Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Scottish charities warn they are 'running on empty'

Scottish charities warn they are 'running on empty'

Scottish charities are warning they are "running on empty" at a time when more people are looking for support due to the cost of living crisis.

The Glasgow Council for Voluntary Services said many bodies were facing energy massive cost hikes.

Many charities were already low on reserves after stepping up support during the pandemic, it said.

Operational costs and fixed budgets mean that some voluntary bodies face cutting services.

Food and energy costs have soared recently, with inflation at its highest rate for 30 years, having risen to 5.4% in the 12 months to December.

Many of the measures announced by the UK and Scottish governments to tackle the cost of living crisis have been aimed at helping households, rather than organisations.

Some groups, including the Federation of Small Businesses, have called on governments to do more to help firms facing rising costs.

Ian Bruce warned charities are "running on empty"


Ian Bruce, chief executive of Glasgow Council for Voluntary Services, said the pressures on organisations since lockdown started in March 2020 have been "huge".

"Organisations responded quickly. They spent some of their reserves to support the people they were working with," he said.

"We're now two years later and organisations are starting to run on empty.

"Just as people are starting to come into organisations expecting them to support them the costs of doing that are going up dramatically."

He said many charities relied on grants, which were settled years in advance, and rising energy prices were the "last straw" for many organisations.

Fatima Uygun says something will have to give


Fatima Uygun, director of Govanhill Baths Community Trust, said something would have to give for her organisation to continue to function as it had previously.

It runs community groups and services as well as a foodbank on the southside of Glasgow

In the last six months, energy bills for the trust have shot up 50% and are set to rise further.

"We're scratching our heads about what to do," she says.

"Do we say no to the elderly group who rely on us for a warm community centre?

"Or do we say no to the youth group, and cut down their hours and tell them they can't come in anymore?"

Or she said the number of days the foodbank was open could be cut to two or three days, meaning users would have to wait longer for their food parcels.

"It's looking a bit desperate, not just for us but for a wide range of charities and organisations who are at the coal face," she added.

Running costs


Ms Uygun has previously warned that energy price increases meant it now costs the same to provide power to some areas as it did to pay for a staff member.

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, which represents charities, has previously explained that charities often struggle to secure funding to meet overhead costs.

Funding is often targeted at the direct costs of providing a project rather than the core costs of running the organisation.

It also said it is common for grants not to be increased in line with inflation - meaning years go by where charities are expected to deliver the same services while their budget is being cut in real terms.

A Scottish government spokesman said ministers were "acutely aware of the impact of the increased cost of living on our charities and voluntary organisations".

He said: "Inflation and rising energy prices affect us all and the Scottish government is using all powers and resources available to us to support people, businesses and charities."

The government had invested an estimated £500m in the third sector in 2020, the spokesman said.

He added that powers relating to energy markets were reserved to Westminster.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×