Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans have appointed Gillian McDonald as their new Director of Operations.
The Director of Operations, which is a newly created role, will be responsible for the operational success of both charities. This will involve managing a range of services including Education, Care, Independent Living, Community Services, Information and Support, Veterans Activity Hubs and the Scottish Braille Press.
Gillian McDonald previously worked for Sight Scotland Veterans initially as the Hawkhead Centre Manager and then as Head of Wellbeing. Gillian comes from a social care background and brings a unique combination of strong leadership skills, operational management, and sector knowledge to this new role. She has managed a variety of services, including Older People, Learning Disabilities, Dementia and Mental Health.
Gillian comments: “I am delighted to be the new Director of Operations for Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans. This is the first time a Director of Operations has been responsible for both charities and is a great opportunity to enhance teamwork and collaboration to ensure we can help more people with sight loss where and when they need us. I am aware of the wide variety of supports we already offer to those with vision loss across both charities and am excited to look to how we can build upon these in the future. The impact of vision loss is huge, and providing the right support at the right time is vital.
“I have a passion for supporting and empowering people to achieve their full potential and feel very fortunate to work alongside such experienced and committed teams as those that work within Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans. My background in social care offers me an understanding of the challenges people accessing our services, as well as my colleagues, may face. I look forward to working closely with them all to ensure we offer high quality services and make vision loss the priority it needs to be in Scotland.”
Craig Spalding, Chief Executive, Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, adds: “We are delighted Gillian McDonald has agreed to become our new Director of Operations. This is a key appointment for both charities and will lead to greater synergy as we look to maximise our impact in supporting people living with sight loss across Scotland. Gillian brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and will work closely with myself and the rest of the Executive team to further develop our strategy and establish new services.”
For more information on Sight Scotland, and Sight Scotland Veterans, please visit sightscotland.org.uk or sightscotlandveterans.org.uk.
