SU Scotland revealed in its spring magazine that it faced a deficit in its annual budget of around 10%. This had been met through legacies and regional team support funds, but a decrease in both meant that savings would have to be made, including staff cutbacks.
This week, Chief Executive Andy Bathgate wrote in a blog on the SU Scotland website: “We are very grateful indeed for the response so far to that news.
“Many supporters have already given special one-off gifts, started new standing orders or increased the amount of their standing order. In the midst of all that we have also seen a very generous response to the Holidays Sponsorship Appeal. Others of you have indicated that you are not in a position to make a financial contribution but have committed to stand with us in prayer. A huge thanks to all.
“These gifts have made a difference. It is not that all our financial problems are solved, far from it. There are cuts that we have made on which we cannot go back; reducing the number of issues of @SU magazine, withdrawing from the Challenge House office in Glasgow, etc. We have ‘lost’ the equivalent of two full-time posts through voluntary reduction of hours and voluntary redundancy and there are still a small number of posts facing the possibility of redundancy.
“However, thanks to sacrificial voluntary offers by staff and kindness of supporters, we are not going to have to make as many cutbacks as we had previously expected to staffing and that is an answer to prayer.”
Mr Bathgate told Life and Work: “People have been very generous. We were looking for about £50,000 (extra) and we are near to reaching that. It’s certainly looking a lot better than it did: we still will face a reduction in staff but not to the extent that we thought we would.”
He added that the response to the annual Holiday Sponsorship Appeal, which helps fund SU Scotland’s holiday events for young people, had also been strong: “We’ve brought in about £100,000 in previous years and we are certainly on track for that again this year. We thought it may reduce, given the economic situation, but to this point it hasn’t, for which we are very grateful.”
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Extra £50,000 donated following appeal
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Extra £50,000 donated following appeal
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