Trust Staff
We have a small staff team, all of whom work part time. We work flexibly together, supporting each other and the trust, guided by our 5 year community action plan. Pat is our Chief Officer, Ilka is responsible for Finance & Administration, Steph is our Project Officer and James is our Loanhead Project Officer.
Steph Plotnikoff
Project Officer Steph has lived in Tarbrax for almost 2 years and is very happy to be part of such a thriving community with so many lovely volunteers. She has worked in the 3rd sector for over 25 years, with experience in community engagement, mental health and homelessness. Steph started volunteering for WATIF when she first moved here and became more involved in March ‘20 at the beginning of the pandemic. She quickly became a key volunteer supporting the community in many different ways. We were delighted to welcome Steph to the staff team in August 2020 whereby we have benefited from her many years of community engagement and third sector experience. steph@watif.scot 07761 758369 |
James Lindsay
Loanhead Project Officer James has lived in Tarbrax since January 2019 having moved here from Glasgow where he spent a large part of his career working in therapeutic horticulture in the voluntary sector. Having completed 3 years as Head Gardener at Jupiter Artland, James set up his own business doing Gardening and Landscaping around our local area. During the pandemic James began volunteering with WATIF and set up the community gardening space in Tarbrax Village Hall with the help of other local community members. Since being employed as Loanhead Project Officer he has been maintaining our local paths network, installing planters in our villages and looking at the various ways in which we can develop the services we offer to our community at Loanhead Farm. James is looking forward to welcoming as many people as possible to get involved in the future growth of Loanhead and can’t wait to get started on this exciting new chapter in our growth and development. James@watif.scot 07834988296 |
Ilka Graham
Finance & Admin Officer Ilka has lived in South Lanarkshire since 2013 after moving from West Lothian and currently stays in Carnwath with her young family. She joined WATIF in December 2019 as a General Office Administrator after working in the Pharmaceutical Industry for nearly 10 years and having grown up rurally she feels very passionately about the local Community Spirit and supporting the Trust in improving local facilities and opportunities. Ilka’s role involves dealing with the day to day Finances and assisting the rest of the team with project work and administration and she has in a short time become an invaluable member of the team. ilka@watif.scot 07487 565582 |
Patricia Mavor
Chief Officer Pat has been lucky enough to live at Cobbinshaw since 1997 and is one of the four founding members of WATIF, having initially got involved as a volunteer to try and help ensure that windfarm benefit money came to our community. She feels passionately about making sure all the local communities benefit from these funds and continues to work hard to ensure this happens. Along with bringing up a young family and running her own business, she was kept busy volunteering for WATIF over the years as a trustee. In early 2020 she was approached by the Trust and asked if she would consider the role of Development Manager, assisting our volunteer board to manage and run WATIF. The timing was crucial and since March 2020, as the part time Development Manager she was able to devote more time to support the community throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then Pat has gone Full time and taken on the role of Chief Officer, overseeing the entire staff team with her extensive knowledge and experience. Pat says: “It was clear from my very first involvement in 2011 that our community needed to have a ‘legally recognised body’ if we were to attract money directly into our community and it was important (whatever your views on windfarms) that if they were approved by the planning department that the money should be spent in our community directly, and not in further afield locations throughout South Lanarkshire and West Lothian. So while the windfarms are with us we have an annual income to be spent in our community and whatever your stance may be, it is important that this money is spent where our community wants it to be spent, so any ideas please contact us.” pat@watif.scot 07729 470093 |
Pat, Steph, James and Ilka all work full/part time as well as giving their own volunteer hours to help, and we all do our best to serve your community with the benefit of money from the windfarms.
The Trust greatly appreciate ideas and input to help shape how we use this money to benefit all of us in our community. Get in touch to share your thoughts and influence current and future initiatives. You can email us, phone us or meet with us in person, whatever is easiest for you and suits you best.
The Trust greatly appreciate ideas and input to help shape how we use this money to benefit all of us in our community. Get in touch to share your thoughts and influence current and future initiatives. You can email us, phone us or meet with us in person, whatever is easiest for you and suits you best.