MSP takes Scottish fund appeal into Mormons' heartland
DOUGLAS FRASER, Scottish Political Editor
February 16 2005
THE Great Salt Lake is not normally noted as the heart of the Scottish exile community, but a project to raise a new multi-million pound fund to support Scottish life, culture and education at home and abroad gets under way this week, with its principal backer taking the pitch to the home of the Mormon church.
Jim Mather, the SNP MSP who is leading the cross-party drive with the business community to emulate a highly-successful Irish charity initiative, is taking the message to academics at Brigham Young University, Utah, which is run through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
He left yesterday for a five-day visit to the western state, including the Salt Lake City base of the church, to build links to an intern programme which provides funds for students to spend time at the Scottish Parliament. The aim is to show that the hopes of raising many millions of pounds for Scottish-linked projects will not only flow into Scotland but will be "a two-way street".
The links into Utah have been eased by Brian Adam, Mr Mather's SNP colleague and Aberdeen North MSP, who is a Mormon with strong contacts in the state.
They were enhanced with a visit to Salt Lake City for the American celebration of Tartan Day in April last year.
The main purpose of Mr Mather's visit is to develop the Scotland Fund, a new idea to set up a major trust which would support a range of causes in Scotland and among Scots elsewhere.
"We're building the support group of international Scottish companies which can see commercial advantage for them in being seen to support the hub – being good corporate citizens in both the domestic and international context – and so that their hub in Scotland can see that everything you donate is to go to a worthy cause," said Mr Mather.
The plan has cross-party support, including Murdo Fraser, a Conservative MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, and Gordon Jackson, Labour MSP for Glasgow Govan, with talks to bring a Liberal Democrat on board.
DOUGLAS FRASER, Scottish Political Editor
February 16 2005
THE Great Salt Lake is not normally noted as the heart of the Scottish exile community, but a project to raise a new multi-million pound fund to support Scottish life, culture and education at home and abroad gets under way this week, with its principal backer taking the pitch to the home of the Mormon church.
Jim Mather, the SNP MSP who is leading the cross-party drive with the business community to emulate a highly-successful Irish charity initiative, is taking the message to academics at Brigham Young University, Utah, which is run through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
He left yesterday for a five-day visit to the western state, including the Salt Lake City base of the church, to build links to an intern programme which provides funds for students to spend time at the Scottish Parliament. The aim is to show that the hopes of raising many millions of pounds for Scottish-linked projects will not only flow into Scotland but will be "a two-way street".
The links into Utah have been eased by Brian Adam, Mr Mather's SNP colleague and Aberdeen North MSP, who is a Mormon with strong contacts in the state.
They were enhanced with a visit to Salt Lake City for the American celebration of Tartan Day in April last year.
The main purpose of Mr Mather's visit is to develop the Scotland Fund, a new idea to set up a major trust which would support a range of causes in Scotland and among Scots elsewhere.
"We're building the support group of international Scottish companies which can see commercial advantage for them in being seen to support the hub – being good corporate citizens in both the domestic and international context – and so that their hub in Scotland can see that everything you donate is to go to a worthy cause," said Mr Mather.
The plan has cross-party support, including Murdo Fraser, a Conservative MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, and Gordon Jackson, Labour MSP for Glasgow Govan, with talks to bring a Liberal Democrat on board.
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