Erskine has appointed Derek Barron as its new director of care. He joins the veterans’ charity from North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership where he was the lead nurse and associate director of mental health services in NHS Ayrshire and Arran. He worked in Ayrshire for eight years apart from a nine month spell working in NHS Orkney as interim executive director of nursing, midwifery and allied health professions. Previously Derek also worked in Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board where for over 20 years he had a variety of roles, latterly as the nurse director in the mental health partnership. Derek is also a visiting senior lecturer at the University of Abertay where he teaches on the MSc in mental health nursing. He is currently on the Nursing and Midwifery Council professional strategic advisory group plus the editorial board of the British Journal of Mental Health Nursing.

Brigadier George Lowder MBE has been appointed as the new chairman of Scottish Veterans Residences (SVR), taking over the role from Major General Mark Strudwick CBE who has stepped down after serving at the helm of the charity for the past 15 years. George is currently chief executive of Transport for Edinburgh, a role he took on earlier this year. Prior to this he served in defence for almost 35 years. He was commissioned into The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) in 1981 and has commanded at every level from platoon to brigade. His last appointment was as the director of defence intelligence operations, responsible for global operations, across the enterprise. Along with his new role at SVR, George remains a deputy colonel and trustee of The Royal Regiment of Scotland and a trustee of the Royal Scots.

The Marine Conservation Society, the UK charity that cares for our seas, shores and wildlife, has announced the appointment of a new chief executive. Sandy Luk is currently director of programmes at leading environmental law NGO ClientEarth. As part of the team that built the organisation, she brings vast experience of marine and fisheries issues, and a record of managing a successful and high-achieving team. She is due to start in the second half of October.