Around 30 roles at Plan International UK are at risk, after the charity confirmed it is consulting on redundancies in response to the coronavirus crisis.
The global development charity said that it had no choice but to cut costs due to the “damaging impact” of Covid-19 on the economy. It stressed that, because many of the roles are already vacant, total job losses may be less than 10.
Plan International is the latest charity to announce job losses, in the same week that researchers predicted the sector could see as many as 60,000 redundancies in the months ahead.
Aid in 48 countries
The charity employed 221 people at the end of July 2019, according to its latest accounts, with a wage bill of just under £10m including agency staff.
Plan International UK raised £61m last year, including £14m in project funding from the Department for International Development. It works in 48 countries.
Ineligible for government support
Other large development charities, including Oxfam GB and Comic Relief, have also announced plans to make redundancies.
Aid charities were not eligible for help under the government’s £750m charity support package announced in April. DFID made emergency grants to development charities worth £18m in May, to support work overseas in response to the coronavirus, but Plan International UK was not considered for this support.
Plan International UK: 'We must take steps now'
A spokesperson for Plan International UK said: “We are extremely saddened to be in the regrettable position of having to initiate a cost-reduction programme, which will involve a small number of staff redundancies.
“Though the effects of Covid-19 are still unfolding, we are already seeing the damaging impact on the economy. Faced with such uncertainty, we must take steps now to reduce our costs whilst ensuring we can continue to deliver our vital work for children, especially girls, all over the world.
“Overall, we expect to reduce the number of posts in Plan International UK by 28, of which more than half are vacant. We have gone through an extensive consultation period with all staff on the proposals, and are still in the process of finalising plans.
“We are fully committed to supporting those staff members who are facing redundancy, including offering career transition support and redeployment opportunities where possible. At this stage we anticipate that the number of actual redundancies made will be less than 10.
“We are hugely grateful to all the members of the UK public who continue to give us their vital support. Without them, it simply wouldn’t be possible for us to continue our work to give every child, every chance.”
Tom Collinge, policy manager at the think tank NPC, which is tracking job losses in the sector, said: “This is sad news today from Plan International UK.
“Our tracker indicates the development sector has so far been less affected by redundancies than others, such as health or the arts.
“But it is important to keep monitoring and understanding how the different but all vital causes charities work on are being affected.”
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