Despite concerns residents in Museelburgh could lose out, plans to pool millions of pounds of money left in trust to help the poor and vulnerable in East Lothian have been approved.
East Lothian councillors today backed setting up a charitable organisation to bring together up to £3.3million in trusts and funds left to the people of the county over hundreds of years.
However they agreed to bring it back to elected members for more scrutiny after Musselburgh councillor Andy Forrest questioned whether active funds in the town, the biggest in the county, would be merged into the wider pot.
Councillor Forrest said he was concerned funds which already gave out grants in Musselburgh and had been left to the town’s citizens by benefactors would be lost in the pooled new fund.
He told a meeting of East Lothian Council: “I would like Musseburgh funds taken out of the new organisation.”
Councillors were told years of planning had gone into drawing up plans for the new East Lothian Benefactors SCIO to be established as the council tried to find a way to unlock many dormant trusts and funds which had been left to communities over hundreds of years.
Many, members heard, were governed by rules which were no longer relevant in modern day life but could be grouped under common themes such as tackling poverty in the new SCIO.
The proposals include putting just under £1.4million into the new organisation initially made up of funds already know to Scottish charity regulator OSCR with a further £576,000 to be moved in a second stage and over £1.3million which include property to be held by the council until a later date.
Among those planned for the new SCIO are the Brown Bequest, currently holding more than £430,000 in its usable reserves and was established to provide dental treatment to the poor in Musselburgh and the James McKelvie Bequest, holding over £345,000 which was set up to support homeless people moving through the same town.
Four councillors are named as applicants for the new organisation, although they do not include any Musselburgh ward members.
Councillor Lee-Anne Menzies who has been involved in the task force involved in overseeing the plans, told the meeting that separating out the Musselburgh funds would ‘go against the spirit’ of the new organisation.
She said: “If we started pulling out Musselburgh funds what is to stop us then pulling out North Berwick funds or Dunbar?”
And Eamon John. the council’s head of communities and partnerships said: “The spirit of the SCIO is about pooling the finds for the benefit of the whole county.”
Council leader Norman Hampshire backed the plans for the new organisation pointing out some of the funds which would be merged were no longer fit for purpose or required.
He told the meeting: “The Oldhamstocks fund is one. I do not thing there is anyone living there who qualifies for it.”
Odlhamstocks Parish Fund, which will be merged into the new SCIO currently holds over £11,000 in usable reserves.
Councillors voted by 19 to one to approve the establishment of the new organisation with a note that a report would come back to members before funds were moved into it for further approval. Councillor Forrest abstained from the vote.
By Marie Sharp Local Demracy Reporter
