As work continues to meet the strategic priorities set by the Board of Trustees in the SWI Strategic Plan for 2022-2025, now updated to cover 2024-2026, it is crucial that we act quickly to protect the organisation and its rich heritage for future generations.
To ensure that members are fully informed with the correct information, we would like to answer some FAQs on the following topics:
A bit of background to begin with. Like most charities, the SWI has faced many challenges since the COVID pandemic began in 2020. By the time we had emerged from a year of lockdowns our membership had dropped by 30%.
Since 2022, we have endured the cost-of-living crisis, economic downturn, and wars in Europe and beyond. All have had an impact and we have had to adjust, compromise and be pragmatic as we work towards sustainability.
A membership drive coupled with committed members recruiting in their own towns and villages means we have seen the first growth in membership since the 1950s. This proves that the ethos of the SWI, to provide inclusive opportunities for learning, friendship, and self-improvement, is attractive to modern women. We now have 8,600 members, but many are ageing. Sadly, the recent Federation annual reports show a projected 10% decline in the membership, outpacing the current growth. This is nothing new as numbers have been declining annually for decades. However, at this critical point we need to act to save the organisation by creating new income streams.
The SWI is a charitable organisation led by a Board of Trustees, ten SWI members who volunteer their time, who strategically steer the SWI. The Trustees are Presidents, Past Presidents, Federation Presidents and engaged members of the SWI, so they know a great deal about the day-to-day business of the organisation. These trained, professional, and knowledgeable members meet regularly and are fully abreast of all facts and figures, so they make decisions with the national organisation in mind. At times these can be difficult or unpopular decisions, but they are always made to modernise and protect the national SWI for future generations.
Read the SWI Strategic Plan 2024-26 Update
Q What is a SCIO and why have we changed?
A The SWI, like all charities in Scotland, is reviewed by OSCR, the independent regulator and registrar for Scotland’s charities, and it is vital that we adhere to its regulations.
As a national membership organisation, the SWI was an unincorporated charity. This model is generally suitable for smaller organisations such as sports clubs and local and regional community groups, not a national organisation such as the SWI.
For charities of our scale the Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (also known as a SCIO) model is accepted as the norm.
In early 2024, the SWI formed a SCIO to replace the unincorporated national membership organisation. Formal transfer of all the functions of SWI to the SCIO is not yet complete. The change also provided the opportunity to agree and further update the SCIO constitution as agreed in the 2022-25 Strategic Plan. We are nearing completion of this process.
Q Were members involved in creating the new constitution?
A Yes. The Board of Trustees worked with the legal teams to develop both the initial SCIO constitution for the national membership organisation and the further update is being worked on.
A draft copy was sent to all Federation Office Bearers to comment on, and its development was discussed in regular peer group meetings. It is currently with the lawyers and will be circulated to members in June 2024.
Q How does the new constitution affect members?
A The SCIO constitution has three changes which all benefit members:
Obtaining SCIO status also enables the SWI to explore significant funding opportunities for the organisation’s future development as a large number of funding sources are unavailable to unincorporated associations.
The SCIO status only applies to the national SWI organisation and there is no change to the charitable status of Federations or Institutes.
Q Why do we need a Visitor Learning Centre?
A There is a critical need to safeguard and protect the SWI Heritage, ensuring that Scottish women's contributions to society are honoured and celebrated for years to come. The organisation successfully received a Records at Risk grant to store the SWI artefacts at an archiving centre near Glasgow. That is a wonderful, but temporary, fix. We need a permanent home, and one that is accessible to members, potential members, academics, and visitors. We also need another source of income.
A Visitor Learning Centre will provide:
Q Where will it be?
A Since 2022, we have reached out to many enterprises and funders across Scotland to gauge their interest in our ambition, but none were interested or aligned with our priorities. However, in early 2023, the South of Scotland Enterprise directed us to a unique opportunity that we have been pursuing. This partnership allows us to co-locate our heritage with the Crichton's, both focusing on women and rural stories. The Crichton team are three years into this capital project, with a specific building identified for development, an award-winning architectural team, and a solid business case for the sustainability of a visitor learning centre.
The Crichton Estate is a thriving hub for businesses and Universities with transport and visitor infrastructure on the grounds, and more planned in the region’s development strategy. This significant footfall combined with a dynamic educational and social programme of events will mean the Visitor Learning Centre will offer the SWI an income stream. The business model of who manages it, how will it be run will be explored if the partnership is progressed.
SWI Trustees were interested in the synergies which could be offered by this collaborative partnership with The Crichton Trust and initial preparatory talks identified a number of shared touchpoints.
The Board of Trustees made the decision to meet with The Crichton Trust and the architecture team to explore how we could share our rural stories and heritage in the building they planned and what would be the next steps. One of which is an event in Glasgow on 24th May at the Glasgow Women’s Library where the architects would like to meet members to help shape the design and plans for the centre. If you are interested in our Heritage and would like to attend, please click HERE
Q. Who is going to pay for it?
A The Visitor Learning Centre is expected to cost circa £15 million and we, with The Crichton Trust, will need to raise funds from grants, donations and sponsorship to cover the costs. The Crichton Trust has made a bid for UNESCO Memory of the World Status for The Crichton Archive, which if successful will greatly enhance the opportunities for securing funding for the full project. Our unique partnership makes it easier to apply for funds from bodies such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, South of Scotland Enterprise (which has already invested £50K in the project) and UK Government Levelling Up funds such as the UK Community Renewal Fund which has invested £250K in the project to date.
Q Who will own the building?
A All the land and buildings on The Crichton Estate are protected and owned by Dumfries and Galloway Council and managed by The Crichton Trust Charity and Social Enterprise.
Q Why not go it alone?
A The SWI is not currently in a financial or operational position to develop a Visitor Learning Centre independently. We have designated £1.5m (in 2023 accounts) as we cannot expect to have a Visitor Learning Centre without contributing but we do not yet know how much we will need to use. It’s all reliant on funding and being in a partnership with a credible team can significantly boost our chances of securing that.
Q When was it decided?
A If the partnership with The Crichton Trust is progressed it will mark a major strategic milestone originally outlined by the Board of Trustees in the 2022 SWI Strategic Plan. We are in the exploratory stage of progressing discussions with The Crichton Trust, no contracts have been exchanged.
Q How can members find out more?
A If you are interested in helping to shape our future why not join the SWI Heritage Group? Members can help steer progress in four key areas:
Find out more about these monthly meetings HERE
All members are also invited to a Heritage Group meet-up at The Glasgow Women's Library on Friday May 24th from 1.30pm-3.30pm. You can meet the architects and discuss how the Visitor Learning Centre could meet members' needs. Book HERE
Find out more about the SWI Heritage Project HERE
The Board of Trustees and members of staff thank you for your continued support of
the SWI, and encourage you to keep asking questions and stay informed about our future. Here's to bringing fun, laughter, and learning into women's lives across Scotland for another century!
After all, our founder Catherine Blair, built our wonderful organisation on a motto that stands the test of time: If you know a good thing, pass it on...
SWI’s Trustees are happy to discuss any matters relating to the SWI. The Board is also happy to visit a Federation upon request, subject to availability. Please get in touch at hello@theswi.org.uk or 0131 225 1724.
L-r front row: Linda McTurk, Stewartry Federation; Mary Burney, National President, Stewartry Federation; Ashmita Bhattarai, Membership Development Officer; Karen Johnson, Midlothian Federation; May Tosh, National Treasurer, Argyll Federation; Charlotte Hughes, Events & Admin Officer.
L-r back row: Beth Spencer, Events & Admin Officer; Susie Finlayson, Roxburghshire Federation; Sybil Stuart, Moray & Nairn Federation; Diane Cooper, SWI CEO; Jane Hogg, Dumfriesshire Federation; Anne Kerr, Immediate Past President, Ayrshire Federation; Jacqui McGuire, Head of Finance & Operations.