Former Trustees and members of the Executive Committee
We extend our sincere thanks to all those who have served as Trustees or on the Executive Committee of AACT, moving us ever closer towards our goal of community ownership of this treasured site.
Akiko served as co-convenor of AACT. She has worked in architectural and engineering practice internationally across sectors for 25 years, and has been living near the Astley Ainslie since 2006. Commissions and voluntary involvement include Woodland Tribe self-build adventure playgrounds, the Lothian Birth Centre co-designed with midwives and users, The People’s Money set of banknotes for RBS, and The Architecture Fringe festival. Current projects are focused on research and co-design for intergenerational living and collective self-build housing.
Akiko Kobayashi
Sara S
Sara is a cultural historian and researcher, responsible for setting up the national photography collection in the National Galleries of Scotland. She is an amateur gardener and a convinced environmentalist, who lives close to the Astley Ainslie grounds. She is an experienced public speaker and author and is co-editor of a new journal that connects the Astley Ainslie with issues of local, national, and global import, Leaves.Willie McGhee
Julia is an Architect and self-builder born in Brussels in a Scottish home. She has lived in Scotland for 20 years and is a mother and a keen gardener and cook. Julia and her family are frequent users of the Astley Ainslie parkland grounds, for walks, foraging, and nature watch. Her children go the nursery on the site.
Julia Bouvy
Jonathan is an ecologist and evolutionary biologist at the University of Edinburgh. He lives near Astley Ainslie, passing through the site almost daily on his way to work. He is interested in the development of various forms of social and technical infrastructure that can be used to track ecological change, such as the use of sensors connected to Edinburgh’s “internet of things” network to monitor biodiversity and visitor use of city parks (ParkLife). Previously, while at the Open University, Jonathan devised several citizen science web projects that crowdsource biological data, including iSpotnature.org which is a social network that rapidly and accurately identifies observations of any species of wildlife. Jonathan also writes popular science books, the most recent being, Dinner with Darwin: Food, drink and evolution (Chicago University Press, 2017) and The Comedy of Error: Why evolution made us laugh (Scribe, 2020).
Jonathan Silvertown
I have worked in brand and communications for over 30 years, holding senior roles in many large international companies, latterly holding the position of Head of Brand for Airbus. I now work as a branding and communications consultant.
Through my career I have gained extensive experience and skills in brand management, advertising, exhibitions, events, campaign management, media relations and crisis management. I am married with three grown up children and have lived in Marchmont and Morningside for 35 years and am a keen local walker (with the dog!) and nature lover.
Tim Orr
Maggie Carson
Maggie served on the Executive Committee from 2020. She is a nurse and a nurse educator with a master’s degree in Public Health. Maggie brought community outreach and fundraising expertise to AACT as well as leadership and fundraising experience.
Maggie was born in Sri Lanka but grew up in Edinburgh close to the Astley Ainslie and fondly remembers foraging in the hospital grounds with her family every year for brambles. AACT is very grateful for he past and continuing
Alan Cranston
Alan Cranston served as a Trustee of Astley Ainslie Community Trust from 2023 to 2025. During this period, he led on communications, helping to strengthen the Trust’s public profile and significantly grow its social media following. His contribution increased awareness of the Trust’s work and helped build wider community engagement and support.
Matthew Nichols
Matthew Nichols served as a Trustee of Astley Ainslie Community Trust from 2024 to 2026. As a member of the Grange Association, Matthew helped strengthen the Trust’s relationship with the Association, supporting a positive partnership.