Our directors

I am an experienced NHS professional who has worked for over 30 years in the NHS in Scotland and England. I am a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and worked as Director of Finance at NHS Orkney and the Scottish Ambulance Service. In January 2018, I was appointed as Chief Executive of NHS Orkney where I oversaw the completion and commissioning of the Balfour, which serves as the primary health and care facility for the residents of Orkney. Then in June 2020, I retired. In the following January I was appointed as a non-executive director of NHS Highland, taking on the role of vice-chair of the Board from April 2025. I joined VAO as a director in August 2020 and have been chair since August 2022. I am committed to the principles of health and social care integration and the vital role that volunteers, carers and community groups have to play in supporting the statutory services.

I am a retired accountant and I spent my whole career working with charities, social enterprises and other not-for-profit organisations. I also help a number of charities as a volunteer, including being a trustee. When I moved to Orkney in 2022, I was keen to get involved in the charity sector here, and I was recruited to the Board of Directors of Voluntary Action Orkney (VAO). I am now the Treasurer.

I live near Stromness, and I enjoy walking and exploring the islands. I am a member of several walking groups and also enjoy going to the many cultural events that happen here in Orkney.

I am one of the founders of Orkney Creative Hub and we were so grateful to Voluntary Action Orkney (VAO) for providing us with premises back in 2009 when our previous home was closed.

During our occupancy at Bridge Street we were supported in very many ways by the team at VAO and when the suggestion came to join the board I was delighted to agree and return some of the support that we had received.

That was over 10 years ago and I am still pleased to be working with the team at VAO to support the other organisations, both large and small, that create such a lively and wide ranging framework for the whole community within Orkney.

My first profession was nursing - children’s, adult’s and midwifery. I then became a health visitor, working abroad before returning to Orkney in the role. I was a housewife and mother from 1989 until November 1996 when I was elected as Counsellor for the Papdale ward. Until I retired in 2017, I served twice as Chair of Education and once as Vice Chair of Social Work. For a short period, I was also the council’s nominated member on the Orkney Health Board.

After my time in the council, I was asked if I would join the VAO board. As well as a lifelong interest in children’s welfare, health and social condition, I have always valued the work of the voluntary sector. A huge amount of service is provided to the community by volunteers and paid staff. Without the dedication shown by them all, Orkney and its population would not fare so well. It forms a vital part of our community.

After leaving Kirkwall Grammar School, I worked with Ortak for 37 years before joining Orkney Health and Care as a Mobile Community Responder. I then spent the year and half leading up to my retirement as the Tech Peer Mentor at Voluntary Action Orkney (VAO).

I have always done voluntary work of some kind and was a Coastguard Rescue Officer for 47 years. I am a strong believer that we can all help our local community in so many ways and that is why I became a board member of VAO.

I joined the board of Voluntary Action Orkney (VAO) in October 2023. My involvement with VAO began as a Volunteer Development Worker, where I gained an understanding of the organisation's mission, operations and community impact. Now, as a director, I’m thrilled to continue my involvement with the charity in a strategic capacity. I participate in both the Communications and Human Resources subcommittees, where I can draw on my diverse background in arts management, education, and community engagement to help support VAO.

I have worked in the charity and arts sectors for a long time. Before moving to Orkney, I was Director of St Ives School of Painting and am now Business Manager for AccessArt, a national charity providing digital resources for art educators and curriculum support for teachers across the UK.

I work as Director of Advocacy for a national children’s charity, which delivers advocacy services throughout Scotland. I sit as Chair of the National Providers Network, a forum for advocacy providers who have been commissioned by ScotGov to deliver Children’s Hearing Services advocacy throughout Scotland. As well as being on the Board of Voluntary Action Orkney, I am also a Trustee of the Kristin Linklater Voice Foundation and I have been elected as the Scotland Representative for UNISON National Black Members' Committee. I also hold a judicial appointment as a Mental Health Tribunal Service (MHTS) Legal Convener.

I joined the Board of VAO, because it is crucial that the third sector develops and grows, by sharing knowledge and experience to sustain, support and develop key organisations and key talent.

I joined the board of Voluntary Action Orkney (VAO) in July 2024. I am a resident of Stromness and have worked for Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) in the Orkney area team since 1995. My current role is Head of Strengthening Communities which involves supporting community groups, development trusts and other social enterprises. I sit on many local partnerships including Community Planning, Community Learning & Development and the Local Action Group (LAG) for the Orkney Community Led Local Development (CLLD) fund, which I currently Chair.

I have worked closely with VAO and have been involved in supporting a number of VAO led initiatives, including working on the initial funding applications to develop the Island Wellbeing Project. Through this close working I developed an understanding of, and respect for, the work of VAO and I am delighted to be able to bring my knowledge and experience of community development to the Board.