The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has ordered the organisation to officially create a new board at a crunch meeting this week.
Norman Armstrong(Image: YouTube)
A disabled cycling charity investigated by a watchdog has vowed to recover after a “vendetta” sparked a bitter “takeover bid”.
Free Wheel North – which runs a popular cycling centre at Glasgow Green – claims it has been subjected to “malicious communications, abuse and vandalism” at the hands of a group of people “keen to harm the charity”. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has ordered the organisation to officially create a new board at a crunch meeting this week after a major rift between trustees and staff threatened its future. Norman Armstrong, who set up the charity in 2008, revealed he had been physically “locked out” of the hubs he created when the dispute escalated earlier this year. He said: “On July 14 this year, everything changed. I, the founder, alongside staff and volunteers, were locked out of the Centre. A governance dispute, fuelled by a faction opposing our vision, led to operations being shut down and our community being excluded.
(Image: YouTube)
“The ongoing conflict has resulted in intimidation, manipulation of membership, and aggressive sabotage of efforts to hold a fair AGM, mandated by OSCR, to restore the charity’s direction. “Just days after being locked out of the Cycling Centre, we were forcibly removed from the Whitehouse (a bike shop project in Maryhill), our locks broken and replaced, told to leave and never return. I was personally told to ‘f**k off’ and that I had no role in the charity I founded. “Despite this, we have fought back and regained control of the Whitehouse. However, the damage is severe: income has been decimated, aspirations curtailed, and countless people victimised. This chaos comes at a terrible cosT – not only to us but to Glasgow, a city battling drug addiction, obesity, mental health crises, and inactivity.” The OSCR first investigated Free Wheel North in 2022, following concerns received about governance and made a string of recommendations to improve it.
(Image: YouTube)
In July last year, new concerns were raised and the watchdog opened a new probe. The OSCR said there was a dispute about the validity of a charity trustee’s and took steps to help the charity ensure their proper election. A report said: “Due to the severe breakdown in the relationship between the charity trustees, this has failed to happen.” Earlier this year a trustee’s appointment was terminated and further appointments took place but the watchdog found there was “uncertainty and an ongoing dispute over the competency of the procedure carried out and the validity of decisions made”. It said: “As such there is a lack of clarity as to who is now a validly appointed charity trustee.” The watchdog directed the charity to hold a Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on Thursday so that a new board can be properly elected. There are currently eight directors detailed at Companies House. The OSCR has recommended that individuals who have not received a formal notice of the EGM should not attend. It said: “This is to minimise the risk of further dispute and to support the charity in complying fully with the terms of OSCR’s direction.”
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You’ll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you’re on mobile, select ‘Join Community’ and you’re in!
If you’re on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click ‘Join Community’.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Mr Armstrong said the situation had stemmed from a “vendetta” against him and the charity with a “view to takeover”.
He said: “Since 2008, Free Wheel North has grown into Scotland’s most successful inclusive cycling charity, bringing health, joy and social change to tens of thousands across Glasgow and beyond. “But Our mission goes far beyond cycling. At the Whitehouse project in Maryhill, we foster social justice through a bike shop, community dinners, art, anti-racism events, and grassroots networking, giving the community a vital voice. “Our Cycling Centre is a proven model for social change. We have piloted similar projects across Scotland with success, even amid hostility. “Our next step is launching an inclusive Cycling Academy to refurbish hundreds of unused bikes, transforming them into accessible transportation and opportunity for communities nationwide. “At the Whitehouse, we will continue fighting – not just for Free Wheel North’s future, but for stronger protections against online mob hate and to defend community projects that improve lives.”
Mr Anderson said the EGM, which will be facilitated by lawyers, offers “hope for a new board and a fresh start” He said: “Together, we can restore Free Wheel North’s mission – to make Scotland a healthier, more inclusive, and joyful place through the power of cycling and social justice.”