CHILDREN in Need’s boss has quit and launched a scathing attack over its past support for a Scottish Government-funded trans charity hit with child sex scandals.
Rosie Millard, 59, resigned – after six years at the head of the charity – with a devastating letter to the board, reports The Times.
Children in Need chairwoman Rosie Millard resigned in a blistering letter to the board[/caption]
Chief Executive of BBC Children in Need Simon Antrobus was slammed in her letter[/caption]
BBC Children In Need withdrew funding after the probe[/caption]
It is understood the writer and broadcaster slammed Children in Need’s Chief Executive Simon Antrobus following his response to criticism over awarding £466,000 worth of grants to under-fire LGBT Youth Scotland (LGBTYS).
The charity supports gay and trans people aged 13 to 25.
In 2009, the former LGBTYS boss James Rennie was convicted of child sex assaults.
Rennie, from Edinburgh, was ordered to serve life with a minimum of 13 years in jail, but that was reduced to a minimum of eight and a half years on appeal.
Children in Need started funding the charity with a grant of £24,000 seven months later.
A second man Andrew Easton, 39, was convicted this year of sharing indecent images of children, including some of newborn babies.
He pleaded guilty this year after speaking online to someone who he believed to be a vulnerable 13-year-old whom he called “baby boy”.
It was revealed Easton contributed to an early version of the “coming out” guidance given to Scottish schools in 2010, although LGBTYS said he had never been an employee or a volunteer.
Grants from Children in Need were suspended in May after Millard alerted them to the 2009 case.
It withdrew funds three months later following a review.
Millard has since alleged there has been “institutional failure” over Children in Need’s decision to fund the organisation.
She also accused Antrobus of failing to respond “with the necessary level of seriousness,” and of only cutting the funds over fears of negative publicity.
LGBT Youth Scotland is propped up by Scottish Government and other devolved public funding, with £1.2 million paid to the charity by the taxpayer in the 2023-24 financial year alone.
Its latest accounts show £484,541 of Scottish Government grants for the past year, £370,218 from Scottish councils, and £330,264 from the NHS.
LGBT Youth Scotland in schools
LGBT Youth Scotland works with hundreds of Scottish schools.
Its latest accounts say it enrolled 31 organisations and 25 schools into its “LGBT Charter programme” in 2023-24.
It had previously boasted that more than 200 Scottish secondary schools – more than half the national total – and more than 40 primaries had signed its charter.
The charity’s latest accounts say: “LGBT Youth Scotland ran 23 youth groups in the year across Scotland and delivered 1,630 hours of youth work, across 11 local authority areas, through 815 group work sessions, using our blended approach.
“In addition, we delivered 1,286 1:1 asset based coaching sessions face to face, digitally, or on the telephone and an additional 686 young person’s engagements through our Live Chat service.”
Last night BBC Children in Need spokesperson said: “Nothing is more important to us than the safety of all children and young people.
“When allegations were made in relation to LGBT Youth Scotland their grant was immediately suspended with the full support of the board and a review began.
“In order to do this thoroughly and fairly the review took three months and culminated in the decision to withdraw funding.
“The Children in Need board of trustees are supportive of the actions taken by the CEO and senior leadership team and stand by the decisions made.
“Rosie at all times retained the board’s support.
“In the wake of her resignation, in order to ensure any lessons learnt are captured, the trustees have instigated a review of ways of working between the board and executive in which Rosie has kindly agreed to participate.”
The latest revelation sparked calls for the Scottish Government to cut its funding for LGBTYS.
LGBT Youth Scotland chief exc Mhairi Crawford branded the letter as “ideologically driven”[/caption]
Scottish Conservative shadow equalities minister Tess White MSP said: “Taxpayers will be appalled that their money is continuing to fund an organisation mired in controversy.
“At a time when the SNP are making brutal cuts to services Scots rely on, every penny of public funds must be accounted for.
“SNP ministers should show some common sense and withhold money from LGBT Youth Scotland, like charities and organisations have done until they sort themselves out.
“Failing to do so is a dereliction of duty.”
Alba Party general secretary Chris McEleny said the Scottish Government was “running scared” of acting to halt funding to LGBT Youth Scotland.
He said: “The Scottish Government, local councils and health boards should immediately suspend funding to the organisation.
“There is nothing progressive, and equal opportunities are not advanced, by propping up an organisation that has proven itself as not fit for purpose and is riddled with safeguarding concerns.”
Chief executive of LGBTYS Mhairi Crawford said Millard’s resignation letter “demonstrates the ideologically driven nature of her attacks on our organisation”.
She added: “We are pleased to see confirmation that Children in Need’s investigations into the work of LGBT Youth Scotland found nothing to report.
“Time and time again, those with anti-inclusivity motives point to historic allegations in attempts to destroy our reputation.
“Allegations that have been investigated and cleared by Police Scotland, and proven to have had no link to our work.”
The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
We previously told how a Scots council had been urged to cut ties with the controversial LGBT charity over fears it could push so-called “trans ideology” onto young kids.
Two schools in East Dunbartonshire – Milngavie Primary and Craigdhu Primary – are to take part in a pilot alongside LGBTYS despite the charity being targeted towards young people aged between 13 and 25.
However, there are concerns that the teaching of gender self-ID to young kids in classrooms could harm their development.
In a letter to the council’s chief executive, Ann Davie, Scottish Tory MSP Pam Gosal called on the local authority to “re-examine” their decision to allow the pilot to go ahead.
