Our board ensures we meet our charity promises and follow governance codes. They use their different skills to guide our plans, keep us accountable to everyone involved, and protect how we work. Through transparent decision-making processes, our board fosters an environment of inclusivity and accountability, ensuring that the interests of all those we serve are represented and respected.
Cathy Jamieson - Chair
Cathy Jamieson is Executive Chair, Care Visions Children’s Services, a leading provider of residential and foster care for children in Scotland. Elected to the Scottish Parliament as MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley in 1999, Cathy served in the Scottish Executive Cabinet as Minister for Education and Young People from 2001 -2003, and Minister for Justice between 2003 and 2007.
Prior to her career in politics Cathy held various frontline Social Work posts, and was Principal Officer of Who Cares? Scotland from 1992 to 1995. She was a member of the Inquiry into Abuse in Residential Care in Edinburgh.
Paul Snell
Paul Snell is a social worker by background and was a Director of Social Services and Chief Inspector of the English social care regulator - the Commission for Social Care Inspection, until 2009. Since then, he has been involved with a number of children's services providers and charities and provides independent executive and leadership coaching to senior managers in the public and private sectors. He joined the Board of Care Vision 8 years ago having been impressed by the passion and commitment of Mike Reid, the Board and the staff team to making a difference to the lives of children and young people in Scotland.
Mike Reid
Mike Reid founded Care Visions over 20 years ago, with a vision of caring for young people on their own terms.
“We want to help young people’s lives and the period in care is an important part of this, but not the only part. Like many others we grew frustrated, that after the care experience we had so little to offer young people and searched widely for a solution. Why Not sprung out of this search, as Jennifer Davidson, then head of CELCIS, alerted us to a project we heard about and then visited in the Bronx, NY. It centred on relationships above all, which resonated hugely. The principles we adapted and made what is now Why Not. I’m proud to serve as a Trustee and spread our message that positive lifelong relationships really matter”.
Sharon Boniface - Treasurer
Sharon is an experienced, qualified accountant having worked within the SME environment for over 25 years, accumulating a wide-range of knowledge in supporting organisations through all aspects of the business lifecycle. Sharon’s previous roles include both the charity and industry sectors, across a variety of organisations. Sharon has been involved with the Why Not? Trust from its inception through her role within Care Visions, with a focus on ensuring that the charity is supported in its day to day running and financial planning.
Sandy Cameron
“All through my working life in social work I have had a passion that we could and should do much better for the young people we look after so I was always concerned that we should set the highest standards in everything we do with and for young people. All too often local authorities and professionals have not taken their responsibilities as corporate parents seriously enough. I have been on the Board of Care Visions since 2006 and joined because I believe that from the earliest days it has set high ambitions for what we do. The creation of the Why Not Trust has been one of our most important and exciting developments to ensure that we have not just a passing commitment to our young people but one which endures as long as each individual needs or wishes. All the positive stories are constant encouragement that together we can and are making a difference”.
