This website uses cookies for anonymised analytics and for account authentication. See our privacy and cookies policies for more information.





The voice of Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector

Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

TFN is published by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registration number SC003558.

Reprieve for charities over council cuts fears

This news post is over 6 years old
 

The Smith Museum had feared closure, whilst the Big Noise project faced seeing its funding slashed

Two charities who faced uncertain futures are likely to avoid serious cuts to their budgets.

Both the Smith Museum and Big Noise Raploch had raised concern about significant cuts being proposed to their grant allocations from Stirling Council.

However an extension of funding for local authorities from the Scottish Government has delivered a boost to both organisations.

The SNP and Scottish Greens agreed a budget deal this week which will see additional funding for local authorities - with Stirling Council set to receive an additional £2.8 million.

The money means that proposals to reduce funding for the Smith and Big Noise are likely to be dropped.

SNP finance spokesperson on Stirling Council, Councillor Alison Laurie, said: “This is a great result for Stirling from an SNP Scottish Government that is delivering for our local communities.

“The Tory Government in Westminster has handed Scotland another rotten deal this year with another day-to-day spending cut of over £240m.

"This continued to seriously threaten local services here in Stirling, therefore it is a relief for local residents that the progressive SNP approach will raise double this amount through a reformed income tax system.

“I will work closely with my colleagues in administration on Stirling Council as we present a budget that delivers for our local communities in the coming month.”

The council's budget proposals included The Big Noise Raploch project's annual budget being reduced from £500,000 to £275,000 by 2022.

The Smith also faced the loss of its annual £242,000 funding by 2022/23, with a petition to save the gallery attracting almost 10,000 signatures in less than a week.