Final chance to have say on charitable trust reform

A PUBLIC consultation on Shetland Charitable Trust’s latest governance proposals – which have been labelled “undemocratic” by critics – ends this week.

Thursday (23 February) is the final deadline for anyone who wants to tell Scotland’s charity regulator OSCR their thoughts on the plans, which could result in the £230m fund no longer having any elected representatives.

Trustees approved the plans, which would in theory result in 11 appointed trustees being joined by four councillor-trustees put forward by Shetland Islands Council, despite calls from the SIC, trust vice-chairman Jonathan Wills, local MSP Tavish Scott and others for a majority of trustees to be directly elected.

However, there remains uncertainty even if the plans are approved given that, last June, the SIC indicated it no longer wished to nominate any councillors to sit on the charitable trust’s board.

The reforms are a continuation of efforts to place clear blue water between the local authority and the trust, decision-making having been at risk of being paralysed by councillors’ perceived conflicts of interest.

Until 2012 the trust consisted of 22 councillor-trustees alongside, somewhat anomalously, the Anderson High School head teacher and Shetland’s lord lieutenant. That was diluted to a balance of seven councillor-trustees and eight appointed trustees.  

• You can write to the charity regulator at OSCR – Charity Reorganisation, 2nd Floor, Quadrant House, Riverside Drive, Dundee, DD1 4NY or by emailing info@oscr.org.uk.