The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Events boss brands support fund a ‘joke’
Founder of Perthbased marketing firm ‘livid’ she is unable to access further funding from government
A Perth firm that has helped grow the Enchanted Forest festival and Scottish Game Fair has said it had no option but to cut jobs.
Following the decision, the founder of marketing company Volpa called for more government support for the events industry. Tricia Fox said she was “livid” her business is unable to access the government’s new £10 million Event Industry Support Fund which she said was barely going to scratch the surface of the “widespread decimation of the events industry”.
The chief executive said her company’s income had dropped from £50,000 a month to around £12,000.
Ms Fox, who employed 11 people, has made two staff redundant. Another has taken an unpaid sabbatical and the remainder, who are furloughed, have moved to a four-day working week at 80% of their wages.
Founded 18 years ago, Volpa has supported events such as Enchanted Forest festival in Highland Perthshire and the Scottish Game Fair. Both events have been cancelled this year.
Ms Fox said: “If we don’t start saving money now then we won’t make it past Christmas, it’s that simple. The government fund is a joke, £10m to support a £6bn industry? It’s shocking.
“I can’t rule out making further redundancies but I’ll fight tooth and nail to avoid it.”
Firms that have previously accessed government support, such as rates relief, are not eligible for the new fund which gives businesses £10,000 grants.
Ms Fox said she had exhausted every possible avenue for government support and has written an open letter to Fiona Hyslop, the cabinet secretary for economy, fair work and culture, calling for the Scottish Government to reconsider their approach to the events industry before it collapses.
It states: “I am extremely disappointed my company will not be eligible to apply for this fund.
“Sadly because we have already received the much needed (and now used) Small Business Support Grant back in April, which helped cover some (but not all) of the ongoing costs of our business against the immediate downturn in revenues we saw as a result of the cancellation of mass gathering back in early March.”
Ms Fox said the Enchanted Forest attracts 80,000 visitors to the Perthshire area and contributes almost £7.6m value to the region. The Scottish Game Fair has around 30,000 visitors, with an economic impact of £4.6m.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We understand this is a deeply difficult time for those in the events industry and that the restrictions necessary to suppress Covid-19 have been particularly damaging.
“The Events Industry Support Fund announced this week was created with input from the newly-formed Event Industry Advisory Group and specifically designed to support event industry businesses which have not received any of the existing Scottish Government sponsored Covid-related funding schemes.”
“If we don’t start saving money now then we won’t make it past Christmas, it’s that simple. TRICIA FOX