Children’s care charity now facing liquidation
A charity that has provided vital care for vulnerable children and young people in Perth for nearly 180 years is set to go into liquidation.
Balnacraig School, one of Scotland’s oldest charities, had already announced last month that it would stop providing care for young people from December 2021.
Balnacraig has cared for around 2000 children since the charity was established in 1843 to help girls left abandoned and homeless because of the squalor and over-crowding in cities and towns.
Since 1950 it has operated from a large listed baronial mansion at Fairmount Terrace in Perth, which was put up for sale in 2019 with the aim of opening more houses suitable for small group living better able to meet the needs of the young people using its services.
But a lack of referrals led to the decision to shut the service in December.
The facility has 28 employees. There will be four immediate redundancies and the remaining staff will be retained until their services are no longer needed.
Chair of the board of trustees at Balnacraig School David Law said: “It is with great sadness and regret that we made the decision to seek liquidation.
“The key factor that determined the decision to stop providing care was a lack of referrals which suggested that there is no longer a need for the sort of service we provide.
“Our hope however, had been that we would be able to continue as a charity for young people. Our ability to continue was linked to the sale of the properties at Fairmount Terrace.
“Unfortunately, these sales have fallen through, and we have been left with no choice, given we are no longer receiving referrals, but to seek liquidation.”
He added: “Fortunately, our plans for our young people to move on are well advanced and the decision to seek liquidation will have no effect on these plans, however unfortunately, staff will be directly affected.”
Shona Campbell at Henderson Loggie has been appointed as the provisional liquidator.