Providing Support to Glasgow’s Social Enterprise Sector – Glasgow City Council

• Lead Member Glasgow City Council
• Categories Community Wealth Building

Funding and strategy to help the sector recover from the effects of the pandemic.

Glasgow City Council published A Social Enterprise Strategy for Glasgow in the summer of 2018 – including an annual grant fund, the Co-operative and Social Enterprise Fund (CSEF), to assist with the growth, diversification and support of the sector. In response to Covid-19, the local Glasgow Social Enterprise Network (GSEN) undertook a survey which found that:

• 53% of members were forced to close due to the crisis, with some expressing concern that they might not reopen after the crisis has passed
• 89% of members experienced a reduction in trading
• 27% of social enterprises report adapting well to redesigning activities and services, with 14% struggling to do the same
• 36% of GSEN members experienced increased costs due to the crisis
• 57% of members furloughed staff The GSEN created a short-life fund to support the sector during lockdown which was heavily oversubscribed.

These results – allied with extensive anecdotal evidence – convinced the Social Enterprise Board that a review of the first strategic Action Plan (2019-2022) was required.

 

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