Following last year’s consultation, a Charity Law Expert Group was appointed for the first half of 2020 to work with the senior executive team on detailed proposals for the Society to apply to become a Scottish registered charity. The Group continued its work throughout the coronavirus pandemic, using video conference technology to meet regularly. Meantime, the Management Group and Council remain steadfast in their commitment to both the proposition of the Society becoming a charity and the timetable envisaged.

With this in mind, you can view and download PDFs of this work as follows:

• Summary of Proposed Changes to the Society’s Regulations (with introduction by the Deputy Keeper of HM Signet, Amanda Laurie WS).

• Proposed Regulations

• Current Regulations

• Business Plan 2021-26 (with forewords by the Keeper of HM Signet, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, KT, and Deputy Keeper Amanda Laurie WS)

• Listed in Appendix to the Business Plan

  • Conservation Statement

  • Building Condition Report

  • Baseline Cost Plan

  • Application to HLF

  • Interpretation Strategy

  • Activity Plan

  • Job Specification and Organisation Structure
    

The next step is for the Society will hold an Information Event for all members. This will be held by online video conference (by Zoom) at 12 noon on 30 September 2020 to which all Writers to the Signet and other members will be invited. Pre-registration will be necessary and all WS and other members will receive an email or letter invitation with details of how to register. The Information Event will take the form of a short presentation followed by a Q&A session. If you wish to submit any questions or comments in advance, please feel free to do so by email to newenlightenment@wssociety.co.uk.

No steps will be taken towards applying to become a charity without an extraordinary general meeting of the Society convened for the purpose of voting on resolutions to adopt the proposed Regulations and to proceed with an application to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. A provisional date for the EGM has been set for 12 noon on 8 December.

If you have any difficulty accessing the above documents, or if you are concerned that by 16 September you have not received an invitation to the Information Event, please contact Stefania Sossi by email to ssossi@wssociety.co.uk.

Robert Pirrie WS
Chief Executive
The WS Society
The Signet Library
Parliament Square
EDINBURGH
EH1 1RF