Derek Mitchell on a major boost for the Scottish Citizens Advice network
I’ve lost count of the number of these columns that I’ve written around the issue of funding challenges.
But today, for a change, I’ve got a good story to tell, because the Scottish Citizens Advice network has received an incredible boost. The independent funder, Foundation Scotland, has awarded our network £6 million over two years to continue the life-changing work we do across the country (the picture above was taken at the announcement).
Under the award, every Citizens Advice Bureaux across every corner of the country will receive £50,000 this year and £50k in the next financial year, with the same amount going to the national organisation, Citizens Advice Scotland.
Moreover, this funding is unrestricted – meaning that CABs have flexibility and choice in how they spend it. That approach is uncommon but of critical importance – after all, who better understands what local communities need than the people who serve them?
The award is part of Foundation Scotland’s £12m fast-tracked Response Fund, It comes in response to increased pressure on charities like us, who are seeing a surge in demand for services while they themselves are facing reduced capacity and soaring overheads, such as utilities, staffing and National Insurance costs.
Most third sector organisations, including the network of CABs across Scotland, receive funding on an annual basis. This means at the end of each year, there is huge uncertainty about whether funding will be renewed. The immense stress this places CAB staff under is profound.
While the funding landscape is precarious, demand for our essential service is only moving in one direction and now at record levels. In 2023-24 our network helped nearly 192,000 people in Scotland and dealt with over 680,000 issues. That is advice that changes lives: from putting money into people’s pockets - £158m in financial gain alone – to helping people sleep at night.
This new funding will be a game-changer for our network. As one CAB manager put to me: “this is the best news in quite some time. The impact this level of unrestricted funding will have across the network is difficult to overstate.”
We see this award as a tremendous vote of confidence in our service. Foundation Scotland don’t give money like this to just anyone, and their CEO Giles Ruck hit the nail on the head this week when announcing the award. He said: “CABs are often the first point of contact for people in crisis. Advisers and volunteers work tirelessly to provide the support and solutions needed to alleviate peoples’ worries but as charities themselves, CABs face their own set of pressures.”
The importance of this funding has the potential to go far beyond the immediate financial boost, because it also holds up an example to others in this space that a different way is possible to deliver life-changing outcomes for the people and communities who need it most.
So I’d like to extend a huge thank you to Foundation Scotland for this support. It is much-needed and comes at a crucial time. But I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank everyone at CAS and across the network who continue to work each day to better the lives of people across Scotland.
Derek Mitchell is chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland.
This column was first published in the Herald www.theherald.co.uk
