Lack of funds means a long-running women's employment charity is to close next month
A charity, which has helped thousands of vulnerable and disadvantaged women find work for the last 26 years, is to close.
Edinburgh-based Women Onto Work is the only women’s employability service in Scotland offering support for those facing multiple barriers to employment.
The service combines bespoke coaching, training, informal networking, work placements and education opportunities.
But a lack of ongoing funding means the charity won’t be able to survive after August, managers have told TFN.
Bonnie Clarke, chair of the charity explained: “Despite a high-quality, client-focussed service offering we have found it difficult to attract sustained funding in order to support those services which we know best serve our women.
“This core offering – self-development coaching and pre-employability training – is the vital foundation to getting vulnerable women work ready.
“Our outcomes are testament to this and are evidenced by the high numbers of self-referrals, constantly high levels of attendance and programme graduates, with over 89% of women progressing closer to or into work.
Despite a high-quality, client-focussed service offering we have found it difficult to attract sustained funding in order to support those services
Bonnie Clarke
“And the fact remains, there are many more women that could benefit from WOW’s service.
“Discussions with funders and partners continue as we transition from current arrangements and prepare closing financial statements.”
The charity said that in Edinburgh alone there are more than 16,000 women who have been identified as being in need of support from the kind of service WOW provides – especially in the wake of new legislation and welfare reform, which has a disproportionately detrimental impact upon women.
Pippa Johnston, chief executive at WOW said: “Our team is committed to working with our women and ensuring they are all supported. We have strong relationships with a number of service providers and clients will be introduced to other organisations for continued support as appropriate.
“The team deliver an excellent and unfortunately, increasingly needed, service. I want to thank them for their passion, expertise and focus in delivering a route-map that has supported nearly 3,000 women make their journey back into work and back into their communities.”
A previous WOW client said: “I am in the early stages of creating a new life for myself.
“WOW has given me the time and space, tools and support to think about what are the possibilities in my new life and the realistic steps I can take to achieve it, providing a sounding board, a sense of structure and realism and positivity.
“I have a sense of the working woman that I can be in the future and, without doubt, I could not have achieved that at this stage without WOW.”
