​Emergency funds should be exception, not the rule

Emergency funds should be the exception, not the rule. Edinburgh City Council urgently needs to get real about the scale of the challenge and commit to long-term, sustainable support for the charities that keep our communities going.

The Stafford Centre in Broughton Street is run by Change Mental Health as a community hub and drop-in centre

Many local organisations have faced months of uncertainty over their future, despite providing life-saving services. I recently raised concerns about the lack of clarity and the unacceptable delays in funding decisions, which leave dedicated staff and volunteers in limbo and vulnerable residents at risk.

Take the case of the Stafford Centre on Broughton Street, run by Change Mental Health. It supports 17 staff, four volunteers and over 600 regular users through counselling, peer support, creative activities and projects for veterans and trauma survivors. The centre’s £188,000 funding through the Thrive Edinburgh programme is at risk due to delayed decisions by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board.

In 2024 alone, Thrive reached more than 4300 people and delivered over £7 in social value for every £1 spent. Without the Stafford Centre, demand would shift back to overstretched NHS and council services, costing more in the long run. Charities across Edinburgh provide a multitude of essential services that touch every part of city life. We owe it to them and to the people they support to put in place a long-term, stable funding solution.

A one-year delay in contract cancellations would safeguard vital local services, uphold the proven social value of early-intervention work and provide the space needed for collaborative review. Far from obstructing necessary reforms, this measured pause would help build a more sustainable, integrated mental-health system for everyone in Edinburgh.

Angus Robertson is SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central and Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Secretary