About Us

Jane started working with parents and their children in Scotland over 35 years ago, in residential care, where she then did her training in a CAMHS team. Jane has been a qualified Social Worker for the past 20 years, supporting family relationships.

Jane firmly believes that the most marginalised families in Scotland should have access to services, especially the bespoke services of the Lilias Graham Trust and that every child should have the opportunity to grow up with their family where possible. She loves her job and is grateful for the people that she spends time with on their journey at the Lilias Graham Trust

Becky qualified as a Mental Health Practitioner in 2004 and worked for the NHS for 7 years in this role. In 2012 she relocated to Scotland and took the opportunity to change direction.

Becky joined Aberlour as family outreach worker in 2013 working with families with young children in the community, then moved to work in HMP Cornton Vale as a Mother and Baby worker, supporting pregnant women and women with young children.

In 2019 she joined Women’s Aid, initially working with women and then moving into managing the family outreach and the children and young person’s service. In 2023 she moved to SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health) as the manager of the children and young persons service.

Becky holds an SCQF level nine in Leadership and Management of a Young Person’s Service. She is a qualified Independent Domestic Abuse Advocate and has trained in Video Interaction Guidance, Seasons for Growth and Infant Massage, which all support families and children to grow, develop and navigate challenges together.

Becky is passionate about supporting families and ensuring that all children have the opportunities and support to reach their full potential.

Claire is one of our longest serving staff, having started at LGT in 2006.

Her job has developed and evolved along with the organisation and she now supports all aspects of finance and administration and is Company Secretary to the Board.

Claire says that witnessing successful outcomes for families is the most rewarding part of working for the charity and she hopes that The LGT can continue to provide a chance for families to remain together and thrive in their communities.

Helen joined The LGT in July 2021, working in the office to support all the staff in their work with the families.

LGT is a great place to be, everyone works together doing their very best to help the families stay together.

With feet back on firm ground after a thirty-five year flying career, ranging from Army and Police Helicopters to transatlantic airliners, John is now helping out part-time by looking after the estate and grounds at The Lilias Graham Trust – a never ending job!

He came to cut the grass but as everyone knows, once you start at the Trust.... One day it will be unblocking drains, another it will be sorting IT, or putting cots together.

He lives just over the hill and is married to Rachel - a vet. His big black Labrador Dart makes an appearance at times too.

Sheila joined the Board at the end of 2021 and is currently Chair.

She started her career in the Education Department of Glasgow Corporation and thereafter remained in local government with Central Regional Council, Clackmannan District Council, Clackmannanshire Leisure Trust and finally as Principal Officer for Leisure with Clackmannanshire Council. She has always believed that sport and leisure activities are a constructive use of leisure time and enrich the lives of all who take part.

Sheila was heavily involved with introducing Leisure activities as part of an intervention programme to tackle isolation, social exclusion and mental health issues. She believes very strongly in social justice for all, has been involved in many community projects for over 50 years and has a wealth of experience in managing the budgets and aims of all of those organisations.

Susan joined the Board in 2023.

Her career journey began in the world of journalism, where she started as a newspaper journalist in Edinburgh and later in London.

She served as a Panel Member in the Children's Hearing System for 6 years. Her commitment to the well-being of children inspired her to return to university to study law at Strathclyde University with a specific focus on becoming a children's reporter.

For more than a decade Susan worked as a children's reporter covering areas within Falkirk, Clackmannanshire and Stirling. Her passion for advocating for children's rights and welfare has been central to her working life.

Susan is an Accredited Family Mediator since 2014. She continues to enhance her mediation skills through Relationships Scotland and mediates for Family Mediation Central.

Outside of her professional life, Susan enjoys a range of interests including hillwalking, tennis, family and friends.

Belinda is The Lilias Graham Trust’s Fundraiser and a Trustee/Director of the Board.  She first became involved with the charity in 1999, when the Chairman asked if she could lend a helping hand. Belinda says she originally volunteered to “stick stamps in the office, not fundraise!” but she has now been the organisation’s main fundraiser for many years.

Belinda says seeing the difference in the charity since she first began on the Board has been a fascinating experience. “There was no office, no paperwork, no copying machine and no money,” she says, “so much has changed since I joined the Board, whilst remaining focused on our ‘family’ ethos as laid down by Lilias Graham way back in the 1960’s"

Angus joined the LGT Board in the Summer of 2023.

He has lived in Kippen since 2009. In his day job, he has been the CEO of Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC), the Centre of Procurement Expertise for, and jointly owned, by all of Scotland’s Universities and Colleges since 2009. Before this he was the Commercial Director at City University London where he worked for 7 years, and before that, he worked in various supply chain and project management roles for Unilever Plc in the UK and overseas for 16 years.

Angus is a keen walker and biker, and also volunteers at another charity, the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust, where he can be found driving vintage buses around Glasgow on open days and events!

A member of The Lilias Graham Trust Board since 2008, Brian was the Headmaster of Queen Victoria School in Dunblane from 1995 until he retired in 2006. During his tenure, he raised the profile of the school worldwide, leading tattoo performances in Nova Scotia, Switzerland, Edinburgh and rugby/pipe band tours to as far away as Australia.

As well as sitting on the board at the Trust, Brian is also an active member of Perth Rotary, Perth Left Bank Community Development Trust and was involved in coaching Scottish Junior Rugby.

Brian and his wife, Jean, live in Perth.

I am now retired having worked 42 years in banking with both Clydesdale Bank and Handelsbanken.

Family life, I am happily married to Christine whose two children, together with my three sons are a handful but thankfully they have now all moved out. We are blessed with four grandchildren, three boys aged 12, 8, and 4yrs and a granddaughter aged 2yrs.

Family takes up a lot of Christine’s and my time, but I do manage to attend and watch Ice Hockey and Football most weeks.

Glenys has long been involved with the charity. As Head Teacher of local school Thornhill Primary, Glenys welcomed the children and families that stayed at the organisation into the community when it was known as Braendam Family House.

Now retired, Glenys was a teacher, head teacher of two small schools and latterly a Quality Improvement Officer for Children’s Services.

She says that she shares the philosophy of The Lilias Graham Trust in their support of families and children and says that every child has the right to be loved, nurtured and cared for in a safe environment.

Dr Melanie Durowse is a lecturer in Social Work with University of Dundee.

She started her social work career many moons ago with Criminal Justice as a Social Work Assistant before qualifying as a Social Worker.

Whilst she was a student, Melanie worked in both residential resources for both young people and older people.

Since then, she has worked in statutory child-care, foster care and for a Child Protection Committee in a quality assurance and self-evaluation role. During this time, she completed her MSc in Child Care and Protection with a dissertation around the journey through HMIe Child Protection Inspection.

A change in direction took Melanie into an Adult Protection Committee, setting up training resources and multi-agency evaluation processes, before moving back to practice as a Team Manager in Adult Services.

Melanie completed her PhD in 2021 with her thesis entitled "Financial harm in the context of adult protection: the complexity of factors influencing decision making".

Craig was co-opted onto the Board in the Spring of 2022.

He is a Solicitor with over 40 years of experience in all aspects of Civil Court work, especially in the area of family law. He is regularly called upon to provide reports for Sheriffs in the local Courts in contested applications for Residence and Contact, as well as in Adoption applications.

He was for many years a Safeguarder in the Children’s Hearing system and was at one time Vice Chairman of the Scottish Safeguarders’ Association. He came to the Board with practical and direct knowledge of the invaluable work done by the LGT and of the positive impacts it has on the families involved.

Craig was delighted to be asked to help to promote the unique service which LGT provides and hopes that he can bring his many years of work experience in the area of children and families to the Board.

Outside of work, he has been the Secretary of the Famous Alva Games for almost 30 years, was formerly a low level football referee, and is a keen follower of sport -although never himself professed any real athletic ability!