Every member of our board cares deeply about supporting children and families throughout their journey toward healthy, respectful and nurturing relationships.
Our board supports everything we do to support the families that use our services. They ensure we uphold the highest level of compliance and stay true to our vision, mission and values.
Jane Denmark
Co-CEO of Family Journeys
Jane has a BSc Honours Degree and a 1st class BA Honours in Social Work with further post qualifications in Child Safeguarding and Welfare, as well as Systemic Family Therapy. Jane has over 20 years’ experience working with children and family organisations across the third sector and has more recently led and managed the strategic growth of best practice across family services in Scotland. Her passion for the protection and safeguarding of children, children’s rights and holistic family support is at the heart of her leadership and practice.
Selina Smyth
Co-CEO of Family Journeys
Selina has a BA Honours Degree and a 1st class MSc in Psychology with further post qualifications in developmental psychotherapy and extensive education in complex trauma and early attachment. Selina is a strategic thinker and compassionate leader with over 20 years psychology experience working with complex families across Middle East, Africa and UK. Selina has a wealth of experience across private, public and third sector. More recently Selina has spent over a decade in management roles, leading remote, virtual and practice teams across the world, focussed on delivering trauma informed leadership and child-led practice which sits at the heart of her leadership and service delivery.
Rebecca Somes
Trustee
Rebecca Somes is the Head of Marketing at Traveltek and a seasoned marketing strategist with over 15 years of experience. She has a proven track record in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors, having previously worked at the United Nations on the Syrian Crisis and as a proposal writer for World Vision International, one of the world’s largest children’s charities. During her time at World Vision, Rebecca developed a deep passion for advocating for women’s and children’s rights, working with government bodies to secure funding for some of the most challenging humanitarian crises.
Susan Oswald
Trustee
Susan is a family lawyer practising Scots law. She is an accredited child law specialist. The company she co-founded in 2008 has become the largest specialist family law practice in Scotland and has been recognised as a ‘Band 1’ practice in both Chambers and the Legal 500 for a number of years.
Neil Reilly
Trustee
Neil Reilly is a chartered accountant with ICAS. He has worked in Accountancy and Financial Services for over 10 years, with significant exposure to the third sector during this time. His expertise is dedicated to ensuring the financial health of Family Journeys.
Neil is passionate about the great work Family Journeys does all across Edinburgh and Lothians, and trying to maximise the number of children who will benefit from the services of Family Journeys.
Richard Smith
Trustee
Richard is one of Scotland’s leading divorce lawyers and is a partner with Burness Paull LLP. He is accredited as a specialist in Family Law, is ranked in band “1” of the Chambers Legal Directory, and is in the “Hall of Fame” in Legal 500. He has vast experience in all areas of family law, particularly in high value financial cases and high conflict child related cases. He is passionate about minimising the impact of relationship breakdown for families affected by it.
Kate White (nee Ifould)
Trustee
Kate is an experienced IT professional with over 20 years in the technology sector, specializing in digital transformation and strategic IT management across various industries. A passionate advocate for improving the lives of young people and children, she is committed to leveraging technology to create inclusive opportunities that promote learning, growth, and well-being.
She believes in the power of digital tools to connect communities and provide innovative solutions to the challenges faced by young people today, and she volunteers her expertise with charities who work to improve the lives of children and young people.
Dr Jean-Leonard Rolla
Trustee
Dr Rolla has worked for over 10 years in a variety of services such as the adult mental health services in NHS, the Family Court and the charitable sector. He has experience in working with families, teenagers and adult clients struggling with a variety of complex mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, personality and interpersonal issues.
He is specialised in trauma (PTSD), attachment, and working with adults with emotional/ interpersonal problems with roots in clients’s childhood.
Kevin Stutt
Treasurer
Kevin is a Forensic Accountant within the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service where he works as an expert witness in matters of financial crime. Prior to this he worked for KPMG for over 8 years in Edinburgh and Boston, USA. Kevin has been a member of the board since 2021 and is delighted to bring this experience to Family Journeys to help ensure the service is available to families all across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Shona Young
Chair
Shona is a Senior Associate in Gilson Gray’s Family Law Team. She has worked exclusively in the area of Family Law since qualifying as a solicitor in 2017, and specialised in the field during her traineeship.
Shona is noted for her empathetic, yet no nonsense, approach. She strives to negotiate and resolve disputes outwith of a court setting but, when that is not possible, she is experienced in litigating matters both in the Sheriff Courts and in the Court of Session. She regularly appears in Sheriff Courts all over Scotland.
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