Staffing

Communications Officer

Megan MacLellan is Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s Communications Officer and started in the job at the beginning of 2020.  Megan looks after internal and external communications, including social media, media requests, press releases, events, helping other projects and anything in between!

Telephone: 07584 103 944

Email: megan@gaidhlig.scot

Assistant Communications Officer

Shannon Maclean works closely with the Communications Officer at Bòrd na Gàidhlig to carry out communications work inside and outside the organisation. She will also be assisting the entire team with communications campaigns related to their work.

Email: shannon@gaidhlig.scot

Funding and Projects Officer

Steven Kellow is in charge of co-ordinating  the administration and delivery of Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s funding schemes. He works with a mixture of public authorities, Gaelic organisations, community groups and individuals to support them in delivering projects that promote Gaelic.

Email: stevenk@gaidhlig.scot

Administrator (Grants)

As a member of Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s funding schemes team Theresa MacAulay is responsible for the general administration of grants and supporting  the applicants with their projects.

Email: theresa@gaidhlig.scot

Development Officer (Teachers)

Eòghan Stewart has responsibility for supporting Gaelic teachers and Gaelic speaking teachers at all levels, and contributes to the wider work of the education team in supporting schools and local authorities. He has a particular responsibility to provide advice about and advertise the opportunities and benefits of Gaelic teaching to pupils, students and adults in the world of work. These include professional development opportunities, the Education Grants Scheme, school visits and careers fairs.

Email: eoghan@gaidhlig.scot

Education Development Officer

Màiri Morrison is employed as an Education Development Officer within the Education Team at Bòrd na Gàidhlig . Màiri also  has responsibility  for managing the Early Years Team who keep groups updated with support information and advice throughout Scotland.

Màiri also works closely with Comann nam Pàrant  to disseminate early years funding to groups across Scotland and to support numbers of children continuing into Gaelic medium education. She also supports parents and children with advice and information on how to learn and use the language in their homes.  Màiri also organises and plans training for play leaders in partnership  with the Early years Team and with Stòrlann. Màiri is also a member of the national early years steering group and also advises on development of resources to help families learn and use the language in their homes.

Email: mairit@gaidhlig.scot

Early years support worker

Sìne MacLean is a member of the Education Team who works as an Early Years Support Worker based in Glasgow.  She supports the Early Year’s groups, committees, parents/carers and children.   Sìne works in collaboration with other Gaelic organisations and with local authority officers throughout the South of Scotland.

Email: sine@gaidhlig.scot

Early Years Support Worker/ Training Co-ordinator

Fay McDiarmid is a member of the Education Team who works as an Early Years Support Worker based in Portree, Isle of Skye. She supports Early Years groups, committees, parents and children and works in co-ordination with other Gaelic organisations and the Highland Council to provide information and open days throughout Skye and Lochalsh. Fay also works closely with the Scottish Book Trust and trains all Gaelic Bookbug Leaders throughout Scotland.

Email: fay@gaidhlig.scot

Partnerships Manager

Brian Ó hEadhra works across the Bòrd na Gàidhlig team and with external partners to ensure that more people are using and benefitting from Gaelic at work, at home and in the community.

He helps ensure that Bòrd na Gàidhlig and external partners are fully engaged with the delivery of strategic collaborations and furthering the aims of the National Gaelic Language Plan.

Brian leads on Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s involvement in international Gaelic language partnership projects in collaboration with other strategic development bodies including Foras na Gaeilge and the Colmcille initiative.

Email: brian@gaidhlig.scot

Research and Corpus Planning Manager

Dr Peadar Morgan is in the Usage team, and provides support across Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s services.

Peadar leads on Bòrd policy, partnership and recommendations on corpus planning; matters relating to the language itself, for example vocabulary, grammar and orthography and names.

A major part of his work is compiling and presenting data on population and education in charts, graphs and maps to illustrate the situation of Gaelic for the public and – in more detail – for policy and decision makers.

Peadar is the main contact for researchers working on behalf of Bòrd na Gàidhlig to make sure they become properly acquainted with the state of Gaelic,. In addition, there is much to learn from research and from other languages, and Peadar keeps up to date with new international data which shows challenges or opportunities for Gaelic.

Email: peadar@gaidhlig.scot

Language Plans Officers

Our Gaelic Language Plans Officers, Anna Walker, Christie Maclean and Kyle Orr, are responsible for advising, guiding and directing relationships with public authorities through the legislative process in developing and publishing the plans. their Gaelic language.

Plan officers also work with colleagues in the Language Planning Team to support the overall effectiveness of the statutory language planning process.

Email: christie@gaidhlig.scot, anna@gaidhlig.scot, kyle@gaidhlig.scot

Operations Manager

Louise Maclean is responsible for leading on and monitoring operations and ensuring that each element of operations complies with regulations and internal processes. She also has responsibilities for business administration, human resources, internal communications and information technology.

Email: louise@gaidhlig.scot

Office Manager

Carol Johnson looks after the general office administration for staff, Leadership team and Board Members. Coordinating the functions of the administration team, all travel, meeting and conference arrangements and Senior Management Team and Board secretarial duties are looked after.

Email: carol@gaidhlig.scot

Finance Administrator

Helen Walker is responsible for all Finance based administration Including accounts and supporting the head of finance.

Email: helen@gaidhlig.scot

Business Administrator

Our Business Administrator, Orla MacDonald, supports the Office Manager in providing support in the management and co-ordination of all aspects of the administrative functions of the organisation. Through her work at Bòrd na Gàidhlig and studying remotely with RGU she is working towards a degree in Business Management.

Email: orla@gaidhlig.scot

Executive Assistant

Eilidh Cameron-Sykes provides administrative support to the Leadership Team and Ceannard. She is involved the steering meetings and also renewing corporate information on the Bòrd na Gàidhlig website.

Email: eilidh@gaidhlig.scot

 

Shona MacLennan, CEO

Shona MacLennan, originally from Spean Bridge, is the Ceannard (CEO) of Bòrd na Gàidhlig and has been in post for over 4 years.  During that time, the Bòrd developed the third National Gaelic Language Plan (2018-23) which was launched in March 2018 by Depute First Minister, John Swinney.  In addition, the Bòrd published their corporate plan for 18-23 which sets out how the Bòrd will contribute to achieving the aims in the National Plan.

Shona brings to the Bòrd over 20 years’ experience in business and community development within the Highlands and Islands.  She is a Gaelic learner from University of Edinburgh and previously worked at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig as Director of Business and Organisational Development.  She has been involved in a wide range of Gaelic initiatives and developments, including working for various Gaelic organisations.  Shona has extensive governance and strategic planning experience as well as a sound knowledge of community development.

Her public-sector experience includes governance, strategic planning and community development and growth.  She has served as a non-executive director of MG ALBA, Highlands & Islands Airports Ltd, Grampian TV and UHI Ltd.

Shona lives in Kintail where she works on the family croft as well as being chair of the Kinlochshiel Women’s Shinty Club.

David Boag, Director of Language Planning and Community Developments

The Dìrector of language planning provides leadership and direction to the Gaelic Usage team within Bòrd na Gàidhlig – including statutory Gaelic language plans, funding schemes, research projects and corpus development. He works to ensure ensure that the prioirities of the National Gaelic Language Plan are reflected in the statutory Gaelic Language Plans of public authorities, ensure that the prioirities of the National Gaelic Language Plan are reflected in the statutory Gaelic Language Plans of public authorities he also works to ensure that the prioirities of the National Gaelic Language Plan are reflected in the statutory Gaelic Language Plans of public authorities.  Develop and influence appropriate strategies, and to build partnerships with individuals and other organisations in order to grow Gaelic language and culture within communities.

Jim Whannel, Director of Education

Jim Whannel is the Director of Gaelic Education and leads the Education Team at the Bòrd. Jim works closely with colleagues in the Education Team to fulfil the commitments in the National Plan for Gaelic – working in partnership with a wide range of national agencies, Local Authority education teams and the Scottish Government. He took up the post in 2019.

Alex Graham, Head of Finance

The Head of Finance, Alex Graham is responsible for the Bòrd’s financial systems, for preparing financial reports and the annual accounts. He advises on all matters relating to the Bòrd’s finance and works with the finance administrator and with other managers through the Leadership Team.

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BnaG Leadership Team Declaration of Interest (updated March 2020)