Around 200 jobs saved at National Trust Scotland following government bail out

The Scottish Government has stepped in with a £3.8m support package for National Trust Scotland to help it tackle Covid-19 income losses.

The charity had been poised to enact cost cutting measures, including making 429 staff redundant.

This move had been planned after the charity had lost £30m, which is half its expected income.

But the Scottish government has stepped in with £3.8m of financial support to help the charity put forward a new cost recovery strategy, which has enabled it to save 197 jobs earmarked for redundancy.

The move will also help the charity cope with short to medium term issues, such as recession and further Covid-19 spikes. It will also help it to keep more properties open that originally suggested.

We’re offering our profound thanks to the Scottish Government after it announced financial support that will help us avoid the feared worst-case scenario arising from COVID-19 and will save 197 jobs. Find out more ➡️https://t.co/pAGddNJzhr #ForTheLoveOfScotland @scotgov pic.twitter.com/LOqNmq9frI
— National Trust for Scotland (@N_T_S) August 17, 2020

“We were confronted by the worst crisis in our charity’s history and we had a very real fear that this history was about to end abruptly,” said National Trust for Scotland chief executive Phil Long.

The generous support from the Scottish Government, together with the inspiring number of donations made by many individuals, has diverted us away from that terrible outcome.”

The number of redundancies has been reduced from 429 to 232, including 188 compulsory redundancies and 44 voluntary redundancies. Most of the affected posts are seasonal.

Among those saved from redundancy are ecologist and countryside ranger posts.

Long added: “My joy at this announcement is tempered by the fact that the effects of COVID-19 are so devastating that we’re still having to say goodbye to many friends and colleagues. I wish it were not so, but redundancies are unavoidable, although this support has helped us to keep them to the absolute minimum possible."

Meanwhile, the National Trust, which runs sites in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, is planning to cut 1,200 jobs due to income losses surrounding Covid-19. The charity announced the plans last month as it revealed it is expected to lose up to £200m.