Brenda Allan
Resource Assistant / Lip-reading Tutor
As a Resource Assistant, Brenda assesses people's needs, supplying, delivering and installing equipment to support people living with serious sensory loss to remain safe and independent at home. As a qualified Lip-reading Tutor, Brenda also delivers lip-reading classes in the community for people with hearing loss.
Kenneth Auld
Finance Director
Kenneth is a retired actuary. He studied Statistics at Glasgow University, before qualifying as an actuary, and working in the pensions industry for 35 years as a pension consultant and Scheme Actuary, advising trustees on scheme funding, and companies on accounting disclosures, along with the pensions aspects of company sales and purchases. He also acted as an expert witness in divorces and damages claims. He is also a director of a Trustee Company for a major insurance firm.
Alan Bell
Interim Chief Executive
Alan Bell has been interim chief executive at NESS since February 2024. An experienced executive and non-executive director, in the past he has worked with CEOs and boards to support company growth and strategy development.
In his former career as a commercial helicopter pilot, he co-founded the first charitable Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) air ambulance in Scotland. He served as a trustee on the board of Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance as well as its operations committee chair for the past 11 years.
As a commercial drone pilot and the founder of a technology company developing AI solutions, he co-founded a charity enabling emergency services to operate drones without the need to physically see them, working with both the public and private sector.
Deborah Benzie
Cafe Co-ordinator
Deborah runs NESS' cafe at in Aberdeen, supported by a small team of volunteers, Deborah provides a wide range of snacks, meals and catering for special events.
Andrea Bryant
PA and Finance Assistant
Andrea is the Personal Assistant (PA) who supports both the Chief Executive and the Board of Directors. She also works part-time in our finance team.
John Cameron
Resource Centre Worker
John provides information and support with equipment to people living with serious sensory loss, as well as reception and administrative duties in Elgin.
Eddie Carroll
Hospital Information Officer
Eddie operates NESS' Hospital Information Service and is based at NHS Grampian's Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Eddie provides support, information and appropriate advice to people who have a serious sight loss or hearing loss and directs them to suitable agencies as appropriate.
Julie Cross
Administrative Assistant
Julie is the administrator for YPSS across the offices, Social Inclusion at Moray and general administrator for the Moray office.
Arlene Cumming
Rehabilitation Worker
Arlene is part of the Fieldwork team which delivers NESS' Core Services. She offers assessment, mobility & independent living skills training and specialist equipment to people with serious sensory loss in Moray.
Diana Daneels
Young People's Sensory Service (YPSS) Co-ordinator
Diana leads our Young People's Sensory Service in Angus, Dundee, Grampian & Moray. Working with groups and individual youngsters, she organises activities for young people with a serious sensory loss and networking opportunities for parents.
Kirsti Dicks
Social Worker
Kirsti is part of the Fieldwork team which delivers NESS' Core Services. As a registered Social Worker, she offers assessment, information and support to people living with serious sensory loss in Aberdeen.
Andrew Douglas
Transcription Co-ordinator
Andrew's job involves producing and distributing accessible communications in different media including digital recordings in audio and video formats for people with sensory loss. He also provides technical support to a range of colleagues when using multimedia equipment.
Selina Edward
Administration Assistant, Reader & Driver
Selina is part of the Administration team based in Aberdeen. Selina delivers administration support to our Aberdeen SIS service and our Training and Information Officer. She also supports two of her colleagues with written and digital communication, and one with transport to allow for visits to service users in their homes.
Lindsey Fleming
Rehabilitation Worker
Lindsey is part of the Field work team which delivers NESS' Core Services. She offers assessment, mobility & independent living skills training and specialist equipment to people to with serious sensory loss in Aberdeen.
Kate Fraser
Fieldwork Assistant
Kate is part of the Fieldwork team based in Aberdeen, which delivers NESS' Core Services. She offers information, equipment and support to people living with serious sensory loss in the City.
Louise Gill
Resource Worker
Louise is part of the Fieldwork team which delivers NESS' Core Services. Based in our Dundee Resource Centre, she offers information, equipment and support to people living with serious sensory loss in Dundee. She supplies, delivers and installs equipment so people can remain safe and independent at home. She also provides admin support for our team in Dundee.
Carol Gordon
Director
Born in Aberdeen and brought up in Kintore, Carol has had a very varied career over the years and spent 10 years of her working life as a section Manager in an International call centre in Holland. Within this role Carol was the sole contact in assisting people with varied disabilities to register and obtain computer-based exams for Microsoft, Oracle, IBM etc. and the Driver Theory exams, to name a few.
Upon returning to the UK, Carol went back to “school” by attending Robert Gordons University where she gained a BA Hons in Business Management. Carol worked for NESS for almost 10 years as the P/T Welfare Officer and P/T Call Centre Worker, but had to retire due to ill health. However, Carol felt she still had a lot to give NESS so asked to join the Board and is looking forward to the new challenges this role will bring.
Janice Gray
Employment Officer
Janice delivers NESS' Employment Service in Aberdeen and Dundee. Janice can offer individual appointments and also arranges work skills classes. She supports Deaf and Blind job seekers to prepare for and gain employment. She also assists people in work to retain their jobs.
Kevin Gregor
Information Communication Technology (ICT) Officer
Kevin works part time providing specialist input, advice and instruction on the use of computers and digital technology for people with serious sensory loss. He does this both on a one-to-one basis and via small classes.
Susan Hewitt
Administration Assistant
Susan provides a variety of Administrative support here at NESS.
Libby Hillhouse
Training & Information Officer
I am responsible for delivering all of NESS’s Sensory Awareness Training and distributing information to raise awareness of NESS. I deliver training and work with other organisations to raise awareness of sensory loss and encourage them to make their services more accessible. I also work with our fundraising and PR team, helping to keep NESS’s profile up, and work on the website, our social media and help produce the NESS News.
In my spare time, I enjoy reading and watching crime drama, walking our dog, and spending time with family and friends.
Sheena Holt
Guide Communicator
Sheena works on a one to one basis with deafblind service users to enable them to get out and about and interact in their community.
Varda Hood
Director
Varda grew up in Aberdeenshire and originally studied Physics before going back to university and qualifying as an Audiologist in 2007. She has worked for NHS Grampian since she qualified. She specialises in Vestibular audiology providing testing and rehabilitation to those with vertigo and balance problems. She now also has a management role as deputy head of Adult Audiology for Aberdeen city and shire.
Martin Housden
Director
Martin is an independent Optometrist based in Forres and also the Lead Optometrist for Moray HSCP.
Originally from Cambridge, England. Graduated BSC (Hans) in Optical Management, after which moved to London to complete training as a Dispensing Optician at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Graduated BSc (Hans) Optometry from City University, London.
Moved to Moray in 2002 and has worked in various practices in the Grampian region. For the last 11 years has owned and run an independent practice in Forres with his partner, Jayne.
Michele Hughes
Senior Practitioner
Michele leads the Fieldwork team which delivers NESS' Core Services in Aberdeen. As a registered Social Worker she also delivers assessment, information and support to people living with serious sensory loss in Aberdeen.
Dr. Uche Iloka
Director
Uche is a Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Courts of Nigeria and a Solicitor of England & Wales. He is a Fellow of the United Kingdom Higher Education Academy and Lecturer in Law at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland, where he teaches, among other subjects, Charity Law. Additionally, he is a legal consultant and partner at Greydern Associates, a charity-servicing consultancy.
He holds a doctorate in International law, Global Governance, and Non-Governmental Organizations.
Uche loves the creative arts, including stage plays, musicals and poetry. He also enjoys mentoring, critical writing, intriguing debates and travelling.
Carmen Irving
Vice Chair
Carmen is a qualified accountant who has had a varied career working in the Oil & Gas industry and laterally as a lecturer at SRUC. Carmen brings her many years of finance and business knowledge to NESS.
Margaret Kydd
Social Worker
Margaret is part of the Field work team based in Dundee. As a registered Social Worker, she delivers assessment, information and support to people living with serious sensory loss.
Ryan Leslie
Information Communication Technology (ICT) Officer
Ryan provides specialist input, advice and instruction on the use of computers and digital technology for people with serious sensory loss. He does this both on a one-to-one basis and via small classes.
Lisa Li
BSL / English language interpreter
Lisa is a fully qualified British Sign Language / English interpreter registered with SRLPDC (Scottish Register of Language Professionals with the Deaf Community). She enables face-to-face & remote communications between profoundly Deaf people and the hearing world to take place. Individuals or organisations who have Deaf family, friends, clients, or patients can book interpreters through NESS.
Dawn Maclean
Receptionist / Resource Centre Worker
Dawn works at NESS Reception and Resource Centre in Aberdeen. She provides information and advice on equipment as well as reception and administrative duties.
Carla Marchbank
Statutory Services Manager
Carla is responsible for NESS' Core Services. She leads the Fieldwork team which includes Social Workers, Rehabilitation and Fieldwork Officers and Assistants across the four local authority areas of Aberdeen, Angus, Dundee and Moray.
Chris McDonald
Social Worker
Chris is part of the Fieldwork team which delivers NESS' Core Services. As a registered Social worker, he offers assessment, information and support to people living with serious sensory loss in Aberdeen.
Audrey McGhee
Fieldwork Assistant
Audrey is part if our Fieldwork team based in Dundee
Gordon McHardy
Chairperson
Born in Dundee, Gordon trained at the city's Ninewells Hospital. Moving to Aberdeen in 1989, he retired as Head of Service for NHS Grampian's Audiology Services in March 2020. Gordon has worked in most aspects of Audiology but latterly mainly worked in Paediatric Audiology.
Lorraine Middleton
Community Fundraising Co-ordinator
Lorraine is our Community Fundraising Co-ordinator, based in our Aberdeen office.
Lene Nellany
Finance Assistant
Lene takes care of the day to day bookkeeping for NESS as part of the finance team and works 2 days a week in John Street.
Helen Nicoll
Director
In 2006 Helen took early retirement from a career in banking, with Santander. The following year she and her husband moved back to Scotland, settling in Brechin. Helen's voluntary activities include being a Director of a care home in Montrose and a Trustee of Angus Society for the Blind, who work in close partnership with NESS. Helen was delighted to join the NESS board in May 2022.
Sheila Ogden
Senior Community Inclusion Co-ordinator
Sheila is responsible for the delivery of NESS' Social Inclusion Service (SIS) service in Aberdeen and Moray.
Laura Ramsay
Rehabilitation Worker
Laura s part of the Fieldwork team which delivers NESS' Core Services. She offers assessment, mobility & independent living skills training and specialist equipment to people with serious sensory loss in Angus.
Garry Ritchie
Director
From Ellon in Aberdeenshire, now living in Elgin, Moray. Served 23 years in the Royal Air Force as an aircraft mechanical technician. Graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Engineering Management from The University of Lincoln. For the last 11 years, employed as a Project Manager with an oil & gas drilling equipment service company in Aberdeen. Registered blind after being diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) in 2013, has been a NESS service user since then.
Laura Ritchie
Social Worker
Laura is a Social Worker based in our Dundee office
Heather Roy
Community Inclusion Co-ordinator (Moray)
Heather is the Community Inclusion Co-ordinator for our Social Inclusion Services (SIS) project in the Moray area.
Caroline Rutherford
Fundraising Manager
Caroline sources funding from Trusts and Foundations, Government Agencies and other funding sources, to help pay for the delivery of our range of Added Value Services.
Pam Smith
Senior Administrator
Pam is the Support Services Manager at NESS. She is based in Aberdeen and is the main Administrator for NESS' British Sign Language (BSL) - English Interpreting service.
Tracey Stewart
Fieldworker Angus
Tracey is part of our Fieldwork team in Angus
Gill Sutherland
Senior Social Work Practitioner
Gill leads the Fieldwork team which provides NESS' Core Services in Dundee. As a registered Social Worker, she also delivers assessment, information and support to people living with serious sensory loss in Dundee.
Elaine Taylor
Social Worker
Elaine is part of the Fieldwork team which delivers NESS' Core Services. As a registered Social worker, she offers assessment, information and support to people living with serious sensory loss in Aberdeen.
Maz Thorburn
Social Worker
Maz is part of the Fieldwork team which delivers NESS' Core Services. As a registered Social Worker, she offers assessment, information and support to people living with serious sensory loss in Aberdeen.
Julie Thornton
Information and Advice Worker / Guide Communicator
Julie is part of the Fieldwork team which delivers NESS' Core Services. She offers information, equipment and support to people living with serious sensory loss in Angus. Julie also works with deafblind people as a Guide Communicator.
Bill Varney
Rehabilitation Worker
Bill is part of the Fieldwork team which delivers NESS' Core Services. He offers assessment, mobility & independent living skills training and specialist equipment to people with serious sensory loss in Dundee.
Meg Waddell
Director
Meg Waddell
Originally from Airdrie, Meg moved to Aberdeen over 20yrs ago. Her time in Aberdeen has been filled with raising a family and working in various roles within the Customer Services sector. She currently works in Marschial College in the Registry Department. As a new member of the Board, Meg is excited about the new challenges and opportunities she will face in joining the NESS Team.
