Entire board of charity quits at its annual meeting

17 Dec 2015 News

All the trustees of a Scottish infrastructure charity, which was already being investigated over governance concerns, resigned at its annual general meeting this week. 

Gateway

All the trustees of a Scottish infrastructure charity, which was already being investigated over governance concerns, resigned at its annual general meeting this week. 

The resignations at Voluntary Sector Gateway West Lothian, follow two years of concerns about its governance, which has led to an inquiry by Scottish charities regulator OSCR and funding cuts by the Scottish government.

One of the charity’s new directors, Alexander Milne, told Civil Society News the resignations followed a "tough and robust" meeting on Monday.

“It was clear from the meeting that the membership had no confidence in the present board,” he said.

“During the last two years, the organisation has experienced significant difficulty, including investment cuts by the government and a review by OSCR.

“The charity’s members expressed a high level of concern with the governance and performance of the standing board. As a result, and after a robust debate, all the board stood down and chose not to seek re-election.”

Milne said four of the charity’s members were nominated and agreed to serve as an interim board and a further three have been co-opted.

“These seven individuals are active within the third sector in West Lothian and are committed to steering the organisation forward through this time of significant change and challenge,” he said.

The charity specialises in capacity building for the voluntary sector as well as volunteer development and social enterprise development. Its mission statement is "to be a leading edge organisation with the capability, capacity and confidence to shape the future of a strong and thriving voluntary community and social enterprise sector, enhancing the quality of life for the people of West Lothian". 

The resignations came two days before the conclusion of OSCR's inquiry into the charity. 

A report published by OSCR yesterday said concerns were first raised by the charity's trustees after complaints were made by stakeholders about a senior member of staff. 

The regulator's report raised concerns about a delay in acting on the complaints and payments made to theat individual on cessation of employment. Further inquiries into the charity raised additional governance concerns, it said.

As a result, OSCR advised the charity to "ensure all policies and procedures are fit for purpose and implemented without fear or favour accross the board".

A spokeswoman for the Scottish government confirmed the charity was subject to an independent review, which has not been published, of the "interface arrangements in West Lothian" as a result of "concerns raised by key stakeholders".

“The Scottish government has been aware of a number of issues, including of governance, related to the Voluntary Sector Gateway West Lothian," the spokeswoman said. "We have offered substantial practical support and given the board every opportunity to resolve these concerns and regain the trust of the third sector.

“Despite our considerable efforts and time working to find a way forward, the board had not been able to meet our requirements. During the AGM we understand the board resigned and the membership have elected new directors who will act as an interim board. 

"We now look forward to working with the new board to take forward the actions deemed necessary, by the Scottish government and local partners, to have a third sector interface that commands the confidence of all its stakeholders and will serve the third sector well in West Lothian."

The spokeswoman said its "package of support" for the charity includes funding the Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations (ALCOVE) to provide expert support to VSGWL moving forward."