Many Scottish health and wellbeing charities’ revenues are plunging just as demand for services soars because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Most of the nearly 150 organisations responding to a survey by Voluntary Health Scotland (VHS) said having to close services and charity shops was their biggest concern.

Some are in need of as much as £250,000 each over the next three months to keep helping people through the outbreak. For the majority of charities this financial gap ranges from £65k to £120k.

But charities also need extra cash to deal with how covid-19 has changed the way they operate. This includes the cost of moving to delivery services, recruiting more staff to run helplines and switching to online support. 

One organisation responding to the survey expects to field more than 7,500 calls over the next three months.

Charities responding to the questionnaire warn the disruption to normal life is exacerbating mental health problems at a time when some support networks are being closed.

They say there is a “general focus” on physical support which means there are in gaps in wellbeing care.

healthandcare.scot has reported how local authorities across Scotland are cutting back the support they provide to vulnerable people as they focus on getting people out of hospital, particularly in Glasgow and Lanarkshire.

Kiren Zubairi, Policy Engagement Officer at VHS, said of the survey on the impact of covid-19:

“Our research has highlighted the speed, creativity and flexibility that the third sector is demonstrating as it responds to the crisis, as well as the substantial challenges and barriers it is facing.

“We want our research to inform policy makers, funders and other decision makers and to foster stronger partnership and collaboration between and across sectors at this uncertain and difficult time."

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