“Through my career it has become clear that we cannot solve social, economic and environmental issues separately"
Foundation Scotland has welcomed a new chair, following the departure of Barry Sillers after eight dedicated years.
Mamta Patel has been a trustee of the grant-giver for three years and has extensive professional and personal experience which she will bring to her new role.
As a first-generation immigrant to the UK from Kenya, part of an Indian Gujarati family, her life choices have been driven by issues of poverty, race, class, culture, equity and inclusivity.
She said: “My family’s journey has given me a global perspective while our culture and all that I have learned through my work have imbued me with great respect for the natural environment for its spiritual importance and as the ultimate provider of essential resources.
“A thread throughout my life experiences has been the vital importance of information, communication and connection in determining people’s fortunes. Consequently, my career has been in social and environmental journalism.”
Mamta wrote for 14 years for the respected UK environmental journal The ENDS Report, specialising in global issues and corporate social responsibility responses to environmental challenges.
In 2007, she co-founded Chemical Watch, a global B2B digital publication that provided informed journalism to challenge and support businesses and regulators to improve product safety for human health and the environment. This grew from two staff to more than 75 by the time it was sold.
She moved to Scotland in 2021 to just outside Ullapool in the north west Highlands, an area she was introduced to by her husband and his father, a geologist, who knew and loved the area and who inspired three generations of family to visit annually and now to live here.
As well as becoming a trustee of Foundation Scotland the same year, she joined Lochbroom and Ullapool Community Trust which she now also chairs. Alongside, she works shifts at Ullapool Youth Space and provides mentoring and personal development coaching. She has started a social enterprise to run a community festival - Ulluminate - to showcase the skills and talent in the area and to provide work experience for young people.
She and her husband are providing support to local families and regenerating a small piece of heavily grazed land to achieve a mix of carbon capture and biodiversity optimisation.
Reflecting on her experiences, Mamta said: “Through my career and personal challenges it has become ultra clear that the growth we need is to deepen our understanding that we cannot solve social, economic and environmental issues separately.
“The volatility and politics of hate we see all around us are a consequence of not getting this. I am proud of Foundation Scotland’s commitment to pursue and address upstream causes of the challenges we see in communities.
“This will require communities, charities, private sector and the state to work together in new ways to rethink how to achieve resilience and protect what we value. I believe Foundation Scotland is well placed to help forge such partnerships.”
Serving trustees Sharon Fairweather and Leslie Rance have become board vice-chairs, to support Mamta, alongside Toby Anstruther who has been vice-chair for five years.
Foundation Scotland has also welcomed five new trustees to the board. They are Deborah Paton, Susan Murray, Carlos Miranda, Mairi Mickel and Kim Atkinson.
