The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Caledonian Exchange, 19A Canning Street, Edinburgh EH3 8EG.
Board of Trustees
SCVO is governed by a Board of Trustees. Our trustees play a key role in making sure that SCVO stays true to its mission and values, serving the interests of our members and the wider voluntary sector.
Most of our board members are elected from our membership. 5 trustees - including our Convener - have been co-opted to bring special skill sets to the group. On this page, you'll find more information about our board members.
Current board members
Richard Jennings
Convener
Richard has been Convener of SCVO since December 2023 and brings a wealth of experience in senior leadership, governance and strategic planning to our organisation. As well as having a passion for the role of the voluntary sector in Scotland’s social and economic fabric and an understanding of the challenges the sector is currently facing, Richard has a strong track record in a variety of roles in the voluntary, public and private sectors. These roles include time at Volunteer Scotland, East Lothian Council, Places for People, and in professional services firms including KPMG and PWC, in both an executive and non-executive capacity.
Farha Jamadar
SCVO Treasurer
Head of Finance, Todd Doors Ltd
Farha Jamadar ACMA CGMA is a Senior Chartered Global Management Accountant within the commercial and construction industry, with a passion for charity.
An advocate for the development of technology in the future of finance and the changes it brings, ensuring technology and information is utilised in the most impactful way possible.
Farha is currently in training to become a football coach for young girls. When she isn’t volunteering, she can be found jumping out of planes for amazing causes!
Kim Atkinson
CEO, Scottish Sports Association (SSA)
Kim is a passionate and experienced leader, CEO, Chair and influential advocate of the sector’s power and potential.
Working across 13 Government teams and respected by all political parties, Kim brings extensive experience of sharing the member voice in developing policy, shaping strategy and informing national priorities.
As CEO (SSA) and former Chair (ACOSVO), Kim understands membership organisations and understands that SCVO’s role has never been more needed as the sector continues to face significant challenges and opportunities. Passionate about the potential of SCVO and our members, Kim is committed to playing her part in positioning the voluntary sector as Scotland’s first sector.
Kenny Steele
Chief Executive Officer, Highland Hospice
Kenny is Chief Executive Officer of Highland Hospice and has served in this role since 2011. He was a Director and Chair of Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care between 2012-18. He has a first degree in Ecological Science and spent much of his career in the environment sector including Paths For all Partnership (now Walking Scotland) where he founded the walking for health initiative. He completed a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and moved into health sector management, initially as a General Manager for Raigmore Acute Hospital before joining Highland Hospice. Kenny is also currently the Chair of Highland Third Sector Interface (HTSI).
Kenny is a strong advocate for a more strategic and central role for the voluntary sector in tackling the crisis in health and social care by focussing on local, placed based solutions which will also deliver on wider determinants of inequality.
Allison Barr
Chief Executive, Team Jak Foundation
Allison is Chief Executive and Co-founder of Team Jak which was created from the wishes of her 15 year old son Jak before he died in 2015, to support children and young people with cancer, their families, friends and those bereaved throughout Scotland.
Before this Allison was a Primary teacher for 23 years latterly specialising in music, and her school choirs were well known for winning several National Competitions and performing at events. She also created Star Harmonies Musical Theatre Company in 2012 which is now run by her daughter Aimie, also a Primary teacher.
Having set up a charity through lived experience, Allison hopes she can bring what she has learned to hopefully help and encourage others on this journey.
She is passionate about the Third Sector and ensuring our voices are heard and actioned in partnership with Scottish Government, Education and NHS, ensuring our causes are supported appropriately.
Chris Platt
Chief Executive, Montrose Community Trust
Chris is Chief Executive of Montrose Community Trust, one of Scotland’s most progressive community-led organisations, using the power of sport, culture and place to drive impact across health, wellbeing, employability, climate action and community development.
With a background spanning education, strategy and the third sector, Chris has led significant organisational growth, large-scale capital development and innovative partnerships at local, regional and national level. He is currently overseeing the delivery of a £2m community regeneration project and a portfolio of programmes supporting over 15,000 people annually.
Alongside his executive role, Chris runs a small charity consultancy supporting heritage and community organisations and serves as a trustee of Angus Rural Partnerships and Montrose Playhouse. He is passionate about collaboration and ensuring the third sector is both values-driven and fit for the future.
Carolyn Lochhead
Director of External Affairs, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA)
Carolyn is Director of External Affairs at SFHA, having joined the organisation in August 2021. She leads SFHA’s work on policy, media and member communications and political engagement.
Before joining SFHA she headed communications and campaigning at the mental health charity SAMH, where she led award-winning campaigns on children and young people’s mental health and on suicide prevention.
Earlier in her career she held policy and research roles at the Scottish Funding Councils and the Bank of England’s Agency for Scotland. She is also the chair of her local community council.
Debbie Adams
Director of Development and External Affairs at Victim Support Scotland
Debbie is currently Director of Development and External Affairs at Victim Support Scotland. Prior to that she was director for Scotland and Northern Ireland for The Conservation Volunteers - a charity whose mission is to connect people with the lasting individual and community benefits of greenspace engagement while improving those spaces for nature and the environment. She has worked in senior leadership roles in the private and voluntary sector and started her career as a youth and community worker in Paisley.
From a young age, Debbie was involved in community organisations and knows the value of local volunteers creating opportunities for their communities. She was interested in being on the Board of SCVO because a strong voice for the sector has never been more needed. The organisation strives to represent, support and celebrate all shapes and sizes of the voluntary sector and each organisation is stronger by being part of that larger umbrella that SCVO provides.
Jonathan Christie
Chief executive, Cabrach Trust
Jonathan joined the SCVO Board in June 2022, relishing the opportunity to play a small part supporting and promoting Scotland’s vibrant, critically important voluntary sector. Jonathan is Chief Executive of The Cabrach Trust, a rural development charitable trust on the border between West Aberdeenshire and Moray. With responsibility for leading the trust’s community regeneration strategy, Jonathan leads a small team and associated programme of important projects, including start-up of a one-of-a-kind social enterprise, The Cabrach Distillery CIC.
As former Deputy UK Director at The Wood Foundation where he served for ten years, Jonathan has a wealth of experience in third sector leadership and grant making. Prior to which his early career focused on working alongside vulnerable individuals, groups, and communities across Scotland. In his spare time Jonathan can be found with his family up a hill, on a Hebridean beach, or coaching his son’s football team.
Ben Supple
Deputy chief executive, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
Ben is Deputy Chief Executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the wildlife conservation charity which runs Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park, where his role includes fundraising, stakeholder engagement, visitor experience and business development.
He is also a trustee of the charity Capability Scotland and has previous board experience with Keep Scotland Beautiful and Children in Scotland.
Having started his career as a journalist with DC Thomson, Ben has spent most of his career in the voluntary sector, including more than a decade with the Scottish SPCA.
Steven Marwick
Performance and impact advisor, Inspiring Scotland's Equality and Human Rights Fund
Steven's day job is Performance and Impact Advisor with Inspiring Scotland's Equality and Human Rights Fund. He has a long history of working with and in the voluntary sector. He worked in Scottish Government Third Sector Unit and the National Lottery Community Fund and then for almost 19 years led Evaluation Support Scotland – a voluntary sector organisation that supports the sector and funders to measure and explain their impact.
He has been a trustee on a number of voluntary sector boards including Volunteer Edinburgh (as chair), the Association of Chief Officers of Voluntary Organisations and Eczema Outreach Support. In his spare time Steven enjoys running, swimming and going to concerts – though not all at the same time!
Board meeting minutes
Join our board
We're inviting nominations from our membership community so we can hold a vote at our AGM in December to fill two trustee vacancies
Fiona Gillespie
Head of charities, Scotland, Rathbones Investment Management
Fiona’s career of almost 30 years has been in the investment industry managing portfolios for a range of different charities and other clients. Before heading up the charities team across Rathbones’ Scottish offices, she worked at Anderson Strathern Asset Management for a few years, and with Aberdeen Asset Management. Outwith her day job, she sits as a trustee on the board of three other organisations, all extremely interesting and focused on distributing grants for a range of causes and purpose.
She is also active in working with Future Asset who look to promote the investment industry to senior school age girls as an interesting and rewarding career path. Fiona is a mum of one son in second year of Edinburgh University, who is almost grown up (but never in her eyes)!
Sean Duffy
The Wise Group
Sean currently serves as the Chief Executive of the Wise Group, where he has spearheaded a successful transformation encompassing technical, cultural, and financial aspects. Renowned for his positivity, dynamism, and innovation, Sean is a forward-thinking business leader with a proven track record of fostering values-based partnerships. His focus lies in nurturing impactful collaborations aimed at addressing some of society's most pressing challenges.
Prior to his role at the Wise Group, Sean held the position of Commercial Director at Newsquest Scotland. He boasts an impressive senior leadership background, having contributed significantly to organisations such as FirstGroup, National Express, and STV Group.
Sean is actively involved in various boards, including the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), St Andrews Links Trust, The Open University (OU), and the Advisory Board of Strathclyde Business School. Notably, he recently assumed the role of Chair at the Donaldson Trust, advocating for neurodiversity across governmental and societal spheres. Sean holds an MBA with Distinction from Strathclyde Business School.
Gillian Reid-McKee
Depute Chief Executive, Routes to Work
An experienced third sector leader, Gillian is inspired by the power of voluntary organisations and the collective impact of the sector. As Depute CEO at Routes to Work and a career working across the third sector, she has been dedicated to serving charitable purpose across social justice issues.
Skilled in developing strategy, embedding quality and delivering impact, along with experience in charitable governance, Gillian is committed to leading change in the sector with a focus on culture, development and delivery.
Previously the Committee Chair for Carers Trust Scotland, and currently a volunteer mentor within a secondary school, Gillian has now joined SCVO’s Board of Trustees where she is set to play her part in the continued development and strengthening of capacity, skills and visibility of Scotland’s voluntary sector.
Ashley Ryan
Ashley Ryan is the Director of ENABLE Works – one of the three pillars of the ENABLE Group. Leading one of the largest and most successful employment support teams in Scotland, Ashley is responsible for an income of £10million, 135 employees and her team supports more than 5,500 people who have learning disabilities or barriers to work to develop their employment skills.
Ashley joined ENABLE more than a decade ago and has worked in a variety of roles before her appointment as the Director of ENABLE Works in 2021.An innovative leader, Ashley heads up a dynamic and thriving department, with a reputation for excellence and a proven track record of success in pioneering innovative and inclusive programmes which support our clients to achieve well paid, sustainable careers.
Crucial to the success of ENABLE Works is the ongoing support the team provides to employees and employers to boost job retention with more than 650 paid roles secured in 2022/23. The team directly supports employers to adjust workplaces in practice while providing mentoring to employees with disabilities.
Furthering her commitment to the sector, Ashley sits on the board of the Third Sector Employability Forum Executive Group representing the voluntary sector in an advisory capacity to inform Scottish policy and procurement in relation to the employability and skills sector.
A passionate advocate for equality and social justice, Ashley is also a non-executive Director and Chair of Paws for Progress, an organisation which supports young people in custody to work with rescue dogs to help them to build better lives.
Awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship in Education from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, in 2023 Ashley will embark on an exciting international practice sharing research project, exploring successful approaches to inclusive education in USA.
Sue McKillop
Sue has worked in and around the third sector for more than 25 years, beginning as a volunteer with Children’s Befrienders then taking up a volunteer position in Citizens Advice before becoming a paid employee.
Other organisations Sue has been involved with include Family Mediation where she took a role as a Mediator. She also held the role as Development Officer and also Support Officer for Argyll and Bute Rape Crisis. From 2005 to 2015 Sue held several positions within the Scottish Children’s Panel Advisory Committee including Vice Chair, Chair and Deputy Convenor. Sue currently works with and alongside most of these organisations to this day.
Sue is currently a trainer and facilitator with Versus Arthritis and is the Chief Operating Officer with Scenic Sandbank. Scenic Sandbank recently purchased an area of land for a Community Garden within the Sandbank Village. With the land in community hands, they are creating an area in which all residents regardless of age, physical or mental health can come together to build pride in the community and also improve their surroundings. They envisage an area of tranquillity, harmony and friendship which will improve mental health and wellbeing amongst the users.