Layla Theiner has been appointed to Disability Agenda Scotland (DAS) to lead on influencing campaigns and policy at the highest levels. DAS is an alliance of Scotland’s major disability organisations. Layla joined DAS in February 2016 with over 12 years of policy, campaigns and wider communications experience, most recently as head of public affairs and campaigning at Cancer Research UK. Layla will be hosted by Enable Scotland, which runs the DAS project on behalf of the partner charities. She will be working with the member organisations and the people they support, as well as other partners, across policy and campaigns, to focus on the issues that will have the most impact for people living with disabilities.

Liberty has appointed campaigner and barrister Martha Spurrier as its new director, replacing Shami Chakrabarti, who announced she was standing down earlier this year. Martha comes to Liberty with an exceptional track record in defending people’s rights, raising awareness of threats to fundamental freedoms and holding the state to account for neglect, abuse and mistreatment. She will join Liberty from Doughty Street Chambers, where she has specialised in defending access to justice and the rights of women, children and disabled people. As a barrister, Martha has acted for bereaved families seeking answers after loved ones have died in state care, represented victims of rape, domestic violence and trafficking who have been failed by the police, and challenged attempts to curb press freedom and protest rights.

The Nazareth Trust, a UK-based charity operating in Israel, has appointed a new chief executive to run operations there. Richard Mayhew has worked for Christian organisations for many years and is already based in the Holy Land – making him an ideal choice for The Nazareth Trust. The trust has its roots in Scotland through the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society and operates from a UK base in the north east of England.

Mercy Ships UK has appointment Lea Milligan as its new Executive Director. Milligan will join Mercy Ships UK on 1 July 2016, following the retirement of Judy Polkinhorn who has led the charity for over a decade. Lea is currently chief operating officer at City Gateway and has 10 years of experience working in the charity sector, developing custodial and community projects that supported some of the most disadvantaged in society through education, resettlement and targeted family support. He is a passionate communicator and hopes to use this and his experience as a senior leader to take up this new challenge.