Dr Maqsood Ahmed (Chair) Expand Max joined the Support in Mind Scotland Board as a trustee in 2018 and has been Chair since 2019. Max obtained his PhD from University College London (2011) and has subsequently worked across diverse areas of biomedical research both in the UK and internationally. Following a career in academic science at the University of Edinburgh where he specialised in neuroscience and stem cell biology; he is currently a Principal Scientist (Neuroscience) at Concept Life Sciences Translational Biology division based in the Edinburgh BioQuarter. When not thinking about brains, Max is a long suffering fan of the Scottish football and rugby teams, enjoys live music, and is an avid traveller.
Carolyn Papakyriakou (Vice-chair and chair of Public Affairs Committee) Expand Carolyn Papakyriakou lives in South Queensferry. Since retiring from the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman in 2014, she has been a Forum Member and Vice Chair of Edinburgh Carer Council; one of two Carer representatives on the Executive Committee of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (Scotland) and a Forum and Committee Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (London). She is currently Vice Chair of SIMS and Chair of the Public Affairs Committee. Since 2014 Carolyn has attended many events (independently or as a representative) on mental health issues. She has written several investigative reports about the effects that serious mental health issues have on both Carers and their loved ones. She is a Carer and her experience motivates her to help those with lived experience and Third Sector organisations.
Norman Craig (Chair of Finance Committee) Expand Norman joined the Board in 2018 having previously been on the main Board of Samaritans and for 25 years a volunteer with them, where mental illness in all its forms often plays a heavy part in the lives of those who phone or make contact. That lived experience should prove valuable in providing a breadth of understanding of the challenges faced by those who endure mental illness and of those who care for them. To look beyond what ails to listen to what's being said. Before retiral, Norman was a Director with Aon Corporation specialising in liability and property Insurance.
Annette Calder Expand Annette shared her story with us in the hope that it will encourage others to seek help in difficult times.
Mary Mowat Expand I work at the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, managing communications. Prior to this I’ve worked in various parts of the public sector (communities, housing, health, climate change) and in the private sector (financial services), always specialising in communications and public relations. I have a close family member who has had mental ill health since childhood, and I know others who struggle with mental illness. I see how difficult it is just to get through the day; how hard that is for a person who is suffering, yet has to wait many months for help. I joined the Support in Mind Scotland board because I believe that while mental illness is more openly talked about, that’s not enough. We need more care, and better care.
Lisa Rutherford Expand Lisa lives and works in the Lothians and was appointed as a charity trustee in 2017. She has worked at the Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen) for 15 years. ScotCen is an educational charity dedicated to giving the public a powerful role in shaping decisions and services that make a difference to everyone. For several years she ran the Scottish Government’s Scottish Health Survey - a barometer of the nation’s health, including measuring progress towards the Scottish Government’s National Indicator on improving the nation’s mental wellbeing. Consequently, Lisa is a strong advocate of evidence based policy making in the mental health sphere. Lisa says: “For me, what makes Support In Mind so invaluable is that it puts people with mental health problems and their families, friends and carers at the heart of everything they do.”
Yvonne McHardy Expand I live in Glasgow and I've been a member of the Support in Mind Scotland Carers Group for more than 10 years. It has been a great source of information, support and I learned so much from the other members of the group. For the past 25 years I have worked as pawnbroker and I've seen into other people's lives in a way that few people do, I've listened to many sad stories and I've managed to help a lot of people along the way. It opened my eyes to how a little can help in a really big way. It is a job in which I learned compassion, patience and that some of my customers had mental health problems and did not receive the help that they needed from government agency, they were let down and had no one else to turn to. We even started a collection for the food bank and it amazed me that people who had very little gave so much and choose so thoughtfully the donations they made. I have members of my family who have had problems with their mental health and Support in Mind Scotland offered support when there was no-one else to help us. I joined the board at Support in Mind Scotland to help promote the organisation, to help educate people in mental health awareness and to overcome the stigma involved in the illness.
Keith McKenzie Expand Keith has been a Buddhist Chaplain working with veterans and the armed forces for the past five years, and run 5-day and 1-day residential retreats and mindfulness programmes. He is founder and trustee of Sadaya, a charity geared to helping veterans and service personnel with spiritual needs. Keith was a firefighter for 22 years, a soldier of the British military for 8 years and an oil related engineer for 6 years. He says: "I came across Support in Mind Scotland when the Stafford Centre offered their centre for us to run the Veterans Community Café, and saw first hand the great work SiMS does for individuals and communities. "Mental health is important to me, personally, after my diagnosis of PTSD and associated depression - and in my role as Chaplain, teaching mindfulness and meditation techniques, which helped me re-establish a stable mind."
Nicole Bell Expand Nicole Bell is Support in Mind Scotland’s Young Trustee. She has worked and volunteered in various capacities for a number of non-profit organisations concerned with mental, physical and social health and holds an MA (Hons) in Psychology. She is particularly passionate about the link between mental and physical health – and achieving parity of esteem between the two. Nicole is also keen to ensure that the voices of carers of those affected by mental illness – whether that be young people or adults – are represented and recognised. In her leisure time, Nicole enjoys walking, arts festivals and exhibiting at cat shows.
Jim McGhie Expand Jim McGhie (Lord McGhie) was brought up in Perth but his professional life was in Edinburgh. He is a retired judge. His interest in mental health stemmed initially from the experience of his mother who had severe bi-polar disorder in the 1960s - when there was little support for patients and even less for families. Jim has had more recent experience as a carer, including experience of the services at Huntercombe and the Priory in Scotland, and the Bethlem Royal Hospital south of London, as well as a keen appreciation of the work of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. He responded to a call for Advocates to support SiMS and hopes to be able contribute positively to the work of the Board.
Marius Pelser Expand Marius Pelser, a Business Architect who lives and works in Edinburgh, was appointed a charity ambassador in 2018 and joined the Board of Directors early in 2019. He has also run and cycled in a series of events, raising thousands of pounds for Support in Mind Scotland, and will paticipate in a middle distance Triathlon event in Nottingham this summer. Marius - a former police officer in South Africa who has raised awareness around the mental health condition PTSD - blogs about mental health, fundraising, and other things. Visit it here.
Ian Stewart Expand Ian Stewart is a journalist and author. He was editor of The Scotsman from 2012 to 2017, and before that was editor of Scotland on Sunday and the Edinburgh Evening News. Before becoming a journalist he served in the Royal Marines with 40 Commando, 41 Commando and 45 Commando Group. Ian is also a trustee of Sadaya and the Veterans Community Cafe, a charity that supports veterans, particularly those with mental health issues. He enjoys mountain biking, sailing and shooting, and is also a qualified bicycle mechanic. He is married with two grown-up children, and lives in Edinburgh.
Audrey Connolly (Vice-Chair) Expand Audrey joined Lloyds Banking Group in 2006 and currently performs the role of Head of Quality. Audrey has over 20 years general management experience (Operations, Retail, Commercial, Programme Management and Strategy) in the UK and Australian financial services sector. Audrey is a member of Lloyds’ Scottish Executive Committee and in this role is a passionate advocate for inclusion & diversity, in addition to leading on our strategy for supporting children and young people across Scotland through skills based volunteering. As a previous winner of the Young Banker of the Year and an externally recognised diversity champion, she has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to role modelling, mentoring and community activity. Audrey holds a Masters degree from Glasgow University and a MBA from Strathclyde Graduate Business School. Audrey says: “In recent years we’ve seen a huge increase in interest in mental health and a corresponding increase in the demand for services. SiMS does such amazing work all across Scotland to support people with mental illness and to support those who love and care for them. I am so proud to be able to play my small part to help SiMS grow and evolve in this ever-changing landscape for the benefit of our members and the community in general”