The People Behind YouScotland.com
The YouScotland.com Steering Group was founded in January 2007, and from a standing start, and assisted professionally by Ayrshire based e-consultation specialsts, Community People , have put this entire project together in 5 weeks, including the Founding Statement - and without spending anyone else's money!
Download founding_statement.pdf.pdf
We see our role as facilitators, people who once youscotland.com finds its feet will not so much be replaced by another committee, but superseded by the online community itself, a community which will collectively determine its own rules of engagement and establish governing structures consistent with the movement’s philosophy and the managerial possibilities of the net.
But we understand people will want to know who we are and where we are coming from, So here it is.
But it is where we are going - YouScotland, not us - that is important. We are but cyberspace pioneers, initially working our of out of the Stand Comedy Club, York Place, Edinburgh before lift off. Our mission? To boldly go……….
Tommy Sheppard
I founded Salt 'n' Sauce Promotions Ltd in 1997, the company behind Scotland's longest running and most successful live comedy venues – The Stand Comedy Club. I am also a director of the Scottish Comedy Agency , which organises tours and festivals throughout Scotland and the UK , most notably the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.
Before making people laugh for a living I was a member of the Labour Party . I was an elected councillor for eight years in London , a parliamentary candidate in 1992 and Assistant General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party from 1994 to 1997. My “boss” at the time ? Jack McConnell!
I was born and raised in Coleraine, Co. Derry, and am a graduate of Aberdeen University . I previously have been a local government official and has long experience of campaigning and public relations.
In 1996 I made the televised finals of BBC's Masterchef. I lost, but I still do a mean spread at the parties I host in my home in Edinburgh, a city I have lived in since 1993.
Email Tommy@youscotland.com
Alan Smart
As Head of Current Affairs at Scottish Television I saw the worst of the private sector. As Head of Broadcasting at the Scottish Parliament I saw the very worst of the public sector. But as President of NUS Scotland I have seen the very, very best of the voluntary sector - November 1984 to be precise when through collective action and sheer bellief, UK students, with Scotland to the fore, defeated Tory Government proposals to introduce tuition fees. (Photo:Stewart Attwood, Sunday Herald)
In 1995 I wrote Wallace, Scotland's Braveheart for The Big Issue in Scotland after discovering the Wallace story whilst watching Braveheart in a cinema at Disneyland, Florida. My favorite line in that much Scottish establishment derided, but essentially acurate and inpirational movie? - that of the footsoldier before the Battle of Stirling Bridge. "I didnae come here to fight for them" - and neither have I. I was born and brought up in Paisley and have lived in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling and Dollar. I now live in Falkirk. My hobbies include football ( St Mirren , Celtic and Everton), cricket (Scotland AND England), cycling (Andalucia) and satirical song writing. But my passion is my two kids, Jessica and Jack. An English mother, but the future of Scotland. e-mail@ alan@youscotland.com
I was Treasurer of the Campaign for a Scottish Parliament between 1985 and 1988. Whlst at STV, I produced Local Heroes, Business Bytes. Scottish Voices, Trial by Night and Time of Your Life, a history of Scotland in the 1980's cut to the soundtrack of the era. I have written and produced many websites, including holyrood.tv , Scotland Week in Italy 2006, Tartan Day Live 2001 and 2004, and most importantly to date, this one.
I am one of the founding partners and now director of Critical Thinking , a public policy consultancy, specialising in UK education, training and skills, established in 2000.
Prior to this I worked in a range of agencies and representative bodies including policy adviser to the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (the Dearing Committee) and secretary to its Scottish Standing Committee (the Garrick Committee). I'd like to see more creative approaches to solving the big public policy issues we face - it isn't beyond us and we have great raw materials and conditions. Current preoccupations include taking stock of the Scottish higher education sector now it is 10 years since the Garrick Report and, crucially, how we fund it given the Scottish 'no fees' policy and against a backdrop of top-up fees in England.
I'm an ever-optimistic follower of the Scottish national football team, enjoy mucking about with the photos on my Flickr site and, in the spirit of lifelong learning, am currently learning the bass guitar!
Margaret Lynch
I am Head of Overseas Programmes for Scotland's largest international charity, I was previously Chief Executive of War on Want but gave this up to raise my daughter Maeve.
I am a member of the SNP, having formerly been in the Labour Party. I am not politically active at present because as single parent with a demanding full time job it's just not possible, In this respects alone YouScotland.com is appealing, as its web based approach will allow me to be active on my own terms , at hours and locations that suit me.
When things really get my goat I do though get active in the real world - in recent years mainly around getting the children of asylum seekers out of Dungavel Prison.
In the past I have been involved in conflict resolution in Northern Ireland, have also worked with the Landless People's Movement, the world's largest social movement in Brazil, and movements for democracy and liberation in South Africa, Palestine, Latin America and East Timor.
I live in Coatbridge and grew up in Airdrie. Hobbies - where would I get the time? I spend my weekends cooking for the family, entertaining hordes of wean's, and dealing with mountains of washing and ironing.
Tam McTurk
I am freelance translator ( http://web.mac.com/tammcturk )and part-time distance learning student studying Gaelic at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, on the Isle of Skye.
Originally from Glasgow, I spent 20 years in Scandinavia before re-marrying and settling in Edinburgh. Weans in both Copenhagen & Edinburgh. Interested in languages (funnily enough) but also in international politics, green issues, culture and technology.
Two decades abroad proved to me that small countries do work and that low voter turnout and apathy are not actually inevitable.
In any spare time that I have I am addicted to live football. I have traipsed all over the place watching Scotland and am extremely proud to be the co-secretary of the Edinburgh & East of Scotland Partick Thistle Supporters Club.
Nice to meet you all. It's gonna take some doing, but as far as I can see, everyone who comes across the idea seems to be into it.
And with the outline of your lifestyles above, maybe others will feel inspired to make some time to make it happen. That's not to 'big you up' too much, merely that between the five of you, you cover some of the demanding and busy realities that people inhabit today.
Looking forward to the new forums! ;-) keep up all your great efforts,
Jock
Posted by: Jock Urquhart | 22/02/2007 at 11:20 AM