Whether you’re a committee member, or a supporter from Surrey, people like you make this work possible.
Find out more about some of the people driving AACT forward, below.
The AACT is a charity, and has a board of trustees who are collectively responsible for its leadership. Read a little more about each of them below. Over our relatively short time, others have served as trustees or been important contibutors in other ways. You can read about them here.
Trustees
Stuart Buchanan is a father, pilot, mountaineer and cyclist who has spent most of his life within strolling distance of the Astley Ainslie. His grandmother spent some time at the hospital, and his children enjoy exploring the grounds and picking apples and blackberries. When not outdoors, he contributes to open source software.
Stuart Buchanan
Alan, notionally retired, was a civil servant in the UK departments of education and employment, also briefly in the Czechoslovak government. He served on the RSPB Council, and as a trustee of British Youth Music Theatre and OneKind, the animal welfare charity, also creating the wildlife charity, Hen Harrier Action. Moving to Edinburgh in 2016, he lives just over the road from Astley Ainslie. He especially valued lockdown visits, observing spring’s arrival. His interests include nature and nature conservation, philosophy, theatre and the arts.
Alan Cranston
Rebecca lives locally and has been a member of the AACT since shortly after moving to the area in 2019. She walks her children through the grounds to school most days and enjoys running and foraging in the area. Rebecca has been a civil servant for over 20 years, working for the UK and Scottish Governments, and within the European institutions. She has a wide range of corporate, policy, negotiations and engagement experience, currently a focused on marine policy and corporate transformation. While not at work Rebecca enjoys travelling, skiing and spending time with her family.
Rebecca Hackett
Mike Hall
Mike is AACT’s treasurer. In his career, he formulating medicinal products and working to improve their production and performance. He’s been involved in several local groups including Transition Edinburgh South and its substantial local projects. An active cyclist, hill walker, and gardener, Mike enjoys living close to the Astley Ainslie. His interests include geology, history and prehistory, natural history and environmental matters including climate science and energy transition.
Willie McGhee
Willie is a campaigner and forestry consultant for community land ownership and is himself is a member of a forest owning partnership. He served as Director of Borders Forest Trust, Chair of Scottish Power’s Green Energy Trust, founder and Director of the Southern Upland Partnership, a Trustee on the Scottish Forestry Trust, and a Director of the Millennium Forest for Scotland Trust.
Currently, he is Secretary for the Forest Policy Group and a fundraiser and forest manager for the Highland Perthshire Communities Land Trust.
Matthew was a patient at the Astley Ainslie and has a strong interest in its future. Living in The Grange, he walks there almost every week. After retiring he was Chair of Trustees Service in Volunteers Matters, and of BE United, and is a committee member in Grange Association.
Matthew was at school in Edinburgh. After Oxford, his Whitehall career included regional management posts and two years in NatWest’s head office. He retired as a Director of Jobcentre Plus. His main current interests are walking, art and music.
Matthew Nicholas
Howard bought a house close to the Astley Ainslie some time ago when working locally. He is a retired Chartered Building Surveyor with 24 years of NHS estate management experience in Edinburgh, the Lothians and nationally.
Howard enjoys walking his dogs in the hospital grounds. He is an experienced curler and has recently returned to sailing as a pastime.
Howard wants to see the Astley Ainslie and its special qualities preserved for the community, recognising that there are many interests to be balanced.
Howard Royston
Helen lives near the Astley Ainslie and has long found it a magical place to visit and appreciate the landscape and buildings.
She is a geneticist who worked at the Roslin Institute and University of Edinburgh for nearly 40 years. As well as carrying out research she enjoyed presenting it at public engagement events for example at the Edinburgh Science Festival. She had senior roles in the UK research community, including as a member of the Council of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
