Council backs £5,000 grant for island games association
Keegan Murray
The council has agreed to grant £5,000 to the Shetland Island Games Association, money which will go towards the substantial costs of competing in the games.
An application for funding was submitted to the council in May and was discussed at the policy and resource’s committee last week. The committee deferred making a decision at the time so that the issue could be brought before today’s full council.
Councillors unanimously agreed that a new scheme, proposed by deputy leader Steven Coutts, should be set up to for future national and international events to which islanders travel. But Mr Coutts said there should be no award on this occasion.
Mr Coutts said that it was important for the council to be “open and transparent”. He said that officers should have “criteria” laid out for funding decisions rather than the council being seen to make “policy on the hoof”.
Central councillor Ian Scott said that he agreed with Mr Coutts’ motion, but suggested an amendment which would see the £5,000 awarded this year as a one-off.
He said that the amount was “small fry to encourage others in future games.”
Mr Scott found support from councillors Theo Smith, Davie Sandison and Ryan Thomson, who all spoke in favour of his amendment.
On the other side of the debate Alastair Cooper, Andrea Manson and Cecil Smith spoke in favour of Mr Coutts’ original motion.
In a vote the original motion was pitted against Mr Scott’s amendment and the amendment was passed 11-5.
More in Friday’s Shetland Times.
James Soper
SIGA must now publish their full accounts.
I’ve just returned from Gotland and the performances from everyone in the Shetland Team was inspiring. Unfortunately the Shetland Islands Games Association’s (SIGA) attitude to transparency is much less inspiring.
Now the council have generously agreed to fund SIGA SIGA must agree to publishing their full accounts. If they don’t agree funding should be withheld until they do.
It is unbecoming of an organisation charging individuals approximately £1400 each to take part, with a turnover of more than £150,000 per Games, and now in receipt of public funds to not be entirely transparent.