Meet the Board, Staff & Volunteers
This is some of our team, who play a vital role in the running of Mid Argyll Youth Development Services. Without everybody's help and involvement MAYDS would struggle to meet the needs of the young people throughout Mid Argyll. All our staff & volunteers have been through the PVG scheme to ensure their suitability to work with young people. MAYDS runs a volunteer program which encourages anyone and everyone to get involved, without barriers to ability, age, experience, etc..
Fiona Kalache
MBE MANAGER
Fiona has worked for MAYDS since 2008. Her position as Manager means she deals in all aspects of running MAYDS from staffing, funding, monitoring and evaluation, policies & procedures, finance etc.. Fiona has BA degree in Health & Welfare and a Masters in Health & Wellbeing. Fiona has certificates in Child protection, ABI's, SHARE training, COSCA Counselling Skills and Drug & Alcohol awareness to name a few. Fiona is a keen swimmer and has three children.
Lynn Johnstone
Admin/Psychotherapist
Lynn also joined MAYDS in 2008, initially as a part-time youth worker. Since then Lynn's role has changed and she now works as MAYDS Admin and Counsellor. Lynn has a BSc degree in Applied Social Science, SVQ level 3 in working with offending behaviour and 2021 achieving her Diploma in Counselling awarded by The Spark/COSCA. Lynn is continuing her CPD to gain further counselling knowledge and skills.
Lynn also likes to swim, walk & has two young children & numerous pets.
Karen Poppleton
Senior Youth Worker / Young Carers Support Worker
Sarah Nicolson
Sessional Youth Worker
Karen started with MAYDS early 2013 as bank staff, she previously worked as a social care worker for Argyll & Bute council.
Karen helped out at the young parents group as well as working at a number of the other youth groups.
Karen was promoted to Senior Youth Worker in 2018 and has completed a number of courses including First Aid, Child Protection, Understanding Autism, Makaton Levels 1- 4, Special Education Needs and Disabilities. Karen also has 3 years experience of working in a primary school learning centre for children with Additional Support Needs.
Karen has three children and 2 dogs.
Sarah started volunteering for MAYDS in 2012, she completed her qualification in childcare through college in June 2018. Sarah is now a sessional youth worker working with young people of a variety of ages and needs. Sarah also runs the local After School Club. Sarah has completed First Aid, Fire Warden, Food Hygiene, Internet Safety and Youth Bank training. Sarah enjoys horse riding and spending time with her friends.
Joanne Illidge
Sessional Youth Worker
Joanne joined the MAYDS team in January 2021.
Joanne works as a sessional youth worker at our drop in youth sessions.
Joanne has previously worked as a Young Carers Worker and has a vast amount of knowledge in working with young people. She has recently completed Child Protection training and Understanding Autism.
Joanne enjoys walking and generally being outdoors but does love a good box set too! She like crafts, in particular putting together a scrap book of days out and memories and also likes to colour to unwind.
Hannah Nicolson
Sessional Youth Worker
Hannah started volunteering with MAYDS in 2018 and is now a sessional youth worker. Hannah followed in her sisters footsteps and joined MAYDS as soon as she was old enough.
Hannah completed her Modern Apprenticeship in Youth Work with the council in early 2020.
Hannah has also completed Child Protection, Makaton training, Diabetes awareness, Anaphylaxis Awareness and many more. Hannah works at all of our youth groups with young people of a variety of ages and with children who have Additional Support Needs. Hannah also works in another setting working with Vulnerable Adults who have Additional Support Needs.
Neil Parkinson
Sessional Youth Worker
Sessional Youth Worker
Neil starting working at MAYDS in 2018, where his role is to run J.A.M. - Just About Music, which is on every Wednesday evening, teaching everything from writing to recording to editing & playing. Alongside this Neil will organise concerts & gigs for the young people to participate in. Neil is also a musician in his own right, gigging with his band whenever possible.
Hollie Morses
Sessional Youth Worker
Hollie previously volunteered with Mayds at the primary age youth sessions before she moved away to attend University. Hollie is now studying full time locally and works with our young people who have additional needs in the weekend youth sessions.
Jade McAulay
Sessional Youth Worker
Jade recently joined our team in June 2024. Jade works with a varied age range across our clubs and with our young people who attend our Asn sessions. Jade also works in the local pre-school unit as well as currently studying to become a teacher.
Mina Curran
Sessional Youth Worker
Mina joined our team in October 2021. Mina has previous experience of youth work and worked in an Additional Support Needs school in London. Mina also works with Adults who have additional support needs. Mina works with a wide range of our young people both in clubs and out in the community when staff do outreach work with young people on Friday and Saturday nights.
Mark Johnstone
Volunteer
Mark was employed by MAYDS as a part time
caretaker/handyman/emergency call out in 2011. Mark left MAYDS employment in 2016 to focus on his business as a welder/blacksmith. Mark is also a tutor at Argyll College, teaching Skills for Work. Keen to still help out he has taken on the role of volunteer with MAYDS. Mark has completed first aid training.
Andrea Fisher
Sessional Youth Worker
Meah MacDonald
Volunteer Youth Worker
Andrea works with young people who attend at the Mayds ASN Swimming and Asn youth sessions. Andrea has a long history of working with young people.
Meah began volunteering with MAYDS at the start of 2023. Meah has attended our groups since she was old enough and is now proving to be a great asset to our team as a volunteer youth worker. Meah works with our primary age youth groups.
Michaela Bruce
Sessional Youth Worker
Michaela has joined the MAYDS team as she was keen to help out. Michaela volunteered at one of our busiest and youngest groups and is now a paid member of staff who works at the boys swimming session and Kilmartin Youth session as well. Michaela also works at the local After School Club. Michaela has completed training such as Child Protection, First Aid & Diabetes training.
William Gallagher
Volunteer Youth Worker
William has attended MAYDS sessions for a number of years and joined the MAYDS team as a volunteer at one of the ASN youth sessions in October 2023. William is always keen to help and is working towards gaining his Youth Achievement Award.
Charlie Hartwig
Volunteer Youth Worker
Charlie joined the Mayds team in November 2023 and will be volunteering at our P7, S1 & S2 session. Charlie has completed his Child Protection training. Charlie previously lived in America and is also a Freelance Artist.
Ross Davidson
Volunteer Youth Worker
Ross joined the Mayds team in November 2023 and will be helping out at our Additional Support Needs Sessions. Ross is also working towards gaining his Youth Achievement Award.
Cerys Murdoch
Volunteer Youth Worker
Cerys has just joined the Mayds team as a volunteer in September 2024, Cerys will be working with the primary 1-4 youth sessions. Cerys enjoys horse riding, playing her clarinet and guitar and does art in her spare time.
Sadie Johnstone
Volunteer Youth Worker
Sadie volunteers at the Drama sessions and helps with directing the group, practice and singing, the drama group are already working on their second performance! Sadie enjoys music, singing and art.
Nathan Rumney
Volunteer Youth Worker
Nathan has returned to our team after being back in his home town for the last few years. Nathan has lots of experience in working with young people, he has completed a wide range of training including Child Protection in Children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities.
Neve Bowden
Volunteer Youth Worker
Neve now volunteers at the drama sessions after starring in their last performance! Neve enjoys music and practicing her baking skills.
Layla Cartwright
Volunteer Youth Worker
Layla joined the Mayds team in September and is also volunteering at the drama sessions. Layla has a keen interest in drama and music and has been attending college to study music.
Pat Madej
Volunteer Youth Worker
Pat has recently started volunteering at one of our youth sessions that we run in one of the outlying villages, Pat is currently studying at college and wanted to benefit from some practical experience. Pat also enjoys arts and crafts activities.
Jacky Preece
Volunteer
Jacky started volunteering with MAYDS in 2016. Since then Jacky has helped out on trips and supported us in various other ways. Jacky was co-opted onto the board in 2018 and became Chairwoman later that year. Jacky also helps out with the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and Scouts. Jacky has four children and is a self-employed landscape gardener. Jacky is a keen athlete who likes to cycle, run marathons & ultra marathons.
Pasqua Faccenda
Board member
Pasqua has been volunteering with MAYDS for a number of years. Pasqua helped out at the young parents group. Pasqua is now a member of our board, helping to shape and ensure the future of MAYDS. Pasqua has attended both Child Protection training, First Aid and Book Bug training.
Raymond Flanagan
Board Member
Raymond has been with MAYDS from the beginning, currently serving on the board. Raymond is retired he was previously employed by the council as a CLD worker for youth services. Raymond previously helped run an annual summer camp for hard to reach young people in the Possil park area of Glasgow, the camp had been running for over 30 years. Raymond also ran the local youth forum and is a keen golfer.
Jean MacPhee
Board Member
Jean has been with Mayds since 2018. She has worked in childcare for over 30 yrs, set up Neighbourhood Nursery in Oxford and managed other settings. Jean, originally from Lochgilphead, came back home in 2005 and managed her own local nursery business for 13 yrs. She now works for the Council with the Early Years Team promoting good practice and outdoor play and is also a Therapeutic Play Specialist.
Jean also has 2 children aged 14 and 19 yrs old, in her limited spare time she enjoys walking with her dog.
Zandra Hunt
Board Member
Zandra joined the board recently in 2021. Zandra has two children teenage children, who are involved with MAYDS as young carers. Zandra has lived and worked in the Mid Argyll community for a number of years and is currently training as a counsellor.
Stephen Hunter
Chairman
After reading law and social science at Edinburgh University in 1976, Stephen worked in residential child care for Lothian Region before qualifying in social work.
Stephen has experience in child care, criminal justice, mental health as well as adult and elderly care. In 1984 he was appointed a Children's Report for Strathclyde Region in Glasgow.in 1984. Two years later Stephen was promoted to Area Reporter for Argyll and Bute and that is when he settled here with his wife and 3 children.
As a Children's Reporter Stephen was aware of the lack of community-based resources and together with panel members they established the Befriending Scheme for Argyll & Bute which has been running for nearly 35 years. Stephen was also a member of a youth development steering group in Lochgilphead supported by Strathclyde Region which lead to the creation of MAYDS. Stephen is proud to be a trustee of MAYDS today.