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Trustees
Dr Janet Brennan
Chair
Janet lives in Barholm Castle, a 16th century tower house near Gatehouse of Fleet, which she and her husband restored from a ruin in 2004, using traditional building methods. She is an experienced non-executive charity director, having served on the boards of Historic Environment Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway College, The Crichton, and Dumfries and Galloway Chamber of Arts. She is a former chair of The Scottish Castles Association and is currently a board member of the National Trust for Scotland and Chair of the Galloway Members’ Group. She is the author of three books about Scottish castles. Before retiring, Janet was a psychology lecturer working in the Netherlands.
Fred Nelson
Vice Chair
Rob Lucas
Rob has spent his career in the charity and not-for-profit sector. For almost 40 years, he worked for the Field Studies Council, progressing from placement student to CEO. FSC is a trading charity and company limited by guarantee established in 1943 with the aim of providing environmental understanding for all. FSC provided great experience running a charity, caring for the 150,000 learners each year, managing a large staff team, balancing the finances, maintaining many historical buildings, and reducing FSC’s environmental footprint. More recently, he has worked with a Scottish CIC as a consultant supporting communities with building development, business planning and governance. Rob has also held a number of trustee roles with charities as diverse as the Royal Geographical Society and Shambellie House Trust. Building Futures Galloway is a fantastic opportunity to use the past to contribute to a brighter future for the young people of Galloway, and I look forward to helping the charity deliver on this.
Julian Watson
With a degree in Fine Art (history and practice) from Leeds University and a subsequent diploma in Picture Conservation, Julian became Exhibitions Officer for the Art Department in Belfast’s Ulster Museum. Responsible for a very wide range of contemporary exhibitions as well as hanging the Museum’s permanent art collections, he was also a Board Member with the Irish Museums Association. Progressing to freelance exhibition work in locations across Ireland, and becoming Chair of Belfast’s dynamic, learning-based Crescent Arts Centre, Julian became experienced with activity at the tension point between contemporary arts practice and the heritage requirements of museums. Returning to Scotland in 2004, he taught final-year students in Media and Imaging, Duncan of Jordanstone, Dundee, was on the team restoring Phoebe Anna Traquair’s extraordinary cycle of murals in Edinburgh’s Mansfield Place Church and a Board Member of the Institute of Conservation – ICON (Scotland). Julian’s work transitioned to encompass the ‘total economics’ of restoring historic buildings for new purposes, encompassing the benefits and challenges of such endeavours. This also included land management, social surveying, archiving, exhibitions and programming associated with these projects. Currently, he works as a freelance consultant in the Third Sector and Community spheres, sometimes operating independently but frequently collaborating with others.
Martin Day
Martin moved to Dumfries and Galloway in 2018 to follow his passion for the ecology, landscapes, history, and heritage of the area. Previously, he worked in local government, having responsibilities in democratic support, policy and strategy development, adult social care and public health. During this time, he worked on the establishment and support of a number of voluntary organisations. Outside of work, he volunteered on environmental and heritage projects, as well as working with a charity providing play and radio for children during their stay in hospital, and was a trustee of an inner-city community centre. Since moving, he has been a member of Newton Stewart Men’s Shed since its foundation in 2021. He is currently a trustee of the charity, which has recently secured a successful Community Asset Transfer of its premises in Minnigaff. Through participation with the Men’s Shed, he has enjoyed developing a new set of practical skills and a keen interest in woodworking.
Suzie Bailey
My name is Suzie Bailey, and I live on the Machars, close to Whithorn. I wear many hats: I am an independent advocate for young people with additional support needs, I am a panel member for the children’s hearing system, and I am a foster carer. All of my roles complement each other with overlapping skills. I was lucky enough to support a young person who was employed by Building Futures Galloway and experienced first-hand the benefit of the project. I live on a smallholding with an array of animals, including alpacas. I am passionate about supporting young people achieve their potential and being a trustee of BFG is a great opportunity to contribute.
Katrina Walker
Laura Kiltie