Susan Lowes

Susan Lowes has been appointed policy and public affairs manager, Scotland at Marie Curie Cancer Care. Prior to her new appointment Lowes was policy and engagement officer at Voluntary Health Scotland where she focussed on promoting collaboration between third and statutory sectors across a range of policy areas. She was previously project officer at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, project worker at the Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health. She has also worked previously at Scotland Malawi Partnership and Children’s Hospice Association Scotland.

Brian Dow

National mental health charity Rethink Mental Illness has appointed Brian Dow as its new director of external affairs. Dow joins the charity after a spell as director of communications at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. In his new role he will lead the charity’s campaigning, communications and fundraising work. He will also oversee its involvement with the Time to Change anti-stigma campaign, which the charity runs in partnership with Mind. Dow has over two decades of experience of working in the media and with charities including at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (now Action on Hearing Loss), Shelter, Action for M.E, INDICT and The Children’s Food Trust.

Jane Harris

The National Autistic Society has appointed Jane Harris as director of external affairs and social change. She will start in early January 2015. Harris, currently managing director of campaigns and engagement at Leonard Cheshire Disability, was previously associate director of communications and campaigns at Rethink Mental Illness, chaired the campaigns group of the Mental Health Alliance and was part of the leadership team for the Time to Change campaign.

Iain Hutchison

Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance has appointed Iain Hutchinson as its first volunteer regional ambassador for Perth. Hutchison is the managing director of global drilling engineering consultants Merlin ERD. His appointment is the latest step in the air ambulance charity setting up a nationwide network of ambassadors. Hutchison is known for being a passionate aviator and has built his own replica Spitfire which he flies out of Perth Airport.