Grace has over 25 years’ experience in working with the third and public sectors, not least around participation and community engagement; staff, volunteer and project management; fundraising; planning and evaluation; governance, and developing organisational infrastructure. She is particularly admired for her engaging, effective, and interactive training and facilitation style and regularly delivers both online and face to face training to local and national groups.
Grace is nationally renowned for her work to promote equality, winning a coveted National Diversity Award for her work with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people, adults and older people. For the last 8 years, Grace has also served as a Non-Executive Director for NHS D&G, scrutinising the work of the NHS Board and the Integration Joint Board, chairing the Public Health Committee and acting as a Board Champion on the LGBT Staff Network.
Grace is nationally renowned for her work to promote equality, winning a coveted National Diversity Award for her work with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people, adults and older people. For the last 8 years, Grace has also served as a Non-Executive Director for NHS D&G, scrutinising the work of the NHS Board and the Integration Joint Board, chairing the Public Health Committee and acting as a Board Champion on the LGBT Staff Network.
Rebecca has led our business support function since February 2021 and has overall responsibility for overseeing HR, finance, business support and comms and marketing.
Her background is in marketing and fundraising and she continues to use these skills internally and with our clients. Her most recent client work includes developing a fundraising strategy for a women’s organisation, co-producing a fair work policy for an arts organisation and creating a creative evaluation plan for a local animal charity.
Originally from the Scottish Borders, Rebecca moved to Dumfries and Galloway in 2013 and has a passion for shining a light on the people and places in her adopted home.
Her background is in marketing and fundraising and she continues to use these skills internally and with our clients. Her most recent client work includes developing a fundraising strategy for a women’s organisation, co-producing a fair work policy for an arts organisation and creating a creative evaluation plan for a local animal charity.
Originally from the Scottish Borders, Rebecca moved to Dumfries and Galloway in 2013 and has a passion for shining a light on the people and places in her adopted home.
Mia has worked with Sleeping Giants since January 2022 - firstly as the Participation and Engagement Officer working on the Young Person’s Guarantee, then latterly as the Communication and Engagement Officer. Mia’s roles within Sleeping Giants include: general marketing duties for the organisation such as regularly updating and maintaining our social channels, writing clear and accessible copy to go alongside social media posts and to populate the quarterly newsletters, managing the content and upkeep of the website and outreach and engagement with clients across the South of Scotland.
Mia has a background in Community Arts and works, both freelance and employed, in a variety of regional cultural and community based organisations with a particular focus on event production and working with those who face certain barriers. This work led to Mia winning the 2022 Dumfries & Galloway Youth Award for Culture & The Arts. Mia is a Dumfries & Galloway native, growing up in a small village called Durisdeer & has a real passion for this region and what it has to offer.
Mia has a background in Community Arts and works, both freelance and employed, in a variety of regional cultural and community based organisations with a particular focus on event production and working with those who face certain barriers. This work led to Mia winning the 2022 Dumfries & Galloway Youth Award for Culture & The Arts. Mia is a Dumfries & Galloway native, growing up in a small village called Durisdeer & has a real passion for this region and what it has to offer.
Annie leads on research and engagement at Sleeping Giants. She has a strong track record of running projects that have tangible benefits for communities, and is particularly keen on using inclusive, accessible, and often creative methods to enable people to have their say.
Annie has a background in social research. Before starting work with Sleeping Giants, she was freelancing, working mostly with development trusts and community arts organisations across Dumfries and Galloway. She also brings the rigour and expertise of having worked at a university and a national research agency. She really enjoys the problem solving involved in designing and running research projects and is delighted to be able to bring this to community and voluntary organisations.
Annie has a background in social research. Before starting work with Sleeping Giants, she was freelancing, working mostly with development trusts and community arts organisations across Dumfries and Galloway. She also brings the rigour and expertise of having worked at a university and a national research agency. She really enjoys the problem solving involved in designing and running research projects and is delighted to be able to bring this to community and voluntary organisations.
I am passionate about supporting others and being part of the team at Sleeping Giants helping people to develop their community is right up my street!
I set up my own business administration consultancy to draw on my previous work experience as PA/Office Manager, Project Manager and Learning and Development Advisor posts underpinned by my studies. I hold a Business Management with German honours degree and a CIPD Certificate in Training Practice. My strengths are my organisational and communication skills and I thrive working on a variety of projects. Having this background allowed me to work with clients, set up and shape each role matching my skills with their ever-changing business needs. I plan to put this experience to good use at Sleeping Giants!
I set up my own business administration consultancy to draw on my previous work experience as PA/Office Manager, Project Manager and Learning and Development Advisor posts underpinned by my studies. I hold a Business Management with German honours degree and a CIPD Certificate in Training Practice. My strengths are my organisational and communication skills and I thrive working on a variety of projects. Having this background allowed me to work with clients, set up and shape each role matching my skills with their ever-changing business needs. I plan to put this experience to good use at Sleeping Giants!
Helen provides administrative support to the Sleeping Giants team. She has been exploring various interests through her work and in her own time, including environmental issues, off-grid living, dark skies projects, and the creative sector. Most recently, her focus has been on communities; previously working for her local food bank and this year she joined the Outpost Art’s community and completed their Art Journal Project. She is pleased to be building on this by joining the Sleeping Giants team; working within an inspirational and creative group of people who are coming together to make a real difference.
Helen also works for an organic dairy farm and helps out in her local, community-owned shop/café. In her spare time, she is experimenting with cheese making, chicken rearing, creative writing and digital art. She came to Galloway as a volunteer in 2015, the buzz of the people and the natural beauty of the area won her over and she has now found her home in Auchencairn.
Helen also works for an organic dairy farm and helps out in her local, community-owned shop/café. In her spare time, she is experimenting with cheese making, chicken rearing, creative writing and digital art. She came to Galloway as a volunteer in 2015, the buzz of the people and the natural beauty of the area won her over and she has now found her home in Auchencairn.
Support for staff
Our staff are our most important resource, and as such we strive to create a fair, healthy, rewarding, flexible and supportive environment for our team. We do this in several ways including:
•Ensuring staff feel valued and able to have a voice in all elements of the business, consulting with them regularly and maximizing opportunities for co-production •Providing training and professional development opportunities for staff at all levels •Daily opportunities for our team to communicate and work together, which is particularly important given home-working •Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of staff including allowing paid ‘wellbeing days’ as part of leave entitlement and supporting staff to access training on wellbeing at work •Ensuring our policy framework supports flexibility and is inclusive and progressive, including menopause, LGBTQi, age, neurodiverse and family / carer friendly policies Our support framework for staff is underpinned by our co-produced Fair Work Action Plan which is framed around the 5 Fair Work Dimensions of effective voice, opportunities, security, fulfillment and respect. |