Talking-up Scotland

Reported in a BBC Breakfast insert by BBC Scotland, this morning, we heard that: ‘Victim Support Scotland will receive £14 million’ but we don’t hear who it’s from. There’s time for more detail, including an interview with the mother of Moira Jones who was murdered in 2008, but no mention of the generous donor.

Could it be from St Theresa of Baghdad or the lottery fund, I wonder? I did a quick search and, who’d have thought it, it’s the Scottish Government. See this from their news website:

‘A new service led by Victim Support Scotland (VSS) will provide free, practical and emotional support to victims of crime across the country. The charity has been awarded £13.8 million over three years, part of which will provide for a new homicide service giving families of murder victims access to a dedicated case worker and continuous support. It will also lead development of a new ‘victim centred’ approach, working with partners to streamline points of contact, improve information flow and ensure victims of crime feel supported through the criminal justice system. This will reduce the need for victims to have to retell their story to several different organisations as they seek help.’

Reading on, I see that Justice Secretary Michael Matheson announced the funding on a visit to VSS in Edinburgh. There he met the charity’s chief executive and Bea Jones, founder of The Moira Fund and mother of Moira Jones who was murdered in Glasgow in 2008.

https://news.gov.scot/news/support-for-bereaved-families

BBC Scotland were there to interview someone interested in the fund but not actually involved in it. Was the Justice Secretary too busy?

I know it’s only one example. It could be an innocent mistake, but I’ll be watching and reporting if it develops into a pattern.