Member's Area

Meet our team

These are some of the people that make VTO’s work possible.

Our Team Members

Anne Gillespie

Head of Service (Acting)

Anne joined the VTO team in December 2022 as a Learning Communities Coordinator. She volunteered for many years as a coach and judge of gymnastics. She has previously worked in the call centre industry for many years as an Operations Manager, and latterly as a Business Support Manager working with teams in India and Manila.

Sana El Sayegh

Volunteer Engagement and Training Coordinator

Sana is our Volunteer Engagement and Training Coordinator. She joined VTO in June 2024 as our Fundraising and Donations Intern while pursuing her International Master in Adult Education for Social Change at the University of Glasgow. She has four years of experience working in the non-profit sector with refugees, women, and individuals with disabilities. She has worked in various project management roles in NGOs that believe in the role of education in shaping people’s lives.

Gillian Lowrie

Senior Learning Communities Coordinator

Gillian joined the VTO team as a Learning Communities Coordinator in November 2021. As a committed volunteer with her local Scout Group, Gillian loves working with children and feels very strongly that the engagement of children in education and activities is of vital importance. She also loves being outdoors and giving the kids she volunteers with as many opportunities as possible.

Hilary McDonald

Administrator

Hilary joined the organisation in July 2022, after many years of working in the travel industry all over the world including for significant time onboard cruise ships. More recently, Hilary has been working for VisitScotland welcoming visitors to Glasgow and Scotland as a whole.

Lewis Gavin

Digital Coordinator

Lewis joined VTO in September 2020 as a Learning Communities Coordinator, having graduated from the University of Glasgow with a degree in English Literature that year. Prior to becoming an LCC, he has worked as a teaching assistant at a music department in a London secondary school, where he found a passion for working with young people.

Liam Wright

Learning Communities Coordinator

Liam joined VTO in September 2022 after graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and Counselling from Strathclyde. Alongside his studies, Liam used to volunteer as a befriender, working with care-experienced teenagers and young people on the autism spectrum. He also previously volunteered with VTO at learning hubs and as an online maths tutor.

Helen Broadbent

Outreach Coordinator – Perth & Kinross

Helen joined VTO in August 2023 as the Outreach Coordinator for Perth and Kinross. After a career in sports and theatre venue management she changed track in 2015 to follow a passion for learning. Having gained experience in Perth and Kinross schools as a teaching assistant and on teacher training placements she is a trauma-informed and enthusiastic educator with a passion for working with children and young people.

Elizabeth Hamilton

Learning Communities Coordinator

Elizabeth has worked as an LCC at VTO since August 2023. Prior to this she worked in Early Years Education for 20 years, with a keen interest in learning through play and outdoor play experiences. During this time Elizabeth also gained a BA in Social Sciences – Criminology and Sociology.

Hannah Shaw

Learning Communities Coordinator

Hannah joined the VTO team as a Learning Communities Coordinator in August 2024. She graduated from the University of Glasgow with a master’s degree in education in 2023.

Lucy Lauder

Learning Communities Coordinator

Lucy joined VTO in November 2024 as a Learning Communities Coordinator, after completing a master’s degree in English Literature. Prior to becoming an LCC, Lucy worked in Widening Participation at the University of Glasgow and as a Yoga teacher at a summer camp in Ontario, Canada.

Karen Frondigoun (Treasurer)- ACCA

Karen is a qualified Youth Worker, and a qualified ACCA Accountant. She is also a 2nd Dan Black Belt in Taekwon-Do and won a Silver medal at the ITF World Taekwon-Do Championships in Pyogyang North Korea in September 2017.

Lynne Ward – BSc, MSc

Lynne has worked within the regeneration sector for more than 20 years, across the Charitable Sector, the former Glasgow Regeneration Agencies and Local Government. She currently works for Scottish Futures Trust, an arms-length-agency of Scottish Government.

David Kirkwood

David joined VTO as a volunteer tutor in 2021 having retired from teaching Mathematics for 15 years as a classroom teacher and Faculty Head in Glasgow’s East End.

Barbara Oliver ACII, MBA

Barbara joined VTO as a volunteer in 2016 supporting one of their Homework Groups in Royston. She was so inspired by the impact that one-to-one tuition could have on a child’s attainment that she joined the team initially to set up Homework Groups dedicated to supporting children living in kinship care, funded by the Trades House of Glasgow.

Karen Ritchie

Karen joined VTO as a volunteer in late 2021 having retired from her full time role with the NHS earlier that year. Having originally trained in the biological sciences, Karen subsequently worked at the University of Glasgow as a public health researcher.

Johann Lamont

Johann served as the Scottish Labour and Co-operative Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow Pollok Constituency from 1999 – 2016 and for the Glasgow Region from 2016. She retired from the Scottish Parliament in May 2021.

Darren Khosrowpour

Darren joined VTO as a volunteer tutor in 2023. He is passionate about Social Mobility, and the opportunity to help close the attainment gap was a key driver for him joining the organisation. He joined the board in May 2024, bringing experience from his career in financial services.

Andrew J. MacDonald

BEng (Hons), MSc

Andrew joined the Volunteer Tutors Organisation as a 1:1 tutor in October 2016. He came across VTO’s website while looking for volunteering opportunities in the Glasgow area. Andrew became more involved in the running of the VTO in June 2017 when he joined the Board. Using his vocational experience as Project Manager Andrew has been primarily involved in the standardisation of VTOs working practices, the summer of 2018 IT upgrade and the VTO website relaunch. Outside of work and VTO Andrew is a keen golfer, local band member and, being originally from the Isle of Mull, enjoys sailing and fishing when he gets the chance.

Our Founder

Douglas Johnston
(Founder & Volunteer)
BSc., MSc., MRTPI, Dip H., FIOH

Douglas started the Volunteer Tutors Organisation on leaving the University of Strathclyde in 1974 and was Chair of VTO for the first nine years of its existence. Prior to retiring from business he was Managing Director of the consultancy firm Arneil Johnston specialising in public and voluntary sector business planning, strategy, ICT Procurement and the comprehensive management of public sector assets. Before establishing the business in 1996 he was a Managing Consultant with the multi-national firm Deloitte & Touche working with a wide range of public sector clients on business planning preparation and assessment, system and process reviews and ICT procurement. Previous to this he worked in local government for 14 years and was Director in Housing in Renfrew from 1986 to 1990 and for Stirling Council from 1982 to 1986.