Saltire Society

A special reception hosted this week by the Secretary of State for Scotland at Dover House was the venue for the London launch of the new Saltire Society Trust. With combined assets of £2 million, the trust was launched in November last year to help foster new and existing cultural talent. Our aim is to increase the trust to £5m by St Andrew’s Day 2016.

Hopefully, the Dover House reception will spearhead a new series of Saltire Society events in London.

The aim will be to stimulate interest in Scotland’s arts and culture south of the Border and to identify new patrons interested in contributing to our ambitious fundraising goal.

This takes place against the heartening backdrop of a new opinion poll commissioned by the Saltire Society showing that almost four in five Scots consider Scottish arts and culture to be important to the Scottish economy.

Scotland’s distinctive arts, heritage and culture are important in themselves.

But they are also a crucial contributor to our economic success and a valuable export. Initiatives such as the Saltire Society Trust exist to ensure that our culture continues to thrive and this economic contribution is sustained for years to come.

Magnus Linklater

The Saltire Society

High Street

Edinburgh