OUR TEAM

(vOLUNTEER) bOARD OF tRUSTEES

Diana

I had been a volunteer at one of our Foodbanks for a few months when I saw the Trustee role advertised in the newsletter and thought of applying. I had previously headed up a Health and Social Care (Third Sector) organisation and as part of that had been invited to be one of Edinburgh’s Poverty Commissioners between 2018 and 2020 so had learnt a lot about poverty in Edinburgh, and the whole range of work Edinburgh- based organisations do, to support people struggling to cope. When I retired I was keen to stay involved in this area of work.

Diana

Nino

I was delighted to be appointed Trustee Treasurer in March 2022. I am a Chartered Accountant (Retired) by discipline but have spent the last 45 years running my own businesses which range from Electronic Enclosures to Last Mile Deliveries. I am semi-retired now and was looking for a local worthwhile organisation to be involved with when the Treasurers position became available. It is an honour to be involved in Edinburgh Food Project both for the tremendous good it does locally and the truly wonderful people who work there.

Nino (Treasurer)

Gary

David

David’s a ‘Foodie’ with a career spent in Catering, Foodservice and Food Marketing together with Third Sector experience as a Trustee and Volunteer with The Food Train. He joined EFP as a Trustee in September 2022 and looks forward to the Charity’s further development in testing times.

David

Emma (Chair)

I have been involved with Edinburgh Food project from the beginning. I first got involved after hearing that people in an affluent city in Edinburgh were going hungry, which to me is totally unacceptable. Whilst we have grown over the years, our ambition has always been to provide food for the people who are hungry.

I have worked for over 20 years in the third sector, most recently I have been running my own consultancy business and provide change management, project management and business development consultancy to Charities and Social Enterprises throughout Scotland. In addition to my role at Edinburgh Food project, I am also Chair of Edinburgh Social Enterprise.

Emma (Chair)

Bob

“Bob Gould was for 40 years a member of the School of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh, and is a priest in the Scottish Episcopal Church. He has served as a trustee of the Grassmarket Mission, as a founding board member of the Grassmarket Community Project, and as a member of two Lothian Health Board Ethics Committees. He has served as secretary or treasurer for several scientific, religious and musical societies. He is currently a team leader of the Grassmarket foodbank of E.F.P.”

Bob

Amanda

Amanda Livingstone joined as a Trustee in 2019. She brings many years of experience in retail, transport and change leadership. Passionate about helping people in crisis and advocating for those in need, Amanda aims to provide a mixture of hands on support and governance to the Edinburgh Food Project. She also previously volunteered as an independent expert on the Corporate Programme Board for Historic Environment Scotland and is presently employed as a Senior Programme Manager in the financial sector.

Amanda

employees

Edinburgh Food Project is an accredited Living Wage Employer. This means that every member of staff working for Edinburgh Food Project will earn a real Living Wage.

The real Living Wage is higher than the government’s minimum, or National Living Wage, and is an independently calculated hourly rate of pay that is based on the actual cost of living. It is calculated each year and is announced by the Living Wage Foundation as part of Living Wage Week.

Dawn

How long have you worked for Edinburgh Food Project?

I have been employed by Edinburgh Food Project since March 2018.

What does your role involve?

I manage three projects for the charity, More than Food, Money Advice Service and most recently, our Community based Mental Health project. All three projects bring together staff, volunteers and support agencies to identify, plan and deliver support services for clients who access our food bank centres.

What is your favourite part of your job?

Getting to meet and work with individuals and agencies who are committed to supporting and empowering our local communities.

What advice would you give a new member of the team on their first day?

Take a deep breath and dive straight in!

Dawn Macleod

Business Development Lead

I used to work in fundraising for a range of social charities, but around 11 years ago decided to retrain as an accountant. After working for an accountancy practice for 5 years I was happy to be able to move back into the charity world as a Finance Manager for Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity. After a brief spell as Finance Manager for an environmental charity, I am delighted to be working at Edinburgh Food Project.

Anna Browne

Finance Lead

Bethany

I have been employed since February 2016, but before that I was a volunteer for about a year.

What does your role involve?

A little bit of everything really. I support the staff team in managing the different aspects of the charity (foodbanks, warehouse, Money Advice Service and More than Food), which can mean anything from writing funding applications for a project to delivering a food parcel to a client.

What is your favourite part of your job?

It is never boring! I have been with Edinburgh Food Project over 4 years and I can honestly say two days have never been the same.

What advice would you give a new member of the team on their first day?

Layer up – the warehouse is freezing!

Bethany Biggar

Director

Rhona Thompsell

Operations Lead

Sheila

Sheila Sneddon, Volunteer Manager.

How long have you worked for Edinburgh Food Project?

I started working for Edinburgh Food Project at the end of November 2018.

What does your role involve?

Most of my time is spent recruiting and training our volunteers and keeping track of the volunteering schedule. There are over 200 people who regularly volunteer with the charity and we couldn’t function without them. It’s my job to make sure that volunteering with us is a fulfilling and rewarding experience – and that we always have the right people in the right place at the right time!

What is your favourite part of your job?

The variety! I can be doing a foodbank training session one day and driving a van the next. The staff and volunteer teams are very committed and motivated and I really enjoy the feeling of achieving something together as a team.

What advice would you give a new member of the team on their first day?

We are constantly evolving, so expect change.

Sheila Sneddon

Food Provision Manager

Astro

Astro McLaughlin

Welfare Rights Adviser

Frank

How long have you worked for Edinburgh Food Project?

4th October 2021

What does your role involve?

Welfare Rights, Benefits and Debt Advice for people who access the foodbank centres.

What is your favourite part of your job?

Achieving financial gain for clients

What advice would you give a new member of the team on their first day?

Focus on getting to know the Edinburgh Food Project and don’t be apprehensive about asking questions.

Frank Riley

Welfare Rights Adviser

Willie

Willie Sheridan

Inventory Controller

Susan

Susan Smith

Triage Adviser

Sarah

Sarah Middlemiss

Triage Adviser

Jillian

Jillian Martin

Triage Adviser

Volunteers

Investing in Volunteers is the UK standard for good practice in volunteer management. Edinburgh Food Project is, and always has been powered by volunteers and we wanted to achieve the standard to show our commitment to and appreciation of our volunteers. We also wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on our processes and learn from other organisations.

In October 2021, after completing and reviewing our self assessment, providing supporting documents and going through hours of interviews we achieved the Investing in Volunteers award.

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