VOLUNTARY - Key Persons


Allyson McCollam

Allyson has experience of working in the voluntary sector for over 20 years, mainly in mental health policy and research. She was chief executive of a national mental health organization for several years and was involved in various collaborative projects including the establishment of the Scottish Recovery Network. From 2009 - 2019, Allyson worked in the NHS in Public Health with a remit for mental health, health inequalities and children and young people. She is delighted to have the opportunity to serve on the Board of VHS and is particularly keen to support the voluntary sector's role in promoting health and wellbeing and in tackling health inequalities. Allyson has been the Chair of the VHS Board since 2018.

Billy McClean

Job Titles:
  • Associate Director for AHPs
Billy is Associate Director for AHPs in NHS Ayrshire and Arran with lead responsibility for the design and delivery of acute and community service involving over 800 Allied Health Professions across Ayrshire. A Board member of Ayrshire Sportsability and a member of The Ayrshire Hospice Clinical Governance Board, he also works closely with local third sector organisations to support and strengthen their impact. Billy began his career as a clinical Physiotherapist in the NHS in Yorkshire in 2001 where he worked for 9 years before moving to Ayrshire as Head of Physiotherapy in 2010. He has also worked in professional sport, run his own business and worked as a lecturer with a special interest in working with those with long term pain and mental health conditions. A clinical leader with experience of working across sectors, he has a passion for working with communities and partners to deliver the best health and wellbeing outcomes possible for everyone in Scotland, especially for those communities in most need. He believes that through working together when planning and delivering services we can maximize our collective impact and make the most of everyone's skills and strengths to ensure equitable access to the best services possible. A proud husband and dad of two young girls, he believes that change begins close to home and he enjoys spending time with his family, engaging in a range of physical and outdoor pursuits.

Christine Carlin

Job Titles:
  • Member of Changing
As a senior civil servant in the Scottish Government, Christine oversaw key policy areas, including in Education and the Third Sector. During 8 years in the Scottish Prison Service, she led several £multi-million procurements, including the first Scottish PFI prison; and held roles as Director of HR and Director Estates. Since joining the Third Sector, in 2015, Christine has worked at senior level in UK and Scottish charities. She was the first Chief Executive of the Salvesen Mindroom Centre and, until June 2023, was Assistant Director Engagement/Director Scotland, Home-Start UK. Christine is a member of Changing the Chemistry, a peer-led charity focused on improving diversity of thought in the boardroom - where she is part of the Strategic Communications team.

Claire Stevens - CEO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive
Since joining VHS in 2012, Claire has led a programme of change to transform the organisation into an energetic, collaborative and influential network of Scotland's voluntary health organisations. Claire has strengthened VHS's governance, accountability, resources and profile, refocusing VHS on its membership and creating a new corporate identity and strategy. She is proud to lead a highly committed and skilled staff team and to work with an excellent Board of Trustees. She was appointed a Fellow of ACOSVO in 2019 and elected an Honorary Member of the Faculty of Public Health in 2020. She is a Member of the Institute of Leadership and Management and Associate Member of the Royal Society for Public Health. She is a founder member and Secretary of Arts Culture Health and Wellbeing Scotland. Under Claire's leadership, VHS's achievements have included the Engagement Matrix (strengthening NHS and third sector engagement), Living in the Gap (shining a light on third sector approaches to health inequalities), Gold Star Exemplars (mapping third sector approaches to community link working), Clear Pathway (supporting safe, effective and person centred volunteering in health) and The Zubairi Report (reporting on and making recommendations on loneliness and social isolation). Other noteworthy achievements have been the Cross Party Group on Health Inequalities (VHS became Secretariat in 2015) and VHS's successful campaign to secure a more inclusive and equalities focused Covid-19 vaccine programme for Scotland. In 2021 Claire instigated VHS's establishment of the Scottish Community Link Worker Network, a fast growing community of practice and peer support for link workers embedded in primary care.

David Main - Treasurer

Job Titles:
  • Chartered Accountant
  • Treasurer
David is a chartered accountant recently retired. He was a partner in Whitelaw Wells for 28 years, and although he was in general practice, the firm had a specialism in the charitable sector. David was auditor and independent examiner to a great number of charities of all different types and sizes, including many in the voluntary health sector. As part of his role, David would attend board meetings and many AGMs, and would routinely attend seminars and conferences on charitable matters.

Emma Nieminen

Emma joined the VHS Board in November 2022. Emma works at Diabetes Scotland as Health System Engagement Lead, working to influence, support, and work collaboratively with senior level decision makers in the health system to improve outcomes for people living with and at risk of diabetes. Emma has lived with type 1 diabetes for 25 years so also brings a lived experience perspective to her work. Emma has volunteered and worked in the higher education, mental health, and student support sectors for over 10 years. She previously worked at the Nightline Association, leading on developing suicide calls training for helpline volunteers. Emma is particularly passionate about involving co-production and lived experience into all aspects of her work, as well as promoting the power of peer support.

Eric Samuel

Job Titles:
  • Learning Manager With the Big Lottery Fund
Eric Samuel is Senior Policy and Learning Manager with the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland, based in Glasgow. He has worked with the Big Lottery Fund and its predecessor, the New Opportunities Fund, since 2001, where he has led on the policy development of many programmes, initiatives and investment areas in Scotland and across the UK. Amongst the investment areas he currently leads policy on is Growing Community Assets or ‘GCA', which aims to enable communities throughout Scotland to have more control and influence over their future development through owning and developing local assets. Before joining the lottery, Eric spent most of his working life in various departments in a number of Scottish local authorities. He has also worked in banking and at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, where he also obtained a MBA. Eric is a former Scottish age group swimming champion and international, and still swims several times a week to keep fit. He is also interested in and supports the arts, especially classical music.

Findlay Smith

Job Titles:
  • Policy and Research Officer
Findlay joined VHS in September 2022 as Policy and Research Officer for the Scottish Community Link Worker Network. His role is to help develop and strengthen the profile, capacity, impact, and influence of the Network, and to support the Network's engagement with policy opportunities. Findlay is currently completing a PhD at Aberystwyth University and has a background in research and evaluation with a focus on public policy in devolved governments.

Frances Simpson

Frances is Chief Executive at Support in Mind Scotland, the national charity that works to improve the wellbeing and quality of life of people affected by serious mental illness, including family members and carers. Frances joined Support in Mind Scotland in January 2012 and is keen to raise awareness of her organisation's specific expertise in and knowledge of serious mental illness such as schizophrenia and psychosis. Prior to her current role she was self-employed, supporting voluntary organisations with organisational development and fundraising and before that held a national policy and communications role with Samaritans in Scotland. She has worked in the voluntary sector since 1991 and much of her experience has been working with carers and people with disabilities. She describes her current role as the most challenging but satisfying of all, as the people her organisation supports are amongst the most excluded in Scotland's communities. Developing new services to expand that support is the driving force of everything Support in Mind Scotland does. Frances has been a VHS Board member since 2012 and our Treasurer since 2013.

Gemma Crompton

Job Titles:
  • Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Alcohol Focus Scotland
Gemma Crompton is Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Alcohol Focus Scotland. Gemma has over ten years' experience working in public and voluntary sector policy development, with a focus on public health policy and consumer advocacy. Gemma currently leads AFS's policy and communications work, with a principal focus on alcohol marketing, licensing and supporting the effective implementation of national policy at local level. Gemma has a particular interest in the use of evidence-based research as the foundation for sound and influential advocacy campaigns.

Ian Bruce

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive of Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector
Ian is Chief Executive of Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector (GCVS), one of the members of the network of Third Sector Interfaces. He's lived in Glasgow since he went to the University of Strathclyde in 1998 and currently lives in the Gorbals. As well as being on the VHS Board, he is also a Board member the Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations (ACOSVO). He has previously worked in national intermediaries and in housing.

Karen Sutherland

Job Titles:
  • Operation 's Manager
Karen is Operation's Manager (Adult Clinical Services) for Scottish Huntington's Association. She joined the VHS Board in March 2016.

Kimberley Somerside

Job Titles:
  • Policy and Engagement Officer
Kimberley recently took up the post of Policy and Engagement Officer within the VHS team. Her role is primarily focused on delivering an effective programme of policy, research and public affairs work. This includes engaging with VHS members, networks and other stakeholders to support a two-way flow of information and ideas to policy makers. Her background in political monitoring and communications will provide the groundwork for her role in analysing and translating policy for and with VHS members.

Lauren Blair

Job Titles:
  • Events and Engagement
Lauren joined the VHS team in January 2015. Her role is to develop our programme of consultation events, seminars, workshops and conferences and ensure they are useful, of high quality and engage our members and other stakeholders. Lauren's role includes establishing new event partners to enable us to extend our reach and capacity. Having previously worked in creating and managing a programme of policy conferences, seminars and award dinners across the UK, Lauren brings over a decade of event management and marketing experience to the VHS team.

Lorna Hunter

Job Titles:
  • Founder of Emoneo
Lorna is the founder of Emoneo, a consultancy business providing advice, guidance and recommendations to clients seeking to improve their workforce planning capacity and capability. She is on the Board of Directors at Voluntary Health Scotland, is a visiting lecturer at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and an External Examiner at Greenwich School of Management, London. Additionally she is an Associate Consultant with Skills for Health and until recently was a member of the Scottish Council of the Society of Radiographers. Since completing her MBA, she has continued with her studies and graduated recently with an MSc in Advanced Leadership Practice. She is now studying for her PhD with a research focus on the relationship between leaders and followers in Third Sector organisations delivering healthcare services. She began her career as a therapeutic radiographer in Edinburgh, later gaining experience through varied management and leadership roles within the NHS in Scotland. Lorna's interest in healthcare workforce planning and staff development has built up over 35+ years in diverse posts including clinical, managerial, education and development roles. Following a secondment to Scottish Government National Workforce Planning Unit where she provided workforce planning advice and guidance to the North of Scotland NHS Boards, she joined Skills for Health, the Sector Skills Council for the UK health sector, supporting the sector by developing solutions to deliver a skilled and flexible workforce, firstly as Lead Manager for Scotland, and subsequently as Director for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Maureen O'Neill

Job Titles:
  • Vice Chair
  • VHS 's Vice Chair
Maureen has been VHS's Vice Chair since October 2021. She has been the Director of Faith in Older People since 2007. Previously she was Director of Age Concern Scotland. She has nearly 40 years' experience of working in the voluntary sector in Scotland spanning youth work, mental health, ageing and older people. She has been the Chairperson of EVOC and served on the Board of SCVO as well as several other voluntary sector organisations as well as the SSSC and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. Maureen was the voluntary sector representative on the European Economic and Social Committee and was President of its Social Affairs Section. She has recently retired as the Chairperson of the RCPE Lay Advisory Committee and a care home and continues as a Board member of the Royal Society for the Support of Women of Scotland, a grant giving body. She has particular interests in the spiritual care of older people, mental health, dementia and loneliness and isolation. In 2019 Maureen was awarded an OBE for her services to older people and the voluntary sector.

Nicola Sinclair

Nicola has over 16 years' experience in the charity sector working for charities such as Save the Children, MS Society, Erskine and Shelter. She is currently the Head of Fundraising for Edinburgh & Lothians Health Foundation. Nicola holds several positions with the Institute of Fundraising: Chair of the Heads and Directors of Fundraising Special Interest Group, Chair Standards Advisory Board and member of the Scotland Executive.

Norman Craig

Norman has a long experience in voluntary roles and as well as VHS is, and has been, a Trustee with two other charities with particular emphasis on mental health and well being. Now retired from a long career in business, he brings a professional understanding of risk and the part risk plays in managing organisations.

Paul Mooney

Paul has worked in the third sector since 1978 and qualified as a social worker from the University of Oxford in 1984. He has held several senior positions in various third sector organisations at a local, regional, and national level and he has also worked for four years in Midlothian Council as a social work planner and commissioner. Most of his career has been spent working in the fields of single homelessness and substance misuse and he was also head of operations for Alzheimer Scotland for six years. In his last post as Chief Executive of Addictions Support & Counselling - (Forth Valley), he established the Forth Valley Recovery Community, that to date, is the most successful example of community development for people recovering from substance misuse. Paul is interested in partnership working in responding to social exclusion, health inequalities and poverty as well as a lifelong commitment to the importance of volunteering.

Rob Murray - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Chairman of VHS
Rob was appointed Chair of VHS in December 2019, having previously served as our Treasurer. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Support Scotland, a charity dedicated to supporting the wellbeing of those affected by cancer across the nation. Rob comes from a background within the Third Sector working with a number of national and local charities. He has also spent some time working within Scottish politics. In his free time Rob is a volunteer within The Scouts where he is currently the lead volunteer for supporting ‘Community Impact' in Scotland and across the UK. He is also reading in a Masters of Business Administration given his strong interest in organisational culture and leadership. Rob can also be found engaging in discussions on twitter on a range of topics through @robmurray11.

Roisin Hurst

Job Titles:
  • Network Development Co - Ordinator
  • VHS As Network Development Officer
Roisin has recently joined VHS as Network Development Officer on secondment from Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations' Council (EVOC). Roisin is leading on a 6-month Scottish Government funded scoping project which is looking into the establishment of a national network and community of practice for Community Link Workers in primary care practices in Scotland.

Wilma Paterson

Wilma's career in the 3rd sector, in both children and adult services, has spanned 35 years. She also worked for a regulatory body for a year. Initially qualifying as a social worker, she gained an MBA in public sector management. She has worked for both local and UK-wide organisations, holding roles both at front line and at interim director level. Currently she is a senior manager of the independent living and health services of the British Red Cross. Her passion is to ensure that public services are run in a way that meets the needs of the communities and individuals they are set up to serve. Her interests lie in understanding and using the skills and experience of those around her, in particular people with lived experience. Listening and responding to an ever-shifting picture helps us to shape service design and delivery and drive up practice standards. Her aspiration is that health inequalities are addressed in a way that enables everyone to be given physical, emotional and practical support in a timely fashion; and to help shape policies and guidance that enable robust, safe and quality service delivery.