Finance Archives - Page 5 of 13

Nexen And Apache Pledge £80,000 To North-East Charity

Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Featured, News No Responses »

Mar 132015

With thanks to Paul Smith, Citrus Mix.

Two leading oil and gas companies have made donations totalling £80,000 in a significant funding boost which will support vital youth counselling provided by Mental Health Aberdeen.

The charity’s ACIS Youth service has received £50,000 from Apache North Sea and £30,000 from Nexen Petroleum UK Ltd to enable it to continue its work with children and young people throughout the north-east.

For Nexen it represents the second tranche of money, having gifted £45,000 in 2014, whilst Apache has pledged to follow this year’s pledge with a further two years of funding.

Both companies are based at the Prime Four business park in Kingswells and have made the donations as part of their commitment to the region’s charitable sector.

Astrid Whyte, chief executive of Mental Health Aberdeen, said:

“These incredibly generous gestures by Nexen and Apache will have a huge impact. The funding will be used specifically to aid our ACIS Youth network, which does valuable work with youngsters who have turned to MHA for help.

“In the past year alone ACIS Youth counsellors provided 1,125 sessions for 178 young people and responded to more than 1,000 requests for information. Whilst the number supported by our counsellors has increased on the previous 12-months, there is still additional demand which we are working hard to meet.

“The £80,000 provided by Apache and Nexen will enable us to maintain and expand the service – making a real difference to the lives of children, young people and families within our communities.”

ACIS Youth is part of MHA’s wide range of services for young people and adults in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. ACIS caters for those aged 18 and under, with counselling provided free of charge and accessed directly by young people through MHA’s offices or by requests facilitated by parents, social workers, teachers, GPs, youth services and other agencies – providing the young person has given consent.

Astrid Whyte added:

“I am always at pains to stress that if a young person has come to us, they have already crossed a significant barrier. If they have reached out in that way we must ensure we’re in a position to provide the support they need.”

Steve Regulski, chairman of the Nexen UK donations committee, said:

“Nexen is delighted to be continuing to support the vital counselling and advice services which MHA provides to people affected by mental health and wellbeing challenges in the local area.

“Last year, Nexen contributed funding to MHA’s Comraich Centre in Inverurie, a valuable resource that is positively changing the lives of those using the service. Giving back to the communities where we live and work is deeply rooted in Nexen’s company values and we are committed to working in partnership with local charities to help them deliver their good work.”

Rebecca Brown, finance manager of Apache North Sea, said:

“I am delighted that Apache is able to support ACIS and in particular the initiative to place counsellors in schools. This will encourage young people to ask for and access help when they need it and has the potential to change their lives and future wellbeing.”

MHA was founded in 1950 and provides support services, counselling and advice to people affected by challenges related to mental health and wellbeing. Services are available for children from the age of 12 and adults. The organisation was among the first to provide community care with its first residential project, a group home for discharged psychiatric patients, opened more than 35 years ago.

MHA has also been providing day services continuously for over 60 years. Further information is available online at www.mha.uk.net.

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Allard Joins ‘Make Renting Right’ Campaign

Featured, News, Opinion No Responses »

Mar 052015

With thanks to Gavin Mowat.

SNP MSP Christian Allard has signed up to Shelter Scotland’s ‘Make Renting Right’ campaign which calls for a renting sector that works both for people who live in rented housing and landlords who rent out their properties.

The Make Renting Right campaign seeks to improve the growing and changing private rented sector to make sure it is a safe, secure and stable housing option.

312,000 households in Scotland now live in the private rented sector, which is 13 per cent of all households.

The number of families with children has more than doubled in the last ten years, with 80,000 children now living in private rented accommodation.

Mr Allard and other signatories of the Make Renting Right campaign are asking for: Stability for people wanting to make rented housing their home; flexibility for people to stay in their home as long as they need to; a modern tenancy that gives security and flexibility for tenants AND landlords; a fair system for sorting out renting problems when they occur; predictable rents for tenants and landlords.

Commenting, Christian Allard MSP said:

“I am happy to have signed up to this campaign – fair renting for both the tenant and the landlord is an important priority.

“Here in the North East there is a vibrant private renting market which should be fair, flexible and suitable for everyone involved.

“That is why I am delighted to have the opportunity to support Shelter Scotland’s Make Renting Right Campaign.”

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Shire Council Budget: Favourable Response To Digg Proposals

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Feb 122015

With thanks to Martin Ford.

At yesterday’s (12 February) Aberdeenshire Council budget setting meeting, proposals from the Democratic Independent and Green group of councillors (DIGG) were echoed in proposals by other political groups.

But there were also key differences between the budgets put forward by the coalition administration, the SNP and the DIGG.

The administration alone backed increased care and burial charges.

Green councillor Martin Ford (pictured) said:

“Only the DIGG proposed more funding to improve Wi-Fi connectivity in schools, and for cycling. The administration’s decision to increase care charges was unnecessary, as the savings needed to balance the budget could be achieved more fairly in other ways.”

The administration, the SNP and the DIGG all proposed to make a saving on roads maintenance.

The key strategic difference between the three budget proposals was the emphasis in the DIGG budget on ‘invest-to-save’ initiatives. Seconding the DIGG budget, Cllr Paul Johnston outlined areas where the Council could potentially make changes, subject to public consultation, that could cut costs or generate income, including:

– Partnership investment arrangements in the delivery of industrial and economic development projects.

– Partnership investment arrangements to install wind turbines on suitable sites not owned by the Council.

– Development of the Council property portfolio through a third-sector partner.

– LED replacement of street lights and part night switch off in appropriate locations.
– Introduction of further comfort partnerships to improve publicly available toilet facilities.

– Differential car parking charges based on vehicle emission bands, lower charges for low emission vehicles and higher charges for high emission vehicles.

– An anaerobic digestion heat plant for district heating, using suitable organic waste generated or collected by the Council.

“We believe the Council should aim to develop an income stream, to help fund public services, independent of the Council Tax or Scottish Government grant funding,” said Cllr Johnston.

“Utilising existing assets and taking opportunities to develop renewable energy, at least £3 million a year extra could be secured towards service provision.”

There was praise for the budget consultation during December and January conducted by the DIGG, and an acceptance by the Council leadership that more and better consultation was needed on future budgets.

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End Council Tax Freeze Say Councillors

Aberdeenshire, Opinion 2 Responses »

Feb 122015

With thanks to Martin Ford.

Two Aberdeenshire councillors are calling for an end to the Council Tax freeze as their council faces up to £50 million in budget cuts over the next four years.

The call comes in the week Aberdeenshire and other councils across Scotland set their revenue budgets for the next financial year.

“This cannot go on,” said Green councillor Martin Ford.

“It’s the elephant in the room on budget day. Most councillors know the Council Tax freeze is unsustainable, but aren’t prepared to say so.”

Allowing for inflation, a freeze in cash terms is actually a real-terms cut in income to the Council. Meanwhile, Aberdeenshire is having to plan for demand-led spending pressures due to rising school rolls and increasing numbers of very elderly people.

“The inevitable consequence of a continuation of the Council Tax freeze is more cuts in public services,” said Democratic Independent councillor Paul Johnston.

“Expecting the Council to do more with less, year after year, is not realistic.”

The Scottish Government has ensured that councils do not increase the Council Tax by threatening a lower grant settlement if the Council Tax is increased – ensuring any reasonable increase in Council Tax would leave the council in an even worse position financially than maintaining the Tax freeze.

“Local Government has effectively been reduced to local administration,” said Cllr Martin Ford.

“The Council’s total budget is essentially decided for it by the Scottish Government. The councillors are just left with deciding which are the least damaging cuts to make – the alternative option of avoiding cuts by raising some additional tax revenue having been blocked.

“The decision on the balance to strike between cutting council services or raising some additional tax income should be taken locally, not by the SNP government in Edinburgh.”

The current Band D Council Tax in Aberdeenshire is £1,141. A one per cent increase would result in a Band D rate of £1,152, or eleven pounds a year more, only 21 pence extra per week. An increase equal to the current Retail Price Index (RPI) of 1.6 per cent would see the Aberdeenshire Band D Council Tax set at £1,159.

“Scottish Government politicians must trust the people of Aberdeenshire with tax raising powers, in the same way as they want tax powers from Westminster,” said Cllr Paul Johnston.

“This is all about trust on tax. Trust Aberdeenshire to take decisions on tax for Aberdeenshire.”

Cllr Ford added:

“Even a one per cent rise in the Council Tax would prevent some cuts in public services,”

Aberdeenshire Council is budgeting for a Council Tax income in the next financial year of £124.658 million. A one per cent increase in the Council Tax would increase revenue to £125.905 million. An RPI-linked 1.6 per cent increase in the Council Tax would bring the Council almost £2 million extra income.

“An extra £2 million annual income would certainly not enable the Council to avoid cutting some services over the next several years,” said Cllr Paul Johnston.

“But it would prevent the most undesirable cuts.”

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Findings From Councillors’ Budget Consultation

Aberdeenshire, News 3 Responses »

Feb 052015

Over 150 responses were made to the budget consultation initiated by Aberdeenshire councillors Paul Johnston and Martin Ford.

The councillors’ consultation on Aberdeenshire Council’s revenue budget through to 2018 – a period expected to see the authority having to make spending cuts totalling up to £50 million – was launched just before Christmas.

The consultation sought views on what the Council could do to effect savings, and what priorities should be for the available budget.

Cllr Paul Johnston said:

“We would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to our consultation. We will consider the responses carefully and take them into account, along with other information, in formulating budget proposals for the years ahead.”

Green councillor Martin Ford added:

“Of course, those responding to the consultation expressed a variety of views. But there are some suggestions for savings and what priorities should be that were supported by a significant proportion of respondents.”

The budget consultation by councillors Johnston and Ford was publicised through the local press and social media. A total of 152 people responded on-line or in writing and 95 per cent stated they were Aberdeenshire residents. Respondents were self-selecting from amongst those aware of the consultation.

Not all of the respondents answered all of the questions included in the consultation questionnaire.

Findings include:

Over a third of respondents chose investing in renewable energy projects that could generate income as their first choice for helping to close Aberdeenshire Council’s budget gap.
On average, respondents wanted to see a higher proportion of the Council’s budget spent on leisure, arts, libraries and museums, and a lower proportion spent on administration, legal services, senior management and councillors.
Nearly half of respondents supported moving funding from roads maintenance to facilities for cycling.
Eight out of every ten respondents agreed or strongly agreed that spending on services for the elderly will have to be at least maintained in future years.

A full summary of the budget questionnaire responses can be viewed here.

Aberdeenshire Council will set its revenue budget for the next financial year, and provisionally for future years, on 12 February.

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Budget Consultation Launched By Shire Councillors

Aberdeenshire, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

Dec 312014

With thanks to Martin Ford.

Councillors Paul Johnston and Martin Ford are fed up with complaining, year after year, about the lack of public consultation on Aberdeenshire Council’s budget by the Council’s leadership. The two councillors were determined that this year would be different, so they have initiated consultation themselves.

“At last, this year, residents will be able to express a view on the future budget direction for Aberdeenshire Council,” said Cllr Johnston, leader of the Democratic Independent and Green councillor group.

“The Council is facing very difficult choices over the next several years. It’s essential everyone has an opportunity to express views on what the Council should do, before decisions are taken.”

Green councillor Martin Ford said:

“Budget projections indicate that significant savings will be required over the next four years, on a scale that means services are bound to be affected. So it is particularly important this year for councillors to hear residents’ views before deciding future budget strategy.

“How much income the Council gets, made up from Government grant, plus business rates and from the Council Tax – determines what the Council can spend on providing services. The SNP national policy of keeping the Council Tax frozen, rather than decided locally, means, in effect, that the Scottish Government is now deciding the Council’s total net expenditure for it.

“What local control there was, through the Council setting the Council Tax each year, has been blocked. And in real terms, taking inflation into account, Aberdeenshire Council’s budget is being cut.”

Cllr Paul Johnston said:

“Other councillor groups on Aberdeenshire Council show no signs of carrying out their own budget consultations. However, we will make the results of our consultation available to all groups on the Council.”

The Aberdeenshire Council budget consultation launched by the Democratic Independent and Green councillors covers a wide range of possible budget choices available to the Council. The inclusion of a question should not be taken as expressing a view, just that residents’ views are sought on the issue.

Aberdeenshire Council will set its budget for the next financial year, and provisionally for future years, on 12 February. The budget consultation will close on 23 January, to allow time for responses to be analysed.

The Democratic Independent and Green councillors will make summary results available to the Council’s services and all councillors.

Cllr Paul Johnston added:

“I would encourage as many Aberdeenshire residents as possible to respond to our budget consultation. The Council is going to have to make difficult and important decisions, and we need to know what people think about the choices we face.”

The budget consultation can be completed online at: www.budget.democraticaberdeenshire.org.uk

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New Charity Aims To Transform Scotland’s Third Sector

Articles, News No Responses »

Dec 112014

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

Scottish Community Re:Investment Trust, a new independent charity aiming to transform how Scotland’s third sector uses and thinks about its finances, has been launched.
The trust’s first initiative is a specially designed new savings account to be introduced at today’s Glasgow Social Enterprise Trade Fair.

With a lack of Scottish-focused banks offering any longer a transparent way for people or third sector organisations to invest in line with their values – and with the existing financial framework failing to adequately meet the needs of charities and socially focused organisations – the trust is setting out to create radical change.

It plans to help independent charities and socially beneficial organisations to harness their collective assets, strengthen their financial expertise and gain access to financial services tailored to their specific needs.

The new Anchor Savings Account – provided by Airdrie Savings Bank, Britain’s last independent savings bank – offers a fresh and tailored focus for third sector savings. By connecting hundreds of separate accounts beneath one umbrella, the pioneering account will increase the impact of the sector’s shared financial clout.

“Scotland’s third sector, which does huge amounts of public good, desperately needs access to a financial infrastructure that matches its values and ways of working. For charities and socially beneficial organisations, the current financial system is broken beyond repair – leaving them hampered by scattered resources, unsuitable products and unmet needs,” said Deirdre Forsyth, Chair of Scottish Community Re:Investment Trust.

“By acting together and harnessing its collective assets – and by strengthening its understanding and knowledge of socially responsible use and management of money – the third sector can use its substantial financial resources to invest in its own future in alternative and better ways than is currently possible.”

Scotland’s third sector includes an estimated 45,000 different and richly varied organisations. Its investable assets have been calculated to be approximately £3.8 billion, according to the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations – but these substantial resources are currently spread across financial institutions that are mostly uninterested in the third sector’s work or needs.

If just one per cent of these assets were invested more strategically, it could transform the sector’s economic independence and its influence on banking practices.

Malcolm Hayday, Advisor to Scottish Community Re:Investment Trust, said:

“By building a common, collective and shared wealth there is huge scope for organisations to invest in and support the development of the wider third sector – recycling its investment resources and creating significant benefits for its crucial work for society, our environment and people’s well-being. In the sector, we focus on the positive impact of everything we do except when it comes to our financial reserves.”

Scottish Community Re:Investment Trust cites evidence of widespread third sector dissatisfaction with current financial services. This includes recent research for Charity Bank, which revealed that although 65% of respondents believed that loans can benefit charities’ work, only 31% of those approaching a high street bank for a loan took one, 29% were declined and 40% could not take up offered loans because of onerous terms.

With many UK social investment schemes underpinned by a focus on private investor returns rather than social, environmental and wider economic benefits, third sector organisations can also struggle to meet increasing expectations that their business decisions should be ethically based.

Another problem is that while a key third sector role is to act as society’s social antennae – identifying new needs, and inventing and testing new social solutions – such work is traditionally unbankable, often being viewed as too experimental and risky for commercial and even many social funders. Yet the sector needs supplies of relatively small amounts of high-risk investment, as well as micro loans and unsecured loans, to incubate new generations of start-ups.

Although the social finance market within the UK – and especially Scotland – is relatively small, since the financial crisis it is gaining recognition as an important funding source for third sector organisations, including the supply of early stage investments and start-ups, fostering innovation and supporting community-based investments.

But as the third sector’s resource needs increase – and as its requirement to invest in its own future becomes more acute – its members will need to act together more whenever possible.

As it explores the third sector’s appetite to work across Scotland in a new, more cooperative way on finance, Scottish Community Re:Investment Trust’s own long-term future will depend on the response of the sector. The Anchor Savings Account allows organisations to choose to donate a proportion of earned interest to the trust – allowing the charity to become self-sustaining following an initial period of grant funding.

Discussions are underway with several organisations to act as early standard bearers for the new initiative.

The trust has been established with a founding Board and team with extensive experience of social banking institutions and the third sector, founded by several organisations – Senscot, CEIS, Penumbra and Ekopia – and chaired by Deirdre Forsyth, Chair of ScotWest Credit Union. It is registered as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) and is to be owned and managed by Scotland’s third sector.

During an initial two-year implementation phase, the trust will build its membership amongst Scotland’s third sector organisations, from which a new board will be elected in late 2015. For more information, visit www.scrt.scot.

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Allard “Ill-informed” Say Lib Dems.

Aberdeen City, Articles, Opinion 2 Responses »

Oct 312014

Armed police, Inverness. Photo reproduced with permission of Deeside Piper.

Christian Allard, MSP, has recently criticised the Liberal Democrats for not paying an overdue £800,000 bill owed to Police Scotland. Andrew J Douglas reports.

On Monday October 6 Mr Allard wrote to Lib Dem justice spokesperson, North East MSP Alison McInnes and deputy leader Sir Malcolm Bruce (Gordon MP) calling on the politicians to sort out their unpaid policing bills for last year’s Lib Dem conference in Glasgow.

Mr Allard contacted papers and media outlets across the North-east last week saying that he was yet to receive a response from either Alison McInnes or Sir Malcolm Bruce.

He said:

“Every penny counts in the battle to keep our communities safe and the Lib Dems’ unpaid bill leaves an £800,000 hole in the Scottish police budget. This is deeply irresponsible behaviour.

“Malcolm Bruce and his party are showing contempt for Police Scotland which does a fantastic job protecting our communities. My message to the Lib Dems – pay up.”

However, in a letter published in The Deeside Piper on Friday, October 24, their response was quite clear.

The letter, signed by both Sir Malcolm Bruce and Alison McInnes, said: “In line with ACPO guidelines, the Home Office absorbs the majority of policing costs for party conferences held elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

“As policing is devolved, it is the responsibility of the Scottish Government and Police Scotland to safeguard these events when they are held in Scotland.

“In 2013, Police Scotland introduced a new system of charging for its providing policing services for commercial, private and community events.”

The Liberal Democrats’ federal conference in Glasgow in 2013 was organised prior to the introduction of the new charging regime and thus on this occasion the organisation applied the existing rules, based on the legacy framework established by ACPOS.

Contrary to Mr Allard’s claims, no contribution to policing costs was therefore sought directly from the Liberal Democrats.

According to the letter, this means that plans for the Liberal Democrat federal conference in 2014 did not require permanent police presence or patrols so none were deployed and thus no bill incurred.

The party also claim that they increased their own security provision and worked with Police Scotland to keep any associated costs down and say that they have written confirmation from Police Scotland that this was appropriate given the security situation.

The letter concludes with a barrage of shots at Mr Allard himself and the SNP government’s involvement in negative changes to Scottish policing.

It said:

“While Christian Allard, therefore, was ill-informed and embarking on little more than shameful opportunism, we suppose our constituents will, to a limited extent, welcome his finally taking an interest in policing having previously done nothing to prevent local police stations from closing to the public, emergency control rooms shutting, the rate of stop and search across the North-east rising significantly – many without sound legal basis – and police with guns attending routine incidents…these are policies which Scottish Liberal Democrats challenged and succeeded in part in reversing.”

Andrew J. Douglas graduated from Robert Gordon’s University Journalism course in 2011. He has worked on titles up and down Scotland including The Glasgow Herald and Evening Times and he currently works full time as a reporter, photographer and sub editor for Johnston Press, specifically The Deeside Piper. He writes in his spare time and enjoys anti war music.

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Still No Answers From Lib Dems Over Unpaid Bills

Aberdeen City, Opinion 1 Response »

Oct 282014

With thanks to Gavin Mowat, Constituency Assistant to Christian Allard MSP.

Mr Allard about to deliver policing bill letter to Malcolm Bruce and Alison McInnes

SNP MSP Christian Allard is once again calling on North East Liberal Democrats to pay their overdue £800,000 bill owed to Police Scotland. Local Lib Dem politicians have so far failed to respond to Mr Allard’s letter demanding that the overdue bill is paid.

On Monday 6 October Mr Allard wrote to Lib Dem justice spokesperson, North East MSP Alison McInnes and deputy leader Sir Malcolm Bruce MP calling on the politicians to sort out their unpaid policing bills for last year’s Lib Dem conference in Glasgow.

Mr Allard is yet to receive a response from either Alison McInnes or Sir Malcolm Bruce.

Police Scotland has been left several hundred thousand pounds out of pocket, yet when asked about the £800,000 bill by Andrew Neil on the BBC’s Daily Politics the Lib Dem leader in Scotland Willie Rennie MSP said:

“I don’t know very much about that at all”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04l8pd3/daily-politics-conference-special

Mr Allard expressed his frustration that Alison McInnes failed to even comment on the issue at a Policing debate in the Scottish Parliament.

North East MSP Christian Allard said:

“It is quite unbelievable that the Liberal Democrats remain silent on this issue. Alison McInnes likes to talk a lot about policing but all we hear right now is deafening silence.

“Alison McInnes even had an opportunity to address the issue during a parliamentary debate last week but all she managed to do was criticise our police service.

“Every penny counts in the battle to keep our communities safe and the Lib Dems’ unpaid bill leaves an £800,000 hole in the Scottish police budget. This is deeply irresponsible behaviour.

“Malcolm Bruce and his party are showing contempt for Police Scotland which does a fantastic job protecting our communities. My message to the Lib Dems – pay up.”

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Changes For Help To Buy (Scotland) Scheme Welcomed By MSP

Aberdeen City, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

Oct 242014

With thanks to Gavin Mowat, Constituency Assistant to Christian Allard MSP

North East MSP Christian Allard has welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement of changes to Help to Buy (Scotland) which will support more people get onto or move up the property ladder.

As of Wednesday, 22 October 2014, the shared equity scheme will only apply to homes worth up to £250,000, rather than the current maximum of £400,000.

This change will ensure that more people can benefit from available funding and help to target funding at lower income families and first time buyers.

With 85 per cent of all Help to Buy (Scotland) sales to date already at or below this new threshold, and an estimated 94 per cent of sales having been to first time buyers, most new build houses will not be affected by the changes.

Demand for the scheme has been high with Ministers allocating £275 million to the scheme to date, which is £55 million more than the industry’s original £220 million request. £100 million of that funding has been allocated to the 2015-16 budget.

Commenting, SNP MSP Christian Allard said:

“This is fantastic news for first time buyers and people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford to buy a new build home. It is particularly useful here in the North East where there are many areas with higher than average house prices.

“The Scottish Government delivering changes to the Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme has opened up the housing market to thousands of house buyers. Buying a new Barrat Home in places like Inverurie will be a more realistic target for many.

“These changes along with arrangements for the Land and Buildings transaction Tax announced by the Finance Secretary recently, demonstrates the SNP’s commitment to making sure everyone in Scotland has access to good quality, affordable homes.”

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