Meet the Directors
Alan Nelson
Director and Deputy Chair
A relative newcomer to the Southside of Glasgow, Alan moved to the area in 2016; attracted in part, by the local amenities and sense of community. Alan is a Chartered Engineer and Project Manager for a large UK based multidisciplinary Engineering Consultancy. In his spare time, Alan who is Married, enjoys travelling and running. He also recently went on his first Ski Holiday (convinced by the Wife that it would be a great idea); survived with minor injuries and contemplating another trip.
Cathie Laycock
Director
Cathie has lived in the Mount Florida area for over thirty years. She currently shares her home with her husband Martin and her grown up son and daughter. Cathie graduated from Glasgow University in July 1985 and got married to Martin the following day! She started work as a civil servant shortly afterwards at the National Savings Bank in Pollok and worked in various roles before being appointed as staff welfare officer. In 1991, Cathie left National Savings to study at Jordanhill College of Education and thereafter spent the next 25 years as a primary teacher, mostly in East Kilbride. Cathie recently retired from teaching and is enjoying spending more time travelling and socialising with friends.
She is interested in environmental issues, reading, gardening, learning languages and walking. She and Martin have recently completed the Fife and Ayr Coastal paths and the John Muir Way.
Nicola Smith
Director & Chair
Born and brought up in the further flung southern reaches of England, Nicola came to Glasgow in 2001 on a 6-month placement from her degree (engineering) and found it was home. After learning that ‘tenement’ means something very different here than in England, she settled amongst the sandstone of the South Side, first in Cathcart then Govanhill and finally in 2007, Mount Florida with her (now)husband Paul.
Two bonny babies brought a change of vocation to breastfeeding support, and Nicola is now an Antenatal Teacher and Breastfeeding Counsellor. Throughout all the changing faces of her career, volunteer work on committees to ‘get stuff done’ has been a common feature. This new adventure with Mount Florida Community Trust is the one with possibly the most lasting legacy.
Easily identifiable by the purple (or rainbow) jacket and rainbow boots, she is often to be found in the vicinity of a home-baked cake.
Gavin Deeprose
Director
Gavin joined the Trust as a Director in June 2021.
Peter Craig
Director
Peter joined the Directors in June 2022. We will add a bio shortly!
Former Directors: with thanks to -
Founding Directors, Claire Johnstone and Peter Hodelet, whose input during the formative stages of the Trust was invaluable in helping shape the surge of local feeling into the focussed campaign and formal Trust that exists today. Having supported the Trust through to achieving a major target, refusal of the Planning Application from NOAH, Claire and Peter stepped down in November 2020.
Ross Martin, another founding Director, whose practical involvement only came to an end because he moved out of the area and was no longer eligible!
Chris Bryant, former Chair of Directors, steered the Trust through its formation and the challenges of campaigning against the first proposed development. He stepped down in June 2022, but continues to support the Trust in the background.
Allan Munro, a Director from December 2019 to June 2022, who put in a huge amount of work on the Trust’s application for Planning Permission on the site.