News / Too late to stop now
SHETLAND’S community councils have called on members of Shetland Charitable Trust to bring back democratic control of the £200 million charity as soon as possible, though trust leaders say it is too late to alter the reform process.
The call comes shortly before Friday’s deadline for Shetland residents to apply to become an independent SCT trustee.
The trust hopes to appoint eight independent trustees at its meeting on 13 December. They will outnumber the seven elected councillors who will join them on the new look trust.
Now the Association of Shetland Community Councils (ASCC) has written to all SCT trustees asking for the new appointments to be for one year only.
The trust says the request has come too late and must wait three years before the new structure is independently reviewed.
“We are past that stage now,” trust chairman Drew Ratter said.
“The decision was to implement a scheme of governance approved by (charity regulator) OSCR.
“That decision includes an independent review after three years and I assume whoever is running the charitable trust at that time will set someone on to see how the whole thing is working.”
However ASCC chairman Jim Gear said the trust’s standing orders should allow it to revisit September’s decision on reform.
“Given that the association represents the whole of Shetland through its community councils, I think we express the view of the majority of people in Shetland,” he said.
“I also believe that if the trust chooses to do so, they can revisit the decision and we are appealing to the trust’s membership to do so.”
However trust vice chairman Jonathan Wills, a vocal advocate for democratic control of the charity, also believes nothing can be done at this stage.
“I agree with the association, but I think it’s too late as the trustees have voted to implement a new scheme agreed by their predecessors, unwisely in my opinion
“By the time we review it in three years I think the problems with the new structure should be evident to everybody.”
Wills added he believed no councillors should be represented on a future trust to avoid the inevitable conflicts of interest that would arise once the Viking Energy wind farm is built and generates an income for the trust.
“As soon as the wind farm money kicks in there will be a very big conflict of interest because the council will be a big applicant for funding.”
Trust general manager Ann Black appealed for last minute applicants to come forward to be independent trustees before Friday’s deadline.
Application forms are on the trust’s website and she is making herself available on 01595 744994 to discuss what is involved with anyone who is interested.
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