Jan-Bert van den Berg, EVOC Convenor
Jan-Bert has worked for Artlink for over 25 years. Artlink supports the right to participate in cultural life regardless of disability and promotes diversity by drawing on lived experiences to inform arts responses which are relevant and enduring. He is a member of the TSSG and Compact and firmly believes that the Third Sector has an important role to play in constructively and assertively contributing to building sustainable communities. He also likes to run marathons.
Joan Fraser, ELTF Board Member
Joan is the former Convenor of EVOC and former Chair of Edinburgh and Lothian Trust Fund. She is a Trustee of the Energy People Trust which funds projects aimed at alleviating fuel poverty, especially in relation to children, young people and families. Recent past experience includes chairing EVOC’s Network of Voluntary Organisations for Children, Young People and Families and representing the Network on a number of multi-agency partnership groupings, including the Children’s Partnership. Other past appointments include Chair of The Yard, Non-executive Board Member of NHS Health Scotland and Vice-chair of Polmont Prison Visiting Committee.
Joan has considerable experience in the charity sector and a particular interest in support for disadvantaged young people. She has a background in health, education and social policy development in the public sector.
Adam began his career with Deloitte, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1999. Whilst in practice, he worked with a range of clients in both the public and private sector. Subsequently Adam has pursued a career in senior Finance roles for Financial Services organisations, firstly with Lloyds Banking Group and currently with Virgin Money, where he is Head of Group Planning and Analysis.
In 2006 he took a 6 month career break to travel with his wife, finishing up in rural Malawi where he volunteered with several organisations to help them develop more robust financial systems. Upon his return to Edinburgh Adam became a member of the Scotland Malawi Partnership going on to serve as an active member of their Finance and Audit Committee for 6 years.
Andrew Marshall-Roberts, Abellio
Born in Edinburgh, Andrew currently works for ScotRail, heading up collaborative working and the Partnership Centre of Excellence.
He has extensive CSR experience gained as Group Head of Corporate Responsibility for Standard Life plc (Joining in 1997, responsible for developing and implementing the group’s CSR strategy, board and executive committees and running the various charitable committees and funds). Other roles include Interim CEO of the Financial Services Skills Council, Scottish Business in the Community (Developing CSR with SMEs) and Subject Matter Expert to Ernst & Young (establishing the Ernst & Young Foundation). His work in CSR has seen him working with the EC on issues such as Active Ageing, speaking at closed policy debates with the EC, UN and governments. He has been a Board Director of several charities: Waverley Care, Standard Life Anniversary Appeal, The Pregnancy Support Centre at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Standard Life Charitable Trust, Resilient Scotland Limited and Voluntary Action Fund. He currently is a member of the Development Advisory Group for Place2Be.
Carole Kelly, Positive Realities
Carole is founder and CEO of Positive Realities, a charity (SCIO) supporting transition into adulthood for young people and their families in Edinburgh. With almost 30 years’ experience across the voluntary and public sector in Scotland she has a background in service design, procurement and management as well as strategic development and sustainability of voluntary sector organizations. Her expertise includes mental health and well-being, disability and carer support as well as preventative and asset-based services.
Carole has served on various committees including those convened by the European Union, National Children’s Bureau and Scottish Government and has established and chaired relevant partnerships including Edinburgh Carer Network, Midlothian Council Social Services benchmarking group and Enquire the national advice service on additional support needs at Children in Scotland. She has a PhD in relocation of older people, a social policy degree and is currently completing a Masters in Business Information Technology. She has two adolescent children and her hobbies include music, Pilates and patchworking.
Chris Smith, Gillespie Macandrew
Chris is lead partner in the corporate department at Gillespie Macandrew and is dual-qualified in Scotland and in England & Wales. He joined the firm as a trainee in 1992 and became a partner in 2002. He has substantial experience assisting clients with mergers and acquisitions and corporate structures for projects, as well as expertise in intellectual property matters and advising businesses in the high tech and food and drink sectors.
Chris has a particular interest in advising family businesses, having grown up in a family business. He works in concert with our land, succession planning and tax specialists to ensure an integrated approach to our advice for family businesses.
Chris is actively involved with Business Gateway’s support services for early-stage businesses, and acts as a volunteer mentor to young entrepreneurs for the Prince’s Trust Youth Business Scotland.
Outside the office, Chris’s interests include singing in a choir, creative writing and live music, particularly the blues.
Gwenn McCreath, Health in Mind
I’ve been Chief Executive at Health in Mind for thirteen years, finding it both challenging and interesting, with good insight and learning. I’ve kept myself updated on wider strategic issues through my current involvement on the Board of Royal Blind and until recently, Volunteer Scotland. I am a great believe in the power of volunteers and felt privileged to work with so many fantastic and impressive staff and volunteers over the years.
I hope my local experience, combined with my previous experience with RNIB, Capability Scotland and OXFAM, where I worked at national level, give me a strategic perspective and local insight which would be useful on the EVOC Board. I would like to contribute to the sustainability of local organisations, which play such a vital role in our communities today.
Jenny MacDonald, The Yard Adventure Centre
As Head of Fundraising and Communications at The Yard, I lead a small team with a target of over £1 million this year. As part of the Senior Management Team, I am responsible for leading the strategic direction and growth of both fundraising and communications. In the five years in post I have overseen the significant growth of income, averaging 30% increase per year. I have also developed a sound understanding of the needs of children and families with disabilities. Prior to my role at The Yard, I was Head of Fundraising at Fairbridge in Scotland, so I have a clear passion and understanding of the needs of the youth sector. I recently completed a three-year tenure as a Trustee of Venture Scotland.
Pamela is an HR manager with 24 years public sector HR experience where she managed large HR teams responsible for providing HR advice, HR Admin and Payroll Services. Pamela led several successful HR projects influencing and management change effectively.
As Head of HR and member of the Senior Management Team with Poppyscotland since 2015, Pamela is responsible for the charities HR function, Administration, Health & Safety, Data Protection and the Board Secretarial function.
She is currently involved in Project Boards dealing with refurbishment of the Edinburgh site and acting as the GDPR Project lead. Pamela is an effective manager who works well as part of a team or her own.
Rhona qualified as a social worker 30 years ago. The first half of her career was in statutory social work (children and families) working for Fife Council before taking up posts with the City of Edinburgh Council. Rhona moved to the voluntary sector in 2001 where she worked for Action for Children, setting up and managing a young people’s drug and alcohol service. Rhona then moved to Scottish Drugs Forum to their Quality Development Team before coming to Circle in February 2012 initially as Project Manager with the Harbour Project. Rhona took up the post of Operations Manager in September 2015 and has now been appointed to Chief Executive and will be taking up her post in January 2017.
