Voluntary Action Fund

Trustees

Dave Milliken, Chair

Having worked in the legal profession for 5 years, I moved into the voluntary sector in 1980.  This was initially in the independent advice sector and I was manager of Rights Office Fife until 1997.  I am now Scottish Director of Home-Start UK, a role which I thoroughly enjoy.  Home-Start serves 32 very diverse communities throughout Scotland.

 

Dorothy MacLauchlin, Vice Chair

Most of my working life has been spent in the voluntary sector, managing projects covering family support, working with carers, working in faith based organisations to develop church building into a community facility.  This brought me into contact with the Asylum Seeking community.  I also spent some time working in a residential establishment for dementia sufferers.  Currently I am employed as part time Almoner for the Merchant Company of Edinburgh where I visit and support almost 400 beneficiaries and assess new referrals.  My greatest joy is in my new role as a first time Grandmother!

Michael Cunningham, Treasurer

Michael is an Accountant who works for Forward Scotland, a charity that promotes sustainable development. He is also Director of Bancep Ltd; a charity that operates a day centre for older people in his native Lanarkshire and he sits on the management committee of Braveheart, a visionary organisation which helps people cope with cornary heart disease by taking them on supervised walks. Michael also sits on the grants panel of the Scottish Community Foundation, having previously been a volunteer assessor with the foundation. Outwith his commitments, he enjoys cooking and cycling, but not at the same time.

Stuart McGregor

Stuart has been a Trustee with VAF for almost 10 years. He started out his working life in retail management, but quickly saw the light and joined the field of Community Education. With a real interest in community development and adult education, he has spent most of his working life in the Voluntary Sector, managing a local charity for older people in South Lanarkshire for the last 15 years. The main focus of his work is around adult education for older people along with programmes of volunteering, delivering services by older people for older people. He was involved at Board-level with the inception of Learning Link Scotland and in the early days of the National Lottery Fund, he served as an External Assessor in the first few rounds of funding. His voluntary activity these days is confined to being Chair of the PTA at the School that his children attend and being a part-time taxi service for his children and all their activities.

Pam Judson

Pam Judson is a self-employed fundraising consultant and trainer who works with small to medium sized community based voluntary organisations in Scotland and overseas.  She is the author of several publications about fundraising and generation of income from friends and members groups.

 

 

Abigail Mordin

I have worked in the community and voluntary sector for about 10 years.  My experiences have brought me into contact with a wide range of people from all walks of life.  My skills are pretty diverse, though I specialise in environmental and community gardening activities, which in turn lead to inclusiveness and cross-cultural understanding.  I love the work I do, which is why I have become involved with VAF.

Helen Munro

30 years of experience in local government have given the experience in a wide range of fields – community development and engagement; special needs education; community care, not to mention libraries, sport and even cemeteries.  Now retired, I am involved in the governance of a range of organisations in the fields of volunteering, alcohol counselling and learning disability and am myself a volunteer on the local Children’s Panel.  World-wide travel and being an indulgent Grandmother take up the rest of my time.

Laurie Naumann

Employed for the biggest part of my life in the housing and homelessness field for the Scottish Council for the Single Homeless.  Largely involved in campaigning nationally and locally, networking, research and development. Seconded to The Scottish Office as a social work inspector for three years working closely with the development of the Voluntary Issues Unit.  Chaired the Active Communities Working Group for the Scottish Executive.  A member for nine years until 2008 of the Social Security Advisory Committee.  Since 2000 a member of the Polmont YOI Visiting Committee.  Undertaken development work in Russia and Hungary of volunteering and voluntary sector development issues since 1999.

Julie Hogg

I have been a Director of Partners in Advocacy for over a year.  Before that I was Operations Partnership Manager for Project Scotland, worked for the Big Lottery Fund for over 10 years and was Head of Fundraising for Age Concern Scotland.  I have also been a Board Member of Edinburgh and Lothian’s Council on Alcohol and CVS Fife.  I love a challenge, juggling multiple tasks to tight deadlines, and changing negatives to positives.  Problem solving is a must.  Combining motor biking, foreign travel, wine and good food is my idea of heaven.  Living in Fife but as a foreigner from Edinburgh!

Ron Daniel

Ron's working life began in the Public Sector with the Ministry of Defence and the Scottish Office in a variety of technical and managerial posts. He then moved to the Private Sector, initially as a Management Consultant and Trainer, then as a Director of Human Resources before returning to management consultancy until his retirement. Since his late 20's he has served as a volunteer for a wide variety of organisations, including charities for the blind, the long-term unemployed and victims of crime. He was National Chair of Victim Support Scotland between 2003 and 2009. Ron has also been a Councillor and Magistrate.

Caron Hughes

I began my voluntary sector career in 1995, working for a regeneration project in West Fife.  Having studied for a management qualification and a degree in Community Education I began to work in community development.  Since the beginning of my voluntary sector career, I have always been interested in voluntary sector governance, group dynamics, accountability and quality standards.  I now specialise in governance and compliance.  I currently work as Trustee Development Consultant for Home-Start UK with a Scotland wide remit.
I also volunteer in the community of Benarty, where I am Secretary of my local community forum and I'm very active in progressing many of the initiatives the Forum are involved in.
I am passionate, very committed and very optimistic about my work and about life in general.  I believe that we all have something to contribute to making this world a better place for everyone to live and so I'm playing my part!  I believe VAF's vision and mission are consistent with my own values and aspirations and these are what attracted me to trusteeship of VAF.

Jonathan Squire

Retired Clinical Advisory and Former Chair of Greater Glasgow Mental Health Partnership Forum and Staff Representative of Former Greater Glasgow Primary Care Trust Board.  Former Regional Officer of Unison Glasgow.  Chair of Board of Directors of Ethnic Minorities Law Centre.  Over the years I have served in many voluntary organisations in various roles.  I have a Postgraduate Diploma in Information System Engineering. My main interests are in management and employee relations.

Farkhanda Chaudhry

Coming soon