LEADER LAG DESCRIPTIONS

The East Renfrewshire Local Action Group is made up of individuals, businesses, private sector, public sector, voluntary sector and community sector.

Councillor Tony Buchanan, East Renfrewshire Council

Suzanne McCall, East Renfrewshire Council (LEADER
co-ordinator)

As LEADER co-ordinator for East Renfrewshire I have the responsibility of managing the LEADER programme alongside the other LAG members. Employed by East Renfrewshire Council as Economic Development Officer my remit includes having responsibility for Rural Development and Tourism as well as Business Development activities.

Tommy McGrory, Forestry Commission Scotland/RPAC

Woodland Officer for Forestry Commission Scotland covering the Local Authority Areas of East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and North Ayrshire including Arran. I am also a Case Officer covering the RPAC (Regional Priority Assessment Committee) areas of Clyde and Ayrshire administering the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP). As LEADER forms an integral part of the wider SRDP my interest is to provide advice and support to applicants and the LAG using my current knowledge and experience of SRDP.

Councillor Charles Gilbert, East Renfrewshire Council

As a Councillor representing the Neilston and Uplawmoor areas, and as a member of the Local Action Group, I welcome the Leader project as a means of funding improvements and services to those areas so that the people, in those areas, are aware that the Council is keen to support them.

James Carswell, Local Farm and SRPBA

I own a farming business in Neilston, and represent the East Renfrewshire members of the Scottish Rural Property & Business Association.

I am pleased to be working with the Local Action Group to help bring the economic benefits of LEADER to the land based businesses in rural East Renfrewshire.

Anne Kidd, Voluntary Action

As the Chief Officer of Voluntary Action I see my role on the LAG group as two-fold. Firstly in representing the interests of the community and voluntary sectors I hope to ensure that relevant groups make good use of the LEADER funding and the support Voluntary Action can provide in terms of other funding sources, constitutions, governance and good practice in managing an organisation. Secondly, I am passionate about volunteering and the benefits community participation can bring to individuals, the organisation they volunteer with and the community at large so I regard this as a great opportunity to promote and support the development of a wider variety of volunteering opportunities in East Renfrewshire.

Martin Mathers, ScottishPower Renewables

Lesley Anderson, Uplawmoor Community Council

Having been born and raised in Uplawmoor Lesley has a keen interest in the village's natural heritage. She has spent the last ten years working within community regeneration but recently returned to full time education to study Sustainable Environmental Management. Lesley is excited by the opportunities LEADER can offer in terms of building capacity and developing opportunities for the rural communities, which will in turn benefit the rest of East Renfrewshire.

Stewart Miller, Flenders Farm

I am the fourth generation of my family to have run the family farm. I was elected to East Renfrewshire Council Busby, Clarkston and the rural village of Eaglesham in 2007. The protection of the countryside has to be a priority as well as the rural villages of East Renfrewshire being a living and working environment. In my view, this is why the LEADER programme is so vitally important and that we maintain and enhance business projects within our communities.

Pauline Gallacher, Neilston Development Trust

I work as a full-time volunteer for Neilston Development Trust. I have background in architecture, planning and community involvement in the process of design and regeneration. The position of small towns and their rural settings in forging a sustainable future for Scotland is of great interest; LEADER funding has come to East Renfrewshire at just the right moment.

Laura Carswell, Neilston Village Regeneration Group

I work as a volunteer for Neilston Development Trust of which I am Vice Chair and Cultural Convenor, managing our year round cultural programme, including our annual Neilston Live! Festival. I have a background in economic development and most recently have been heavily involved in community-led regeneration from a cultural planning perspective and in addition the development of social enterprise.

David Adams-McGilp, Visit Scotland

David Adams McGilp is Visit Scotland's Regional Director for Glasgow and West Central Scotland, which includes East Renfrewshire.

He is responsible for managing strategic partnerships with local authorities, industry groups and enterprise networks in an effort to drive tourism growth for long-term economic benefit.

Before joining VisitScotland in 2008 David worked in tourism in the private sector for over a decade. He managed development projects in cultural and heritage sectors and was a consultant on projects nationwide.

Bill McCallum, Lapwing Lodge

A life long Scout who is still involved in the Movement. He works along with a team to oversee Scouting in the newly formed West Region which covers from Barrhead all the way out to the Islands. He is therefore very interested in young people issues. He is also involved with Lapwing Lodge Outdoor Centre, and with another team is working to upgrade this facility for use by all community based groups. Bill is also a retired engineer.

Robert Venner, Eaglesham Community Council

Steve Taylor, ideeas ltd