Member's Area

Meet our team

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

Our Team Members

Kesson Wilson

Senior Learning Communities Coordinator

Kesson is our Head of Fundraising responsible for securing grants, donations and building partnerships with current and potential funders. She joined VTO in May 2022 as one of our Senior Learning Communities Coordinators, leading on our Learning Hubs with most of her career focussed on supporting children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with complex needs.

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.

Anne Gillespie

Senior Learning Communities Coordinator

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.

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.

Jennifer Kirkpatrick

Learning Communities Coordinator

Jennifer is a Learning Communities Coordinator. With a background in education, she completed a PGCE at Cardiff Metropolitan University and spent some time teaching in Wales before moving back to Scotland to teach in East Renfrewshire. Before becoming a teacher, Jennifer worked in the third sector for a charity who support ex-military personnel looking for employment.

Janice Galloway

Learning Communities Coordinator

Janice joined VTO in September 2021 as a Learning Community Coordinator with a responsibility for Learning Hubs. She has volunteered with VTO since August 2020.

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

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.

Beth Skorczewski

Beth joined VTO in August 2023 as the Learning Hub Support Coordinator. She graduated from the University of Glasgow with a degree in Primary Education and qualified as a teacher in 2018. Following this, Beth worked in a charity to support the establishment and running of a newly built event centre and later took on a role in teaching Outdoor Education.

Elizabeth Hamilton

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

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.

Vinnie
Librarian, Mascot

Originally from deepest darkest Borneo, Vinnie moved to Scotland when he heard stories about the wonderful libraries and the large ginger population here. His passions include perfect alphabetisation, swinging from vines, good books, and helping children.

Our Directors

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.

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.

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.

Katie Roberts

Katie joined VTO in early 2024, first as a tutor and then as a member of the board, where she’ll be helping to improve the organisation’s marketing and communications efforts.

Douglas Johnston
(Chairman & Trustee)
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.