COPE

[Colin]

The water bottling idea became a non starter when the SIC moved from water coolers to water filters in its offices, removoing a huge chunk of the possible market. COPE still uses the building at Weisdale for other purposes.

 

Quite correct, notwithstanding that there was already an existing local business who supplied cooled water dispensers to the SIC and other local establishments.

[shetlandpeat]

The Charitable Trust wasn't invented to build a wind farm. I'd rather see money from the CT be invested on the stock market (change fund managers if need be) and those funds provide for those less fortunate living in Shetland but hey, if you'd rather line the pockets of the chosen few, then so be it.

 

The Fund was already lining pockets and stopped it was alleged. At one time, every person who went into a care home were paid from it, regardless of stature. They had this pointed out and it was stopped.

 

I think the CT was installed to manage the monies generated via oil production, and try to get the best return from any investment, which, they are doing. You also want it to drop the charity bit, this then would mean that any capitol expenditure would attract VAT and it would loose any rate discount. This capitol spend can also be thing it finances, similar to the council. If you had a fund and wanted to get the most from it for social improvements, normally, the spend is about £500 or more, it could be done via the council and that fund in theory would be worth 20% more.

 

Perhaps, the council should have invested more to include more folk, or Cope to be totally volunteer run, we have managed it with one of my projects and it works very well, especially as it was a case of folk not wanting the provision to vanish, the community got involved, we are still struggling but we intend to hit our training targets and will have our costs met by the grant. We have, and are in the process of starting to train more people in the media, many have benefited with increased self awareness. Again though, you want someone else to do it.

 

Cope has nothing to do with VE, it is a very tenuous link you are trying to forge.

[number 7]

does anyone know how much it costs (per year ,per person)for care in the erik gray centre

[number 7]

i guess that is just another hidden fact then?

[shetlandpeat]

i guess that is just another hidden fact then?

 

The Social Services building in Lerwick has leaflets explaining charges for care. I was quite shocked at the cost of my dads residential, he has money so has to pay.

[number 7]

im just thinking that all this false economy isnt saving money at all ,its just shifting the posts ,shetlanders should stand up to this and demand that the high earners in the council resign there duties ,lets face it they dont earn there keep , stop picking on the vonerable ,ie the old ,the disabled and the kids , the cuts should start at the top and work down !

[shetlandpeat]

I sometimes wonder if people know why these jobs are here and how they could be save on. Many have no idea of how the structure works, they have no interest either, if they did, they may need to look at things in a different way.

It is very easy to blame the whole thing on a few because they earn higher salaries, yet the bulk of the wage bill is not theirs. Again, removing the jobs will not give you more money, if anything, less will be floating in the local economy. If you save 3 FTE jobs, you will not still get the money for them if they do not exist, the way the cuts are made will change, though it may then take longer to sort any problem out, more work and less staff, hmm, there will be a point it will tip over. Also you will remove that money from the local economy, so, more shops will feel the pinch.

What strikes me about folk on here is they do not suggest taking any of the roles on themselves, like running the local toilets, working to obtain funding for halls. If the GOV and SGOV remove the money, either you pay more, or lose more, the more staff that is lost, the more shops may close.

Then, Cope have lost 10% of their money, half of their total revenue they make themselves, the way it has been spoken about was as if the whole thing was going down the pan. If you value it so much, as folk indicate on here, then why not muck in and help out.

I do hope they are able to work something out, they seem to be wanting to, as they are the ones having to do the work.

[unlinkedstudent]

I'm still waiting for an answer as to where SP thinks I said that the Charitable Trust should be stripped of its charitable status and made to pay taxes, VAT, etc. Or did he mean COPE? Or is it the case SP wasn't referring to an alleged post of mine at all?

 

Come to think of it, those who do know about accounting matters might be able to throw some light on charities and claiming back VAT, etc.

 

Number7, I'm with you, hence my comment querying costs and how much the SIC SSD does do versus what COPE does. COPE provides valuable services but to how many and does the SIC do the same? Providing daycare just isn't the same. How many larger organisations, such as Tesco and the Co-op, are prepared to actually accommodate within their structures (under their "disability friendly/positive to the disabled/whatever the buzz words are now" schemes) opportunities for the disabled? Is it feasible and could it be done?

[shetlandpeat]

I'm still waiting for an answer as to where SP thinks I said that the Charitable Trust should be stripped of its charitable status and made to pay taxes, VAT, etc.

 

Definitely something you have mentioned in your posts. I suggest you look, you seem to check up on other allegations made against you.

Alas, you also used different words, stripped was not one of them.

Suits you to be able to find things that suit your argument with out any relevance to the facts.

For instance...

Though, us did mention that the CT should drop the charity status

Where is the word stripped?

 

You did not suggest it because they were proved wrong, but as a cost cutting program.

How that would work I cannot begin to work out.

I may be accused sometimes of the content of my posts, but I believe in what I write, you change it to suit the argument if it is not in your favour.

You suggested the Charitable Trust should drop the charity bit.

 

Not sure how the cost of day care at a registered provider and an atypical rant that has no real substance or structure has anything to do with Tesco. Tesco have, and may be still, taking advantage of the current situation, as are other companies.

 

This is not a Jolly Jape.

 

You are becoming tediously boring and predictable.

[unlinkedstudent]

Where, in this thread, did I mention the Charitable Trust should drop the charity status?

 

SP, you want to discuss anything else with me, drop me a pm, just like YOU have done in the past (last time August 2011 or was it 2012?). This thread is, IMHO, too important to the end users for us to 'spat' all over it.

 

I'll comment on this thread with regards to COPE/SIC SSD/CT involvement but that's it, nothing else.

 

Edit: And apologies, SP is utterly correct; the word 'stripped' was typed erroneously on my part. As to the rest of his post though ...

[shetlandpeat]

You have mentioned it in your posts.sadly, this is not the only thread you have posted on.

I still say that you suggested that the Trust drop the Charity status. Stop trying to change things because you do not like it.

I gave up sending you direct messages because of the phone call you made to me. It seems I am not the only one who has had calls fom you because of your dislike of something. Oh, now you are appealing to others with the " this thread is important to the ........." Cheeses, what a low card to hope to win on. I doubt very much that all 50 are following this thread as their last hope. As I said, tedious.

[admin]

Come you two, lets stay on topic and avoid another thread descending into personal bickering and nitpicking.

[shetlandpeat]

Yup, quite right.

 

We seem to have a new thread for that sort of thing.

 

What is good to read is that the folk at Cope seem not to just give up, it was a good report in the paper considering the task that they had to complete.

Although support comes in many guises, sometimes an organisation will need a little more. Again, as reported, they are in discussion with SIC with their next step.

The chance of renting out the building may be slim, though, if Leasks are not going to completely give up their building, perhaps the cafe should be mothballed and opened up by other groups to keep it alive during the summer.

Fed up with doom and gloom, though, it does show who are willing and who are not to have a go and get involved.

[owre-weel]

I sometimes wonder if people know why these jobs are here and how they could be save on. Many have no idea of how the structure works, they have no interest either, if they did, they may need to look at things in a different way.

It is very easy to blame the whole thing on a few because they earn higher salaries, yet the bulk of the wage bill is not theirs. Again, removing the jobs will not give you more money, if anything, less will be floating in the local economy. If you save 3 FTE jobs, you will not still get the money for them if they do not exist, the way the cuts are made will change, though it may then take longer to sort any problem out, more work and less staff, hmm, there will be a point it will tip over. Also you will remove that money from the local economy, so, more shops will feel the pinch.

 

What strikes me about folk on here is they do not suggest taking any of the roles on themselves, like running the local toilets, working to obtain funding for halls. If the GOV and SGOV remove the money, either you pay more, or lose more, the more staff that is lost, the more shops may close.

 

Pete, you suggest that many folk on here have no idea how local authorities work, which is demeaning to say the least. Of course it's hard to compete with your vast knowledge of ALL subjects. Perhaps you should give folk more credit.

 

You have also on numerous occasions commented on the lack of voluntary help people on here are providing. That really irks me as I believe the people of Shetland provide a tremendous amount of voluntary work and donations to charity.

 

It must be fine to sit in your ivory tower telling us how great you do things in "The Englands", to criticise and inform us what we should all be doing right "according to Pete". But whilst many shetlanders may spend some time on this forum, we also provide time and support to various individuals, groups, associations and other bodies.

 

What's your input to Shetland.

[shetlandpeat]

I have spoken to folk in and around Lerwick, it is a problem getting volunteers according to them. Yet, we never hear that often about someone doing something for the greater good reporting here.

Those you do hear of, are already in the sector, so as you say, many may read these threads, they will not divulge for risk of identification, unless there are other reasons.

There are also many folks who have little, or no idea how the local Gov machine works, until they are subject to a ruling that affects them directly.

the more you understand how the machine works, the more you can work with it, after all, many in the machine are normal citizens of Shetland.

As far as donations and time volunteered, it is generally the same folk.

I also do my bit that affect me and my family. Without going into finer details that could identify vulnerable folk, I do have ongoing interests.

How I support the interests of Shetland is also my business, alas, I do not have an ivory tower, just my comments.

I have made donations to Cope and other charities, been up for events and to petition councillors. I helped in a small way with the coastguard campaign, I did come up for the meeting in the town hall as well.

Alas, there is another thread where you can have a go at me, I absolutely love the attention, but, I have things to say. That I am afraid is the end of it.

 

I always look forward to hearing good things on these forum, there have been a few over the years.

 

It would be good to hear what folk on here have done, and not just listen to folks trying to protect their own views via an anonymous media.

The next time I am up, I will try to do more, you obviously think I should. I would set a challenge, I will take part in a fund raising event or campaign if folk here open up and step up in the public forum they use. Work permitting of course, some of my work here has bearing on folks too.