A north-east community heritage group has “severed all connections” with a financial supporter whom the charity claims was once involved with a terrorist group.
The Book of Deer Project, which focuses on the historic connections between the local area and the Book of Deer, a pocket gospel book and the oldest surviving manuscript of written Scots Gaelic, made the shock announcement in a Facebook post.
It said the charity “abhors and condemns racism, homophobia, extremism and intolerance”.
Urgent action was taken after a social media post about a “strong supporter” of the Aden Country Park-based group emerged three-weeks-ago.
It concerned allegations dating back “six or seven years,”, according to Anne Simpson, the Aberdeenshire charity’s chairwoman.
She told the Press and Journal: “It’s been quite a horrendous time for everybody. We’ve dealt with it. The situation’s resolved and we hope everything’s back on course”.
A person, who was due to volunteer for an archaeological dig in the summer, was described as having involvement with a group they “at one time had been member of”.
But the charity refused to identify the proscribed terrorist organisation and the individual it banished.
Ms Simpson commented: “Everybody deserves a second chance and this happened a good number of years ago and people can change.
“Everyone can make mistakes when they’re young and regret what they’ve done.”
The Book of Deer Project’s leader added: “We just could not continue association, nor could our partners, which is why we’ve taken some other steps privately as a charity”.
‘Horrible issue’
Scottish charities like the Book of Deer Project rely on grant funding from major organisations and donations from individuals.
Asked how banning a financial backer might affect the project, the chairwoman replied: “It’s not a grant. It’s a small amount of money.
“So, it does not in any way affect the programme that we’re going to be running over the summer to celebrate the book returning.”
She explained: “Our main funders are The National Lottery who are now – as far as I understand – comfortable with everything that we’ve done to address this horrible issue”.
Derailing summer programme
The organisation works in partnership with Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils, the University of Aberdeen and University of Cambridge.
“You can’t have this kind of situation derailing what was going to be a really exciting programme,” Ms Simpson remarked.
