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Call for public meeting over Wick development fund money


By Gordon Calder

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Allan Farquhar, vice-chairman of the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council (pictured at an indoor market last year), said the trustees of Wick Academy Development Fund had 'blatantly failed' to achieve their objective.
Allan Farquhar, vice-chairman of the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council (pictured at an indoor market last year), said the trustees of Wick Academy Development Fund had 'blatantly failed' to achieve their objective.

A community councillor is calling for a public meeting to decide what to do with the large sum of money in the Wick Academy Development Fund.

Allan Farquhar, vice-chairman of the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council, made the plea after claiming the trustees had "blatantly failed" to achieve their objective of creating a sports complex in the town.

The fund had £143,644.24 in its bank account in May last year and Mr Farquhar says a meeting should take place to determine how the money can be spent. He said the community council would facilitate the meeting with the public and the trustees.

Mr Farquhar claims the need for a sports complex has been overtaken by facilities provided by Highland Council at the town's Noss Primary School and the Wick community campus. He points out that the trustees were reportedly "firing the starting gun" on the project in September 2017 but says since then "absolutely nothing" has been done.

"There has been no liaison with any formal body to our knowledge," said Mr Farquhar, who explained that the development fund had failed to answer any of the 25 questions submitted by the community council on behalf of the public three years ago.

In January 2018, development fund secretary Andrew Carter replied and said "many of the questions are of a confidential nature and as such will remain the exclusive business of the Wick Academy Development Fund and its trustees".

Asked how the money should be spent, Mr Farquhar replied: "It is not the responsibility of the community council to propose how the funds are disseminated. That lies fully with the charity trustees in consultation with members of the public who contributed to the fund.

"The trustees should engage with members of the public to ascertain a consensus as to how the fund should be disseminated. The starting gun has been mysteriously quiet ever since 2017."

Jacky Gunn, the chairman of Wick Academy Development Fund, said this week: "The community council is already in receipt of a copy of the constitution and the accounts which were given to them. They are entitled to nothing else."

It is understood that two-thirds of the trustees have to agree to any dissolution of the funds. Any money would have to go to other charities with similar aims.

The fund, which was set up to help provide social, leisure and recreation facilities for the town, was registered as a charity in March 2002.

Highland League club Wick Academy FC has no connection with the fund.


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