Scope has cut 54 roles as part of a corporate restructure and closed most of its charity shops in an effort to address a growing operating deficit.
The disability charity published its financial accounts this week, which show that its total income fell by 7% to £44m while its expenditure rose by 9% to £52.9m in the year to March 2025.
This meant Scope recorded its sixth consecutive annual operating deficit, which the charity said it has sought to address through a corporate restructure and shop closures.
The charity confirmed it has closed 73 of its 138 shops, with previously announced plans to shut 77 overall by March 2026, which it expects to reduce running costs by £4m in 2025-26.
It expects to save an additional £1.9m in 2025-26 from 54 job cuts it made this year as part of a corporate restructure.
Mark Hodgkinson, Scope chief executive, said: “We needed to adapt to the additional pressures of a changing world.
“These decisions were not made lightly, and it is of course sad when colleagues leave us and shops close.
“But change was necessary in order to be in a much stronger position as a charity looking forward.”
During consecutive operating deficits, Scope confirmed it had reduced its reserves from £42.7m to £26.4m over the last five years.
Hodgkinson said: “Our retained reserves combined with the changes we’ve made over the past year mean that Scope is in a stable financial position to move forward with our mission to deliver an equal future with disabled people.”
Shops income decline
While Scope recorded an almost £2m increase in grants in 2024-25, its fundraising income and money generated by its shops declined.
The charity received £12.9m in donations and legacies in 2024-25, down from £15.4m the year before.
Its trading income decreased by over £2m to £21.9m, while its related costs rose by more than £2m to £26.9m in 2024-25.
The charity attributed rising employment costs, changing customer behaviour and the growing impact of online sales platforms on donations of second-hand goods as reasons for the change in its retail finances.
In 2024-25, the charity handed out redundancy payments of £429,000, an increase from £23,600 the year before.
The charity saw a drop in the average number of its employees from 842 in 2023-24 to 817 in 2024-25.
