Chief Officer's Blog

On Wednesday 30th October the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP, delivered Labour’s first Budget in 15 years. Despite a welcome shift from the language of austerity, it is disappointing to see this budget also brings further financial pressures for the third sector making it harder for organisations and social enterprises to attract and retain employees.

Raising employment costs will not only affect the ability of organisations and businesses to employ staff but will have an impact on any potential increases in wages, with a knock-on effect not only on employment opportunities but will also increase costs within supply chains which will raise the already high cost of service delivery and potentially limit impact for people with the greatest need including those experiencing in-work poverty.

Over the past few years, charities and community groups across Scotland have stepped up and stepped in to the emergency space created by not only a world-wide pandemic but our worsening economic climate. From our learning and service delivery across our national network, Third Sector Interfaces have seen our sector and communities’ ability to grow and develop exacerbated by these common challenges:
• Increasing need to respond to the devastating effects of austerity, while plugging the gaps created by growing demand to meet complex needs amidst reductions in Public Services
• Being at the heart of the community responses to the COVID pandemic and maintaining that level of response throughout recovery
• And providing further emergency support as a result of rising costs of living, seeing and supporting increasing numbers of people in greater need with ever decreasing resources to meet those needs.
Over the next few days, the Voluntary Action team will be taking some time to review the details of the budget and possible impacts on our sector as well as looking to understand the key asks our sector will have of the upcoming Scottish Government Budget expected in December 2024.

In the meantime, you can access the key UK Government Budget documents using this link: Autumn Budget 2024 – GOV.UK

You can also read the TSI Scotland Network’s response to the UK Budget, which we contributed to as part of the network.

Here to Help!

As always, the VA team will be available to support our amazing 3rd sector organisations and community groups providing vital services and activities across East Renfrewshire. Whether through advice and information on Funding, income generation, governance training or through our networks and collaborative opportunities.

To find out more or ask for assistance please call The Community Hub number on 0141 876 9555 or email [email protected].

Yours faithfully,
Ruth Gallagher
Chief Officer