Our Values
Based on core human rights values of dignity and respect, all our work is underpinned by the principles of a human rights based approach. We are known for:
Here are some of the words that guide our values:
Meet the Team
Staff
Clare MacGillvray
Director
Clare is a community worker, activist and campaigner for human rights. A passionate community development practitioner, she has over 20 years experience of working with communities campaigning for equality and social justice.
A Board member and European Director with the International Association for Community Development, in 2019 she was awarded the Global Ambassador Award for Community Development.
Clare is a Trustee with the Children’s Parliament and an Atlantic Fellow for Economic and Social Equity with London School of Economics.
Lorraine Barrie
Associate
Lorraine is a trained solicitor with extensive experience in a community law centre focussing on discrimination. As coordinator with Glasgow Equality Forum – a Glasgow-wide strategic policy forum and former Scotland Committee Member with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Lorraine is passionate about equalities and human rights and a skilled participation practitioner.
Our Board
Professor Jo Ferrie (Chair)
Jo is a sociologist based at the University of Glasgow. Her research has focused on human rights realisation in Scotland and democratising knowledge production. Jo has been a member of the Scottish Human Rights Commission’s Research Advisory Group since 2013 and a founding member of their Human Rights Budgeting Group since 2018.
Helen Schwittay
Helen is a project manager at the Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures at the University of Strathclyde. She has an LLM in Human Rights Law with a specific interest and expertise in women’s and children’s human rights. Helen’s background is in marketing and communications.
Chloë Trew (Secretary)
Chloë is the Director of Participation and the Practice of Rights, Belfast. Chloe was previously Participation Officer at the Scottish Human Rights Commission where she coordinated and delivered the Commission's participation work with people who are affected by a whole range of human rights issues, including housing, poverty, social care and mental health and well-being.
Alex Thorburn
Heather Ford (Vice Chair)
Heather has been a community activist for many years in and became experienced in using a human rights based approach through the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry and the award winning Housing Rights in Practice Project which was based in her local area in Leith.
Nina Munday
Nina holds a Master of Arts in Sociology with honours from Aberdeen University. She has over 30 years’ experience of working in the equality sector in the UK. Throughout her career she held senior executive positions in many strategic organisations. She has extensive experience in organisational, financial and staff management. Currently, she is the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead of Edinburgh College as well as being the Director of Embody Global Consultancy. Until March 2022, she was the Chief Executive of Fife Centre for Equalities which she established in 2014. Nina specialises in delivering training on the application of all equality legislation.
Carolyn Scott
Carolyn Scott is a lecturer in Journalism and Mass Communications at Edinburgh Napier University.
Carolyn worked as a broadcast and digital journalist for many years before moving into communications and media roles in the third and public sectors. Her focus has always been on humanitarian work and global current affairs. Prior to joining Edinburgh Napier, Carolyn worked for the Scottish Human Rights Commission.
Fiona Garven
Fiona has worked in community development for more than forty years. She was previously Director of the Scottish Community Development Centre and now works independently. She has a lifelong commitment to participatory democracy, social justice and human rights.
Oonagh Brown
Oonagh is Human Rights Programme Lead at the Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities; in this role, Oonagh leads work on incorporating the UNCRPD into Scottish law with a focus on ensuring people with learning disabilities in Scotland can realise their human rights. In previous roles, Oonagh has worked to develop various projects with both local communities and across Scotland.
Corinne McGinley
Corinne has been a Community Education worker for over 20 years coming to the profession via a family background of community activism and youth work opportunities. She currently manages and develops nationally award winning youth work opportunities in an area of Fife