Having had personal lived experience of many of the issues faced by local people in Hillhead, I realised that I needed more than just recovery. This was when the vision of a peer-led recovery after-care resource was born. As the founder of GRACE with a huge wealth of knowledge and experience in recovery and aftercare settings, one of my main skills that are transferable to the GRACE vision is the aspiration to assist individuals to live independent lives as they move forward.

Born in humble beginning in India in a family where giving and caring for community was a daily routine. Although I did not have maturity to understand humanity it always made me immensely happy. My long professional career as a medical practitioner in NHS provided perfect environment to my ever-increasing passion to help others and to make a difference in life of others. After retiring, I found GRACE at my doorstep in Kirkintilloch. I have been fortunate to have had opportunity to serve GRACE in capacity of a trustee. I love to be a part of GRACE because all my passion about values, people’s wellbeing, equality, inclusion and educations are in parallel with GRACE’s ethos. In addition to working with GRACE, I volunteer to educate children in schools, help older people in the community, lead health walks and in past I mentored in a project for rehabilitation of prisoners.

Having spent most of my working life in logistics, I found myself suffering from anxiety and depression. Fortunately I was introduced to GRACE in 2019 where I became a volunteer and was involved in, and later managed, the Foodshare project. In 2021 I was honoured to be elected to the Board of Trustees.

I heard about GRACE through my friend Liz McVey. We are qualified Dru Yoga Teachers and Liz invited me to, occasionally, cover her GRACE classes. I was encouraged to join the Art class and I was invited to join the Board as a Trustee. My professional experience encompasses Trading Standards, from Officer to Head of Service; Senior University Lecturer; Lead Assessor of Quality Management Systems; and Freelance Management Consultant. This has given me transferrable skills which I am able to apply to the Board’s responsibilities for oversight and continuous improvement. More than this though, my lived experience of life trauma, and mental and physical ill health enables me to connect wholeheartedly with the GRACE ethos. I have been a Trustee on other Boards, and Chair of a School Governing Body but I can honestly say that my involvement with GRACE is the most rewarding.

After a career in Mental Health, for many years leisure time was spent volunteering with various projects throughout the G66 area: Local Radio, Operation Christmas Child and Hospital Chaplaincy just to name a few. Nowadays, I am a Neighbourhood Improvement volunteer and lead local health walks. It is a pleasure being involved with G.R.A.C.E and to serve on the board.

After 37 years of payroll experience for a large organisation, I decided it was time to retire. I joined GRACE in 2021 as a member,volounteer and also a trustee of the board.
My life experiences have given me the tools to be able to empathise and give something back to the local community.

Claire is a local resident and has been a member of the Board for many years. She is also Chair of the Board of Hillhead Housing Association. Claire is a retired psychiatric nurse, a member of Kirkintilloch Community Council, Secretary of Strathkelvin Credit Union and Vice Chair of Glasgow & West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations.