Our Board
Craighalbert
At Craighalbert, we have a committed Board of Trustees who play a vital role in making sure that we achieve our core purpose.
The trustees oversee the overall management and administration of the charity, ensuring that we have a clear strategy and that our work and goals are in line with our vision.
Just as importantly, they support and challenge the Centre leadership team to enable us to grow and thrive, and through this, achieve our mission to enable all children/young people with motor learning difficulties throughout Scotland to develop their cognitive, psychomotor abilities and life skills to improve the quality of their lives and achieve their maximum level of independence.
If you are interested in applying to be a Trustee on our Board please explore Board Vacancies for more information.
Our Board of Trustees meet Quarterly and public minutes of the meetings can be viewed here.
Lesley Anne Vannan
Trustee - Chair
Lesley Anne recently retired from the NHS where she spent over 30 years working in a range of clinical, financial and quality-related roles. She particularly enjoyed working directly with staff to implement changes which improved patient care. Lesley Anne continues to provide support to NHS organisations across a broad range of quality, safety and governance issues. In her spare time, Lesley Anne enjoys gardening, craft work and travelling in her recently converted camper van. “I am honoured to be a Trustee and the current Chair of SCCMI. I am inspired every day by the work the staff do to enable children to achieve their full potential, and enjoy being a part of this kind, collaborative and ambitious organisation.”
Mary Smith
Trustee
Mary is a retired primary school teacher and former Chair of South Lanarkshire Council’s Education Resources Committee. The care , welfare and support of children and young people have been at the heart of both Mary’s professional and political careers and she has always been committed to making a positive difference to their lives. During her tenure as Chair of SLC Education Resources Committee she was involved in the work of COSLA’s Executive Committee for Children and Young People , a Director of Children in Scotland and a member of the Scottish Government’s working party which developed and introduced GIRFEC ( Getting it Right for Every Child). “Joining the Board of the SCCMI has given me the opportunity to continue my work in supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged children and their families and help them overcome the many challenges they face. The Craighalbert Centre offers an essential lifeline to many families and it is an honour and a privilege to be part of the Team.”
Linda Gray
Trustee
Linda grew up in Aberdeen, moved to Glasgow in the seventies, then lived in Staffordshire for a few years before moving back to Scotland and settling in Cumbernauld. At an early stage in her teaching career she decided to specialise in ASN and gained post-graduate diplomas in Autism and Support for Learning. Linda was head teacher of another grant-aided school for 17 years, a self-employed education consultant for a few years, and now volunteer for several charities. “I have a continuing keen interest in the education and well-being of young people with additional support needs, and I share Craighalbert’s ethos and values. Being on the Board has given me the opportunity to support the work of the centre and keep up to date with progress and development of the organisation and the families it supports.”
Mary Morgan
Trustee
Appointed to the SCCMI Board of Trustees in 2014, Mary joined the National Health Service in Scotland in 1982 and subsequently pursued her career in Nursing and NHS management, leading major change programmes across Health and Social Care. Mary has worked as the Director of Strategy, Performance and Service Transformation, Director of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and Director of Health Protection Scotland within NHS National Services Scotland since 2008. She is currently the Chief Executive of NHS National Services Scotland. “Passionate about public service, I joined the SCCMI Board to give something back to the wider community – but I receive much more seeing the work of the Centre and its staff supporting some very special children and their families and playing a part in the governance of the service.”
Kate McMaster
Trustee
Kate grew up and currently lives in Glasgow with her husband and daughter, having also spent some years working in London and a short spell in Greece. She worked in the Pharmaceutical industry for over 20 years, recently giving that up to help care for her daughter who attends Craighalbert school. She also sits on the board of Reverse Rett who fund and drive research forward for treatments for Rett Syndrome. Her role on the Board of Craighalbert is to represent all parents who have children attending Craighalbert. "It’s a great honour to act as Chair to the parent council and help support the work Craighalbert does. I have great ambitions for my daughter and all her classmates. Craighalbert helps in achieving this."
Helen Bauld
Trustee
Helen was the Professional Health Advisor to Scottish Government , Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) Team. She played an integral part in the development of the refreshed GIRFEC policy guidance and provides advice on Paediatric nursing issues within the wider Children and Families Directorate. Helen has worked as a nurse in the NHS for over 40 years with a large part of her career dedicated to children’s health in both hospital and community settings. She has had a wide and varied career to date and has vast experience in the development of new nursing roles and paediatric services. Helen is the current Chair of the Strategic Nursing and Educationalist Nurses Group (SPENS) for Scotland and collaborates with the Royal College of Nursing. She also attends the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and is a trustee for Children’s Health Scotland.
Ross Wight
Trustee
Ross joined our board in Summer 2023. Ross has played a part in supporting and advocating for vulnerable young people in various capacities through his working life within the 3rd sector and education. Through his day job, Ross is currently providing expert advice in all matters relating to education for parents and carers of children and young people with additional support needs in Scotland. He is also scout leader with the Glasgow Disabled Scouts Group. Ross' day job gives him an understanding of the national landscape with regards to the challenges faced and the legal framework to allow for the needs of young people to be met. "I believe in Craighalbert Centre's ambition and vision as the country's leading experts on improving the life chances for young people with motor skills’ challenges, not just within this school, but throughout Scotland and beyond."
Derek Forsyth
Trustee
Derek is a Chartered Accountant and for over 25 years was a partner in a large accountancy firm. After being introduced to Craighalbert by a fellow board member he was delighted to join the board in 2024. As a trustee, Derek is passionate about using his financial expertise to support Craighalbert in achieving its strategic objectives and helping the charity continue to provide support to children with complex communication, learning, health and care needs and their families across Scotland.
Hannah Gray
Trustee
Hannah worked at Enquire – the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning for over 8 years. Previously, she worked for the Scottish Government in Education Policy and as an Employment Support Worker for disabled young adults. She graduated with a degree in Anthropology from the University of Aberdeen. As a child, she grew up with complex health conditions spending a lot of time in hospital which stirred a passion for education for children with health needs. She was chair of the Young People’s Advisory Group for Edinburgh’s Sick Children’s Hospital for several years. Hannah is taking a career break to learn Spanish and is also Trustee for The Scottish Child Law Centre. "I have heard so many great things about Craighalbert’s work in my career and personal life. I know professionally and personally how vital the work of Craighalbert is. It offers a beacon of inspiration and hope for so many professionals and families in ways to help young people achieve their potential. I’m really delighted to join the board to support the wonderful work the Centre does into the future."