Trustee: Robin Arnott                    
Trustee: Mark Beaumont         
Trustee: Mr Ken Greer                        
Chairman:Professor Martyn Roebuck     

Staff Profiles

Monica Dearden joined Link Community Development in Scotland in January 2009 as Programme Manager. From November 2009 she has been leading the team in Scotland, with responsibility for the management of the organisation’s operations – programmes, fundraising, and communications; and for working with the Board in the area of finance and governance. Before joining the organisation, Monica worked for two years with Plan International in Vietnam advising on child rights advocacy; and previously for six years as a social policy consultant and researcher evaluating public policy and programmes both in the UK and overseas.  Monica has a BA in Geography from the London School of Economics, where she focused on development theory and practice and an MSc in Development Management at the Open University.  Her interests include human rights and photography. 

Louise Stuart joined Link Community Development in Scotland in January 2007 as Programme Assistant and since May 2009 she has been the Programme Officer. She supports the team in the delivery of the Link Schools Programme; the Partners in Development programme and  raising funds from events and individuals, and administration.  Before joining the organisation, Louise worked for the charity Service Civil International in Belgium where she co-ordinated international seminars. Previously she worked at the Centre for Drugs Misuse Research at Glasgow University producing communication and marketing materials, and prior to that as an English Language Assistant in a school in France. Louise has a BA Honours in International Business and Modern Languages from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. Her interests include foreign languages and culture.

Kate Armstrong joined Link Community Development in Scotland in November with responsibility for delivering the Global Teachers Programme, raising funds from events, individuals, trusts and donors, and administration.  Before joining the organisation, Kate worked for Global Conscience Initiative, a grassroots human rights organisation in Cameroon, where she was responsible for communications and delivering human rights education to schools and the wider community. Previously Kate volunteered for Amnesty International as a research assistant and directed Amnesty’s campaign at the University of Edinburgh for refugees’ and asylum-seekers’ rights. Kate has an MA in History and Politics from the University of Edinburgh, where she focused on international relations and human rights. Her interests include writing and salsa dancing.

Trustee Profiles

Mr Robin Arnott initially trained as a banker but for most of his 37 years with the Royal Bank of Scotland worked in its IT Division, latterly as a Senior Manager with responsibility for its UK operational activities.  Taking early retirement from the Bank in 1997, he undertook a year’s voluntary work in Israel and on his return was appointed Chief Executive of EMMS International (a medical mission organisation with healthcare and primary educational projects mainly in Malawi and India), a post from which he has just recently retired. Robin has gained extensive experience in the charity sector, particularly in areas of governance and fundraising.  He is a Certificated Member of the Institute of Fundraising. He is currently holds non-Executive directorships with LCD Scotland, the Scotland Malawi Partnership and a number of other charities. 

Robin’s interest in, and love for Malawi has developed primarily as a result of his work with EMMS International.  He has a desire to see improvements in people’s conditions and standard of living and regards raising educational standards and quality as a means to that end.   

Mr Mark Beaumont qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1986. Following work at Deloitte & Touche and in the NHS he has spent most of his career working in the Finance departments of Bank of Scotland and Royal Bank of Scotland. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland. Mark has a connection with Malawi, spending his early childhood in Embangweni. He is the Treasurer and a Trustee of Child Survival in Malawi (Scotland), a charity that supports locally-run infant nutrition and welfare projects.

Mr Ken Greer has spent all his adult life working within the education system. After graduating in English from the University of St Andrews in 1975 he began teacher training at Moray House College, in Edinburgh. He later gained a Masters degree from the Open University. He taught English in Lanarkshire and West Lothian and, from 1980-90, worked in promoted posts in Buckhaven and Dunfermline High Schools. He then became Adviser in English for Grampian Region, based in Aberdeen from 1990-1993. He joined Her Majesty’s Inspectorate (HMI) in January 1994, holding various positions including National Specialist in English and District Inspector.  From there he was seconded to the Scottish Executive Education Department in 2000 to consult upon and draft the first National Cultural Strategy. He returned to Fife Council in March 2003 as Senior Education Manager, becoming Head of Education in December 2005 and then Executive Director (Education) in April 2007.

Professor Martyn Roebuck, Honorary Professor of Education at Glasgow University, is Chair of LCD Scotland. He was for 23 years an HMI in Scotland, latterly as Chief Inspector with particular responsibilities in new technologies, educational research and international relations. As an HMI, Martyn was a specialist adviser to the OECD on IT in education, and to the EU on quality assurance and school self-evaluation. He worked in West Africa in the 1960s.  Since 1999 he has worked in Uganda, Rwanda and Botswana on school inspection and school improvement.