John is the Chair of Bridgend Farmhouse and a member of our Activities Group. He has been involved with the Farmhouse since the start in 2010.  

He lives just a few minutes’ cycle away in The Inch and brought his family up in the area. He is now retired after working for nearly 30 years as a journalist with BBC Radio Scotland. 

The Farmhouse is one of the main interests in John's life. He also enjoys music and volunteering with the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

Fiona is the Treasurer for Bridgend Farmhouse and a member of our Finance and Compliance Group. She joined the Farmhouse after retiring in 2022. Before that, she worked for 35 years as an external auditor.  

She wanted to get involved with a charity close to her that had a vibrant and supportive community. On that front, Bridgend Farmhouse has certainly delivered.

Henry is the Secretary for Bridgend Farmhouse and a member of our Land and Building Group. He moved to Edinburgh from Ireland in 1989. He is married to Suzanne and has a son called Simon. 

Even though he works in IT, Henry has a keen interest in DIY. He especially enjoys woodworking and restoring stone walls with traditional methods. He dislikes waste and prefers recycling, repair and reuse. By volunteering at the Farmhouse since 2016, he's been able to explore all these interests. He's also become a passionate advocate for the benefits of community ownership.

Lynne is a general trustee and a member of our Land and Building Group. She is now retired after working for 30 years as a Social Worker for those with additional support needs.  

She lives locally and has always enjoyed Craigmillar Castle Park. She was excited to help with restoring the Farmhouse, which is a building she has always admired. Now, as a Trustee and regular volunteer, she contributes through her passion for visual arts and crafts.  

Lynne enjoys being hands-on, seeing what can be achieved as part of a collective and the personal rewards of being part of a community.

Oliver is a general trustee and is a member of the Land and Building Group. He has a background in Art, Sociology, Psychology and mental health. He enjoys making things and teaching others how to make things for themselves.   

He got involved with Bridgend Farmhouse through volunteering and helping to build the Bothy. He loves learning new skills, meeting new people and building something together.  

Oliver also leads volunteers in the wood workshop, and plans to run Tuesday woodworking sessions for young people.

Michael is a general trustee and a member of our Gardening Group. Now retired, he used to be an Army Officer and a University Lecturer. He is married with three grown-up sons.  

For a long time, he has taken an active role in community life and affairs. He applies this knowledge and experience as a volunteer and board member at the Farmhouse. 

Michael enjoys gardening and loves working in the allotments. He is also a keen cyclist and enjoys supporting "A Wee Pedal", which is also based at Bridgend.

Nila is a general trustee at Bridgend Farmhouse. She came to Scotland from India 50 years ago. Since then, she has worked with lots of different cultures and communities in Edinburgh and Midlothian.

She set up an ethnic library section for Edinburgh City Council in 1990. Her fluency in many languages and friendly approach made the library a community hub, where lots of people came for all sorts of information and advice.  

Bridgend Farmhouse is very close to Nila’s heart, and she regularly brings her over 60's group to visit the Farmhouse and the allotment.

Rachel is a general trustee and a member of our Enterprise Group. Originally from Liverpool, she moved to Edinburgh from Yorkshire after a career in mechanical engineering and marketing communications. 

She has an allotment at Bridgend and loves growing produce that can be eaten or preserved. She is a founding member of 'The Well Preserved Ladies', which makes jam and chutney at the Farmhouse.  

Rachel especially connects with the Farmhouse's ethos of 'reuse and recycle'. She loves turning something as humble as an allotment-grown onion into special chutney that can be served at the café, in the heart of a caring community.

Su is a general trustee at Bridgend Farmhouse. She lives locally and has worked in the Third Sector for over 30 years. For 17 of those years, she was CEO of LifeCare Edinburgh.  

She has a wealth of experience in a wide range of areas. Recently she has been working with older people, people living with dementia and their carers. She is involved in a community café (CaféLife), and an award-winning charitable partnership (Vintage Vibes). She is also a member of the Friends of St Katharine's Park and a trustee of another local charity, Gregarious Chinwag.  

Su loves gardening, hiking, being outdoors and working with others on practical projects.

Leanne is a general trustee at Bridgend Farmhouse. She also attends partner meetings as an owner of an onsite Community Interest Company. Leanne lives locally in The Inch with her family.  

She has over 20 years' experience working with children with additional support needs. She runs the Very Inclusive Play (VIP) Club, a Community Interest Company based at Bridgend Farmhouse. The VIP Club offers structured groups for 0-5s with additional support needs and their parents. 

Leanne loves being part of a community that makes a difference. Her two children, Tallulah and Marlow, are also regulars at the Farmhouse.

Sharmella is a general trustee and a member of our Human Resources Group, our Gardening Group and our Activities Group.  

She was inspired to get involved at Bridgend after the garden boosted her sense of connection with the local land and people. So much so, that she recently moved back into the area.  

Sharmella is a doctor with an interest in health inequality. She likes to explore how social and emotional factors affect our health. She also likes to garden, with a growing interest in resilient food systems, soil health and herbal medicine.

Claire has been a passionate advocate for the mission and work of Bridgend Farmhouse since 2015.

She has served Scotland’s third sector for over 40 years, including 12 years as Chief Executive of Voluntary Health Scotland. In 2021, she became an Honorary Member of Faculty of Public Health for services to public health. She is a Trustee of the Neurological Alliance of Scotland, part of the Parkinson’s Scotland Dementia Working Group, and a member of Alzheimer Scotland’s National Dementia Carers Advisory Network.

She is proud to be a full-time unpaid carer, part-time student at Leith School of Art, and active member of the Friends of Inch Park.