The Urgent Business Committee of Aberdeen City Council met on Monday 12 October 2026 to discuss a proposed reorganisation of the Aberdeen Endowments Trust and the appointment of board members to Sport Aberdeen. The committee resolved to make a written representation to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) regarding the Aberdeen Endowments Trust reorganisation, proposing that the transition period for the distribution of funds be reduced from five years to four years. They also agreed that three elected members should be nominated to serve as Directors and Charity Trustees of Sport Aberdeen, with two nominees from the Partnership and one from the Opposition.

Proposed Charity Reorganisation - Aberdeen Endowments Trust

The committee considered a report on the proposed reorganisation of the Aberdeen Endowments Trust¹, which sought to transfer its assets to a new charitable company, Aberdeen Education Trust². The current trust, established in 1909, is governed by the City of Aberdeen Educational Endowments Scheme 1985³, which has been described as outdated and overly complex. The proposed reorganisation aims to create a more flexible and adaptable awards policy, allowing for the distribution of both capital and income.

A key point of discussion was the proposed distribution of funds, which initially allocates 70% of revenue awards to Robert Gordon's College (RGC)⁴ and 30% to other beneficiaries for the first five years. After this period, a minimum of 49% would go to RGC, 30% to other beneficiaries, and 21% at the discretion of the trustees. The council's report noted that historically, RGC has received the majority of awards, with figures showing significantly higher disbursements to RGC compared to other beneficiaries in recent years.

The committee resolved to make a written representation to OSCR, agreeing with the direction of the reorganisation but proposing that the transition period for the percentage proportions of awards be reduced from five years to four years. The council also acknowledged that RGC would be eligible to access remaining funding at the trustees' discretion but encouraged the trustees to be mindful of the principle that distribution should mirror the capital originally invested in the trust. The council welcomed the potential for additional sums to be sought through the Aberdeen Education Trust to support young people in the city.

Appointment of Board Members to Sport Aberdeen

The committee also addressed the need to appoint elected members to the board of Sport Aberdeen⁵, an arm's length external organisation responsible for delivering sport and leisure services. Following interim officer appointments made in April 2026, which were due to expire on 29 October 2026, the committee agreed that three elected members should be nominated to serve as Directors and Charity Trustees.

It was decided that two nominees would be drawn from the Partnership councillors and one from the Opposition. The Partnership and Opposition were instructed to provide the names of their nominated elected members to the Chief Officer - Governance within seven days. The committee also requested that officers notify all councillors once Sport Aberdeen had completed its recruitment process for new board members. This decision aims to ensure effective governance, oversight, and continuity at Sport Aberdeen.