Wills urges OSCR to re-consider

FORMER trustee of Shetland Charitable Trust, councillor Jonathan Wills, is urging the Office of the Scottish Charities Regulator to reject the changes to the way the £200 million trust is being run.

In a six page letter to OSCR chief executive David Robb, Dr Wills said last week’s decision to remove the majority of councillor trustee and replace it with eight unelected appointees was “contrary to the spirit and intention” of the founders of the trust.

He said the decision to completely overhaul the trust’s constitution was only taken by “a minority rump of nine trustees”, or 41per cent of those eligible to vote at the meeting.

“These proceedings were inappropriate, and indeed offensive, in a trust where for many years important decisions have usually been unanimous after detailed discussions and debate,” he warned.

Following last week’s decision, Dr Wills resigned from the trust, as did – for different reasons – council convener Sandy Cluness.

Dr Wills’ letter can be found here.