The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.
As the cost of living crisis takes hold, people and communities need voluntary sector services more than ever. At the same time, voluntary organisations face spiralling costs, falling income and an uncertain future. We know that 61% of voluntary organisations are experiencing financial challenges while continuing to see an increased demand for services.
It’s a worrying time. We're here to provide practical support and help fight your corner.
We are regularly updating this page with new information, news and updates, so please keep checking to make sure that you're up to speed with all of our latest #RunningCostsCrisis resources.
We’re also eager to hear from you. How are you affected? What would help?
When your budgets are tight and your future feels uncertain, making sure your policies and ways of working are efficient is important. We’re here to help with our information on a range of topics, from getting and keeping funding, to business planning and organisational development, to staff retention and reward. Get in touch if you need us.
We know that the ever-changing landscape and updates on new government schemes can be overwhelming, and at times difficult to understand. We've summarised the current government schemes on energy relief here, including eligibility and what (if anything) you need to do to access them:
On 21st September 2022, the UK government announced a new Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) to reduce wholesale energy costs. The amount your organisation could save will depend on your contract and circumstances.
On 9th January 2023, the UK government announced a new Energy Bill Discount Scheme to replace the previous scheme to reduce wholesale energy costs. The existing Energy Bill Relief Scheme will continue until 31 March 2023. The amount your organisation could save will depend on your contract and circumstances. The total level of support available is lower than the previous scheme and we would expect all organisations to see an increase in their energy bills.
Eligibility for this scheme:
Other information:
Our free webinar on 9 February will share information on the scheme and tips on saving costs.
Charities that run libraries, museums, historical sites, zoos and nature reserves may be eligible for a higher level of support through the Energy Trade Intensive Industries scheme. However, we would expect this will only apply to a small number of organisations with very high energy usage, for example if a library has to keep rare books in governed conditions.
Our free webinar on 9 February will share information on the scheme and tips on saving costs.
You can read our full reporting and response for more information.
We’re giving you information to deal with things as they are, but we’re also always working closely with government, funders and the sector, to influence and guide decisions and discussions. Here’s a round up of the way we’re using our voice to support you through financial uncertainty.
Government budgets - what's happened and what's coming up
The UK Government’s next budget will take place on 15th of March, following on from the November UK budget where taxes were raised by £25 billion, and spending cut by £30 billion spending.
On the 17th of November the UK Government published the Autumn Statement. The energy support announced in September’s mini budget remained unchanged until March 2023.
The UK Government announced in January that, from April 2023, the energy support scheme for non-domestic users would continue for another year at a reduced level.
'Perfect storm' could see voluntary groups shut - SCVO's Paul Bradley highlights the data from our Third Sector tracker and the worrying picture it paints for Scotland's voluntary sector in the coming months
“Disastrous”: SCVO warns of knock-on effect of cuts to energy bill support
SCVO's Chief Executive Anna Fowlie responds to the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme.
Fair funding: it's time to abandon the spin - SCVO's Paul Bradley calls for multi-year, accessible funding
Repair your umbrella or build a boat? How to respond to a perfect storm - SCVO's Kirsten Hogg says the crisis is a fight on all fronts
How funders can help charities get through the #RunningCostsCrisis - SCVO's Sally Dyson looks at how funders have been responding to the ever-growing challenge
Keeping costs down has never felt more important. Our members have access to exclusive services and support including:
We're developing a series of webinars covering all the topics we think might help you through this difficult time, with help from experts. We'll announce them once they're confirmed. You can keep an eye on our events and training here:
We wanted to share our past webinars that might be useful - some of them were created in response to the covid crisis and remain relevant to what we face now.
We ran this sold out session on 9th February. If you missed it, you can watch the recording.
CAF is running a series of websites on funding during a cost of living crisis. You can find out more and sign up for sessions on their webinar series page.
Read about other members of the sector, and hear how they’re responding to the cost of living crisis.
Please get in touch with us to tell us your story, or share other resources that you have found valuable.
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