Council rush to hand over Freefield

THE PENSIONER’S lunch club at Lerwick’s Freefield Centre looks set to be turned into a social enterprise run by the voluntary sector.

Councillors in Shetland meet on Wednesday to agree the change that will save the local authority £80,000 a year as of Christmas 2012.

But the voluntary sector has warned against rushing the project through saying a two month timetable was unrealistic.

In March 1,500 people signed a petition calling on the SIC to save the popular service which was earmarked for the chop as part council cuts of £15.4 million in 2012/13 alone.

Following months of discussions between the council, users and the voluntary sector, a partnership of community organisations led by Voluntary Action Shetland (VAS) appear ready to run Freefield as a social enterprise.

Shetland Islands Council’s interim director for community care Sally Shaw said in her report that the change had to be implemented by Christmas.

“In terms of the council’s financial pressures, this transition needs to be as soon as possible, but will not be accelerated to a point whereby it destabilises the transition arrangements.

“Our commitment is to achieve a sustainable long term solution.”

A three year business plan is being prepared by SIC policy manager Emma Perring with input from the VAS.

The organisation’s chief officer Catherine Hughson said on Tuesday she was convinced the social enterprise model would work, but believes more time is needed for the partners to define their roles and to source outside funding.

Hughson said she had warned council officers during a series of meetings that such change “does not happen overnight”.

At present the Freefield Centre takes in around £32,000 a year, too little sustain the lunch club.

She said: “I am positive that it could work, but what I have always said is that I would prefer to have a one year pilot project to see how it would go.

“It can be done, but it cannot happen for nothing.”