ASCC is closing down effective from 30th April 2012
The Trustees of the Association of Scottish Community Councils are gravely saddened to announce that, as the result of a massive cut in funding by the Scottish Government, the ASCC will be wound up.
The timing of this closure is to allow Community Councils who receive insurance protection via ASCC to remain insured for the whole of the current insurance schedule.
The charitable arm will begin the process for winding up, as required by companies and charity legislation, towards a closing date of 30th April 2012.
The unincorporated arm of the ASCC will cease all activity with immediate effect. The halt in activities of the unincorporated arm has a number of immediate consequences, including the cancellation of all further Regional Meetings, elections, ballots, the Annual National Conference and the quarterly issues of the ASCC Magazine.
The charity will continue to provide minimal support to Community Councils until the winding up process is complete.
The Scottish Government Finance Secretary, Mr John Swinney, offered the ASCC a grant of £30,000 for the current financial year. That was subsequently increased to £40,000, but with strings attached so the money could only be spent on three specific areas. This represents a more than FORTY PERCENT drop in income for the ASCC; the Association’s minimum operating requirements for one year are over £70,000. Our financial and legal advisers were unanimous in saying that the ASCC could not operate with such a loss.
The Association is unable to make up the loss of Government income with grants from other funders. The nature of the remit of the ASCC is such that major grant funders will not provide funding to the Association, because it exists to promote and support a part of the statutory sector.
The unincorporated arm is required to cease operating immediately, because the elected representatives of the ASCC are fully liable if it incurs liabilities it has no income to cover.
National Vice President, CCllr Bob Kerr said:
“Mr Swinney has purposefully decided to cause the closure of a national charity. The only national organisation representing, promoting and supporting the Community Councils of Scotland. He should be ashamed when he claims to support local democracy, and then attacks the most local tier of elected representation in Scotland.
This seems to have been part of a plan, the precursor of which was a shamefully biased and unprofessional “survey” of ASCC stakeholders. It appears Mr Swinney is using a prejudiced analysis of that flawed opinion poll to justify the closure of a Scottish charity.
1200 Community Councils in Scotland are now without a collective voice, and a national presence. It seems the unkept promises to Community Councils from the Government’s 2007 Manifesto were only the beginning. Mr Swinney has just given the best possible gift to the bureaucrats and politicians who have resented and marginalised Community Councils since they were established in 1973.”
Elizabeth Whaley
ASCC closure; this is appalling news for Community Councils and shameful treatment of the ASCC. Can anything be done to reverse Mr Swinney’s decision? A collective protest from all Community Councils in Scotland perhaps ?
If anything can be done, our community council would be glad to have such information.
Regards Elizabeth Whaley.
Posted 6 July 2011
Anne Gabriel
This was a very serious decision to make and we still need the support of all Community Councils to allow us to carry on until April 2012
A collective protest from all Community Councils is a good idea BUT the decision has been made and instrucions given to our NDO to carry out the closure
Hope lives eternal and the SNP Government may or may not change their mind
Posted 7 July 2011
RALPH MORRIS
Sorry and very dissapointed to hear of the winding-up of the ASCC after all the hard work that has gone into the ASCC by all its members,especially all the amount of work the BOARD MEMBERS have contributed over the years.Just shows you,never trust a politician.
Posted 13 July 2011
Mike Masters
The withdrawal of funding to the ASCC shows how much the Scottish Government really values community councils. I believe a very strong written protest should be made by all community councils to their local MSP. Perhaps community councillors should consider a mass resignation in protest. We must unite to fight this threat to local democracy.
Posted 19 July 2011
Isabell Tranter
I can’t believe Mr Swinney’s decision to cut this funding he should be ashamed after all the hard work the ASCC has done .
Is this the beginning of the end for Community Councils I agree we must unite to fight this threat to local democracy.
Posted 23 July 2011
Ron Page
The pending departure of the ASCC is but a major blow to the politics and democracy of Scotland.
It must be reversed, and I look forward to suggestions. A mass email by all CCs is easy, and easily ignored. A petitionn to the Scottish Parliament? Find several MSPs who would support?
Posted 4 August 2011
Ralph Averbuch
In relation to this sad news, will you be able to disseminate your useful documentation so that the resources you’ve built up won’t be lost and can continue to assist existing and, in my case, new members of Community Councils?
Ralph Averbuch
Chair, Pencaitland Community Council
http://pencaitland.org
Posted 19 August 2011
NDO
Hi Ralph
That’s one of a number of issues we are currently trying to find a solution for. Most of the services provided by the ASCC will not reaslitically be taken over by another national organisation.
The new online training portal for CCs is our most prominent concern; as even to hose the website costs money, so unless we can get a third party to take on that cost from next April, the site and its contents will have been created at great expense only to last for a few months.
Any problems like this for which we can get a resolution, will be announced as soon as we known.
Thanks for your post.
Posted 26 August 2011