Whistleblowing charity’s Scottish office to close
Press release - 29 March 2006
Public Concern at Work, the whistleblowing charity, is to close its part-time Scottish Office from April 2006. The charity’s free confidential helpline for people with whistleblowing dilemmas will be unaffected by the decision and will continue to be available to people across Scotland on 020 7404 6609.
The Office, based in Glasgow, was set up in 2000 and initially funded by a two-year grant from the National Lottery (Community Fund). As an independent charity that receives no statutory grant in aid, Public Concern at Work funds its UK wide activities from subscriptions, donations and earnings. The failure to secure any significant contributions from Scotland over the past three years has meant that the costs of the charity’s presence and activities in Scotland have been funded by the work of its London Office. As this is not a viable or sensible way to build an effective base in Scotland to promote public interest whistleblowing, the charity has regrettably been left with no option but to close its premises in Glasgow , so also making the post of part-time Scottish director redundant.
“Despite the best efforts of Lynne MacMillan and Harry Templeton, we have found it impossible to establish a presence in Scotland with a part-time office,” says Guy Dehn the charity’s director. “Though we reach the decision with real regret, we must stress that our front-line services to the public and to employers in Scotland will be unaffected by this decision. We are delighted that Harry Templeton will be our ears and eyes in Scotland and that he has offered to help with our work in future. So it’s more a case of au revoir than farewell.”
Harry Templeton, who has worked as the charity’s part-time Scottish Director for over three years says “Though I understand why the trustees have taken this decision, I’m gutted for Scotland. People here have paid heavily for our culture of silence – as the disasters at Piper Alpha, Dunblane, BCCI and Holyrood all show. Yet through the three years I have been at the helm, the main problems have been:
a) that there is a general lack of awareness about the legal protection offered by the Public Interest Disclosure Act.
b) that the public retains a muddled perception of the value whistleblowers bring to society, and
c) that even among those employers who have adopted policy, many have a misplaced complacency borne out of them having adopted policy without practical commitment that is as effective as a chocolate fireguard.
As a society we must give people the lead and help them think beyond their narrow, short-term interests. Though it is vitally important that my friends and colleagues in London are continuing to provide practical help to people and to organisations in Scotland, I do think as a country we need to make this issue our own. This is something I will continue to work toward. I’m driven by the belief that prevention is invariably better than cure and much cheaper in every respect. If someone knows or can predict that some activity might put me or those I care about in jeopardy then I want to know as soon as possible. Fear of reprisals or adverse personal repercussions must not be allowed to prevent them warning me of the hazard ahead.”