Survey favours elected charitable trust members

More than half of those who took part in a weekend survey believe members of Shetland Charitable Trust should be entirely elected.

Thirty-three people gave their views in a “listening exercise” carried out by newly-formed pressure group Democracy for Shetland’s Charitable Trust.

The group says 55 per cent of those surveyed would prefer the trust to have no appointed members at all. And 73 per cent said no SIC councillors should serve on the trust.

The figures follow moves by the trust to reduce the number of councillor trustees from seven to four. Those proposals were favoured by less than 10 per cent of interviewees, the pressure group says.

Proposals by trust vice-chairman Jonathan Wills to have eight trustees elected were last week thrown out during a stormy trust meeting.

Dr Wills’ suggestion found favour with less than a quarter of those interviewed, at 24 per cent.

Group spokesman Peter Hamilton said the result, added to other data expected later this week, showed the trust’s position was “unacceptable”. He said a petition would soon be launched, and a campaign website was under development.

Mr Hamilton said: “In the meantime the people of Shetland are very welcome to share their thoughts with us via our campaign email info@democracy4sct.com.

“Our research shows the bulk of people in Shetland feel that Shetland’s charitable trust is their money and think they should have as much as a right to say as any unelected trustee.”