We have a team of specialists who have been through every aspect of setting up, managing, monitoring and participating in the Trust process. This team has direct experience of reviewing and implementing every conceivable Trust business model for community and local authority Arms Length Services.
The team is led by
Alan Jones former Director of Cultural and Leisure Services and now Strategic Leisure consultant based in Inverness but working throughout Scotland.
Alan will be supported by
Community Consultation and Engagement
All Legal Due Diligence
Business and Marketing planning
Financial and VAT
Collectively the team have facilitated the setting up a number of new Trusts in Scotland.
We will provide the following staff to ensure that all HR, legal, financial, property and charitable regulations are fully complied with;
Our Team Leader – Alan Jones
In terms of experience of Trusts and Arms Length Organisations Alan Jones has the following experience;
Trust and Strategic Commissioning Experience
Our lead consultant Alan Jones has 17 years experience of setting up and advising on Trusts. He has worked on the following over that period;
- Highland Council – Setting up Inverness Leisure the Trust that manages Inverness Sports Centre and the Inverness Aquadome on behalf of Highland Council. This Trust is now 17 years old and fully functioning
- Sportscotland – Four years experience of working as a Trust Director for sportscotland on the management and operation of the National Centres at Glenmore Lodge and Inverclyde.
- West Lothian Leisure Ltd – A Review of the extent to which West Lothian Leisure Ltd (An Industrial and Provident Society) met its primary purpose of providing sports, leisure and learning opportunities for the communities that it served.
- Falkirk Council Leisure Services – A Review of Falkirk Council’s Leisure Services considering the advantages and disadvantages of moving these to a Leisure Trust. The Trust is now fully operational.
- East Ayrshire’s Leisure Services – East Ayrshire Council’s “ Critical Friend” in carrying out their Best Value Review and the advantages and disadvantages of considering moving their Leisure Services into a charitable Trust. The Trust is now fully operational.
- The Galleon Trust Kilmarnock – A Review of the Galleon Leisure Centre and the operation of the Leisure Trust that manages the facilities. The Galleon Trust was one of Scotland’s first trusts and is recognised as being the most effective and efficient trust in Scotland with a 90% recovery rate of all running costs generated from income. The annual subsidy for the Trust from East Ayrshire Council is slightly less that 10% per annum.
- Convention of Scottish Local Authorities – An Advisor to CoSLA on the advantages and disadvantages of setting up a Trust.
- Nevis Centre Fort William – Advisor to the Nevis Centre in Fort William on becoming a Leisure Trust.
- Feasibility Study and Options Appraisal for Orkney Islands Council in considering setting up a Leisure Trust to transfer all aspects of Cultural and Leisure provision to a new Arms Length Organisation
- Feasibility and Due Diligence Study for the transfer of 8 Leisure Facilities ( Swimming Pool, Golf Course, Town Hall, Bowling Club, Stadium, Sports pitches and changing rooms, Artificial pitch, Skateboard Park) in South Ayrshire Council to a new Arms Length Organisation.
- Alan has experience of every aspect of setting up Trusts from testing the initial feasibilities all the way through staff and trade union consultations, advising on the advantages and disadvantages of models of governance, registering with OSCR, advertising and recruiting board members and drawing up the Service Level Agreement between the local authority and the new legal entity.
- Alan also has experience of reducing running costs and increasing income for a number of clients in the leisure industry.
- Alan is a past Chairman of the Scottish Association of Directors of Leisure Services( now VOCALS) and is a former member of the Board of sportscotland.
Recent related Trusts
- Setting up of Inshes Community Association (Company Limited by Guarantee) based in Inverness and charged with the development of Inshes Park
- Creation and setting up of Balvonie Park Association as a new Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation(SCIO) to develop a new Park on the south side of Inverness.