Shetland Charitable Trust begins recruitment of independent trustees

Governance | Niki May Young | 30 Oct 2012

The Shetland Charitable Trust has begun its recruitment drive to find eight independent trustees, following a long-running dispute with the Scottish charity regulator over its governance.

The eight appointed trustees will join seven elected trustees on a new 15-person board, reduced from 24 members, 22 of which were also Shetland Councillors.

An advert for the roles states: "Our aim is to provide public benefit to and improve quality of life for the people of Shetland, especially in the areas of social care and welfare, arts, culture, sport and recreation and the environment, natural history and heritage...

"We are looking for people principally resident in Shetland who can contribute effectively in a group and who have a broad cross-section of experience of the Shetland Islands."

Deadline to apply is 9 November with interviews taking place on 26 November.

The Trust was formed in 1976 with income from Sullom Voe oil, although this income dried up in 2000. The charity now relies on investment income and provides around £10m of funding to local charities and community organisations annually.

OSCR initially ordered the Trust to change its structure in 2009 after concerns were raised regarding its independence from the Sheltand Council. The move was hotly contested by the Trust and some on the Islands that wished the Trust to remain as a democratically controlled entity. But In May 2010 Audit Scotland was brought in following concerns that the charity was being used to subsidise council income and OSCR undertook an investigation which threatened to freeze the charity's accounts and suspend trustees if a restructure did not take place.

The Trust submitted its restructure plans to OSCR in January 2012, which were then approved in June 2011. However dissent remained within the Trust's board and OSCR chief executive David Robb warned that the regulator would examine all options available to it, including the suspension of trustees and petitioning the Court of Session for more permanent action if the restructure did not take place.

Directory: Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)
Who's Who: David Robb

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