Discussion »   Trust Announces Closures/Redundancies!

http://www.nts.org.uk/NewsStory/526/

Here are some comments we've received from Supporters:
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"While I find it extremely positive that there has been an about face with regard to the closure of all 11 properties I found the news that Leith Hall was still to remain closed and be turned into flats rather heartbreaking. As I live close by and gave a year of my time to the trust volunteering (5 days a week in some cases) but left due to what was in my opinion bad management and poor support for volunteers, I really believe that the Hall can be turned around with the support of the local community.

I hope that the change in the opinions of the Trust is a start but would still ask for an explanation of more details as to why the three properties are not to remain open and whether the trust will take seriously the offers coming from the community with regard to Leith Hall. I certainly won't be keen on any planning permission going ahead and know many local people who are concerned about where the collection would be going.

Can you please let me know whether the Motion for the 2009 Annual General Meeting still stands. In Huntly and District (an area which includes Leith Hall) we are trying hard to encourage tourism to the area and this will have a big impact on the community in terms of tourism"
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ITFS comments: We submitted a motion for the 2009 AGM which says:

In view of the extraordinary decision of the Board and Council of the National Trust for Scotland in March 2009 to inform the membership, through the media - not through the Spring 2009 edition of the NTS magazine “IN TRUST” – of their collective decision to commence dismissing or retiring essential staff and to mothball or to close eleven named active properties Scotland-wide, depriving both membership and paying public of expected access; additionally creating local unemployment, discouraging essential tourism with its wide ramifications, and preventing essential cultural and historical links to these properties, we the undersigned current members, call upon the conveners of the following four standing committees to attend the 2009 AGM in order to personally present the Report and Recommendations of their respective committees and also respond to the questions and comments of attending members thereon.

The standing committees are:
The Audit and Risk Management Committee
The Conservation Committee
The Finance Committee
The Nomination Committee

Although NTS is yet to acknowledge its receipt (nearly two weeks after it was submitted!!), the motion is valid and must be debated at the AGM

I agree with everything you say with regard to the properties and people who wanted to do that "little bit extra" both as employees of long standing and volunteers were discouraged.

It really does appear that rather than meeting the challenges of the last few years by allowing local management of properties, everything had to be approved at the top of the tree - even though this always seemed to take so long for any decisions to be reached. Perhaps it is time for those decision makers to face the consequences of their actions rather than the loyal staff and volunteers who put their hearts and souls into the individual properties.

In my opinion it is about time the "Trust" (note the irony) started managing their responsibilities as any other charitable organisation does, and were made accountable for the decisions they have made with regard to charitable monies.

With regard to contacting the "Trust" and expecting an answer, I am still awaiting a reply to a letter sent to the "Trust" in June 2008 from one particular staff member so would advise you not to hold your breath....

I am pretty appalled by the comments from "an ex-employee" about the employment or otherwise of young female staff.

Any discrimination against one sector of society (ageism, racism, sexism etc) is not tolerated by current employment law and I am confident that the NTS HR department is well-briefed on these issues as is anyone involved in modern recruitment practices.