Fighting for our theatre of dreams
Expenses claims after 99-day trek from Argentina to Alaska
Alfred Hitchcock once said cinema was not just a slice of life, it was a piece of cake.
Never have we been so much in need of the treat that was going to the pictures. And with the Glasgow Film Festival being held online this year, the absence of our movie fix is being keenly felt. Sympathy then for these children fighting the closure of the Odeon, in Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, in 1969.
The picture house was designed by architect James McKissock, who also built the Glasgow Film Theatre, and was opened by Harry Lauder in 1936. It changed its name from Vogue to Odeon in 1946.
Its Saturday morning kids’ shows were hugely popular but it eventually closed to become a bingo hall in 1974. Last year, the owners announced that it was to close permanently.
A watchdog has ordered a charity set up by a Special Forces friend of Prince Harry to improve amid complaints over expenses on a bike ride.
A probe by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has concluded there were “weaknesses” in how the charity PAH18 Limited – now known as Breaking Global Chains – had been run.
The OSCR inquiry found issues surrounding decision-making and financial management at the charity which had been set up by Dean Stott, 43, and his wife Alana and raised more than £500,000 for good causes.
The regulator launched action in 2019 amid complaints about expenses racked up by the Aberdeen charity during a world record-breaking bike ride from Argentina to Alaska by Stott.
It was claimed the former SBS trooper had incurred expenses of up to £ 400,000 during the 14,000-mile cycle.
Stott had previously been accused of cheating on the 99-day trek to ensure he returned to Britain in time to attend Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018.
The Aberdeen- born former soldier, whose military career was cut short by a parachuting accident in 2011, had struck up a friendship with Harry during military training in 2007.
His cycling feat took 18 days off the record for riding the length of the Pan-American Highway. But the challenge hit controversy when it was claimed Stott fell out with his support crew.
They alleged he used forged paperwork at border checkpoints in South America and mounted another bike, which is forbidden by Guinness World Records. Stott has always denied any wrongdoing.
His charitable endeavours gained widespread attention because of his Royal Family ties.
In 2018, the Stotts gave a £500,000 cheque to the Heads Together charity set up by princes Harry and William.
OSCR’s report found Heads Together failed to “consider the reputation of the charity, particularly where there are links to high- profile individuals and events”.
It added: “On taking into account the steps the charity trustees have already taken to improve the way in which the charity operates, OSCR determined that the most appropriate course of action was to provide recommendations to support the charity function better in the future.
“OOur recommendations focus on the areaareas of weaknesses we identified and we will monitor the progress made by the charcharity putting these recommendations into practice.”
StStott’s wife Alana, 38, was crowned Mrs Scotland World in 2018 after she was origoriginally runner-up. Natalie Paweleck, 35, wwas stripped of the crown after topless magmagazine pictures from 2005 resurfaced.
A PAH18 Scotland spokesman said: “ThThe charity was pleased that OSCR conconcluded that there had been no mismisconduct or impropriety and is grateful for iits continuing assistance to help it to ensensure its operations meet the very highighest standards.” The Stotts were concontacted for comment.
It can seem like a quick win when when you want or need something urgently – but ‘buy now, pay later’ (BNPL) schemes can haunt your finances several months and years down the line.
Over Christmas alone, on one in four people turned to this kind of credit - spending a whopping £2.3 billion on credit to fund their festivities.
Charities fear this will lead to a wave of charges, with problem debt snowballing across the country.
Using firms such as Klarna, Clearpay and Laybuy allows shoppers to buy now and pay back what they owe in installments but just one missed payment can lead to increased costs and unmanageable repayments.
A previous campaign by one of these firms was even banned for “irresponsibly” encouraging customers to buy on credit during the pandemic.
Suited towards young millennials, Klarna says its average purchase for BNPL is products between
£60-70, predominantly used on online luxury items.
However, this is even more alarming when you consider that Klarna’s average customer age is 33, and its biggest growing market is 40-54 year olds.
For many people, like mum-of-two Melody Chisholm, BNPL often feels like the only option, especially after she was furloughed last year and suffered a drop in wages.
She says: “I was really struggling at Christmas, so had to use my Argos card or the kids would hardly have had anything.
“There’s the guilt, if I didn’t use buy now pay later the kids would literally have had nothing.
“But I’m still paying back Christmas 2019. I’ve got myself in a rut because I’m always paying something back and I feel I will never get out of this vicious circle.
“I have also used Klarna when shopping and, yes, I have taken out more than I can afford.
“Thankfully, I always pay them back but it’s hard going. It can be draining being in debt all of the time and you can feel like a burden on the family because you then need to ask for help.
“Mentally, it’s not good being in that position. One day, I will get out of this debt and I will make a promise to myself never to get sucked back into it again.”
Expert money advisers are urging people to act quickly and seek early advice if they feel their debt is, or may shortly, become unmanageable
Regardless of how much you owe, there is a solution for everyone. Christians Against Poverty (CAP) says, on average, people wait years before they seek financial help, due mainly to feelings of shame and embarrassment, not knowing where to get help, and fear.
But when not addressed, problem debt can quickly become overwhelming.
Recent news that the Government will be looking at how to regulate BNPL schemes has been welcomed.
Sharon Bell, Head of StepChange Scotland, says: “Buy now pay later services are often marketed as a source of convenience but the financial commitment should not be
Act quickly to ease financial stress
underestimated - it’s important to remember that the main benefit to retailers of offering these services is to sell more goods.
“It’s essential that these services and retailers give clear, plain English information for customers, and regulators need to continue to keep a close eye on how well consumers understand the types of services they’re being offered at the online checkout – especially those that could have the potential to see them build up debt.
“Among StepChange clients, those who have BNPL debts frequently have eight or nine other debts, and they are typically young, with more than a third aged under 25, which is particularly concerning alongside the disproportionately high number of young people StepChange has been seeing in recent years.
“In the meantime, consumers can play their part by actively looking into the costs they might face if they choose to defer payments through these services. If anyone feels they are at risk of problem debt, seeking out debt advice from StepChange or another free provider is advisable.”