Find out who has a new job in the voluntary sector in our Goodmovers round-up
Alan McGinley
Alan McGinley has joined the team at Voluntary Health Scotland (VHS), picking up the reins from Susan Lowes (now with Marie Curie), as policy engagement officer. His job will be to engage with VHS members and other stakeholders on policy issues and around public affairs. Prior to VHS Alan was policy and public affairs manager with Diabetes Scotland and before that worked with Carers Scotland, Age Scotland and as a community development worker in Lanarkshire. He was on the original board of VHS and also claims to have acted alongside the current Dr Who in a very unfunny French play.
Jenni McCartney
Samaritans has elected Jenni McCartney as its new chair of trustees. Jenni is a long-standing volunteer with the charity and is regional director for the south. She replaced Stephen Hoddell, who stepped down after holding the post for three years. Jenni, a business development consultant, spent her early life in Scotland and has volunteered with the organisation for over 25 years. On taking up her new post she said she looked forward to building on the “great work” of her predecessor.
John Beaton
Mental health charity Birchwood Highland has appointed John Beaton as the Highlands’ first peer support worker. The role involves John sharing his own experience with mental illness to help others in recovery. Over the past three years he has become a peer support advocate in a voluntary role with HUG Action for Mental Health and was invited to sit on the national strategy board for the Scottish Recovery Network. Along with his work at Birchwood Highland Beaton consults as a recovery activist to NHS Highland, the social work department and the Scottish Government.
Ian Grimwade
Homelessness charity Edinburgh Cyrenians has announced the appointment of Ian Grimwade as head of business development, a newly created senior role in the charity. Ian joins the charity after three and a half years as head of new business development at Edinburgh Leisure. Prior to seven years working in the golf business in the UK and the USA, Ian had 13 years of experience in the software industry. He is also a board member of the Scottish Disabled Golf Partnership. Ewan Aitken, chief executive of Edinburgh Cyrenians, said the creation of the new post is part of Cyrenians’ strategy to face austerity measures head on rather than battening down the hatches.
