Our Board
Recovery Coaching Scotland are fortunate to have a board drawn from a range of professional and personal backgrounds. They will offer advice and strategic direction to the programme, as well as practical support and understanding of best practice. They are:
Rod Anderson
Proud to be Executive Director of Recovery Coaching Scotland, Rod has a wealth of experience from many years in the third sector, covering substance use, mental health, prison education, and employability. This is coupled with over 20 years in the private sector running sales operations.
He is in long term recovery from problematic substance use and feels strongly about the value of a lived experience model of working, he is our lead recovery coach trainer.
Anthony Morrow
Anthony currently works as a Community Development Manager for a Social Landlord. He strongly believes in working towards a more equal and just society and that the systems we currently operate within need extensive change to create this. Anthony is passionate about Asset Based Community Development, the importance of connections and relationships and supporting people to make the most of their gifts, capabilities and potential, whilst understanding the impact that trauma and adversity has across society and in communities.
Anthony is proud to be asked to be part of Recovery Coaching Scotland, alongside his role as a trustee for SISCO.
Davie Bennett
With over 20 years’ experience in identifying, managing and delivering Learning and Development solutions across a broad range of public and 3rd sector organisations, coupled with extensive management and business delivery knowledge and experience of both the public and private sector, Davie brings a wide range of talents and support to Recovery Coaching Scotland.
Having worked extensively in addiction recovery and the care sector over the last 10 years, Davie believes strongly in the power of recovery with the help and support of lived experience and providing the opportunity to those in recovery to gain relevant and accredited qualifications as part of their recovery journey.
Mel Haddow
Mel Haddow, Bsc(Hons) PGCE, is a retired further education tutor and is currently a volunteer for We Are With You. He is in long term recovery from a very long term addiction and is committed to helping others in their recovery journey. A passionate supporter of the lived experience model and recovery through music.
Shumela Ahmed
Shumela Ahmed is Managing Director of Resilience Learning Partnership.
As a real life example of the transformation education can bring to someone's life, I have dedicated my academic and professional career to helping others realise this too. Education does not only happen in the classroom and at Resilience Learning Partnership we understand this. As MD of a growing social enterprise led and driven by lived experience it is my ambition to see lived experience as the dominating force within public policy across the UK. In a fully supported, Trauma Informed and nurturing environment lived experience is a game changer in the design and delivery of public services. A teacher/educator by trade, an activist at heart.
Miranda Millward
Miranda has worked in the justice sector for 10 years, gaining experience of working with men and women in prison and in the community.
Along with a fantastic team of women in prison at HMP Send, Miranda helped to improve the levels of citizenship for around 1000 young people attending workshops, who were at risk of offending or reoffending. She led an expansion of the service which ensured that as many women prisoners as possible were able to take part in the peer education programme, which not only gave them the opportunity to gain valuable skills, but also to increase their sense of personal value through helping others.
With a background in fundraising and managing not-for-profit organisations, in 2018 Miranda joined the founder of Code4000, working to help underpin the foundation of the organisation which had been set-up to break the cycle of crime by teaching prisoner’s computer coding.
With qualifications and experience in both teaching and counselling, Miranda is currently working with adult offenders and those at risk of offending in the community, delivering therapeutic interventions to help people tackle difficulties in emotion regulation, and with perpetrators of domestic abuse.
In all of this, it is always Miranda’s goal to help people to increase their life skills and transferrable employment skills, to raise levels of self-confidence and self-esteem, and in doing so support people to achieve positive change, lead more fulfilled lives and reduce the likelihood of reoffending.
Linda Bendle
Linda is Head of Business Development & Operations at Heavy Sound CIC, a community interest company who re-engage disadvantaged young people and adults through music, creative arts, sports, biking and mentoring projects.
Linda is on the board of Community Justice Scotland, Chair of Families Outside and is a member of the Shelter Scotland Committee.
Natalie Logan McLean
CEO of SISCO, Natalie is an Experienced CEO with a demonstrated history of working in the individual and family services industry. Skilled in Non-profit Organisations, Team Motivation, Social Services, Event Planning, and Coaching. Strong professional with empathetic and person-centred approach. Experienced background working within a prison environment.
Ryan Connor
Ryan is a Non- Executive Director of Recovery Coaching Scotland.
Ryan is currently a Community Support Worker and is a trainer in relapse prevention, recovery and core skills. Ryan’s current role within addiction services, includes providing ongoing support to people with a range of substance dependencies and mental health difficulties who face barriers and difficulties in their lives.
Ryan has previously worked in Social Housing, Employability and Learning Disabilities and has done voluntary work within addiction services.
Ryan is in long term recovery from substance use and is passionate about the inclusion of lived and living experience and those voices being heard.
James Nichol, Director
James is in long term recovery from addiction and had also benefitted from the Recovery Coaching training in early recovery, so he fully supports the value that our training brings to the candidates. He has recently completed his HNC in Social Care and works in the care field locally in the Borders.