Friday June 19th 2026
Artist's impression of flats planned for former hospital site in Haddington (image: East Lothian Council)
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
Millions of pounds of money left in trust to help the poor and vulnerable in East Lothian is set to be ‘repurposed’ to scrap out dated purposes which could be preventing their use.
East Lothian Council currently oversees an estimated £3.3million in trusts and funds left to the people of the county over hundreds of years.
They include the Brown Bequest, currently holding more than £430,000 in its usable reserves and was established to provide dental treatment to the poor in Musselburgh and the James McKelvie Bequest, holding over £345,000 which was set up to support homeless people moving through the same town.
It also includes the Mrs Bridge’s Bequest, which has £11,400 in its reserves and is for women over the age of 55, with “preference being given to those who have seen better days and resided in the parish for 10 years”.
A report due to go to council next week for approval proposes establishing a new Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) to oversee the majority of trusts and funds in the county.
It would be named East Lothian Benefactors SCIO, in recognition of the trust and funds origins with elected councillors named among the trustees.
The report says: “If recommendations in this report are approved this would commence the process to re-align the purpose and operation of certain trusts of which the trust purposes are now outdated and historical in nature.
“This report is intended to begin the process to permit the funds within these trusts to be utilised in a way that recognises the original trust purpose and at the same time would facilitate appropriate distribution of such funds.”
It is proposed just under £1.4m of the funds are moved into the new SCIO initially with others added in a second stage and those involving building ownership left within council oversight for the time being.
Last year the council agreed to use £1.6million from a bequest left to people in Haddington to build size new homes on a new development for over-55s at the former Hermanflat Hospital grounds, which will be affordable with income going to the town’s Common Good Fund.
The bequest was left to the town by solicitor John Richardson who wanted his his legacy to include cottages built in the town for ‘deserving’ people free of charge, forever.
However it was agreed the terms of the bequest were ‘unsustainable’ and after court guidance councillors agreed funding the affordable homes was within its remit.
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