Cuts been made for my charity job. Redundancy talks.

alyssadrysdale

I currently work for a small charity in Scotland as an administrator and I have been for just shy of two years - it will be two years in June.

Our charity runs on funding to support the work we do which is working with children/young people and their families through therapeutic work. We assist families who have gone through trauma such as domestic and sexual abuse, fleeing war torn countries. We have been around since 1931 and we have built up an extremely positive rapport within the community and city and even beyond that. 

I absolutely love my job and the people are lovely. However, we got some news last week that the funding we have has been withdrawn just shy of the full contract. Everyone, as you can imagine, is heart broken and devastated. We are aware of cuts being made to social work and health, but this is a massive hit to us. Our manager is speaking to the MSP of our area and he is angry and annoyed that this has happened, even calling it "unethical and cruel". He was there when the same people tried to cut our funding by 54% several years ago. He fought and and they ended up giving us all our funding back.

Here is some information:

* Teachers are not happy and they are upset that the service is being cut and runs the risk of closing down due to the lack of funding and many are going to the head of education to discuss this as they are aware the importance of the service. 

* Another mental health organisation who send us referrals are devastated and said that they would not be able to cope nor provide the service we do if we were to close. 

* Letters have gone out to head of education and health by the MSP as a matter of urgency.

* the case is going to be brought up in parliament either this Thursday or next - depends on other matters that are being brought up.

* Senior journalists have been spoken to and two are interested in covering the story and are waiting for a clear run in covering it so it gets as much attention as possible. Some parents (current and past service users) are happy to be covered in the story and are absolutely outraged this could happen as they think favourably of the service.

The board are speaking about talking about redundancies but only as a precaution. The funders are going to cover us until June and that is when all funding from them will cease. We have been given statutory funding by these same people since the 1960s. 

It is not 100% clear that we will be shutting down and our manager is working really hard to make sure that we can get the funding re-instated until the end of the contract so we can then get the opportunity to look for other ways to fund our service. 

Here is my issue: I don't want to jump ship just yet, but I am aware what is against us. I am currently looking for other jobs and getting a feel of what is out there and I have spoken to recruitment agencies to make them aware of my situation. One of which is the lady who got me the job in the first place and she is very understanding and said she has temp work to keep me going if she can't find a permanent job first. I feel it is too early to make a call but I don't want to be here when it is clear that the ship cannot be saved but that can take some time before I know if that is the case. 

I am only 26 years old so I feel like there are options out there for me, but it is just a horrible situation to be in. Either way, I know I am going to have to look for another job if the place is going to close anyway. I keep wondering if the job is secure. Someone I work with is really positive in saying she has been in the industry for 30 years and she said that she is not worried as something always works out. 

Flugelhorn

I think a lot of these organisations have been run on multiple short term fundings for a very long time - they can never be sure if there will be more but usually there is - of course this might change and other things might get priority from your current funders.. Maybe they will have to start looking for other non-stat funders? sounds like they are  having a go there eg charitable trusts?

elsien

If you know you can get temporary work if the worst happens, I would probably sit tight for now unless a job opportunity comes up which is something you would have been tempted to go for anyway.