Icon Chief Executive Sara Crofts wrote to Hyslop on 31 March 2020 to highlight the challenges faced by the conservation sector’s workforce, in particular the many self-employed workers and freelancers who have experienced reductions in commissions and who do not have the same securities as employees. Sara commended Hyslop’s continued commitment to heritage and recent advocacy on behalf of the self-employed.
Hyslop’s response of 17 April reassured Icon of the Scottish Government’s measures to protect the cultural heritage sector. Hyslop agreed with Icon’s concerns about gaps in the UK Government’s Self-employment Income Support Scheme. In response, Scotland has made an additional £100 million available in Scotland for self-employed people and micro and SME businesses to target newly self-employed people and businesses who are ineligible for other Scottish Government or UK Government schemes. Hyslop also drew attention to Creative Scotland’s Bridging Bursary Fund as a possible source of support for Icon members.
Icon warmly congratulates the Scottish Government for responding to the needs of the sector. It is encouraging evidence of the Government’s appreciation for the important role that cultural heritage will play in the nation’s recovery from the Coronavirus crisis. We hope that other Governments will follow the Scottish Government’s lead in implementing comprehensive support packages.
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Image: Creative Commons
