The following statement is from the Review Group set up to examine the RSPBA’s Pipe Band College, myself, John MacInnes and Robert Wallace. We felt clarification was needed regarding claims made publicly by former Pipe Band College Piping Principal Jim Campbell.
We were particularly concerned about the suggestion that the review lacked credibility and integrity, and failed to communicate with any Pipe Band College member. [Read Mr Campbell’s comments here.]
By Alistair Aitken OBE
The independent review of the Pipe Band College was commissioned by the RSPBA in December 2023 and the Terms of Reference were agreed unanimously by the Board of Directors at the outset. RSPBA member pipe bands were informed by the Association that the review had been commissioned.
They were also informed of the members of the Review Team, who had been invited to undertake the review in view of their considerable experience of the RSPBA and of education and training at national and local levels.
At the first meeting of the Review Team with the then RSPBA Chairman and Chief Executive on 28th February 2024, it was minuted that interviews would be necessary with the College Principals and others associated with the College; but before the interview stage it was agreed that it would be necessary for the Review Team to gather as much information as possible about the activities of the College leading up to the review.
This was undertaken by means of a questionnaire to all member pipe bands, a separate questionnaire to all Directors, and a request to RSPBA Headquarters staff for statistical and financial data. This work was undertaken during 2024 and took much longer than anticipated through no fault of the Review Team.
In March 2025 the RSPBA Directors took the decision to cancel the review completely and no reason was given to the Review Team. At the same time the Team were asked if they would be willing to provide a summary of the work undertaken prior to the cancellation, to possibly help consideration by the Directors of the future direction of the College.
The Review Team agreed this request on the understanding that the information would be shared with member pipe bands in due course as the bands had been notified of the review at the outset. The Review Team prepared a Summary Report which they preferred to present at a face-to-face meeting with the Directors.
This meeting was planned initially for October 2025 but was subsequently delayed until 10th January 2026, when the Summary Report was formally presented. Since that time the Review Team has had no contact with the RSPBA regarding the review and has no knowledge of whether any information they provided has been shared with the member pipe bands.
- Read also ‘What is Wrong With the Pipe Band College‘ , ‘RSPBA Hit Back Over College Claims’, ‘Strategic Reset of Pipe Band College’.
