SCC to Close
It was sad to see on Twitter during the weekend and then in Third Sector Online today that the Small Charities Coalition (SCC) has taken the decision to close, as they were unable to secure funding for their charity support work. Being a VCSE support organisation we can empathize with the struggle.
We at Development in Social Enterprise have a small team. We have seen demand for help (naturally during this time) increase whilst resources in the sector have been scarce. In addition, the majority of resources provided (and let’s not mention the woeful Government sector support package) over the pandemic has been for those working directly with those most affected (the vulnerable, elderly, people with disabilities etc.). Obviously we can’t argue with the rationale, many have really suffered and are still suffering and need support.
Having said that we must not let the VCSE support structure disappear through a lack of insight into the needs of the support providers too:
- They too have seen their work/ income dramatically reduced during the pandemic.
- They too have seen increased demand.
- They too have spent much of their reserves over the last two years.
A Glimmer of Hope
Now we should also note that there are a few that are funding support work, for example:
- Lloyds Foundation recognized the need early and often fund core costs for organizations too.
- We have also been pleased to see Reach funding agreed for another four years and
- the Social Enterprise Support fund has a small element for consultancy support (up to £5k).
However, whilst these are encouraging signs it is a drop in the ocean, we do hope that funders will see the value of high quality infrastructure and not let it be lost when it is needed most.