Our Team
Chair – Neil Young
Neil Young is the Youth Team Leader at Glasgow St Paul’s Youth Forum, working in Blackhill, in the east end of Glasgow for nearly 20 years. He was Youthlink Scotland’s inspirational leader of the year 2018 and the project was the Herald Society Community Project of the Year 2019, and Cultivation Streets Scottish Community Garden of the Year in 2019 and 2020, though it’s work to Grow Good Food, Cook Good Food and Eat Good Food. Neil was previously part of the Scottish Governments short life working group on Food Insecurity and was the organisation that the Fair Food Transformation Fund was launched from.
Trustee – Anne Mclaughlin MP
Anne McLaughlin is the MP for Glasgow North East. She describes her approach to politics as ‘sleeves rolled up and hands on’. She is a great advocate of community empowerment believing communities thrive when they are supported and funded to develop the services they need rather than having services decided for them. Anne is currently the SNP’s Shadow Spokesperson on Women and Equalities at Westminster.
Trustee – Prof John McKendrick
Professor John H. McKendrick is co-Director of the Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit at Glasgow Caledonian University, the university for the common good. Much of his work involves supporting the work of partners tackling poverty locally in Scotland. He has a particular interest in how Scotland is mobilising resources to tackle food insecurity.
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Trustee – Derek Taylor
Derek has been an accountant in the exciting world of finance for 30 years working with a number of large and small companies throughout the UK in financial reporting, strategy and business support. He own his own finance consultancy but most of his focus and motivation is now on 3rd sector work.
Currently in a point when he wants to ‘give something back,’ where he can utilise his skills and experiences to help make our country, our society, and our communities better places to live, where he fully believes in diversity, equality, fairness, and equitable representation in our communities.
Trustee – Kelly Burns
Kelly is our pantry representative. Kelly is the current manager of Castlemilk Pantry and brings significant day-to-day experience running a pantry and working with the Castlemilk community. Kelly has clearly demonstrated success by her passion and desire to aid her community, which has caused her pantry to expand in influence and growth.
Trustee – Mark Wells
Mark Wells, originally from Inverness, is the Manager of Food Facts Friends in Penicuick. His journey began in 2016 when he first launched the Pantry, and he has found the work of assisting others in difficult situations to be extremely satisfying since then. Having gone through his own challenges in the past, he realised that without the aid of others, he would not be where he is now, giving back and seeing the need for Pantries to go beyond food.
Trustee – Richard McAvoy
Richard McAvoy is a leader in health, safety and risk working within estates and facilities at Glasgow Caledonian University.
He has a keen interest in sustainable initiatives to tackle food insecurity using his experience in safety and compliance.
Trustee – James Ward
James Ward is the Managing Director of Lowther Homes in the Greater Glasgow area. In his position, he is responsible for making critical decisions in Glasgow’s housing landscape. James has a strong passion in the wellbeing of individuals and the communities they belong to, which makes him an excellent asset to the network.
CEO – Mandy Morgan
Mandy Morgan is a dedicated professional with a decade of experience in the housing sector. With a passion for community development and a strong background in local governance, Mandy has been a driving force in her community’s growth.
Previously serving as a Local Councillor, she advocated tirelessly for her constituents’ needs and was instrumental in supporting the establishment of the Ruchazie Pantry, a vital resource for the local community.
Mandy’s commitment to fostering sustainable community initiatives led her to found the Scottish Pantry Network, where she currently serves as the Chief Executive. Under her leadership, the network has grown to become a cornerstone in empowering communities across Scotland to combat food insecurity and build a brighter future. Mandy’s dedication to creating positive change in her community and beyond continues to inspire those around her.
Development Officer – Elaine Ballantyne
Elaine worked for the University of Glasgow for 37 years keeping pace with evolving technologies to enhance library services and meet the changing needs of the academic community whilst showcasing a commitment to knowledge access and scholarly support.
From 2017-2022, Elaine served as a Councillor & Bailie in Glasgow, actively engaging with constituents, and addressing community needs. She advocated for policies aimed at enhancing the quality of life for Glasgow residents which was evidenced in her role chairing the committee overseeing the Glasgow Food Strategy, demonstrating effective leadership and strategic oversight of key initiatives. As well as hosting The Glasgow Food Summit in 2018, Elaine led development sessions and chaired food inquiry sessions, contributing to informed decision-making, and fostering a collaborative approach to address food-related issues. Elaine is driven by a passion for sustainable and equitable food systems that address food insecurity and remains committed to leveraging her skills and experiences to contribute to positive change in the intersection of food insecurity, community, and sustainability.
Operations Assistant – Rebecca Manirankunda
Rebecca is a dynamic individual with a background in social science, holding a Bachelor’s degree that has equipped her with a profound understanding of societal dynamics. Currently immersed in the world of marketing, she is enhancing her skills to make a greater impact in the digital landscape.
Her journey was marked by a fusion of analytical thinking from her social science studies and the creative flair she possesses. Having worked her way up from her prior role as Admin and Social media assistant, she has developed the proactive and organised skills to support the smooth running of TSPN. Her role now involves a mix of administrative tasks, social media management, website maintenance, and volunteer coordination.
Policy Officer – Louise MacKenzie
Prior to joining TSPN, Louise worked as a policy manager in local government, specialising in equality, public health and performance management. She was one of the core group, along with other partners who led the successful development of the Glasgow Food Plan. She has a keen interest in evidence based policy, community led development and implementation of practical solutions to policy challenges.
Development Worker – Saima Tariq
Saima previously worked the National Lottery Community Fund as a funding officer which has led to additional assessing work for the Corra Foundation, reviewing applications delivering support targeting gender-based violence. In university her focus was around trauma informed approaches used with women experiencing homelessness. She also worked for the DWP as a work coach, supporting individuals into employment.
Saima learns through hands-on experience and values relationship-building within both the local and wider community. She is dedicated to contributing to the long-term success and sustainability of TSPN through her expertise and passion for helping others.
Trainee Media & Marketing Officer – Felix Worthington
