Our Board
One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) has 9 Trustees who bring a range of experience and expertise.
Halena Gauntlett
Chair
As Chair of OPFS, I feel very privileged to work with our families, Satwat, the OPFS team, our Board and partners. Professionally I bring experience in equality, education, safeguarding and systems thinking, all the while, my personal experience as a lone-parent to teenagers is one lived in technicolour! The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the internationally mandated children’s rights framework that informs our strategies and programmes. This is central to my core values and deep personal commitment to our mission at OPFS to support families and to advance the fundamental rights of children and young people through our policy, partnerships and practice.
Rosalind Paterson
Company Secretary
Rosalind joined OPFS as Finance Manager in July 2021 and was appointed Company Secretary in December 2021. Rosalind has been a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Certified Accountants since 1994 and has experience of working in a variety of diverse areas including Local Government, Care at Home and Professional Practice.
Susan Smith
Head of Communications & Fundraising, The Yard
Susan Smith is currently the Head of communications and fundraising at The Yard. She was previously Campaigns Manager at the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. Before that she was editor of Third Force News for over a decade and has a background in journalism. Previous board appointments include five years as a trustee of the Sheila McKechnie Foundation. Susan is a single parent by choice so understands the social, emotional and financial challenges of managing family life alone.
Addie Dinsmore
Head of Communications & Fundraising (Scotland) at WWF-UK
Addie is the Head of Communications & Fundraising (Scotland) for WWF-UK and has worked in the charity sector for over a decade. Having been brought up in a single parent family, Addie understands the unique challenges that single parents and their children face and is passionate about the essential work that OPFS does in Scotland.
Dr Andrew Sharman
Chief Executive, International Institute of Leadership & Safety Culture
Andrew is Chief Executive and Chairman of the Board of the International Institute of Leadership & Safety Culture (IILSC), an organisation dedicated to empowering leaders to embrace an ever-changing world, create a sustainable culture of care, and drive organisational performance. Alongside his executive work, he teaches at leading international business schools and advises organisations worldwide on strategic planning, leadership impact, organisational culture, resilience, and wellbeing. A seasoned Non-Executive Director and Trustee, Andrew’s previous leadership roles include Chair of the Board of the Institute of Leadership & Management and President of the Institution of Occupational Safety & Health. He is also Chairman of the Board of the One Percent Safer Foundation, which he founded in 2020 to address the 2.93 million work-related deaths that occur globally every year. Having grown up in Scotland in a one parent family following the sudden death of his mother when he was 11, Andrew brings lived experience as well as professional expertise to his role with One Parent Families Scotland. He is deeply committed to the charity’s values of Justice, Equity, Trust, Collaboration, and Compassion, and to helping build a Scotland where single parents and their children are treated fairly, live free from discrimination and poverty, and can achieve their full potential.
Alison Livesey
Non-Executive Director
Alison works for J.P. Morgan ("JPM") in their payments business and is a seasoned Non-Executive Director, currently sitting on the Board of JPM's Payments Institution in Ireland and previously has sat on the Boards of three JPM Credit Institutions. Alison is passionate about volunteering and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Having really enjoyed her time assisting OPFS as a volunteer on a three-month piece of work, she was honoured to be asked to join the Board of OPFS and to help support their critical work as an organisation. Alison is a qualified Barrister and the mother of twins.
Fiona Duncanson
Treasurer and Chartered Accountant
Fiona is a Chartered Accountant with over ten years’ experience of financial and management accounting, financial analysis and strategic planning and advice. She has been working in the education sector for the last five years and is passionate about improving the lives and opportunities of young people.
Clare Simpson
Retired Policy and Communications professional
Clare was a single parent for many years and brought her son up alone (he is now a father himself, which makes her a grandma!). This makes her very much aware of the issues facing single parents and passionate about finding solutions. Recently retired, she worked in the third sector for most of her life, most recently heading up a small family charity. This involved policy development around family support, early learning and childcare, the UNCRC and child poverty. She undertook a 'Winston Churchill Memorial Trust' travelling fellowship, visiting several Nordic countries to look at family support in childcare settings. She later produced a report and introduced 'Open Kindergartens' (a model of support for parents and children in the early years) to Scotland.
Pinky Ghadiali
Executive Coach | Mediator | Mentor | Speaker - Mindset by Pinky
Pinky Ghadiali is an experienced leadership coach, mediator, and non executive director, passionately dedicated to empowering families and driving positive change in the non-profit sector. With a background in healthcare, conflict resolution, executive coaching, and board governance, Pinky supports OPFS with strategic oversight and a commitment to inclusive, family-focused advocacy. As a solo parent and business owner, Pinky brings both lived experience and professional expertise to championing single-parent communities, fostering resilience and opportunities for all. Committed to inclusivity, advocacy, and community resilience, Pinky supports the charity’s mission by providing strategic oversight and championing opportunities for families to thrive.
Lizzy Barbour
Parent Network Scotland - Co-ordinator
I feel honoured to join OPFS as a trustee and look forward to working with the team to support the aspirations of the charity. I bring both professional and lived experience. As a single parent and carer to three children, I have faced and overcome many challenges, which has fuelled my passion for inclusion and supporting neurodivergent families. My background includes working as a nurse and as a Coordinator with Parent Network Scotland. More recently, I have taken up the role of Learning and Development Advisor for Neurodevelopmental Services within NHS Ayrshire and Arran. In addition, I am the Chair of the NAS Largs branch and a co-opted community representative on the Locality Partnership for the North Coast. I look forward to using my skills and experiences in this role to help empower single parent families across Scotland.