Staff
Maureen O’Neill
Director (part-time)
Maureen has been the Director of Faith in Older People since 2007. She was previously the Director of Age Concern Scotland (now AGE Scotland), She has served as a board member on a variety of voluntary sector organisations concerned with homelessness, alcohol related problems, mental health and poverty. Maureen served as a UK appointee to the European Economic and Social Committee in which she was the President of the Social Affairs Section and is currently the Chairperson of an independent care home for older people. She was awarded the OBE in 2019 for services to older people and the voluntary sector.
Mary Wilkinson
Administrator (part-time)
Mary has been involved with Faith in Older People since 2015 as Administrator. She was previously Publications Secretary at the Scottish Episcopal Church’s General Synod Office for 14 years.
Trustees
Paul Bannon
Profile to follow
Francesca Greenwood
Frankie Greenwood is coming to the end of her PhD at the University of Edinburgh (September 2019). Her PhD has focused on meaningful connections with people in the more advanced stages of dementia with the aim of highlighting the full humanity and personhood of the person in the later stages of the illness. Once finished her studies, she will be joining the Bringing out Leaders in Dementia team as a research assistant. Prior to starting my PhD, Frankie had her own business providing music workshops for parents and their children, for adults with learning difficulties and for people with dementia in different care homes across Renfrewshire. She also spent much of her time volunteering in different community organisations, supporting parents in a life group, being a member of my local village council and the school PTA committees, the Beavers and the local children’s football club, and her local church.
Su Millar
Su has worked in the voluntary sector for the last 34 years. Most relevant to Faith in Older People has been her former role as Chief Executive with the charity LifeCare (Edinburgh) who provide a range of care, support and community services for older people and people living with dementia, including carers. She is strongly committed to helping others and is actively engaged with her Church and in local community work. Educated at Stirling and Edinburgh Universities, Su has a broad education and has to date enjoyed a diverse career, benefitting from different perspectives in the voluntary sector through her range of work in conservation and the environment; working with youth at risk; in research, education and animal welfare; sport, recreation and health; in youth development; in elder care and with carers.
Calum Strang
Calum has 20 years experience working in the Third Sector including working with the Church of Scotland’s Church & Society Council, where he was responsible for helping local congregations engage and play a part in helping their local community flourish. Prior to this he was a community development worker with Faith in Community Scotland, an anti-poverty organisation that supports faith communities in Scotland’s 5% most disadvantaged neighbourhoods. During his time at Faith in Community Scotland he developed the Ageing Well programme; helping local faith communities in Glasgow develop new initiatives that improve the health and wellbeing of older people in Glasgow. Seventeen local initiatives were established from a variety of faith groups.
Deidre Wallace
Deidre has worked in multiple industries internationally. Her most recent role was as a nutrition manager in Long Term Care homes in Canada. She is passionate about enhancing the quality of life experiences of older people, especially those in care homes, through meaningful research, training and advocacy. Deidre believes ‘food’ and ‘mealtime experiences’ are pivotal points in older peoples’ lives and an important influence on some of their spiritual experiences. Currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Edinburgh, Deidre’s research focus is on exploring care home residents’ mealtime experiences during infectious disease outbreaks. Her aim is to enhance mealtime opportunities for residents in care home.
Rev Canon Marion Chatterley
Marion is a priest in the Scottish Episcopal Church and Vice Provost of St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh. She has extensive experience in end-of-life spiritual care and in bereavement support. She was a counsellor and supervisor with Cruse Edinburgh and worked in hospice chaplaincy for several years. She has a particular interest in resourcing people to have conversations about death and dying, seeking to remove some of the fear by opening up honest dialogue. She has facilitated several workshops in collaboration with FiOP, in particular working with clergy and those who are training for authorised ministries to increase their confidence to engage in end-of-life ministry. Marion has worked extensively with people who identify as LGBTQ+ and is interested to support the provision of appropriate later life care for people from those communities.
Dr Susan Siegal
Dr Susan Siegel has a Doctorate in Business Management. Prior to retirement, she was a Senior Operations and Project Manager for multi-national banking and manufacturing corporations. She is currently the Chair of Garnethill Hebrew Congregation and a Trustee of the Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre. Susan was a Public Partner with Healthcare Improvement Scotland for several years and worked on projects related to Person Centred Care, Patient Safety and Process Improvements. She is a member of the Oversight Committee of the NHS Scotland Screening Panel and an adjudicator for the Scottish Infected Blood Scheme. She has worked with Marie Curie to understand the issues relating to employed carers and the impact their responsibilities have on their lives.
Having a special interest in Interfaith work and diversity, Susan is on the Board of Interfaith Scotland and the Chair of the Scottish branch of the Council of Christians and Jews.