Do you relish the challenge? SCT seeks new trustees

March 23rd 2022

The search is on for community-minded islanders with the right blend of experience and vision to help shape the future of Shetland Charitable Trust.

Do you relish the challenge? SCT seeks new trustees

The search is on for community-minded islanders with the right blend of experience and vision to help shape the future of Shetland Charitable Trust.

SCT hopes suitably skilled volunteers will step forward to fill up-and-coming trustee vacancies on the board of the £450 million charity.

Trustee Emma Miller, who specialises in event management, said: ““As a community we need to plan and adapt for the challenging times ahead and there will be tough decisions to make for many. The charitable trust is committed to improving the quality of life for all in our isles and for that we need new people bringing fresh thinking to the table.

“I would encourage folk to think about giving it a go – come and join us and help make Shetland an even better place!”

SCT generates its annual spending from its investments in world markets. In the coming financial year, most of SCT’s spend of £16.4 million will go on grants for a wide range of services intended to promote inclusion and reduce inequality in Shetland life.

SCT chair Dr Andrew Cooper said: “For me, it is a privilege to be part of this Charitable Trust which we are fortunate to benefit from in Shetland.

“We have a strong team of independent trustees. We work well together and put significant collective effort into monitoring the performance and use of trust funds, making sure we spend what we can afford each year.”

Since it was formed in 1976 with money from the oil industry, SCT has spent around £340m on the Shetland community. Among the most visible achievements of its funding are the network of leisure centres, rural care homes, Shetland Museum and Archives and the music venue and cinema Mareel.

Another of the long serving trustees, Dr Ian Napier, said: “It’s particularly pleasing to see how the trust has developed in recent years and to spend increasing amounts on good causes in Shetland, including the half-million-pound donation to the local MRI Scanner Appeal in 2020.

“Anyone becoming part of the trust can expect to play a meaningful part in discussions and financial decisions that will help shape the future of our community.”

SCT has an independent board of 12 trustees. They meet as a formal trust four times a year and, in addition, they serve on committees tasked with overseeing investments, budgets and grants and audit and governance issues.

For anyone interested in being a trustee, application packs are available from the trust’s website www.shetlandcharitabletrust.co.uk or by contacting the office at 22-24 North Road, Lerwick, telephone 01595 744 994. The closing date is 15^th April at noon.

To learn more about what being a trustee entails, contact the chief executive Dr Ann Black by email at ann.black@shetlandcharitabletrust.co.uk.

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Media contact: John Robertson noostmedia@gmail.com Tel: 07775 407 796

Testimonials

The funding COPE Ltd receives from the Shetland Charitable Trust supports us in many ways. It allows us to develop and maintain a strong foundation to our core business and assists us to provide on-going employment skill development opportunities to people with disabilities living within Shetland. COPE Ltd highly values the support provided to our organisation by The Shetland Charitable Trust.

“The substantial grant made to us by Shetland Charitable Trust every year allows us to provide first-class facilities and dedicated staff to underpin sporting success among people of all ages and abilities in the islands.”

Having this core funding from the Charitable Trust means that we can use that money where we need it at any given time. It's multi-year funding which really takes the pressure off. To have the funding to keep going is really important as it is improving the lives of disabled folk in Shetland.

The funding that we get from the Charitable Trust pays for part of staff support and matching with other funders. Without local funders we wouldn't have national funders, and without either of those funders, we wouldn't be able to do this, so funding from the Shetland Charitable Trust is incredibly important.

The funding Shetland Arts gets from Shetland Charitable Trust is about making sure the organisation can thrive, access other funds, and deliver on behalf of the community of Shetland. Our funding from the Shetland Charitable Trust really helps us with our conversations with national funders because it shows that we're working on behalf of what the local objectives and priorities are.

The Access to Leisure scheme was introduced to allow folk to be able to get access to classes and activities for a lower cost. I feel that the SRT play a critical role in every community across Shetland and that's all down to the funding of the Shetland Charitable Trust that we're able to maintain that.

Unpaid carers do an amazing job looking after people 24/7 in their own homes, keeping them living at home safely, and they really need help to do that. Thanks to the funding from Shetland Charitable Trust, we've been able to employ a deputy manager, recruit more care attendants, and provide overnights. We're also really grateful for the funding because it means that everybody can get the service for free.