Children In Need joins council in cutting funding for controversial charity

A second major donor has withdrawn funding from a controversial charity that has seen two men associated with it being convicted of paedophilia.

Edinburgh City Council has joined Children In Need in confirming it has axed financial support to LGBT Youth Scotland.

The money was to allow the charity to deliver its controversial “charter programme” to schools, which has caused outrage from parents angry that their children are being exposed to transgender ideology.

The council said: “Third-party grant funding over three years to LGBT Youth Scotland to deliver the charter programme in secondary schools ended in March 2024. There is no further funding available for the LGBT Charter programme.”

The local authority had given the charity almost £160,000.

Meanwhile, the BBC said it’s charity “immediately suspended our grant and conducted a thorough review in response to the concern.”

Children In Need, which awarded LGBT Youth Scotland £181,000 over the past five years, said: “We have now permanently withdrawn our grant.”

The charity says it conducted a three-month review and found the nature of its concerns was such that the “ reputational risk” to Children In Need and the young people it supports was considered “too great to continue the relationship with LGBT Youth Scotland”.

Children In Need declined to say exactly what its concern was.

However, last week, The Sunday Post revealed convicted paedophile Andrew Easton, 39, who attempted to groom what he thought was a 13-year-old vulnerable boy and distributed thousands of disturbing images of children and babies being abused, was co-author of one of LGBT Youth Scotland’s “Coming Out Guides” made available to schools.

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Easton’s report was published just months after the former CEO of LGBT Youth Scotland James Rennie was jailed for life for his part in heading up Scotland’s biggest ever paedophile ring.

Former schoolteacher Rennie, jailed along with seven others, was described by judges as Scotland’s worst ever paedophile – a spider at the entire of an electronic web of sickening crimes with plans to abuse children. As CEO of LGBT Youth Scotland Rennie was celebrated at the Scottish Parliament and the organisation invited to play an extensive role in forming education and policy for children.

Children In Need says its initial grant, awarded to LGBT Youth Scotland in November 2009, was nearly two years after Rennie was arrested.

It insists Rennie had “no association” with LGBT Youth Scotland during the course of Children In Need Funding.

The new CEO of LGBT Youth Scotland, Mhairi Crawford, also distanced the charity from Easton, saying: “We were deeply troubled to learn of Mr Easton’s criminal actions. We condemn anyone that exploits or harms young people.”

But Crawford refused to comment on the latest funding woes.

Meanwhile, LGBT Youth Scotland added: “Mr Easton has never been, at any point, an employee or volunteer with LGBT Youth Scotland.”

Other organisations said they had decided to continue funding the charity.

The National Lottery Community Fund, which has given £456,044 to LGBT Youth Scotland, said: “We make funding decisions following a robust assessment process where we consider an organisation’s policies and processes, including safeguarding children.

“If we have good cause to believe that a grant holder has not complied with its obligations under our safeguarding policy, we may suspend or terminate funding.

“On this occasion, LGBT Youth Scotland informed us of the concerns raised. Through recent and ongoing discussions, we are confident that the organisation has robust measures in place around the safeguarding of young people.”

LGBT Youth Scotland also received almost £60,00 from the Gannochy Trust charity towards their Perth and Kinross Youth Service.

Gannochy’s chief executive, Andy Duncan, said he had been made “aware” of the situation, and added: “We take safeguarding very seriously, and ask all charities applying for grants to confirm that they have the appropriate policies in place.

“We will remain in contact with LGBT Youth Scotland, as we do with all charities we fund, throughout the remainder of their grant via our ongoing communication and reporting processes.”

The Scottish Government said: “Health boards are responsible for decisions on NHS Scotland funding provided to charities, including LGBT Youth Scotland.”