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Our Board of Directors

“I want to work with PCHP because I think it is a wonderful organisation, which does great work. It makes a valuable contribution to the lives of people in North Pilton. I hope that by serving on the Board I can put my qualification in health promotion to good use in the service of my local community.”

Pauline Caswell, Board of Directors

“I joined the Board in 2019 because I am passionate about community-led health initiatives and building capacity in vulnerable populations. I am able to use my prior experience as a financial analyst and strategy consultant to bring constructive assessment and solutions to PCHP’s long term financial sustainability”.

Wendy Lister, Co-Chair, Board of Directors

The Board of Directors collectively contributes a breadth of experience, insight and professional backgrounds to the governance of PCHP. Some members’ are local residents with lived experience of health inequalities, some from ethnic minority communities and 60 per cent are women.

The board has a strong framework of policy development and review, risk management, and relationship development to support sustainability and funding.

The professional backgrounds of our Board of Directors are as follows:

Mary Comer (Co-Chair) – executive search and recruitment
Wendy Lister (Co-Chair) – financial analysis and strategy consultancy
Angela Brown (Treasurer) – chartered accountancy and business advisory
Dr Balkishan Agrawal – medicine (general practice)
Pauline Caswell – health promotion and social care
Malcolm Chisholm – politics and campaigning (ex-MP and ex-MSP)
Elaine Dorner – sales and relationship management within financial services
Dr Hester Innes – medicine (public health)
Graham Rae – administrative systems / procedures and risk management within financial services
Andy Whale – operational strategy and business transformation programmes within financial services
Katrin Davidson (co-opted June 23) – marketing strategy

The Board has three sub-groups; Fundraising, Governance and Strategy and meets monthly with the Director. Our board members form working groups with staff, volunteers and local people as needed – for example, during planning, strategy and sustainability reviews, learning and development events, project open days and fundraising initiatives with partners, local businesses and supporters.

Please see below more detailed profiles of some of our Board members.

Dr Balkishan Agrawal

I have experience of working as a GP in Pilton area for about 3 decades during which time I had the opportunity to deal with various health and socioeconomic problems in the area. Addressing many of these issues was a challenge for me. I used to regularly refer patients to the project for help and counselling which they found very useful. I have seen the project evolving from its infancy to its present state. After retiring from full time practice, I thought I will give something back and what could be better than getting involved as a board of director for the project. After joining the board of directors, I have realised that to fulfil the aims and objectives of the project, board members and staff members must work hard and in close co-operation. I am trying my best to do this, and I feel that attracting more people with different skills and experience to the board will be a great help for the project. My special interests are about Healthy Living by promoting Healthy lifestyle. PCHP is educating and encouraging local community to acquire more knowledge about food and nutrition and encouraging Physical activity. I am especially interested in Research in all fields of Health and Wellbeing particularly preventing disease like Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease by Lifestyle Modification. I have always been a great believer of ‘’Social Model of Disability’’ and people led policy.

One of my hobbies is to watch movies depicting the value of humanity. I also love music. During Spring I like to be out in the fields when my heart dances with the daffodils. If I am lucky enough to see a rainbow, I quickly snap it in my camera.

Malcolm Chisholm

I joined the Board soon after I ceased to be the MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith in 2016. I had been an admirer of the project for almost 30 years and actively involved with it in its early campaigning days before I became the UK Parliament MP for the area in 1992.

I often praised the project and held it up as a model during my twenty four years as MP then MSP. I continue to think community health projects are extremely important for addressing health inequalities and involving local people in driving forward the necessary action. PCHP suffered a very significant funding cut in early 2019 but I am determined that this greatly needed and highly valued project will survive and flourish in spite of the very difficult funding environment. I am retired now but active in several community organisations in north Edinburgh and Leith as well as with four grandchildren who all live locally.

Mary Comer

My professional background is in executive search. I joined the board of PCHP in December 2018 and became Co-Chair in February 2020.

I was initially attracted to PCHP as a charity embedded in its local community, striving to make a practical difference to the health and happiness of the people it serves. As I have got to know the Project better, I have even greater admiration for the vital role it plays in the community and the positive impact it has on so many people’s lives. Coming from a different sector, there has been a lot to learn about both the opportunities and challenges facing PCHP. As a board, we aim to bring fresh perspective and a range of skills and expertise to help PCHP develop and thrive, while raising its profile and expanding its network of supporters.

Elaine Dorner

I have been a PCHP Board Member since January 2020 after moving to Edinburgh in October 2014. My children go to school in North Edinburgh and I was keen to get involved with such an important local charity doing highly valued work. I was born in Hong Kong, grew up in the US and graduated from New York University with a degree in Economics. I then spent time in both New York and London working for various financial services firms. I aim to draw on my previous Sales and Relationship Management experience in the financial services industry to help bring a fresh perspective on fundraising, financial sustainability and strategic direction.

I am constantly amazed by the impact the project is able to achieve in improving the community health of some of the most deprived areas in Scotland. The challenges faced by the families PCHP supports are tackled by a social model of health and community development approach which is tremendously creative and varied. Huge strides are also being made working together with Community Wellbeing Partners, who are both local and city-wide organisations. This collaboration has allowed PCHP to successfully expand the range of services and support available to the local community. The recent COVID pandemic has proved that PCHP plays a vital role in making a difference to the health of our local community and I am proud to be part of this positive impact.

Dr Hester Innes

I have worked as a doctor in the NHS for over 30 years as a Consultant in Public Health Medicine, specialising in reducing inequalities through the use of information and intelligence. I have also lived in the area for 30 years and so joined the Board of PCHP in 2021 in order to try and give something back to the community using my skills and knowledge.

Graham Rae

I joined the board in 2014 serving as chair between 2015 and 2020. After retiring I wanted to join an organisation that made a strong contribution to the local community and PCHP certainly does that. I spent my working life in financial services and hope that I bring some experience of risk management and operational organisation as well as the willingness to challenge in a positive way.

Working with PCHP has allowed me to participate in a community which defies the preconceived notions of it and works together for the benefit of those in need. I thought I had joined PCHP to give but in fact have received much more from the experience of the people in the community and all of the staff, volunteers and my fellow board members.

Andy Whale

Andy has lived in North Edinburgh with his wife and two children for twelve years, and takes a keen interest in community activities. He has a passion for the benefits of physical exercise and plays his part in passing this on to the next generation by volunteering with a number of local sports clubs, who provide opportunities for young people in the local community.

Andy has over twenty years of experience working on strategic transformation and change projects in large scale organisations, and hopes to use his knowledge and experience to support continuation of the great work being delivered by PCHP, and help shape plans for the future.