Patrons

Alexander George Gordon, 7th Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, DL

After a career in the commercial property world of over 20 years based in London, Lord Aberdeen moved to his ancestral estate at Haddo in Aberdeenshire in 1995 with his wife and four children having built a new house as the main family home was in the care of the National Trust for Scotland. In addition to taking an active role in running the busy working estate which employs 25 people, he also carries out medium sized housing developments in Aberdeenshire.

Jim McColl, MBE, SHM, NDH, SDH, FrAgS

Jim is a well-known horticultural consultant and TV & radio broadcaster and has been working with people who had learning/physical difficulties since the 1960’s. He soon found how useful gardening could be in helping them achieve a sense of worth, purpose and enjoyment. That feeling hasn’t changed a bit in 50 years!

Board

Alan Bell

Alan has been involved with Trellis since 2002. He has worked at the National Trust for Scotland’s Culzean Castle and in the gardens at Holyrood Palace. In the late 80’s he worked as an advisor for the Society for Horticultural Therapy, based in Somerset but assisting projects across the UK. He went on to set up the organisation’s Scottish office, which later became Community Gardening Projects Scotland. After a period teaching abroad, Alan worked in community regeneration, specifically on environmental projects. He is currently Parks & Gardens Manager for City of Edinburgh Council.

Calum Buchanan

Currently a mature student at the Scottish Agricultural College, Edinburgh studying Garden Design. Before embarking on this course, Calum, for many years, ran a gallery showing contemporary art.

Gordon Croll

Gordon has studied horticulture at Elmwood and Dundee Colleges, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and is currently Curriculum Manager for horticulture at Dundee College, where he has taught for over 23 years. The college provides instruction in horticulture therapy. Gordon has been linked with Trellis and its predecessor for over ten years.

John Duncan

After almost 30 years in the health service, John took a change of direction to work with adults with learning disabilities. John has a farming background having worked on the family farm, part time, for many years. He also has experience of working with special needs in various settings, including summer camps and weekend retreats. He is now combining these skills in managing VSA Easter Anguston Farm in Peterculter, Aberdeen where they provide training and therapeutic employment opportunities for adults with learning disabilities in Agriculture, Horticulture, Rural Skills and Conservation.

Susan Grant BA, MSc in Human Resources

Working in Human Resources for over 28 years, Susan has provided HR consultancy support to a wide range of organisations.

Antonia Ineson, MPhil History & Social Studies of Science, BSc Biology, Dip Health Education, Dip Organic & Biodynamic Agriculture & Horticulture

Antonia works as a policy officer in Public Health for NHS Lothian, on health improvement. Her current area of work is food policy and healthy weight, including local food systems. She has been involved in supporting the development of community and therapeutic gardening in Lothian. She has worked for short periods on a variety of farms and gardens in Scotland and New Zealand, including a Camphill community, and now runs an organic market garden in Perthshire in the summer months.

Iain Mackintosh, MA, BSc, FCMI, FIBC, MBCS

Based in Perth, Iain runs his own business providing line and project management services to corporate clients, plus business administration and website development services to smaller organisations.

Fiona McKinnon HND (Hort), DMS

Fiona studied horticulture at Auchincruive, and has worked in parks for various Scottish local authorities and as Business Development Manager for a commercial grounds maintenance company. She works as Business Development Manager for Glasgow City Council’s Land and Environmental Services, dealing with the strategic development of Glasgow’s public parks and open spaces, and is currently working on the production of the Council’s Allotment Strategy.

Colin Stirling, FIHort, NDH (Hons), MBPR (Hort)

Colin is a director of HortiCS, a horticultural advisory business, He was employed by SAC as the Senior Horticultural Advisor from 1988–2002 providing an advisory service to the north and east of Scotland. He is a director of Trellis and Chairman of Pitcaple Environment Project Ltd. The latter is a registered charity providing horticultural training facilities for special needs and disabled adults in the Inverurie area. He is a regular broadcaster on the BBC Potting Shed programme.

Staff

Development Manager
Fiona Thackeray, MA (Hons) Psychology (first class); RHS cert. Horticulture (distinction)

Fiona has pursued her interest in the natural environment through conservation work with sea-turtles in Greece and rainforest ecosystems in Brazil. She has worked in therapeutic gardening for 14 years, with learning-disabled people in Bristol and visually impaired students in Brazil (with whom she built Brazil’s 4th sensory garden) before returning to Perthshire to support Scottish therapeutic gardening projects.

Field Worker Co-ordinator
Vicki Ferguson, NVQ Level 4 Management; National Certificate in Horticulture

Vicki has been involved with a wide variety of horticulture and community projects for several years both in a voluntary and paid capacity. She has had experience working with many different groups of people including adults with learning disabilities; extra support needs young people and adults with drug and alcohol issues. Vicki is presently volunteering with the Loch Lomond National Park and is involved with the development of a new horticulture project near Aberfoyle.

Information Officer
Jenny Simpson, BA Hons Sociology & Social Policy; MSc Applied Social Research

Jenny started her own business selling herbs and salad plants at Farmers Markets in May 2008. Previously, as a University of Stirling researcher, Jenny was involved in range of projects within the Institute of Education; Department of Applied Social Science and with the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration. She has also worked as a Tourist Officer, Retail Supervisor, Nursery Nurse and Museum Attendant, and brings these associated skills to Trellis.

Office Manager
Melanie Nicoll, BA Hons Modern & Medieval Languages

Melanie brings to Trellis a wide range of experience in the voluntary, public and commercial sector as well as a strong interest in the environment. Most recently, Melanie set up Perth & Kinross Real Nappy Network, initially as a volunteer and latterly for three and a half years as Project Officer. She has also worked for several other Scottish environmental/conservation organisations, following an earlier career with a major plc. In her spare time she is developing a woodland garden.