Scotstoun community centre to scale back after missing Glasgow funding

A Scotstoun community centre will need to “scale back” services after missing out on council funding — and a “catastrophic” closure looms if more money can’t be found.

Heart of Scotstoun’s bid for cash from Glasgow’s Communities Fund was unsuccessful, leaving the Balmoral Street venue struggling for funds.

The charity runs 18 of its own groups while other third sector organisations, clubs and the community also use the building. Currently, it’s open six days a week, with the occasional Sunday, but operating costs are increasing.

Council officials have said charities shouldn’t rely on the programme for core funding. It was “heavily oversubscribed”, with 436 bids requesting £136.5m but only around £50m available.

Amanda Quinn, the centre manager, said her organisation has been “knocked back” by a few funds. “These funds were really, really essential to us to keep going.

“We’ve got money in the pot to keep us going until June or July. I don’t want to scaremonger my staff or community just now, but we need to look at scaling back.”

Scaling back could include closing on quieter days, however this would have an effect on groups, such as Glasgow Eco Trust and the Dumbarton Road corridor youth group, who use the centre.

Ms Quinn said over 900 people come through the centre’s doors each week and, if funding can’t be found, closing the venue would be “catastrophic”.

“They come for many reasons, some just come for a pilates club but other people come because that’s their social life,” the manager explained.

“Your older community, and even your younger mums with babies, it’s where they meet. It’s a hub for meeting, it’s a hub for making friends, we’re just trying to combat social isolation.”

Heart of Scotstoun runs a cafe, selling low-cost, homemade food, where some people are “coming in just to keep warm”. It also runs a foodbank, which they call a “food store”, serving 60 to 80 people a week.

“We do get people coming in to buy a cup of tea or a coffee and sit there,” Ms Quinn said. “They say we’ll sit here for a couple of hours, it’s cheaper than sitting in the house. It’s really sad.”

However, a lack of funding, and rising running costs, could impact the cafe too. The manager said: “What do you do? Do you put all your prices up so they can’t afford to come in?”

The charity asked for just over £270,000 from the Communities Fund. “We obviously make a little bit of money but we’re a charity,” Ms Quinn said. “We’re not like a housing association that can make an abundance of money.”

And the centre manager said it isn’t only her own venue she is concerned about. Charities which have missed out on funding are “doing what their the council social work departments can’t do now”, she said.

“We’re seeing to the community that have been cut back, cut back, cut back, from well before covid. The third sector is shoring up a lot of the stuff that they used to do, and they’re not thanking you for it.

“There’s no money being given from Byres Road all the way along to Yoker. You’ve got three vital community centres along there, the Annexe in Partick, ourselves and Whiteinch Centre.”

She believes the Communities Fund process was a “shambles” and the council should be “sending people out to speak to people” like other big funds, such as the National Lottery, do. “They send officers out to meet with you and see you so people get the actual feel and the vibe of what’s going on.”

Council officials have committed to supporting unsuccessful organisations in trying to find alternative funding. Ms Quinn said that would be “useful” depending on “how much effort they actually put in”.

“You’re not getting feedback until the end of February which leaves you a six-week gap, most funding pots are a 12-week lead-in, so you’re talking nearly 20 weeks even if they do put anybody in to help you.”

In total, 235 projects will be funded by the scheme and, after successful applicants were revealed last week, Cllr Christina Cannon, city convener for education, communities and equalities, said there had been a “comprehensive, robust, open and transparent process”.

She added: “We know that organisations who have not been recommended for grant funding will be disappointed and officers will be offering feedback and meaningful support around capacity building and financial advice on other sources of funding.

“As with all new grant funding, there are never any guarantees that organisations which had previously received funding will automatically have that funding renewed and groups should factor this into business models.

“Unfortunately, we have a limited pot of money and we need to use the resources of the council — especially during these challenging, financial times — in the most supportive and effective way to meet the needs of Glaswegians and our communities.”

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