Former chair of the charity which created the Kiltwalk questions why so much is being spent on running costs
One of the original creators of The Kiltwalk has called on the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) to investigate the charity.
Third Force News exclusively revealed last month that the Kiltwalk, set up to raise funds for various children’s charities through a series of sponsored walks, had been rocked after four of its charity partners pulled out.
It was also highlighted that the charity’s most recent accounts for 2013 showed its income was £1.6 million, including £1,272,935 raised through sponsorship, but after deducting running costs it donated just £776,406 to good causes.
Alistair Hunter, the former chairman of the Tartan Army Children’s Charity (TACC), which created the original event in 2010, told TFN he is sickened so little went to charities and felt compelled to call in the regulator to question how the charity is being run.
For some of the smaller charities across Scotland, that do an incredible job, as little as £100 can make a vast difference – Kiltwalk spent £750,000
“I contacted OSCR to look at the management of the charity to see how it is justifiable in terms of charitable aims to be spending so much to raise that amount of money,” he said.
“For some of the smaller charities across Scotland that do an incredible job, as little as £100 can make a vast difference – the Kiltwalk spent £750,000.
“The amount given to charity will make a difference – and it is a great thing – but what about the rest that should have gone to charities but didn’t?”
The Kiltwalk was created by TACC in 2010 but was re-launched as a separate entity by TACC member Carey McEvoy after a decision was made that it could raise more money for other charities out with the confines of the Tartan Army charity.
It held its first walk as an independent charity in 2012 and has grown from one event with 400 walkers to six events with 12,000 walkers.
Despite cutting it loose, TACC initially remained as one of The Kiltwalk’s partners but Hunter said he was left dumbfounded after it only receiving half of what it expected from the 2013 walk.
He continued: “It was an absolute smack in the face. We had projected our own operations as a charity and worked out the amount of young people we were going to help with that money coming in – but we had to scale back on that.
“We agonised for months about whether to keep Kiltwalk in house at TACC or to separate it but the fundamental driving factor in why we let it go was because we saw the benefit for other charities.
“I’m disappointed that The Kiltwalk has not reached its potential and and I think we need to know why it hasn’t – it’s not because the public haven’t supported it or other charities haven’t supported it because they overwhelmingly have.”
Although Hunter has called in OSCR to investigate it is not being suggested The Kiltwalk has done anything legally wrong.
The Kiltwalk refused to discuss any potential OSCR investigation but told TFN it has raised more than £2.4million for children’s causes across Scotland and is looking ahead to six events in 2015 with the support of our 17 partner charities.
A spokeswoman added: “The Tartan Army Children’s Charity (TACC) was a partner for The Kiltwalk’s Aberdeen event last year.
“Under the relationship agreement that we entered into with TACC – an agreement that is entered into with all our charity partners – TACC was expected to provide 200 walkers in Aberdeen who would raise sponsorship for The Kiltwalk. In actual fact, TACC provided only 26 walkers.
"Following this event, The Kiltwalk still awarded TACC £10,000, plus a team grant of £7,000, for their participation."
An OSCR spokesperson said: "We are naturally aware of concerns expressed in the media. However, it would not be appropriate for us to comment on an individual charity.
"In general, it is worth noting that the charity sector is very diverse and that some charities will cost more to run than others. Where we do identify an apparent cause for concern, we will contact charities and consider appropriate action."
