Reid leads Trust review

Former Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament George Reid has been appointed by the Council of conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland to lead a “robust and independent” review of the organisation.

Mr Reid will focus on issues of long-term financial stability and governance and will make recommendations to ensure a “sustainable and secure” future for the organisation. He aims to report by June next year.

Speaking in Edinburgh this morning, when he committed to devoting a minimum of 3.5 days per week full time to the Review, he said: “Measures have been taken to ensure the Trust is stable for the next few years, but there are a number of long-term trends which need examination.

“I shall consult widely and work in transparency. Apart from listening to office holders and staff, it is vitally important that the 310,000 members are able to have their say. I shall be taking evidence through interviews, written submissions and focus groups not just in Edinburgh but throughout Scotland. And, as I did at Holyrood, I shall be reporting publicly every month.

“Our built and natural heritage is what gives us our sense of place and identity. That is why I am ready to devote so much time and effort to this study.”

The Trust has commissioned a number of reviews over the past decade which have largely focused on governance or organisational issues. A further study was already scheduled for 2010 and on 30 October the Trust Council agreed that the Reid Review would take a much more strategic approach to its general direction and management in future.

He will be supported by a Steering Group of experts with established reputations in the fields of finance, audit, heritage and membership organisations, the majority of whom will not have current Trust connections. Their names will be announced at the end of November.

Mr Reid will also set up a number of Issue groups to look at drivers of change in the Heritage sector, and to study Resources, Property, Engagement and Governance.

He said that the current Trust Chair, Shonaig Macpherson, has had to preside over a number of “tough decisions for tough times”. He added: “Actions taken by the Board have helped stabilise the Trust, giving a base from which this Review can proceed.”

Trust Chief Executive Kate Mavor said: “Difficult times are often the catalyst for positive new ideas. I welcome the different perspectives a review will bring to help us on our continuing path to modernise the Trust and strengthen its long-term financial position. I am especially pleased to know that staff and members’ contributions will play a key part.”

Trust President, the Duke of Buccleuch, added: “George Reid has carried out a number of strategic reviews in the public, private and voluntary sectors. We are delighted that he has agreed to commit so much time to reviewing the role of the Trust in preserving and promoting the heritage of Scotland.”

The Rt Hon George Reid is a former MP, MSP, Member of the Council of Europe, and Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. He is a Member of the Privy Council and was Lord High Commissioner in Scotland in 2008 and 2009. Between his time at Westminster and Holyrood, he was Director of Public Affairs for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent in Geneva.

Over the last two years he has chaired the Governance Review of the Northern Ireland Assembly. As Chair of the Corporate Body at Holyrood, he led the reform programme of Members’ Allowances and drove forward the completion of the new Parliamentary complex. He is Vice-Chair of the Carnegie Commission on Civil Society, which is examining challenges to the Third Sector over the next decade, and has contributed to studies on the institutional development of voluntary organisations in the UK and Europe.