Meet our Team
These are some of the people that make the VTO’s work possible.
Barbara Oliver
(Operations Manager)
ACII MBA
Barbara joined the organisation in October 2016 firstly as a volunteer tutor then as a member of staff in April 2017. Her background is not in education having worked in the insurance industry for many years as an underwriter and latterly as Operations Director for Kwikfit Insurance Services. Her career took her to Thus Telecommunications as Senior Business Manager for several high profile accounts before taking a break to raise her family.
Alyson Grandison
Alyson joined the team in April 2019 and became a Senior Learning Communities Coordinator on July 2020. She has spent the last 18 years supporting complex and vulnerable young people in Glasgow. She has experience of working with young people with a range of barriers, including mental health issues, disengagement from school, lack of personal and social
Emma Shotter
Emma joined the VTO in July 2020 as the Volunteer Engagement and Training Coordinator. Emma began volunteering to support young people’s education while studying at the University of the West of Scotland for a BSc (Hons) degree in Applied Bioscience & Zoology, and discovered a passion for making education as accessible as possible.
Neelum Anwar
Neelum became a Senior Learning Communities Coordinator in October 2020 but has been part of VTO since October 2016, firstly as a volunteer tutor before becoming a Learning Communities Coordinator in August 2019. Neelum graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University in 2019 with a BSc in applied psychology.
Lewis Kelly
Lewis joined VTO in early January 2019 and his background is in education. Lewis graduated from Glasgow University in 2011 after completing a Bachelors Degree in Primary Education. He worked in Ayrshire before spending four years teaching at an International School in Budapest, Hungary. Lewis continued to work in primary schools in Glasgow upon his return to Scotland in 2016.
Louise Young
Louise joined VTO in July 2020 as a Learning Communities Coordinator. Her role includes the management and development of our Learning Hubs and the matching and pairing of our referred pupils with suitable volunteer tutors.
Jennifer Lilley
Jennifer recently joined VTO as 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.
Lewis Gavin
Lewis joined the 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.
Karen McAlavey
Karen joined the VTO in September 2020 as a Learning Communities Coordinator. Karen graduated from Stirling university with a BA (hons) in politics. Since graduating she has had various management roles in both the private and third sector.
Pamela Hill
Pamela joined the VTO team in January 2021 as a Learning Communities Coordinator, having started her journey with us as a volunteer in 2020. With a background in primary education, she believes learning should be accessible for all, and takes joy in supporting children and young people to achieve their potential and discover their strengths. For 12 years, she lived and worked in the Highlands, teaching in small schools, before returning to Glasgow to be closer to family and friends.
Vinnie
Librarian, Mascot
Others: Caroline Bain
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.
Lisa Snell – BSc, PgC, CIPD
Lisa joined the Volunteer Tutors Organisation in 2007 as a volunteer tutor, working with pupils on a one-on-one basis. She has also helped with the training of new volunteers for several years.
Andrew J. MacDonald – BEng (Hons), MSc
Dr Alistair Dorward
Alistair qualified from University in Dundee. He was a consultant physician with an interest in respiratory medicine at Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley for 30 years. He had a wide variety of roles within the Scottish Health Service.
Martin Hall – BSc (Physics)
It is with great sadness that we received the news of Martin’s death on 9th May. Martin had been a volunteer with the VTO since 2016 and a Director and Trustee since 2018. In his email giving us the sad news his brother Terry said “ Martin was very proud of being a tutor for your organisation and felt fulfilment and joy in helping the children your organisation serves. Thank you for adding this satisfaction to Martin’s too short a life.”
Although he was wheelchair bound, this did not restrict his participation in anything to do with the VTO which he enthusiastically supported. One of the great memories I have of Martin was when we both entered the Santa Dash three year ago. Despite the bitter cold and my inexperience of pushing a wheelchair, he took it all in good heart. He was an excellent tutor in his chosen subject of Physics and will be sadly missed by the children he helped.
Timothy Young
Tim Young is an advocate and has been a member of the Faculty of Advocates since 2013. Prior to that, he was a solicitor at one of Scotland’s leading commercial law firm.
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.
Sharon McGhee
Sharon is a Quality Improvement Education Officer with the City of Edinburgh Council where she works alongside children, families and staff to ensure positive outcomes for care experienced children and young people.
Douglas Johnston
(Chairman & Trustee)
BSc., MSc., MRTPI, Dip H., FIOH
Douglas started the Volunteer Tutors Organisation on leaving the University of Strathclyde in 1976 and was Chair of the 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.
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Registered Scottish Charity No SC000403
Company, limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland May 2003 Company No 249724
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St Charles Primary School
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