Buchanan Trust Estate
Beaconhill Farm is located on the Buchanan Trust Estate.
The Buchanan Trust (originally called the Bosbury Trust) was created after the First World War by Robert Buchanan, in memory of his eldest son, Alan, who died in Belgium in 1915. The objective of this charitable Trust is to assist ex-servicemen become settled in agriculture. However, since the Local County Council – Hereford took over the Trusteeship of the Charity in 1972 – very few ex-servicemen have been permitted to benefit.
Despite John being a fully qualified beneficiary of the Trust the County Council decided at some point around 2005 to remove John from his farm. This was because of his criticisms of the unfair way they were running the Charity.
However, John refused to go and so ended up becoming a squatter on his farm and home from July 2006 until March 2011 when the Trustee was forced by the Charities Commission to reinstate him.
As direct consequence of John’s complaints; the Charities Commission tried to make the County Council mend its ways and run the Charity as they should. In February 2009 they were instructed by the Charity Commission to run the charity in a manner befitting a charity i.e. “to assist ex-servicemen become settled in agriculture.” Unfortunately, on this point the Trustee refused to comply and simply wasted over 3 years of everyone’s time with their most recent attempt to maintain the Status Quo – in other words – Nepotism is still the controlling factor!
The only changes the Council propose is that the unqualified wealthy local farmers (with council connections) are to keep their tenancies. However, they will be encouraged to keep ex-service personnel as their servants as the Council will build huts for the ex-service beneficiaries enabling them to become employees of the unqualified and non entitled beneficiaries etc
Needless to say, John is therefore still ‘at war’ with the Trustee!!! Watch this space!!!!
Update June 2012 The Trustee has requested we publish these two press releases issued by Herefordshire Council:
Update 2018 – the Trust was been taken out of the hands of Herefordshire Council and New Trustees appointed in May 2016. Has anything got any better? Not obviously. John is going to update this page very soon!