< Back to '10th January 2018' briefing
January 10, 2018
TFN stands accused
Just as everyone was closing for Christmas, the Third Sector team at Scottish Government announced that its funding for the umbrella body of Scotland’s Third Sector Interfaces – Voluntary Action Scotland – would not continue beyond Sept 2018. This announcement comes almost a year to the day since Scottish Government published its review of Third Sector Interfaces (TSIs) and their associated supporting infrastructure. While clearly a difficult and contentious decision for Scottish Government to take, many chief officers in the TSI network took serious issue with the manner and tone of its reporting by Third Force News.
As CEOs of TSIs we welcomed the clarity offered by Scottish Government’s endorsement on the future of Third Sector Interfaces. We look forward to working together and with Scottish Government to affirm TSI’s strategic roles as local ‘change agents’. However we must express our disappointment at the tone of Robert Armour’s article 20th December and specifically with the comments made regarding VAS Chief Officer Allan Johnstone.
Whatever opinions your organisation has of VAS or VAS role historically within the TSI network, a distasteful personal attack on an individual is demeaning to all those who took part in its publication.
Your “analysis” is no more than an unpleasant, inaccurate and unfounded personal attack. As Chief Officers of our TSIs we neither recognise nor support the assertions made in your article. We very much regret that comments made are alleged to have come from individuals within our own network. In our view it is to their extreme discredit that they elected to take part in such a disgraceful public attack on an individual. Over the coming months our TSIs will continue to work with VAS and to support the excellent staff at VAS in every way we can.
Edinburgh TSI Partnership
Glasgow TSI Partnership
Stirling TSI
Aberdeen TSI
Inverclyde TSI
Moray TSI
Perth and Kinross TSI
Orkney TSI
Shetland TSI
South Lanarkshire TSI
Argyll & Bute TSI
Dundee TSI Partnership
North Ayrshire TSI Partnership
Clackmannanshire TSI
Scottish Borders TSI Partnership