish workforce.
“At a time where many organisations are facing recruitment challenges, the funding environment means that many voluntary organisations are struggling to keep pace with salary increases needed to attract and retain staff.
“Existing staff and volunteers have been working flat out since Covid, helping organisations and communities to weather the cost-of-living crisis. We can no longer afford to rely on their goodwill to go the extra mile.
“The invaluable services and supports provided by Scotland’s voluntary sector need sustainable investment to ensure their survival.”
Volunteer Scotland are also concerned by the staff and volunteer crisis facing the sector, highlighted by the Third Sector Tracker.
The recent release of the 2022 Scottish Household survey results reinforces the volunteer crisis, with formal volunteer participation rates falling by 4 percentage points since 2019 to 22% – this equates to less than one million Scottish adults volunteering.
In light of the current crisis, the actions that can be undertaken by volunteer involving organisations include ensuring that volunteer expense policies are clear and considering how roles can be made more flexible to fit with the decreased time volunteers have available.
Alan Stevenson, CEO of Volunteer Scotland said: “The many impacts of the cost-of-living crisis on volunteering has meant that we can no longer take for granted the contribution of our volunteers.
“While recruitment and retention issues are being felt more acutely by some, the first step for all must be the focus on good volunteering practice, appropriately supported.”
The Scottish Third Sector Tracker is a growing research community made up of representatives from third sector organisations based across the whole of Scotland, who are willing to share their experiences, views and concerns as the sector faces both new and ongoing challenges.
The Tracker is run by an independent research company called DJS Research on behalf of SCVO, the Scottish Government, the William Grant Foundation and the National Lottery Community Fund.
Those involved in the running of a third sector organisation operating in Scotland are invited to represent their organisation as a member of the Scottish Third Sector Tracker.
An Executive Summary of the Scottish Third Sector Tracker’s First Phase of research can be found here:
Local MSP slams ‘drastic and nonsensical cut in funding’
Funding award grants for voluntary sector organisations is invariably difficult – for cash-strapped councils there is never enough money available to meet ever-growing demands.
There are winners and losers, but the latest round of funding decisions has caused particular anguish for Leith’s Citadel Youth Centre, who have learned that their annual award will by slashed by a swingeing £125,000.
Citadel’s Willy Barr (above) explained: “The city council’s Education, Children and Families meeting that took place on Monday 18th December to recommend grant awards to third sector organisations across the city.
“In the lead up to their meeting the Committee had not published a table of grant awards as they normally do, instead they contacted us on the Monday afternoon to inform us we had been recommended for a “partial award” of 50% of what we applied for, equating to £50,000 per year. We had applied for the maximum capped amount of £100k to fund our work with children and young people.
“This news has come as a huge disappointment, as although we expected a cut from our current annual grant of £175,000 per year, this reduction of £125,000 has been way more than we anticipated and will now seriously impact on the services and supports we offer to the local community, many of whom are already impacted by poverty and related issues affecting their mental health and well-being.”
In an appeal for their support, Willie Barr raised his concerns over the scale of the cut with local MSP Ben Macpherson, MP Deidre Brock and Leith councillors, making them aware of the size of the disinvestment in the Citadel, and the potential implications this could have on local services for local children, young people and their families.
As well as contacting Citadel’s local Leith politicians Willy will also be pressing Council Leader Cammy Day – who was himself once a youth participation worker in North Edinburgh – to rethink the scale of the cut, which is due to come into effect from 1st April.
Organisations were invited to apply for a grant of £10k minimum and £100k maximum per year to one of three funding strands – Learning Outcomes, Health and Wellbeing and Youth Work.
Both NHS Lothian and Police Scotland also contributed funding to the awards.
Eighty nine applications were assessed with total bids totalling £16.7m over three years for an available budget of £10m.
This was carried out by trained assessors before going to a moderation panel consisting of the Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC), Lothian Association of Youth Clubs (LAYC) and an independent chair.
Sixty eight organisations had their bids approved either in full or partially with the new grants programme running from 1 April 2024 through to 31 March 2027.
Councillor Joan Griffiths, Convener for the Education, Children and Families Committee, said when the awards were announced: “The Connected Communities Edinburgh grants programme aims to support vulnerable and disadvantaged young people and their families right across Edinburgh.
“The three different funding strands mean we can direct resources to deliver outcomes that best support those most impacted by poverty.
“This new programme is a really good example of partnership working at its best. We listened to third sector and voluntary organisations about their first-hand knowledge of what the need was in our communities and where funding should be directed.
“Getting to today’s decision has involved a lengthy and really robust assessment process and I want to thank everyone who has contributed. We will of course continue to monitor the progress of the funding over the coming three years to ensure the outcomes promised for our communities are being delivered.”
‘A really good example of partnership working at it’s best? Willie has pointed out concerns over the funding process:
Lack of Transparency:
“In the first instance, the whole process of applying for our grant has been suffered from a lack of transparency and has had a feeling of secrecy about it.
“There has been no consultation with us or the wider sector, similar to what has happened in previous years. Instead, there has been a short briefing opportunity for organisations to attend, facilitated by L.A.Y.C. and E.V.O.C. who have both been paid £120,000 and £100,000 respectively from the grant fund. (No application from them required!)
“Although this is public funds, there is still a refusal to share information about who has been awarded a grant and how much they are recommended to receive. This veil of secrecy surrounding this committee’s business doesn’t feel like an open democratic process.
“If you check the practice of other committees, such as the 5th December Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, which published a full list of agencies recommended (and not) for No One Left Behind funding prior to the meeting (pp106-107)
“By the Committee’s own admission, there has been no impact assessment carried out on their decisions relating to these grant proposals.
Apparently, any impact assessment process will take place once organisations are told the level of their award which seems a bit late to me. What is really lacking is asking for an impact assessment specifically focusing on the implications of withdrawing financial support from organisations in a sudden manner.
“There may be ways the city council could support organisations in a way to avoid drastic service cuts, or even closure, by a graded reduction in funds.
(note that this goes against one of the central recommendations from the Lessons Learned from previous third-party grant processes that “An Equalities and Rights Impact Assessment should be completed prior to the report going to Committee so that Members are able to make decisions that take account of that information and recommendations for action.” (3.26)
Willie concluded: “Our normal activity for everyone at the Citadel at the start of any new year is around planning and positive thoughts about what opportunities lie ahead, but to be honest, I anticipate this decision will have a huge impact on current morale.”
Urging a rethink, local MSP Ben Macpherson appealed to funders ‘to reconsider this drastic and nonsensical sudden cut in funding, which will negatively affect a well-known respected and impactful organisation’.
Leith MP Deidre Brock said: ““I’m very concerned by this news. A funding cut of this size will have profound effects on the ability of the Citadel Youth Centre to continue to provide anything like the level of amazing services and support to vulnerable individuals and families in Leith they provide now.
“I find it shocking there has been no dialogue with any of the organisations involved, no impact assessment of the consequences of this cut in funding and by the wholesale lack of transparency throughout the grant process.
“This will, I greatly fear, have long term impacts and consequences wider than the organisations involved, impacting communities already reeling from Westminster Tory cuts.”
The Spirit of Leithers Facebook page also commented: “We try not to do current affairs too much on the Spirit of Leithers page, but come on CEC – the Citadel Youth Centre has been a Leith institution for decades.
“It is a shocking blow for Leith and many individuals and groups in the community. This project has supported so many Leithers over decades by delivering a superb service and saving the Council significant funding as a result of its preventative and direct work.
“I hope we will hear much more about the thinking behind this and a change of heart from City of Edinburgh Council.”
In that submission, we stated the following regarding our Grant in Aid budget from the Scottish Government for 2023/24:
“While we welcomed the Scottish Government’s decision in February 2023 to reverse the 10% cut to our Grant in Aid Budget which was originally announced in December 2022, it should be noted that the £6.6m this cut related to has not yet been confirmed in Creative Scotland’s budget.”
We are extremely disappointed to report that the £6.6m budget has not been included in the Autumn Budget Revisions.
This has been confirmed in writing by the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Angus Robertson, in a letter to our Chief Executive, Iain Munro on 20 September.
This relates to Grant-in Aid funding that we receive from the Scottish Government and that we use to support 119 cultural organisations across Scotland through Regular Funding.
Given the extensive messaging and advocacy regarding the pressures on culture budgets and risks to the culture sector that we, and many others have been making, this is a concerning development.
To address this reduction, the Creative Scotland Board agreed on 27 September, to use £6.6m of our National Lottery reserves to prevent us having to pass it on to the Regularly Funded Organisations, especially given the next payments are due in 2 weeks’ time.
Whilst the unprecedented pressures on public finances are understood, we are disappointed that the Scottish Government has taken this decision. However, Creative Scotland is acting swiftly and pragmatically to help stabilise the situation in the short term.
This step of using our National Lottery reserves in this way will only happen once. The budget for 2024/25 will not be decided by the Scottish Government for some months yet but should the Scottish Government choose to sustain this reduction, we will require to pass it on to the sector.
Creative Scotland appeared before the Culture Committee at the Scottish Parliament on yesterday (Thursday 28 September) to give evidence as part of the Committee’s ongoing inquiry into culture budgets in Scotland.
David Watt, chief executive of Culture & Business Scotland, said: “At a time when Scottish Government ministers repeatedly speak about the importance and value of culture to our society and economy, the reinstatement of the £6.6M cut to Creative Scotland’s annual budget for the current year is unfathomable.
““Just yesterday (Thursday September 28), I, alongside other cultural representatives, gave budget evidence to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee to hopefully ensure that this shortsighted budget decision does not extend into the 2024-25 budget for culture settlement.
“Investment in culture is essential for society, local communities, tourism, the economy and Scotland’s international reputation. The ongoing challenges of the legacy impact of Covid, Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis, are very real, with many arts and culture organisations operating on a knifes edge.
“These issues are exacerbated as the majority have a lack of unrestricted reserves and continue to struggle to build these up due to slow growth in ticket sales and increased overheads due to high energy prices.
“A reduction in public funding will rapidly increase the firefighting our culture organisations and venues are facing against challenge after challenge. If this budget pattern continues, with little opportunity to ensure future sustainability, there will be an inevitable shrinkage of the culture sector, and the economic and social impact of this will be significant for us all.”
As part of the Autumn budget review, the Scottish Government has re-instated a 10% cut to Creative Scotland’s 2023-24 annual budget (totaling approximately £6.6m), which following mass campaigning from the cultural sector, was overturned earlier this year (writes SMIA Interim CEO and Creative Director ROBIN KILPATRICK).
As the organisation which exists to strengthen, empower and unite Scotland’s music industry – representing a diverse membership of over 4,000 people working across all music genres and industry subsectors – we’re compelled to highlight the devastating impact of this decision; not just to music and culture, but to Scottish society at large.
The cut directly relates to the funding allocated to support Creative Scotland’s Regular Funding Network, comprising 119 cross-artform organisations (RFOs) that are structurally integral to both supporting and delivering Scotland’s cultural output. The SMIA is one of them.
In the short-term (for the rest of this financial year), Creative Scotland has had to divert to utilising National Lottery reserves to plug the gap and prevent the cuts from being passed on to members of the RFO network.
If this hadn’t been the case, in two weeks’ time when the next RFO funding payments are due, each of the 119 organisations would, in effect, have received a ~40% cut to projected funding.
In the SMIA’s case, this would have been two weeks ahead of the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award Ceremony, and would have put the delivery of Scotland’s national music prize at significant risk.
The cut would have again been replicated in January at the next (and final) RFO payment for this financial year, which in the case of many organisations, would have meant the end. Whilst immediate disaster has been avoided, the use of Creative Scotland reserves at this stage means that they are now significantly depleted for what was their intended purpose.
Last month, Creative Scotland highlighted that over 500 cultural organisations stated their intention to apply for Multi-year funding; a new funding scheme that will replace the current Regular Funding one. From the intentions to apply, the indicative annual request was in excess of £113m – far exceeding what Creative Scotland expects to have available.
Inevitably, this means that Creative Scotland will not be able to support as many organisations on a multi-year basis as they currently do, and the application process will be highly competitive. Causalities are expected and imminent. Cultural organisations across all art forms are worried about their future, and the reserves that Creative Scotland has had to use now means that there’s far less available transitional funding for unsuccessful applicants.
Whilst the future for Scottish culture was looking bleak, there was at least some hope that organisations that are unsuccessful in securing Multi-year Funding would have some time to remain operational, pivot their business model and potentially find an alternative way forward. With Creative Scotland’s reserves now depleted, many unsuccessful organisations will soon vanish from the fabric of our cultural landscape, and with them, many creative opportunities and a significant part of our cultural identity as we know it today.
RFOs have been on stand-still funding since 2018. In the face of high inflation, rising interest rates, cost of living challenges, issues around staff retention and recruitment, the impact of Brexit, the legacy of Covid and a whole myriad of broader problems currently facing our sector, for Creative Scotland’s budget cut to have been re-instated, the future of music and culture in Scotland is now at significant and immediate risk. The foundations upon which it supported are being eroded at an increasingly alarming rate, and unless intervention is made by the Scottish Government, it will have impacts for decades to come.
Outwith the significant economic contribution that music makes to Scotland’s economy (£581m through music tourism alone in 2022, as noted in UK Music’s ‘Here, There And Everywhere’ report – and this is only based on events with 1500+ capacity), it’s important to remember that the value generated by the sector far extends an economic one.
With the Scottish Government has stated that they’re committed to building a well-being economy – which serves and prioritises the collective well-being of current and future generations – it’s fundamental to highlight just how intrinsic music and culture are to achieving that vision.
Culture is our identity; it’s how we see ourselves, how we see our place in the world and how we relate to others. It’s the stories of life in Scotland, and it underpins mental well-being – both collectively and individually – in many different ways. The silences that echoed across 2020 as live music vanished from our lives serve as a firm reminder of this. Unless intervention is made now, we’ll be lucky if there are whispers in the years to come.
We urge the Scottish Government to recognise the desperate situation of a vitally important sector; economically, socially and culturally. It’s essential that Creative Scotland has the resources to both support and preserve it.
Robert Kilpatrick – Interim CEO and Creative Director, Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA)
CAMPAIGN FOR THE ARTS
The Scottish Government is breaking its promise on arts funding.
In February, thousands joined our campaign against plans for a £6.6 million cut to Creative Scotland, the public body responsible for investing in Scottish arts and culture. Ministers responded by abandoning the cut and instead heralded a “£6.6 million uplift … supporting the arts and cultural sector at this challenging time”.
But seven months on, the £6.6 million pledged to Creative Scotland hasn’t been delivered. And now the Culture Secretary Angus Robertson has told them that it won’t be.
This extraordinary short-changing of Scottish culture midway through the year has forced Creative Scotland to raid its limited reserves as a one-off, emergency measure. Otherwise, regularly funded arts organisations in Scotland would have seen their funding cut by as much as 40% as soon as next month.
This is absolutely no way to treat Scotland’s arts and culture, let alone in a perfect storm of economic pressures and post-pandemic challenges. This ‘U-turn on a U-turn’ puts treasured venues and companies, thousands of jobs and access to Scottish culture at risk.
We urge the Culture Secretary Angus Robertson to:
Honour the Scottish Government’s commitment in February to provide “an uplift of £6.6 million for Creative Scotland for 2023-24″.
Scrap any proposal to cut Creative Scotland funding from the 2023-24 Autumn Budget Revision.
Commit to maintaining and increasing investment in arts and culture from 2024-5, for the benefit of everybody in Scotland.
The SNP’s 2021 manifesto said “culture is central to who we are as a nation”, and that “the pandemic has demonstrated more than ever how vital it is to our wellbeing, mental health and sense of belonging”.5
But Scotland’s cultural sector has not fully recovered from the pandemic, during which it was one of the hardest-hit sectors. For many, incomes have fallen and reserves have dried up. Now, in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, costs are rising and uncertainty is rife. This is not the time to cut vital, core funding on which artists and organisations depend.
Economic pressures have already led to the permanent closure of the Filmhouse cinemas in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, the Blue Arrow Jazz Club in Glasgow and the Nevis Ensemble, which worked across the country. We cannot afford to lose any more arts organisations – or the benefits they bring to our lives, communities and society
Creative Scotland’s 120 Regularly Funded Organisations (RFOs) directly employ 5,000 workers, support 25,500 individual artists and provide millions of opportunities for people across Scotland to engage with the arts and culture.
Of these, Edinburgh-based arts organisations include:
(Organisation – Art form– Average annual grant)
Arika – Multi – £200,000
Arts and Business Scotland – Creative Industries – £200,000
This week, firefighters have battled a wildfire that started burning on Sunday afternoon near Cannich, south of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. 7,400 hectares have burned so far, with images of the 22-mile long plume of smoke captured by NASA from space.
Two firefighters injured tackling the blaze have since been released from hospital.
Wildfires require a significant number of firefighters to respond due to the extensive terrain, physically demanding work over long periods of time, transporting equipment by hand while being exposed to significant temperatures.
A decade of budget cuts has left Fire and Rescue Services stretched for resources while climate related incidents have increased in frequency and severity. J
uly 2022 saw the temperature in parts of the UK exceed 40 degrees centigrade for the first time in recorded history, increasing the risk of wildfires.
Last week the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service announced further cuts on top of a decade of austerity. These cuts will see the loss of ten fire appliances, reducing fire cover and impacting firefighters’ ability to respond to incidents.
Since 2010, 11,500 firefighters have been cut across the UK, and Scotland alone has lost 1,100 firefighters since 2013.
Matt Wrack, FBU General Secretary said:“Throughout this week, firefighters in Scotland have bravely battled what is now believed to be one of the biggest wildfires in UK history and which can be seen from space.
“Two of our members have already been injured working in these extreme conditions. Thankfully both have now returned home. However, this shows us the real dangers of the climate emergency.
“Wildfires, such as the ones we are seeing in Cannich at the moment, are on the rise year on year.
“All governments must heed this stark warning: the climate crisis is here now. We need urgent climate action to prevent loss of life, and that must also involve serious investment in our fire services.”
LOCAL GOVERNMENT WARNS OF JOB LOSSES AND SERVICE CUTS
COSLA has launched its campaign in advance of the Scottish Budget on 15 December – an ‘SOS call’ to Save our Services.
It is a rallying call, telling communities everything they need to know about the impact of the Scottish Government’s forthcoming budget on our council services, and our communities in the coming year.
COSLA says the SOS call reflects the extremely precarious financial situation in which Councils in Scotland find themselves, during a particularly challenging period. This is as a consequence of real-term cuts to the core budgets of Scotland’s 32 Councils over recent years.
The call comes ahead of the Deputy First Minister outlining the Scottish Budget on December 15th but reflects the reality of what the government set out in its spending plans last May.
Speaking yesterday, COSLA’s President Councillor Shona Morrison said: “There are many areas in which Local and Scottish Government work together for our communities and I fully appreciate that money is extremely tight – all Governments are having to cope with rising inflation and fuel costs.
“However, with little room left to manoeuver, the Scottish Government’s spending plans as they stand will see Council services either significantly reduced, cut or stopped altogether.
“70% of Local Government’s budget is spent on staffing, so it is inevitable that current spending plans will lead to job losses. The very serious impact of this scenario is that the critical work council staff do on prevention and early intervention will reduce significantly.”
COSLA’s Vice President Councillor Steven Heddle said: “In May, the ‘flat cash’ plans looked difficult for us. Today, with prices increasing across the board, including energy costs, and inflation sitting at almost 10% and at risk of rising still further, Local Government is now on extremely dangerous ground.
“Make no mistake, what we will now face is Councils struggling to deliver even the basic, essential services that communities rely on. To put this into perspective, the estimated £1bn gap for councils in 23/24 is the equivalent of the entire budget for early learning and childcare across Scotland or 17,500 teachers.
“A funding gap of this magnitude will have an impact on all our communities, with the most vulnerable who rely on these services suffering the worst consequences.”
COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann concluded: “We are at a crisis point like never before – the impact for communities is serious and needs to be reconsidered.
“The financial impacts for other parts of the public sector are also serious. When councils can’t focus spend on prevention, for example on preventing ill-health, services like the NHS will end up spending significantly more money when issues become more serious.
“Directors of Finance across Scotland’s Councils are sufficiently concerned about the financial sustainability of councils that they have written to the Deputy First Minister outlining their concerns.
“This really is an SOS call from Scotland’s Councils –people in communities across Scotland will be pulled into further poverty and uncertainty without adequate funding for the vital services that support them.”
Pilton Community Health Project have announced their latest plans for moving forward following funding cuts:
We are delighted to announce that Pilton Community Health Project will continue delivering support and services into 2020! With our fantastic crowdfunding campaign extended until 18th April (www.savepchp.com) and other fundraising initiatives ongoing, we plan to move forward into a time of regrowth for the project.Continue reading #SustainPCHP: Health Project survival battle moves on to next stage
