Funding cut for Glasgow rape crisis centre
Summary of story from the Daily Record, recipe March 26, viagra buy 2011
Scottish newspaper the Daily Record reports on cuts to one Glasgow rape crisis centre’s funding despite a series of sexual assaults occurring nearby.
About 200 police officers have been patrolling Glasgow city centre after recent attacks on women.
Meanwhile, the Glasgow Rape Crisis Centre service has seen its budget slashed by £8,000, one third of its total.
The move has plunged the service into a financial crisis that could have a profound impact on the level of support it can offer.
Manager Isabelle Kerr told the Daily Record:
We have been doing a significant amount of work in youth projects and in schools to mixed sex groups. It is important that young men are involved in this.”
“The funding which has been granted to us for the next financial year is down, which means we won’t be able to do the same level of work.”
Ms Kerr added: “We don’t want to cut back any of our services – it is absolutely crucial that we don’t – but we have no choice in the matter.”
In addition to the problems facing the Rape Crisis Centre, The Daily Record also reports that Archway Glasgow, Scotland’s only sexual assault referral clinic, is set to be hit by a £35,000 cut.
Does anyone know who provides the funding for either of those institutions? Is it the Scottish or the UK government, and which department?
Hi Milena, it’s not clear actually from the article itself, but I’m a trustee for similar services in Portsmouth, England and our funding sources are quite complex – a mixture of various grants from charities and trusts, from central government funding streams such as the Home Office and NHS, as well as funding received directly from the local authority.
I imagine Scottish services are in a similar position.
Cuts across UK central government departments have already ended dedicated funding streams and increased competition for those that remain. As a result, the competition for independent funding grants from the charitable and philanthropic sectors is already rapidly increasing. Cuts from the local authority on top of both of these have meant that in Portsmouth, frontline and management staff are now attempting to transfer these services from the local authority – where they have already been on the receiving end of crippling cuts and job losses – into the voluntary sector – where they are now competing for funding just to maintain their existing service levels.
These are services which save lives – that’s not a catchphrase, that’s a fact. The current government’s agenda of devastating public sector cuts combined with the chaotic roll out of an ill-considered transformation of public services through the ‘Big society’ agenda is, right now, devastating women’s services across the entire country.
But I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir there! If you need more detail, I would contact Glasgow Rape Crisis directly. The article states that the loss of funding from Archway is due to the withdrawal of a funding grant from Strathclyde Police, which is probably linked to their own funds being cut.
Hi Sarah,
Thank you very much for the response! Do you mind dropping me an email so we can chat about this further? I’d be interested in writing something on this for my blog. My email address is milena (dot) popova (at) gmail (dot) com.
Cheers
Mili