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💷 Cash For Flags? 🇬🇧
Two government departments helped fund a social enterprise charity linked to selling paramilitary flags with £671k.
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Two government departments helped fund a social enterprise charity linked to selling paramilitary flags with £671k.
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Make sure you read today’s story in the @Irish_News by @brendanhughes64
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On the 1st July @BelfastCC passed a motion to bring a legal challenge against @deptinfra over its refusal to remove paramilitary flags and banners from street furniture in Belfast.
Flags remain one of the most decisive issues in NI. None more so than paramilitary flags. In the past weeks the erection of Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) flags in Cantrell Close in Belfast has caused controversy again. In previous years this gained international media attention.
The development, built in 2016, is part of the Together Building United Communities programme. A project set up in 2013 by the @niexecutive which aimed at "improving community relations and building a united and share society".
In September 2017 after threats and intimidation made by individuals claiming to be from the UVF, four catholic families fled their homes.
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northe…
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northe…
Even non-paramilitary flags have caused upset. Most recently the appropriation of the Parachute Regimental flags throughout Northern Ireland in support of "Soldier F" in Loyalist communities has caused contention.
"Soldier F" is currently facing murder charges over the killing of James Wray and William McKinney (pictured below). They were shot dead on Bloody Sunday in Londonderry in 1972.
The Ministry of Defence weighed in on the situation recently stating that Parachute Regiment flags and emblems "should be used only in an official capacity".
The Dept for Communities @CommunitiesNI (formerly the Department for Social Development) state one of their strategic priorities is "bringing divided communities together by creating urban centres which are sustainable, welcoming and accessible to live, work and relax in peace".
With such tensions around flags should our statutory agencies be funding organisations selling paramilitary flags?
The DSD gave £438k to the Resurgam Trust, as part of a social enterprise "pilot project" in 2012. One of their social enterprises has been selling paramiltary flags
The DSD gave £438k to the Resurgam Trust, as part of a social enterprise "pilot project" in 2012. One of their social enterprises has been selling paramiltary flags
The Resurgam Trust's chief executive, Adrian Bird, was the former Ulster Defence Association (UDA) leader in the Maze prison and former UDA Lisburn commander. Other senior members of the organisation include Colin Halliday, an ex-UDA prisoner.
The organisation has strong links to the UDA linked UPRG, employees are behind the South Belfast & Lisburn UPRG social media accounts, UPRG meetings have been held on property of the Trust and one employee has been linked to receiving funds directly from "Loyalist" magazine.
The Resurgam Trust was established in January 2011.
On 23rd June 2011, Resurgam met the recently appointed DSD Minister, Nelson McCausland. The meeting involved representations from Resurgam. Nelson asked officals to consider mechanisms for support via a "Ministerial direction".
On 23rd June 2011, Resurgam met the recently appointed DSD Minister, Nelson McCausland. The meeting involved representations from Resurgam. Nelson asked officals to consider mechanisms for support via a "Ministerial direction".
On 22nd December 2011 the DSD Minister indicated his approval for the department to support a "Social Enterprise Pilot Project", an application was submitted in early January 2012 by the Resurgam Trust.
Officials were aware of the risks of singling out one or two organisations as part of this pilot program, they stated the "Project does not come under any existing ... funding programmes with publicised eligibility criteria. As a result the Department may be open to criticism."
The Department then awarded £415k to Resurgam, the majority of these funds were to cover wages for employees for three years this amounted to about 90% of the total. Positions funded were;
- Clerical Administrator
- Social Economy Manager
- Regeneration Manager
- Trust Director
- Clerical Administrator
- Social Economy Manager
- Regeneration Manager
- Trust Director
The project estimated that they would create four new social enterprises and 20 new positions during the three year project. The DfC provided a report reviewing the success of the project and indicated that "In terms of performance all of the objectives and targets ...
... across the two funding periods have largely been achieved or exceeded."
In the report it states six new social businesses were created.
In the report it states six new social businesses were created.
DfC in that review stated that they had agreed to extend the funding for an additional year. Further to that DfC have provided us with figures stating that this continued on and up to 2017-18 and a further £231k was provided.
There has also been a large support for Resurgam with @J_Donaldson_MP inviting @niogov ministers to visit.
Local elected representatives attended meetings with the DSD Minister in Sep 2014 (McCausland) and Feb 2016 (Lord Morrow) to discuss future support for Resugam’s work. The Minister for DSD also attended the Resurgam Trust AGM in 2014, 2015 (Mervyn Storey) and 2016 (@paulgivan)
During the time that the department was funding The Resurgam Trust one of the social enterprises was engaging in the sale of paramilitary flags via a shop in Lisburn and via facebook page called "Lisburn Flag Shop"
The paramilitary flags offered for sale included Ulster Defence Association "Simply the Best" flags, South Belfast brigade UDA, Ulster Defence Union, and Ulster Freedom Fighter flags.
The Lisburn Flag Shop also sells a range of other flags including Parachute Regiment flags and band materials.
In the comments section of the page people were encouraged to make payment to the paypal email address of Laganside Business Services and also cheques were accepted in the name Laganside Print & Heritage, the former name of Laganside Business Services.
According to the Resurgam Trust, Laganside Business Services, formerly Laganside Print — began trading as a pilot community social enterprise in 2000. Companies House show that the company changed name.
However in the DSD review it states Laganside Business Services as a “new” social enterprise.
Laganside Print was a printing company formed by Lisburn PSP with a board of volunteer directors and the support of a one year salary grant and small capital grant to purchase a printer funded by the Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust.
Publicly they state that their current services include Printing Services, as well as Administration services such as, Book Keeping, Development & Management, Payroll Services and VAT Returns.
The Lisburn Flag Shop was located in the same premises as Laganside Business Services for several years.
Another public body, @InvestNI provided £2k grant directly to Laganside Business Services Limited in the from of an employment grant for their first employee.
Despite the lengthy application forms and emails between officials there was no mention of the business carrying on the sale of goods or flags, and in particular paramilitary flags.
In a response @InvestNI said it "is not aware of any such activity" when asked if they knew if Laganside Business Services was engaging in the sale of paramilitary flags.
In a response @CommunitiesNI also stated they were unaware of the sale of paramilitary flags by Laganside Business Services a social enterprise under the Resurgam Trust.
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