About

We work with families to build resilience, resolve issues and repair relationships, support older people to stay connected in their communities and provide a safe and supportive environment for people on their journey away from addiction. Services offered include:

• Conflict Resolution, Mediation and Support – leaders in family conflict resolution and mediation.
• Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution – a national resource centre providing free training, events, on-line advice and information on mediation and family conflict resolution.
• Cyrenians Befriending Service – befriending isolated older people, helping them make the best of their community.
• Recovery Service – walking with people from addiction to a new start.

A commitment to tackling homelessness has been central to Cyrenians mission from the founding of the charity. We continue to build on this commitment, seeking innovative ways to prevent and alleviate homelessness, offering housing advice and providing supported housing for young people. Services offered include:

• Residential Communities – our original projects offering a shared home and new community.
• Homeless Prevention – advice and support, helping people to keep their homes.
• Making Advice Work – skilling people up to take ownership of managing their finances/.
• Outreach Project – supporting those who are homeless and experiencing severe and multiple need.

Cyrenians provides supportive employability services that equip jobseekers to move into work across Scotland. By supporting those jobseekers with barriers to access employment and by offering skills and training, we not only assist our clients into work but we keep them in employment and away from benefits dependency. Services offered include:

• Enterprise to Employment and Market Led Training – changing lives by bring people and employers together.
• Key to Potential – working with pupils in their last 6 months of schooling who are facing barriers on their journey to employment.
• Peer Mentoring and Criminal Justice Employability Programmes – using the lived experience of the criminal justice system to support others in the same place.
• Recruitment and Skills Centre - assisting jobseekers across Edinburgh and East Lothian to both access and stay in employment.

We have a range of services and social enterprises that teach people about the health and economic benefits of growing, cooking and eating good food together in our local communities. We also recognise that food can play a significant role in growing local economies, and we aim to empower local communities to take ownership of supply chains and to reduce dependence on global markets.

• NHS Community Gardens – growing lives, building community, sharing food.
• Farm Enterprise – growing good food and new futures since 1972.
• Good Food – sharing what would otherwise go to waste, teaching cooking and budgeting.

A former Convener of Education and Leader of Edinburgh City Council and CoSLA spokesperson on Education, Ewan also has 30 years experience working in the third sector. In 1995, whilst working as a parish minister in Edinburgh he founded the Ripple Project, a diverse community action organisation that is still going strong.

Ewan is very committed to issues of social justice, especially challenging the stigmatisation of the disadvantaged. He believes that poverty is not simply a matter of financial instability but one of inner well-being; poverty grinds the soul as well as the body. Cyrenians' philosophy of walking with those who are struggling, and sticking with them when they stumble, is what first attracted him to the organisation. He believes that by the living out of our obligation to our neighbour and to the stranger, each of us will also find what we truly need to live well ourselves.

Ewan is a director of the Edinburgh International Science Festival and the Ripple Project, and Chair of the National Prison Visitor Centre Steering group, the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Inspiring Communities Network and the grants committee of BBC Children in Need Scotland. He is also an advisor to Circle and is a member of the CoSLA Commission on Strengthening Local Democracy, Edinburgh University Academy of Government In/equality reference group, the Council of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh’s One City Consortium.

He joined Cyrenians in May 2014 after 6 years as head of the Church of Scotland's Church and Society department, which helps the Church engage in social, political and ethical issues. He's a member of the Iona Community and a season ticket holder for the Royal Lyceum Theatre. His extra curricular activity includes watching sport (especially rugby), and vegetarian cooking; but most of his leisure time is spent with his family.

EwanAitken@cyrenians.scot

An Associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Kathryn previously worked with the Roslin Foundation Group of Companies for 15 years. Various roles within the Group included Business and Facilities Management as well as Financial Accountant. She also gained significant experience in the mechanics of Grant Funding during this time.

Before moving to Roslin, Kathryn worked within the textiles and textile engineering sectors as Business Manager, then both Management and Financial Accountant. Kathryn joined Cyrenians in July 2013.

Outside of work, Kathryn volunteers with a local girls' football team, both as Club Treasurer and working directly with the girls in one of the teams.

A member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ian joined Cyrenians in 2015, having previously worked as Head of New Business Development for Edinburgh Leisure, and an early career in Sales/Business Development for Enterprise software in the Communications sector.

In his role as Cyrenians Head of Business Development Ian’s goal is to increase net commercial income from Cyrenians' social enterprises, leading towards greater financial sustainability. Winning strategic funding will provide each of the enterprises, and therefore the charity overall, with the essential capacity to invest in continuous improvement and growth.

Ian leads on development of corporate strategy for business development and as a member of the leadership team contribute to the overall corporate direction and planning for Cyrenians. Development and nurturing of relationships with potential partners, including those within the third, public and corporate sectors and developing relationships with all key stakeholders are also part of his role.

Working with the Senior Manager for Enterprise, Ian is responsible for a vision for the Enterprise operations, that looks to maximise commercial and social return from Social enterprises.

Rachael joined Cyrenians in 2009 and leads our Early Intervention Services to develop and deliver projects that enable people to avoid housing crisis. Having spent 16 years in the corporate sector working in marketing, facilities and operational management, Rachael decided to use the skills she had learned to assist in the development of services within the voluntary sector, ensuring quality services are provided to those in need.

Joining Streetwork UK in 2002 Rachael worked as Operations Director successfully implementing their Change Management Programme which included; HR, Monitoring and Evaluation, Performance Management, Healthy Workplace Systems.

As a volunteer, Rachael worked as a Trustee for Zero Tolerance, as part of their HR, Property and Fundraising Teams. Now Rachael volunteers for the Chamber of Commerce in a mentoring capacity for charities looking to improve/develop their operational systems.

Jane Saren joined Cyrenians in 2011 and became a member of the leadership team in 2013. She spend the first half of her career in local authority social work departments, starting out as a volunteer co-ordinator in Liverpool and finally as Purchasing and Commissioning Manager in the City of Edinburgh Council.

Shortly before devolution she was employed by an international communications company as managing director of their new Scottish public affairs outfit. Over the last decade Jane has pursued her interest in public affairs and social policy in a freelance capacity, including as a Board Member of the Care Commission for 6 years. She is passionate about building on Cyrenians' acclaimed track record and expertise to enable greater numbers of people to benefit from early intervention and prevention and escape the personal and financial costs of crises.

Having joined Cyrenians in 2006, Amy is head of progression services and has responsibility for the strategic management of our residential services, recovery services, criminal justice work, community gardens, and work with people experiencing severe and multiple deprivation

As a member of Cyrenians Leadership Team, Amy has played a lead role in workforce development, quality assurance and capacity building, helping confirm Cyrenians as the provider of high quality services which make a real difference to people's lives. This has included the implementation of an organisational wide practice model, and the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework, both of which have helped make Cyrenians a robust charity which continues to attract support and investment.

Having studied Community Education, Amy is passionate about the ability of the voluntary sector to engage with communities in helping the people and the environment around them; and firmly believes that the flexibility, creativity and tenacity of the voluntary sector will be crucial in tackling the problems emerging as a result of tough economic times.

Originally from the north of Scotland, Amy and her family have settled in sunny Portobello.

Michelle joined Cyrenians in July 2017, not least because she shares their vision of an inclusive society where we respect diversity and all have opportunities to live valued and fulfilled lives.

As a member of the Leadership Team, Michelle has responsibility for the strategic management of our Conflict Resolution services across the Lothians, Advice and Support services in Edinburgh, HMP Addiewell Visitor Centre, Employability services and the national Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution.

In addition to her work with Cyrenians, Michelle is also a Special Advisor to the Women and Equalities Select Committee at Westminster. Prior to joining Cyrenians she worked for MECOPP (Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project) and, amongst other things, initiated the Gypsy/Traveller Carers' Programme, an award-winning programme working in rural and urban areas with one of Scotland’s most marginalised, and discriminated against, communities.

With an educational background in Social Anthropology, Michelle’s employment experience, in Scotland and overseas, has been varied - in the past working for Save the Children, the University of Glasgow and Health in Mind. She enjoys working with people and is particularly interested in issues around equality and wellbeing. She has a strong track record of using the creative arts as research, advocacy and training tools and is passionate about challenging injustices.

Ian Macmillan was Managing Director at J.P. Morgan. He has over 28 years financial services experience. During his 20+ year tenure at J.P. Morgan, he has performed a number of management roles in the asset management, investment banking, and securities broking and spent five years in the Far East. Ian joined the Board in March 2012 and was appointed Chair in November 2012.

Isobel has been a Trustee since 1989 and officiates as Secretary to the Board. She is an advocate, member of the Scottish Bar since 1992. She advises the charity on all legal obligations and issues.

Recruited in 2003, Carolyn is an independent business consultant specialising in organisational development and performance management. Her expertise includes strategy implementation and business planning. 

John Lawrie has been a trustee since 2003. He was an investment manager for Scottish Provident and was for four years an Edinburgh City Councillor. He is Convenor of Volunteer Centre Edinburgh and has previously served as a Trustee for Edinvar Housing Association, the Samaritans, Telephone Helplines Association, and Penumbra. He was awarded the OBE in 1990 and appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for the City of Edinburgh in 2012.

Ciaran McGuigan joined the Board in March 2012 and was appointed Treasurer in Dec 2014. Ciaran is currently Director of Standard Life's Finance Shared Services Centre. A qualified chartered accountant, he has over 15 years' experience of the financial and professional service sectors. 

With a background in communications with a particular emphasis on public affairs, Elinor joined the board of trustees because she has a firm commitment to social justice and wants to make a real difference to the people's lives. She wants to contribute to the organisation as it seeks to grow and serve more people. Elinor works for the charity Sue Ryder. 

Kirsty is an experienced MD, an accredited executive coach and strategic business consultant. Having started her career in sales and marketing she still has a strong commercial and customer focus. She is also a mentor for the Princes Trust and E-Spark, supporting business start-ups.

Pete joined Cyrenians as a Trustee in January 2015 and is currently Head of Commercial Banking for Bank of Scotland in Glasgow. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has held a variety of roles supporting clients with their fundraising activities and developing strategy.

Luke is Head of Service Design for the IT consultancy Sopra Steria, where he leads the design team responsible for supporting government to design and deliver better services. He joined Cyrenians as a trustee in 2015.