Board of Directors

Maureen Macmillan - Chair

Caroline Thomson - Vice Chair

Caroline originally trained as a Nurse before moving to the Highlands in 1974. She retired from the NHS Highland Board in 2004 having served 16 years, the last 7 as Chairman. She has also been involved over the years in a number of Family owned Businesses, primarily Tourism and Commercial Property Investment.
Caroline joined the Board in early 2006 originally as vice-Chairman, was appointed Chairman in February 2009 and Vice Chair in February 2010.
Caroline has 2 Adult Sons and a Grand-daughter. Her Hobbies are Cooking, Creative Textiles, Painting and Sailing.

Simon Cole-Hamilton- Treasurer

Simon is a chartered accountant and engineering graduate with his own chartered accountancy practice operating from Inverness.He has many years experience of being involved with Highland issues having been Chief Executive of Inverness Chamber of Commerce for 15 years. Since moving to Inverness 30 years ago he has been involved with many charitable organisations and his abilities as a Treasurer have been much in demand.

Simon has been on the board of HCCF since 2007 acting as Treasurer for the organisation. He is a strong supporter of HCCF and all the work it does for the Highland Community and fully supports its aims to empower carers and community care service users so that they can continue to live as independently as possible.

Dr Alastair Noble

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 Ranald MacAuslan - Caithness

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John Gaillie - Inverness

Transferred to the Highlands by my employers more than forty years ago, I consider this as possibly the best thing they ever did for me.  My family and I found the place and the people “Chust sublime” to quote Parra Handy.
For most of my working life I was a sales representative covering a territory that stretched from Fraserburgh to Oban and all points north of that line on the mainland, with occasional sorties to the Orkneys, Shetland and Lewis and Harris.
Back in 2001 the partners in the (then) three practices at Ardlarich decided to form a Patient Participation Group and I became a member.  Through this I became aware of some of the work being done by HCCF principally that of the Carers, and some of the work of the Inverness Community Care Forum.  I was subsequently asked to join the ICCF management team and in May, 2005 I was appointed to the Board.
My interests, time permitting, include Gardening, Golf (I play at it rather than play it!) and photography.
I am fiercely proud of the excellent work done by HCCF through The Highland Users Group, People First and of course The Highland Carers Project and I am delighted to be able to participate in some of this through the Inverness Community Care Forum.

Alan Scougal- Gairloch

 Fiona Sutherland - HUG

I have been a collective advocacy volunteer with HCCF since 2004.  I am interested in ensuring that services users are empowered to be involved in decisions about their own care and treatment and challenging the stigma and discrimination experienced by people with mental health problems.

I hold a Public Appointment as General Member of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland since 2005.

 Kath Thompson - East Ross-shire

I have lived in Dingwall all my life, educated at Dingwall Primary and Academy.

I  worked with the Hightland Council from 1956-2002, 22 years in the library service plus 24 years as a senior home Care Organiser.

I have been involved within the Voluntary Sector most of my life - including BRCS 24 years 1956-1992 and as a instructor for 30 of those years, Contact the Elderly, Visiting Services for the Highland and so on.

I became involved with HCCF in 2003 initally with ERCCF.

 Dr Barbara Watson - East Sutherland

After many years as a Maths teacher, Barbara moved on to administration in 1999 and in her role as Services Manager with the Red Cross in Caithness and Sutherland was actually a member of ESCCF, N & W Sutherland CCF and Caithness CCF.  She returned to Aberdeen in 2001 but rejoined the ESCCF in 2003 when she became Co-ordinator of Lairg Learning Centre and of the Highland Council Adult Basic Education Service in Sutherland.  Many of the students whom she supports are vulnerable people with care issues or are carers.  Apart from her work with HCCF and ESCCF, Barbara is a volunteer with the Red Cross, a member of the Sutherland LEADER LAP and the Achany Wind Farm Panel, and Treasurer of Perfect Paws Canine Club.  She likes to unwind in the evening after walking her lively Springer Spaniel, with a glass of good wine and some soothing classical music. 

Chris Claridge

I retired in 2007 after 40 years in local government mainly in the Highlands. I have been involved in urban and rural planning, financial and policy planning, European funding and partnership working  and have spent over 30 years in senior management posts.

 I have insulin dependent Type 2 diabetes and I am Chairman of Diabetes UK Inverness & District Group which provides advice and support to people with diabetes and their carers. I am also a patient representative on the Scottish Diabetes Group’s Diabetes Care Focus Group and on the Scottish Foot Action Group.

I am Vice-Chairman of the Partnerships for Wellbeing which is a voluntary group providing patient transport in Inverness, operating Food 1^st aimed at disadvantaged communities in Inverness and managing Step-it-Up Highland which has over 30 walking groups across the Highlands for people with health conditions.

I have joined the HCCF Board, at a time when it is facing major challenges arising from both cuts in public expenditure and the growing demand for care services, in order to contribute to developing community based solutions to meet these challenges.

Rhoda MacKay - North & West Sutherland

As a native of north-west Sutherland I have had many years experience teaching in this area and also as a committee member in the voluntary sector. At present I am involved with -