Live Argyll confirmed as trust to take over council jobs and services

Live Argyll has been confirmed as the name of the new trust that will deliver leisure and library services for people across Argyll and Bute.

The £3.6m contract will be led by a board which the council says has members bringing both public and private sector experience.

Live Argyll (‘live’ is pronounced as in ‘give) will be responsible for library and leisure services currently delivered by the council when it officially becomes a Trust – this is expected to be on October 2.

Over 200 council workers’ jobs will be transferred under a ‘TUPE’ process.

The council says trusts offer financial and commercial benefits that can help to sustain the future of services in the face of growing pressure on public spending.

The Trust’s toard will be made up of three members of the public, three councillors and a trade union representative.

Andrew Nisbet, chair of the board, has spent his working life in the design, management and delivery of public services, both as a senior manager for public sector organisations and as a private sector consultant working for and advising local authorities. He was formerly a Liberal Democrat councillor representing Helensburgh.

He is joined by Mairi Coleman, from Lochgilphead, a head of human resources in the banking industry and Charles Brody, a retired senior banker now living in Scotland, having spent most of his working life in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar.

Councillors Jim Anderson, an independent from Dunoon, Graham Hardie, a Liberal Democrat from Helensburgh and Jim Lynch (SNP, Rothesay) will represent Argyll and Bute Council while Mary Watt will provide the trade union contribution.

The council’s policy lead for communities, Liberal Democrat Robin Currie, said: “Work to develop Live Argyll is progressing very well. We have a board that brings together expertise, enthusiasm and energy to make this work for trust employees and for everyone who will use these services.

“The aim of the trust will be to deliver services that improve people’s lives, and to do this as a team, by drawing on the views and expertise of employees and with a firm focus on the needs of customers.

“The trust’s name reflects this. We wanted something of course that explains what the leisure trust is about, and is memorable. The idea for Live Argyll came from employees, and is about underlining that these services will be here to help young and old live healthy, happy lives.”