Our Board

Our Patron is Sheriff Gail Patrick and the members of our Board are:

Cathy Asante

Cathy is a qualified solicitor and legal officer at the Scottish Human Rights Commission. She leads the work of the Commission in promoting a human rights based approach, with a particular focus on health and social care.  She previously worked at Legal Services Agency, a law centre, as a solicitor in the Mental Health Legal Representation Project.

Fiona Burrough

Fiona Burrough was a criminal barrister in London before going to work for Just for Kids Law representing kids charged with criminal offences in the youth court system.  She then went on to do legal policy work for Save the Children, specifically on the applicability of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in domestic law.  Fiona returned to Scotland after having her two children and has worked for a civil litigation firm and now for a financial regulator in the area of professional misconduct.

Neil Collar

Neil has been a solicitor for 16 years. He is a partner of Brodies LLP and heads their planning law team. He has extensive experience of law firm management, having been Brodies’ Head of Litigation for 5 years. He has also been involved in running a variety of voluntary groups, including a lacrosse team and a wind band.

Jennifer Cummings

Jennifer qualified as a solicitor in 2007. She specialises in litigation and dispute resolution. Jennifer is an Associate at Murray Beith Murray Solicitors.

Sue Grant

Sue is a solicitor in private practice with Digby Brown, solicitors. She is an accredited specialist in both Personal Injury Law and Clinical Negligence but has had a special interest and involvement in adoption of children for over 30 years. 

Tom Harvie-Clark (Chair)

Tom is General Manager of Strategy and Economic Regulation at Scottish Water. He qualified as an accountant with KPMG before joining the Scottish Government to undertake roles as an economist and then policy advisor. He previously was the managing trustee of a small grant making trust.

Peter Hastie

Peter joined the Board in October 2017.  Peter is a Public Affairs professional for a cancer charity in Scotland, and has worked in public affairs since Devolution in 1999.  Working in-house, for lobbying agencies and for senior government figures over the 20 years, Peter's expertise is in Holyrood focused campaigning.

Mary-Claire Kelly (Company Secretary)

Mary-Claire has a long standing interest in social welfare law.  She previously worked as a solicitor for the homelessness charity Shelter for six years. She is currently a solicitor at the Civil Legal Assistance office based in Edinburgh which aims to address unmet legal need in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Mary-Claire has also been appointed as a Legal Chair in the First-tier Tribunal (Housing and Property Chamber). 

Mandy Young

Mandy qualified as a solicitor in 1977 and has worked mainly in local government since then, latterly as Principal Solicitor with Edinburgh City Council until 2003, when she joined Burness, Solicitors, on their PFI team, advising local authority clients. She brings a wealth of experience with charitable companies, both as Director and adviser.