Dumfries and Galloway groups fight cost of living battle
- Published
Annan Day Centre provides a wide range of services for the local community
Annan Day Centre manager Emma Irving has a very clear message - they won't be putting prices up for any of their services.
The negative consequences, she said, would be unthinkable.
However, it is one of dozens of charities and community groups in south west Scotland bearing the brunt of the cost of living crisis.
Norma Austin Hart, who heads Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway, warned recently they were facing a "perfect storm" of rising prices, falling income and growing demand for services.
Ms Irving said the situation was a difficult one to deal with.
"We have come through Covid and we worked remotely to keep everybody safe to make sure they didn't become isolated," she said.
"We have come through that and come into this financial crisis as we have reopened our doors.
"Our food shopping has doubled, our fuel has doubled and there is no more revenue coming into the day centre.
"We are doing it on exactly the same budget that we have been doing it on pre-Covid and pre-financial crisis."
Ian Robertson said he would just be "sitting in the house" without the day centre
She said the concern was that it would see services affected and, in turn, the people who use the centre.
"If the service users don't have somewhere to go they could be sitting in a cold house, not having a hot meal, not having company," she said.
"This could lead to trauma, isolation, loneliness, various problems."
She said she was determined not to see that happen.
"We have not put up any of our services and we won't," she said.
"I am making grant applications, I am doing fund raisers - that's quite difficult at the moment - I am seeking donations.
"All sorts of things that we can do because we will not put up our prices for the service users."
Food costs have doubled for Annan Day Centre
One regular visitor is 72-year-old Ian Robertson from the town who pops in four days a week.
He said the centre was vital to his wellbeing.
"About two years I have been coming and it was the best thing I did because it got me out the house," he said.
"The company is really good, there's always something different to do."
He said any cutback in service would hit him hard.
"I'd be very disappointed because I really enjoy the company and coming here," he said.
"It is important to keep it going.
"It makes you get out as well, if it wasn't for this I would be just sitting in the house.
"I don't like just sitting in the house - what do you do? - you sit and sleep."
Graeme Wilson said his organisation's finances were under "significant pressure"
The Dumfries and Galloway Mental Health Association - which provides support across the region - has also seen its prices rise sharply.
Finance manager Graeme Wilson has just signed 24-month energy contracts on all its properties - most of them from April next year.
"This will result in an increase per annum of around £73,000," he said.
"Currently we pay around £34,000 per annum - this will rise to £107,000."
He said that put "significant financial pressure" on the association but, like Annan Day Centre, they would do all they could to ensure it did not affect users.
"The overriding consequence of all this is that resources that could have supported our frontline services will be diverted to cover these increased utility charges," he said.
"The only positive point is that at least the association will have certainty regarding utility costs for the next two years - albeit the scale of the increases is massive."