Council could debate trust changes
A SMALL group of councillors are in the process of preparing a Notice of Motion for next month’s meeting for Shetland Islands Council to debate constitutional changes in the pipeline for Shetland Charitable Trust (SCT).
The councillors argue that Shetland Island Council has been a long standing partner of the trust in providing services to the people of Shetland and should therefore now be consulted on any changes to the £200 million organisation.
Last month, following pressure from the charity regulator OSCR, trustees voted to remove the council majority from its board and replace it with a 15 members trust made up if seven councillors and eight unelected appointees.
On Friday, in a letter to the local press ten trustees, including Sandy Cluness and Jonathan Wills, who had previously tendered their resignation, called on the Shetland public to oppose the “end of democratic control” of the trust.
In a separate move it has now emerged that four of those who signed the letter are discussing a motion that could lead to the council opposing these changes to the trust.
Dr Wills, one of those behind the initiative, said the council should be worried as changes to the trust might impact on the future of many services funded by both organisations.
“The council has a very clear and significant role in this. If the partnership between the council and the trust is being disturbed people may suffer.
“For example, the running cost of council care homes are being subsidised by the trust. If that arrangement was modified, people could be affected.
“There is vast array of things that are funded by the trust; there are many complicated and delicate relationships that must not be disturbed, because the people of Shetland could be adversely affected.
“The money in the trust is the people’s money. It comes from the oil industry in payment to the council to be held in trust for the people of Shetland.
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“The council has a very clear interest in making sure that the intensions of the people who founded the original trust are carried out and that no major changes are carried out without an overwhelming majority.”
He said the group was not asking for councillors to remain in charge of the trust, as that was not possible under current charity law.
The next meeting of the full council is on 8 February.
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