General Manager

Claire joined Bridgend Farmhouse in 2022 and became General Manager in 2024.

She is a qualified primary teacher and has over 20 years' experience in the voluntary sector. She has worked at VOCAL, Shelter Scotland, Home-Start and the Scottish Parent Teacher Council. She also ran a freelance Strategic Planning consultancy. Claire has volunteered with a number of organisations including Citizen's Advice Bureau and as a volunteer tutor for Re-Act (Refugee Action Scotland). She has served as a Committee Member and Trustee for several Edinburgh charities.

Administrator

Roz came to Bridgend in 2018 after 21 years at Gorgie City Farm - she started there as a volunteer after school work experience! Her final role there was as an administrator. So she is a dab hand at taking bookings, chasing invoices and taking care of all the daily tasks required for smooth running of the Farmhouse.

Outside work, Roz is involved with Girlguiding. She leads two Rainbow units and is a District Commissioner. She's always on the lookout at Bridgend for craft and activity ideas she can take back to the Rainbows.

Community Engagement Co-ordinator

Zoe's background is in textile design. But a chance involvement with a community arts project inspired her to change direction. She found the opportunity to work with people directly and make real change rewarding and inspiring. The community project showed Zoe the power of people working together creatively. Since then, she's had a passion for lifelong learning and engagement.

She spent some time travelling and working abroad. When she returned to Scotland, she continued to work as a sessional arts worker with vulnerable adults and children. She also has a postgraduate diploma in Community Education.

Now with over 20 years’ experience in Community Engagement, Zoe loves working at Bridgend Farmhouse. 

Community Garden Co-ordinator

Khalid moved to Edinburgh from Sudan to study Project Management at Heriot Watt University. He also spent some time working and studying Engineering in Shanghai.

After learning to grow fruit and vegetables, he found a passion for sustainability and community engagement. He has worked as a garden consultant for over nine years and has co-ordinated many community gardening projects in the city.

Khalid has been involved with Bridgend Farmhouse since the beginning. Sometimes as a bystander, at other times a volunteer.

In March 2023, Khalid received a Certificate of Merit from the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society for his contribution to horticulture and gardening in Scotland.  But he says the greatest reward of all is seeing how nature, gardening and community spirit can have a lasting impact on people's wellbeing.

Facilities Co-ordinator

Kevin is the resident handyman at Bridgend Farmhouse, bringing a wealth of experience in outdoor work and practical skills.

He worked as a landscape gardener for 20 years, including building show gardens for the BBC. Before joining the team, he spent 14 years as a community payback supervisor.

Kevin takes pride in keeping the Farmhouse and grounds in great shape. He’s always ready with a tool in hand and a bit of chat.

Outside the Farmhouse, he enjoys a game of pool and follows Aston Villa.

Skills Development Co-ordinator (for ages 25 and under)

Luisa has worked with a number of local, national and international charities. She loves to develop young people's skills and passions. She has worked with the Scotland Malawi Partnership, Changing Faces and Youth Scotland.

Outside work, she is a traditional fiddle player. She plays with many bands, including Blue Giant Orkestar.

Luisa loves getting involved with permaculture and sustainability initiatives. She also helps run a native woodland regeneration project at North Cloich Community Woodland in the Scottish Borders.  

Skills Development Co-ordinator (for ages 25 and over)

Gill is originally from Liverpool. After learning how to make things with glass and ceramics in Sunderland, she has spent most of her life making things with glue and cardboard.

She moved to Edinburgh after university to work for the council's Health and Social Work department. She offered to volunteer at the Farmhouse because she wanted to work with animals - little did she know there are no cows, pigs or chickens here! Thankfully, she decided to stay with us and help with the arts and crafts classes, before moving on to her skills development work.

In her spare time, she likes to make makrame and look after llamas.

Food Operation Co-Ordinator

Eric has skills spanning both food and the media.

He has over 20 years' experience in the food industry, and 10 years' experience in community development. He has worked in a range of culinary settings, from formal dinners at Holyrood Palace to burger vans at Comic Con.

In the community, Eric has supported young offenders recovering from drug abuse, trained elderly people and those with learning difficulties to access the internet, and helped with the media for several community projects.

During lockdown, Eric created the COVID-19 Food Resilience Response Project. With the help of over 80 volunteers, he delivered over 75,000 meals to vulnerable people in the community. This project earned Bridgend Farmhouse the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. 

Eric is also a qualified sound engineer and a talented videographer. He is the director of Happy Alpaca Films, and has worked on a range of shows for Channel 4, STV and the BBC.

Cleaner

Sarah has been with Bridgend Farmhouse since 2023. She has a wide range of skills and experience including providing care to older people and running groups for people with autism and their family members.

She is also a qualified massage therapist and enjoys cold water swimming. No wonder she's always so alert when keeping our place spick and span!

Lead Bike Mechanic

Dara is the bike mechanic at Bridgend Farmhouse. He has over ten years of experience working with bikes. For the past three years, he has been a key part of the team. His work includes refurbishing bikes, carrying out repairs, and running bike maintenance classes. He also delivers outreach sessions in schools and supports volunteers in learning new skills.

You'll find Dara in our Bike Barn, upcycling bikes and helping others get back on the road. He’s passionate about making cycling accessible to all.

As a trained barista, he also knows a thing or two about great coffee.

Front of House Lead

Ellie is the face of our community café. She trains and supports a fantastic team of volunteers, while making everyone who visits our café feel welcome.

Ellie joined in 2022 after running a music event at the Farmhouse and hasn’t looked back. Originally from a farming family on the Isle of Arran, she has years of front-of-house experience and a background in writing, publishing, and community work.

She’s passionate about creating a warm, inclusive space and helping young volunteers gain skills for their first jobs.

Outside the café, she also runs our Words for Wellbeing workshops and baby massage classes.