Southern Uplands Partnership Board Members

Southern Uplands Partnership Board Members

Partnership Board

Sir Michael Strang Steel CBE, Convenor.
Sir Michael has farming and forestry interests in the Borders. He was a Forestry Commissioner from 1988 to 1999 and Chair of the Native Woodlands Advisory Panel during this period. Sir Michael is Chair of the Timber Marketing Group, the Scottish Forestry Trust and was, until recently, Chair of Alba Trees plc. He is a Member of the Forestry and Timber Association, the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and is President of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society.

Joan Mitchell
“I have a long standing interest and commitment to rural development, livestock farming, upland ecology and tourism in Dumfries & Galloway. Partner in a family upland farm, academic background in upland ecology, various roles in public life associated with these themes. I am elected councillor for Cree Ward, Chair of Dumfries & Galloway Council, Chair of Planning & Environment Committee, past Chair of Dumfries & Galloway Tourist Board, member of South of Scotland Forestry Advisory Forum, member of South Scotland European programme Monitoring Committee, former member of EU Committee of the Regions (rural development agriculture and fisheries commission). I am supportive of co-operative working in rural South of Scotland.”

Mairi Telford Jammeh
I have been employed as a Community Planning Co-ordinator in Annandale and Eskdale by Dumfries & Galloway Council since June 2001. Prior to this I worked in higher education in the field of international health and development; in the NHS and as a public health nurse in West Africa. I have studied rural development at MSc level and am particularly interested in people and the need to ensure that local knowledge and local people are involved in rural development processes. I believe this is essential for the sustainability of our small rural communities. I am involved in building partnerships and networks and in guiding and advising on community involvement and consultation. I co-ordinate the Annandale and Eskdale Rural Partnership and I’m part of the Council’s Area Management Team.

During the last 6 years I have been part of the Community Regeneration Fund Steering Group (post FMD) and the Dumfries & Galloway Leader+ Action Group so involved in assessing project applications and making decisions on funding awards. I have worked closely with partner organisations such as the NHS, the Federation of Community Councils and Community Initiatives. I have been involved in two transnational projects – the AGATE project which looked at “living with the land in Annandale and Eskdale” and the “European Twinning Village Associations Project”. These have enabled me to see how rural development happens in other countries.

I have also been involved in setting-up and being part of the steering group for projects such as:

The Annandale and Eskdale Better 4 Walking project
The Sulwath Connections project
The Working Lassie oral history project
The Rural Voices project
The Working for Families project
The Winning Ideas text message project – a consultation project with young people
The Communities on the Edge project
The Thomas Telford Anniversary Celebrations
The Future of Moffat Town Hall

Also Initiatives such as;

Setting up a Community Warden scheme in Annan
The Rural Service Priority Area Scheme

I have also been involved in devising an Area Community Plan for Annandale and Eskdale.

Simon THORP BSc (Hons) CEnv MRICS
Simon Thorp has been the Director of The Heather Trust since May 2002. Prior to this, he gained extensive experience as a chartered surveyor working in rural management, which included work on private estates, a period with SNH and working in Lancashire & Cumbria for a firm of chartered surveyors. The range of experience includes upland habitat management, hill farm business management, farm tenancies, farm buildings and sporting management.
From its base in Dumfries, The Heather Trust promotes an integrated approach to moorland management in all parts of the UK and has links to all the main organisations with interests in the uplands.

Chris Ballance
Chris Ballance has had an interest in sustainability issues since joining the Scottish Green Party in 1980, and was Green MSP for South of Scotland from 2003-2007. He moved down to Dumfries and Galloway in 1999 to renovate a ruined barn in Wigtown, turning it into a home and secondhand bookshop. He is also an award-winning playwright, having had four plays for children performed, four for adults and having been involved in a large number of community and devised drama productions. Chris is currently Development Officer for Moffat CAN (Carbon Neutral).
He now lives in Moffat with his wife Alis, an actor, and son, Calum.

Adair Anderson
"I am a Chartered Accountant, having qualified in 1970. I worked as an auditor for 7 years, during and after qualification. I have worked as an accountant in industry for 15 years, and have spent the last 20 years as Company Secretary of John Menzies plc, reaching retirement age in October 2006.
I can help the SUP to focus its accounting controls and management reporting on matters most relevant to its agreed aims and objectives, and thus to help it to prioritise its resources on the projects which best meet these criteria."

Veronica M Davidson (Councillor) Scottish Borders Council
“I grew up in the Ettrick Valley in the Scottish Borders on a hill sheep farm run by my father. I have kept a close tie with the farm returning every year to help with the lambing. Following a career as an event organiser and then radio producer I chose to return to the Borders so that my daughter could also enjoy a country upbringing.

I am currently a councillor with Scottish Borders Council where I continue to push for a greater input to and awareness of the needs and potential of the rural areas to ensure that they have a sustainable future as a place to both live and work.

I would bring farming, media experience and a voice within the Council to the role of SUP Director.”

New SUP Board Members 2009:

William I Renwick
Having spent all my life in the Southern Uplands and currently being Chairman of Selkirk NFU and Vice President of the Blackface Sheep Breeders Association and a past Chairman of the local hall and School Board as well as being involved with the Black Grouse project and working with the Tweed Foundation on the Douglas burn, I would hope to have a broad range of practical and local knowledge. Living and working in this area I know it is vital we find and support sustainable businesses so that schools, hotels and indeed communities can prosper and don’t just disappear.

Maggie Gordon
I farm a small upland organic farm with Galloway cattle and Blackie sheep where I try to marry a low input system with high environmental benefit. Seeing at first hand how our native breeds can contribute to our biodiversity while providing a quality food, has drawn me into looking at how local farmers throughout the region can add value to their produce. I have concerns about how this region can ride the current economic storm given the challenges it faces in terms of rural transportation, the loss of communication links, climate change and falling employment prospects. I am a member of the LEADER Local Action Group.




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Southern Uplands Partnership Board Members Partnership Board Sir Michael Strang Steel CBE, Convenor. Sir Michael has farming and forestry interests in the Borders. He was a Forestry Commissioner from 1988 to 1999 and Chair of the Native Woodlands Advisory Panel during this period. Sir Michael is Chair of the Timber Marketing Group, the Scottish Forestry Trust and was, until recently, Chair of Alba Trees plc. He is a Member of the Forestry and Timber Association, the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and is President of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society. Joan Mitchell “I have a long standing interest and commitment to rural development, livestock farming, upland ecology and tourism in Dumfries & Galloway. Partner in a family upland farm, academic background in upland ecology, various roles in public life associated with these themes. I am elected councillor for Cree Ward, Chair of Dumfries & Galloway Council, Chair of Planning & Environment Committee, past Chair of Dumfries & Galloway Tourist Board, member of South of Scotland Forestry Advisory Forum, member of South Scotland European programme Monitoring Committee, former member of EU Committee of the Regions (rural development agriculture and fisheries commission). I am supportive of co-operative working in rural South of Scotland.” Mairi Telford Jammeh I have been employed as a Community Planning Co-ordinator in Annandale and Eskdale by Dumfries & Galloway Council since June 2001. Prior to this I worked in higher education in the field of international health and development; in the NHS and as a public health nurse in West Africa. I have studied rural development at MSc level and am particularly interested in people and the need to ensure that local knowledge and local people are involved in rural development processes. I believe this is essential for the sustainability of our small rural communities. I am involved in building partnerships and networks and in guiding and advising on community involvement and consultation. I co-ordinate the Annandale and Eskdale Rural Partnership and I’m part of the Council’s Area Management Team. During the last 6 years I have been part of the Community Regeneration Fund Steering Group (post FMD) and the Dumfries & Galloway Leader+ Action Group so involved in assessing project applications and making decisions on funding awards. I have worked closely with partner organisations such as the NHS, the Federation of Community Councils and Community Initiatives. I have been involved in two transnational projects – the AGATE project which looked at “living with the land in Annandale and Eskdale” and the “European Twinning Village Associations Project”. These have enabled me to see how rural development happens in other countries. I have also been involved in setting-up and being part of the steering group for projects such as: The Annandale and Eskdale Better 4 Walking project The Sulwath Connections project The Working Lassie oral history project The Rural Voices project The Working for Families project The Winning Ideas text message project – a consultation project with young people The Communities on the Edge project The Thomas Telford Anniversary Celebrations The Future of Moffat Town Hall Also Initiatives such as; Setting up a Community Warden scheme in Annan The Rural Service Priority Area Scheme I have also been involved in devising an Area Community Plan for Annandale and Eskdale. Simon THORP BSc (Hons) CEnv MRICS Simon Thorp has been the Director of The Heather Trust since May 2002. Prior to this, he gained extensive experience as a chartered surveyor working in rural management, which included work on private estates, a period with SNH and working in Lancashire & Cumbria for a firm of chartered surveyors. The range of experience includes upland habitat management, hill farm business management, farm tenancies, farm buildings and sporting management. From its base in Dumfries, The Heather Trust promotes an integrated approach to moorland management in all parts of the UK and has links to all the main organisations with interests in the uplands. Chris Ballance Chris Ballance has had an interest in sustainability issues since joining the Scottish Green Party in 1980, and was Green MSP for South of Scotland from 2003-2007. He moved down to Dumfries and Galloway in 1999 to renovate a ruined barn in Wigtown, turning it into a home and secondhand bookshop. He is also an award-winning playwright, having had four plays for children performed, four for adults and having been involved in a large number of community and devised drama productions. Chris is currently Development Officer for Moffat CAN (Carbon Neutral). He now lives in Moffat with his wife Alis, an actor, and son, Calum. Adair Anderson "I am a Chartered Accountant, having qualified in 1970. I worked as an auditor for 7 years, during and after qualification. I have worked as an accountant in industry for 15 years, and have spent the last 20 years as Company Secretary of John Menzies plc, reaching retirement age in October 2006. I can help the SUP to focus its accounting controls and management reporting on matters most relevant to its agreed aims and objectives, and thus to help it to prioritise its resources on the projects which best meet these criteria." Veronica M Davidson (Councillor) Scottish Borders Council “I grew up in the Ettrick Valley in the Scottish Borders on a hill sheep farm run by my father. I have kept a close tie with the farm returning every year to help with the lambing. Following a career as an event organiser and then radio producer I chose to return to the Borders so that my daughter could also enjoy a country upbringing. I am currently a councillor with Scottish Borders Council where I continue to push for a greater input to and awareness of the needs and potential of the rural areas to ensure that they have a sustainable future as a place to both live and work. I would bring farming, media experience and a voice within the Council to the role of SUP Director.” New SUP Board Members 2009: William I Renwick Having spent all my life in the Southern Uplands and currently being Chairman of Selkirk NFU and Vice President of the Blackface Sheep Breeders Association and a past Chairman of the local hall and School Board as well as being involved with the Black Grouse project and working with the Tweed Foundation on the Douglas burn, I would hope to have a broad range of practical and local knowledge. Living and working in this area I know it is vital we find and support sustainable businesses so that schools, hotels and indeed communities can prosper and don’t just disappear. Maggie Gordon I farm a small upland organic farm with Galloway cattle and Blackie sheep where I try to marry a low input system with high environmental benefit. Seeing at first hand how our native breeds can contribute to our biodiversity while providing a quality food, has drawn me into looking at how local farmers throughout the region can add value to their produce. I have concerns about how this region can ride the current economic storm given the challenges it faces in terms of rural transportation, the loss of communication links, climate change and falling employment prospects. I am a member of the LEADER Local Action Group.		Map Geology History The Uplands Forest & Woodlands Rolling Farmland Watery Habitats Towns & Villages Employment Leisure Nature Based Tourism Trail Riding What People Say Find Out More Credits Links