SALMOND PLEDGES A FURTHER £25,000 TO NORTH EAST TRUST
>> 17 September 2010
First Minister and Gordon MSP, Alex Salmond, has pledged a further £25,000 to the charitable trust which was established by him to assist good causes and community groups in the North East of Scotland.
The Mary Salmond Trust, which is named after Mr Salmond's late mother, has a particular focus in helping young people and has helped nearly 90 good causes and individuals over the last three years.
On election as both an MP and MSP in 2007, Mr Salmond paid his entire gross MSP salary into the Trust, and on his retirement as a Westminster MP in May he pledged to make a donation of a further five-figure sum.
Half of the donation will be paid this year and half next year, to give the trust a continued regular income.
Welcoming this further donation, Mr Roddy McColl, Chair of the trust, said:
"This outstanding support from Alex is extremely welcome, and will enable the trust to continue its good work over the next few years. The trustees are delighted with the standard of application we have received, and a great deal of exceptionally good work is being assisted by the grants we have been able to make thanks to Alex's donations. This further donation will bring Alex’s direct contributions to over £80,000 and the total income to the trust to over £100,000. We will support a lot of good work with that sum at the trust’s disposal.”
Mr Salmond’s contribution was announced last weekend at a celebration for 100 years of Girlguiding held at Ballindalloch Castle in Moray.
The First Minister’s late mother had a long association with the Guiding movement, and Girl Guides in the North East have been one of the youth organisations to benefit from the trust’s activities.
