A youth charity is facing closure after more than three decades due to losing funding in a Scottish government revamp.
Young Enterprise Scotland (Yes) has accused the government of failing to “follow through” on financial assurances, leaving the business in an “untenable” position with 31 staff facing redundancy.
The charity was traditionally supported via government grants, but in July a new funding model, external was announced, using a “competitive” process, and several Yes applications were subsequently turned down.
The Scottish government told BBC Scotland News discussions with the charity were ongoing.
The charity develops “entrepreneurial mindsets in young people” through a variety of programmes in schools and colleges, aiming to help students learn about sales, marketing and financial planning.
It said it had supported more than 18,000 students in secondary school or college last year.
Funding was drawn from a core government grant, supplemented by support from trusts, foundations and the private sector.
The Glasgow-based charity’s chief executive Emma Soanes said staff were “absolutely devastated” and that its future “now seems untenable with the loss of our major income source”.
She added: “Not only will this have a huge detrimental impact on our dedicated staff team, who now face redundancy, but given our extensive reach across Scotland it will also impact massively on the national education landscape and the education of young people in Scotland of which our work played such a crucial role.”
Ms Soanes said that the decision was “entirely at odds” with the government’s own National Strategy for Economic Transformation, external plans.
The cha
