Board Highlights – August 2025

Jack Milne
Aug 15
2 min read

Our Board held a meeting on August 13th at The Walled Garden, Chair of the Board, Archie MacLellan, has provided us a document detailing the highlights of the meeting.

Hello everyone,

I’m pleased to share a few highlights from our recent Board meeting held on 13th August in the beautiful surroundings of our Walled Garden—a truly inspiring space to reflect on the work we do together.

Walled Garden Café Update We had a fantastic update from Laura Mutch on the Walled Garden Café. It’s currently open Thursdays and Fridays and is already proving popular with staff from Murray Royal Hospital. The café is more than just a lovely spot for coffee—it’s a window into our services in action. The strategic partnership with Giraffe is delivering brilliant outcomes for clients, staff, and the wider community.

If your team would like to share their work with the Board, please do reach out via your SMT—we’d love to hear more.

Minutes & Matters

We reviewed and approved the minutes from our previous meeting. Having accurate minutes is crucial to the running of the charity.

Financial Update

Q1 We discussed our Q1 financial position. As many of you will know, SCVO has highlighted the immense pressure facing Scotland’s voluntary sector. Rising demand and stretched resources are a reality for us too. The Board is actively considering how we manage risk and plan sustainably for the future. We’re pleased that we have Simon Dawe as our Treasurer, bringing valuable expertise to help guide Shaheena with her ongoing monthly financial planning and strategic funding.

Strategic Planning

The Board is beginning to look ahead and explore strategic priorities for the organisation. These early conversations are focused on ensuring we remain resilient, responsive, and impactful in the years to come. More to come as this develops.

The Gateway

It was great to see Mindspace now operating from The Gateway. As landlords, we continue to uphold our responsibilities, and we’re proud to see the space being used to support mental health and wellbeing in our community.

Looking Ahead

Financial Risk Planning for 2026 We’ve started early conversations around financial risk planning for next year. It’s part of our commitment to being proactive and prepared, ensuring we can continue delivering impact where it’s needed most and look after our staff too.

Thank to Shaheena and you all for the incredible work you do every day. The Board is deeply appreciative of your dedication and passion.

Warm regards, Archie MacLellan, Chair of the Board