Arbroath Town Mission’s new manager has denied any wrongdoing after a sacked former employee missed out on an invite to Buckingham Palace.
The tribunal heard that Age UK sent the invite for the evening reception to mark the 70th birthday of Prince Charles to Arbroath Town Mission – where the charity Age UK still thought Wilma Swankie worked – giving her until April 18 to respond.
Mrs Swankie’s solicitor Nick Whelan said his client didn’t receive the letter until the end of April when it was put through her door in an envelope without a postmark.
The invitation to the evening reception was discussed during an employment tribunal hearing in Dundee on Thursday following former Arbroath Town Mission centre manager Wilma Swankie’s dismissal in June last year.
Mrs Swankie, who had been employed by the organisation since 1987, brought the action on the basis of the Protected Disclosures Act.
The legislation encourages people to report serious wrongdoing in their workplace by providing protection for whistleblowing employees.
Mrs Swankie had raised concerns with Scottish charity regulator OSCR over the Town Mission’s constitution.
She had been a vocal opponent of it being a requirement that Town Mission members belonged to a church, despite this position being confirmed in a board vote.
Giving evidence, new centre manager Moira Milton was asked by Mr Whelan is she remembered receiving the letter which was dated April 4.
She said had put it in an envelope and attached a stamp and forwarded it to Mrs Swankie’s home address in Arbroath using Royal Mail.
She said she forwarded it on “either the same day or the following day”.
“I just scanned it and thought I would forward it on to her,” said Mrs Milton.
She was asked if she had posted it herself by Mr Whelan.
“I can’t remember if I posted it or somebody else posted it,” she replied.
Mr Whelan said: “You didn’t think about putting it through her door to give her time to respond?”
“I didn’t,” she replied.
She also said she didn’t think about phoning Mrs Swankie to tell her about the invite that had been received and the short time she had to reply.
“It wasn’t the case that you were hoping she would miss this invitation?” Mr Whelan asked.
“That didn’t cross my mind,” she replied.
Mrs Milton also denied that she had ever spoken to an Age UK representative about the invitation by phone.
The tribunal, which is being held before employment judge Ian McFatridge, heard the Board deemed that protected status in Mrs Swankie’s case did not apply under the whistleblower act after asking her to withdraw her complaint to the OSCR.
In the end, OSCR did not uphold Mrs Swankie’s complaint after it was withdrawn, but she was subsequently dismissed from her £20,000 a year job as centre manager.
Arbroath Town Mission started in 1830 and currently operates as a church fellowship and a community centre.
The employment tribunal continues.
Correction
An earlier version of this report stated Wilma Swankie, a former employee of the Arbroath Town Mission, had missed out on an invitation to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding because it was not passed on in time by her former employers.
We have been asked to point out that the invitation was to a reception at Buckingham Palace to commemorate Prince Charles’ 70th birthday and to honour inspirational leaders.
