Falkirk Community Trust: End of an era as transfer takes place on April 1

Prior to it being set up as a company limited by guarantee with charitable status on July 1, 2011, the local authority made its case for the change saying it would be beneficial financially as the new trust would be be able to seek funding not available to councils, as well as benefit from non-domestic rates saving, which currently equates to around £1.4 million per year.

On that July morning the trust assumed responsibility for the management and operation of a range of community sport, recreation, arts, heritage and library services. These included Callendar House, the district’s sports centres, Grangemouth Stadium, the area’s town halls, the Hippodrome cinema and the Helix Park.

The new trust was led by chief executive Maureen Campell, who was one of about 500 staff members who transferred from Falkirk Council. She had spent the previous eight years as director of community services.

Their mission statement was “to lead culture and sport to enrich people’s lives in the Falkirk area” while helping Falkirk's communities be “the most creative and active they can possibly be”.

But less than ten years later council bosses decided it would be best to wind up the trust and assume its responsibilities.

Their argument centred around the return of public services to direct democratic accountability and said financial savings could be made.

Months of meetings followed with many “complex” issues resolved and on Friday 431 members of staff will become Falkirk Council employees. For some, who were with the council prior to 2011 it will be a return to their previous employer.

There will be 223 staff moving into Children Services; 115 to Place Services and 93 to Corporate & Housing.

A council spokesperson said: “A significant amount of work has been carried out behind the scenes by Falkirk Council and Falkirk Community Trust to ensure a smooth transition on April 1.

"This work will continue at the highest levels and will ensure that Falkirk Council can benefit from the expert knowledge and experience of colleagues in Falkirk Community Trust in helping to take the organisation forward.

"We have also worked closely with employees of both organisations as well as trade unions to safeguard terms and conditions.

“Our aim is to ensure that the usual high standards of service are maintained over the transitionary period.”

The council has said that given the local, national and international standing of the Helix Park and Kelpies, the Helix team is being retained as a stand-alone team under the leadership of Lesley O’Hare in a new Arts, Culture and Helix service, while Callendar Park, Kinneil Estate and Muiravonside Country Park will be within the Planning & Greenspace service.

Falkirk Town Hall will be going into Place services, while Falkirk Stadium will come under the remit of Paul Kettrick, Head of Invest Falkirk, with arrangements underway for the Stadium ownership to fully transfer to Falkirk Council during 2022/23.

Bo’ness and Grangemouth Town Halls will be managed by Children’s Services as will all sports venues, outdoor activities and community sports hubs.

Libraries will transfer to the Corporate & Housing services.

However, the plans haven’t been met with widespread approval.

Community Leisure UK, which represents 26 similar charities in Scotland, said the change will mean “the loss of an incredible charity that has excelled since its inception”.

They said: "The risk of politically motivated decisions being made with no evidence to support them, is that public services will be impacted, potentially to the detriment of local communities, with higher delivery costs and a loss of a board with expertise from the local area."

Meanwhile, three former trust board members have been vociferous in their opposition to the move.

At a special council meeting earlier this month, Ian Scott, Bob Tait and Alex McQuade pleaded with councillors to reverse the decision.

Historian Mr Scott said: “We want to appeal to each and every councillor with the best interests of Falkirk district at heart to do what is right and take this last opportunity to avoid a huge financial penalty.

“If the arrangements need to be made better, then sit down and make the changes – but don’t destroy all that has been achieved so far.”

However, a warning from Labour group leader Robert Bissett that bringing the trust back inhouse would result in closure of facilities and loss of services was deemed "ill thought out” by council leader Cecil Meiklejohn.

She said: “To reverse that decision would mean all the work and good will from staff would be lost.

“It would be hugely unsettling for staff and would certainly attract comment from the auditors.”

The pandemic had a huge impact on the trust as it was forced to close its many venues, however, prior to this it reported a 5.5 per cent growth in customer income to £8,210,882 compared to the previous year.

Its health and fitness portfolio accounted for £1.84 million in income in the year 2019-20, which was the best performance ever, up 14 per cent and, before lockdown, membership of its gyms was up to a record 6428.

At the final board meeting on March 10 current chairman David White thanked all the directors, management and staff of the trust and said they should be proud of what they had achieved over the past ten years.

Trust chief executive Neil Brown said: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to you for the vital role you have played in enabling us to deliver our services to the Falkirk community over the last eleven years, and I look forward to seeing that excellent work continue as the services transfer into the management by Falkirk Council.”

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