Our Board

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​We’re seeking a New Treasurer to join us! If you have a Finance background, ideally within the charity sector (but not essential) and share our vision, passion and commitment to community work, then please get in touch!

Sally Swann
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"As one of the original three founders of Bridgend Inspiring Growth with Will Golding and John Knox, it is immensely rewarding over a decade on to see that vision continue to grow and inspire.
Serving a third term in the board, and have previously worked in the NHS as a midwife and clinical/academic research, and IT/multimedia. Also, as a long-term Carer I have broad knowledge and understanding of Learning Disability, Autism and Mental health issues.​
Bridgend Farmhouse offers numerous opportunities to learn, explore new skills, and get creative but most importantly connect with people and have fun!"

John Knox, Interim Chair

John is a freelance journalist. He retired after nearly 30 years at the BBC, reporting for Radio Scotland.  He lives in the Inch, just across the road from Bridgend. In John's words: "I used to take my children for walks in Craigmillar Castle Park, before it was a proper park. It was a wasteland where people dumped their rubbish. It's great to see it now with mature trees and walkways, allotments and a play area for kids. We need to make more use of this new park and the restored farmhouse opens up the possibility of it becoming a real community resource. Let's make it a meeting place, a cafe, a community kitchen, a base for outdoor training and a place where we can all connect with our local environment."

Will Golding

Will lives locally and works as a community education worker in Edinburgh. He works with range of different groups, including youth groups, adult education classes, and in community development. He has worked as a youth worker in Craigmillar & Niddrie since 2010, and currently a community development worker in the area, and also previously worked with Bridgend Growing Communities. Will was one of the founding members, and was the Chairperson from 2010 until November 2018, and since then continued on as one of the Director/Trustees. "Bridgend Farmhouse has such a rich cultural history that needs to be maintained. There is a great feeling around Bridgend and the allotments. The ownership and use of the farmhouse as a community resource has enabled so many fantastic opportunities for new local projects, training, jobs and social events, that is building a strong and diverse community, and collectively can address the impact of inequalities that exist within Edinburgh on people locally. With such a beautiful greenspace next to it Bridgend Farmhouse aims to encourage activities and greater use of the outdoors and local environment in Craigmillar Castle Park. This is a chance to be a shared owner of this amazing site and resource, and to be involved in bringing it back to life as a place where people can meet, eat, learn, get experience, be inspired, and act for positive change together."

Lynne Colombo

"After a 30 year career in Social Work mainly working with Adults who required special support needs I am now retired. I live locally and have always enjoyed Craigmillar Castle Park so was very excited to get involved in the restoration of the farmhouse, a building I had always admired. Now as a regular Volunteer at Bridgend I have been been able to contribute my interest in crafts and visual arts by creating mosaics and capturing the early developments on film.
Being part of such an exciting project has been a privilege and I hope to continue to combine my passion for social inclusion and be hands on with seeing what can be achieved as collective collaborative group and the personal rewards of being part of a community."

Henry Wilson

"Originally from Ireland, I have lived in Edinburgh since 1989, when my love affair with Edinburgh and Scotland began.
I am married to Suzanne and we have one son, Simon.   Although I work in I.T., I am also very interested in DIY, particularly woodworking and stone wall restoration using traditional methods.
​I dislike waste and I favour recycling, repair, and re-use.  Since 2016, when I began volunteering at Bridgend, I have not only indulged these interests, but I have also learned so much about the benefits of community ownership, of which I have become a passionate advocate.  I am honoured to be a member of the Bridgend Farmhouse community and I encourage anyone thinking of volunteering to turn up at Bridgend and give it a go."

Clément Luciani

Clement has a civil engineering educational background and has been working as an acoustic consultant in the construction industry in Scotland for 15 years as part of a commercial division of Edinburgh Napier University. 
He got involved with Bridgend Farmhouse about 5 years ago, a little before the farmhouse building was renovated, and since has participated in a wide range of outdoor workshops and activities. “My main goal in coming here initially was to learn how to make something with my hands while helping the community". 
Some of the main projects he has been involved in at the Bridgend Farmhouse are; building an outdoors shed, cladding the new build timber workshops, starting the Bridgend Farmhouse mini-orchard, re-pointing the boundary walls with mortar, packaging food for the emergency food delivery program ran during the COVID-19 lockdown and building the farmhouse's eco-bothy (which is still in progress). 
Clement has now decided to join the board to further support the project at a strategic level with a particular interest in developing sustainability aspects within it. 

Gloria Lo

Glo moved to Edinburgh in 2001 and fell in love with the city and its people, a place she now calls home. Her support for Bridgend stems from the deep belief and awareness that communities such as this one is at the heart of environmental and social sustainability, health and wellbeing of the people and the planet.  Her involvement with Bridgend started with the inception of the Eco Bothy Build project in 2016, taking the project through planning application to volunteering in its building.  As an architect experienced both in conservation and sustainable construction, she is keen to use her knowledge and expertise to help the community.  Continually learning new skills, and applying them, not only in plastering, plumbing and green roofs, Glo is currently studying a PhD bridging the fields of material science and engineering, to eventually improve building specification.  She spends much of her spare time doing volunteer work with youth groups and the homeless, and now the opportunity to serve as a board member to bring about positive change.  

Iveta Frost

Iveta works as a public service interpreter providing interpreting and translation services to a wide range of public and private entities.
She first came across Bridgend Farmhouse back in 2016 when taking part in a foraging course in Craigmillar Castle Park. “From the first time I came to Bridgend Farmhouse I was extremely impressed by its welcoming and friendly atmosphere and by the dedication of its volunteers. I felt this was a very special place for the local community and I wanted to be part of it.”
After becoming a Bridgend volunteer herself and working on numerous projects, such as the ecologic Bothy build and the emergency Covid-19 food response, she joined the board of trustees in 2020 hoping to use her academic and professional background in marketing, PR and management to help further develop the Bridgend cause.

Julie Bermann

"I have been a resident of Craigmillar for the last 11 years and ran the Green House thrift shop for 8 of them. It was a community hub in the heart of it and that is where my heart lies - connecting people up with the wonderful resources we have and each other is what I love.
I used to cook the lunch for Bridgend Growing Communities next to the farmhouse and we would start by practicing Chi Gung in the garden of the farmhouse when it was a bit of a ruin.
Since then, I have watched it being built, opening, and becoming established. My main reason for being involved is a wish to connect the farmhouse and my local community together. My particular interest is in volunteer management and support. In my own experience as a manager of volunteers I felt that being a facilitator of the space was a more fitting 'title' and this is what I wish to support.
At the end of a bridge is a new path and I am honoured and excited to be involved."

Leanne Reid

Leanne has lived locally in the Inch for 8 years, she is an independent parent of two children, Tallulah and Marlow. Leanne and her children are regulars at Bridgend Farmhouse and she says, “the Farmhouse gives us a feeling of being part of a community that makes a difference”. Marlow (aged 6) recently said, “we’re really lucky to live here as we have the farmhouse” - it just shows the impact the farmhouse has for the children in the community.
She has worked in the city for 20 years, working with children with additional support needs across many different sectors. She now runs a community interest company called The Very Inclusive Play Club, now based at Bridgend Farmhouse. The club offers structured groups for 0-5 years old’s with additional support needs and their parents.
She also works in partnership with Trees and Seas’ outdoor adventures to deliver sessions for children in the Craigmillar woods.
Leanne says, “I’m really excited to now serve as a member of the board. I am passionate about the farmhouse and its ethos and look forward to being part of its development as community”.

Su Millar

Su lives locally and was formally co-opted onto the Bridgend Farmhouse Board in February 2021. She has worked in the Third Sector in different roles for over 30 years now, most recently with LifeCare Edinburgh which she left after 17 years at the helm as CEO. Su has always been passionate about working in the Third sector. She counts herself blessed indeed to have had such a rich and unique blend of experience. This has included a range of volunteering roles as well as working for environmental causes, youth at risk and youth development, sport and recreation, research, animal welfare, Higher education.  Most recently, her experience in the care sector was in the provision of a range of registered centre-based and home care services for older people and people living with dementia and their carers; but also in other community support services such as a help at home service; a community hub and community café (CaféLife) open to all; and, an award winning charitable partnership project called Vintage Vibes. 

She is a founding and longstanding member of the Friends of St Katharine’s Park and is also a Trustee of another local charity, Gregarious Chinwag, which works to alleviate isolation and loneliness experienced by the older members of our community - and some younger ones too! 
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Su finds peace gardening, pottering about and hiking, generally being outdoors and loves working with others on practical projects. She says, “Bridgend is such a unique place and there is no doubt that it has special meaning to so many people in the community who have shared values and common interests. I am so looking forward to meeting and getting to know the volunteers, staff and other Trustees face to face, once the restrictions are lifted fully, and to see Bridgend in action.

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