Common Good Fund facts for kids
A Common Good Fund is like a special savings account for a town in Scotland. It holds money, land, and buildings that used to belong to old towns called burghs. These funds are separate from other money the local council has. They started way back in the 11th century when kings gave land and rights to these towns.
What is a Common Good Fund?
These funds have a long history. The first towns, or burghs, were set up by kings in the 11th century. The kings gave them special lands and rights. A law from 1491, called the Common Good Act 1491, said that this property must be used "for the common good of the town." This means it should help the people living there.
The money and property in a Common Good Fund must be used to benefit the people of that specific town. For example, if a piece of land from the fund is sold, the money goes back into the fund. This money can then be used for projects that help the local community.
Keeping Track of Common Good Funds
Over the years, the way local councils in Scotland are organized has changed. This happened in 1975 and again in 1996. Because of these changes, it sometimes became unclear which properties belonged to the Common Good Funds.
To fix this, a new law was passed in 2015 called the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. This law made it a rule for all councils to create and keep a list of everything that is part of their Common Good Fund. This helps everyone know what belongs to the fund.
According to a land expert named Andy Wightman, there are 196 Common Good Funds across Scotland.
Aberdeen's Common Good Fund
Aberdeen has its own Common Good Fund, which helps the people of Aberdeen, Scotland. This fund started because of a special gift from Robert the Bruce in 1319. He gave Aberdeen a "Great Charter" after the city helped him when he was in trouble.
In 2005, Aberdeen's fund was worth about £31 million.
Along with the Great Charter, Robert the Bruce also gave Aberdeen the Forest of Stocket. This area is now known as Mid Stocket in the city. The city earned money from this forest, and that's how the Common Good Fund began. Later, other lands like Cruvie (now Woodside) and Rubislaw were also given to the people. All these lands together became known as the "Freedom Lands of Aberdeen."
The fund has been used for many important things over time:
- It helped build Marischal College by providing land.
- It supported the people during the plague in the 1640s.
- It gave money to places like Aberdeen Art Gallery, the Central Library, and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
- It also helped buy Hazlehead Park for the city.
More recently, the fund has been used to organize tea dances and a festival for older people. It also helps charities, like the Instant Neighbour Trust, which it has supported significantly in the past.
