Our Staff Team

 

Mary Ramsay

Mary is the Chief Executive Officer of Play Scotland, the national organisation dedicated to championing children’s right to play across Scotland. She stepped into the role after leading on national project work at the Scottish Childminding Association, focussed primarily on the development of models of childcare for priority families and whole-family wellbeing. In this role, she also worked closely with local authorities to deliver services and represented the organisation on national working groups.

Previously, Mary was a Service Coordinator with Care and Learning Alliance, supporting communities across the Highlands and drawing on her extensive experience in early years practice. She holds a PGDip in Childhood Practice and an MA in Sociology.

Beyond her professional career, Mary served as an Army Reservist for 17 years, bringing leadership, resilience, and a strong sense of service to every role she undertakes.

Email: maryramsay@playscotland.org

 

 

Cherie Morgan

Cherie is Director of Projects at Play Scotland.  Her role is to work with partners to develop and lead projects that will improve children’s opportunities for play in their local community, with a focus on co-creation and action research. Cherie has delivered training throughout Scotland, and worked with the Care Inspectorate with many of their best practice resources.

Previously, Cherie was the Strategic Play Development Worker with Aberdeen Play Forum and was lead officer on a community capacity building project in a regeneration area in Aberdeen, the “Seaton Backies” project which saw huge success in the community taking ownership and improving their own play spaces.

Before that Cherie worked for Children 1st and Aberdeen College in roles that involved supporting parents and training.  Cherie is very interested in the learning and development of children through play; however, she is very keen to advocate for play as vital to children’s positive mental health and wellbeing.  Cherie has qualifications in childcare and education, and holds a BA in Childhood Practice.

Email: cheriemorgan@playscotland.org

 

Fiona Kirkland

Fiona is the Play Pedagogy Lead at Play Scotland. She works with schools across Scotland to develop a play agenda in educational settings and promotes, leads, supports, evaluates, and manages the granting of the Play Scotland Play Pedagogy Award.

Fiona has experience of working in early years establishments and schools for different Local Authorities, latterly as an Area Support Manager. Working in deprived areas has made her passionate about removing barriers to learning, equality of opportunity and raising attainment. She is dedicated to improving children’s rights and raising awareness of the importance of play to child development and learning. Fiona has qualifications in Early Education and Childcare and holds a BA in Childhood Practice from the University of Dundee.

In her spare time, she likes to read, bake, potter about in her garden and to spend time with her family and friends.

Email: fionakirkland@playscotland.org

 

Alex Wallis

Alex is the Learning and Development Officer at Play Scotland, where she creates and delivers engaging professional learning courses and resources to support practitioners, families, and policymakers to deepen their understanding of the importance of play. Alex is also an OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) Mentor, supporting schools to develop playgrounds that give every child rich opportunities to be creative, collaborative, and active in their outdoor play.

Alex has significant expertise in engagement and children’s rights and has led projects to enable the voices of young children to be heard in policy and guidance. With a background in education, Alex has taught in both mainstream schools and specialist provisions, working closely with children who have social, emotional, and behavioural needs and those who have adverse childhood experiences. This has deepened her belief in the transformative role of play in childhood, and she is passionate about championing the power of play to support mental health, wellbeing, and positive life outcomes for children and young people.

Until recently, Alex ran her own business in the Scottish Borders, delivering classes and play opportunities for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families. Through this, Alex supported hundreds of families to support the early development of their infants as well as providing vital community support in the post-pandemic era.

Outside of work, Alex loves baking with her two daughters, exploring the outdoors, and getting lost in a good book. She has also recently discovered a love of running and is currently training for the London Marathon 2026 to raise money for Starlight Children’s Foundation, combining her love of a challenge with her commitment to supporting children’s wellbeing.

Email: alexwallis@playscotland.org 

 

Jenny Lester

Jenny Lester is the Engagement, Participation & Events Officer at Play Scotland.

Jenny is an experienced playworker and has an SVQ3/SCQF Level 7 in Playwork. She leads engagement work with children and young people to support them to participate in relevant government consultations. She develops resources, projects, and campaigns to promote every child’s right to play.

She has a background in project management, events, and communications, as well as Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion. Jenny studied Politics, before completing a Masters in Women’s Studies.

In her spare time, she is a poet, aerialist, and Dungeons & Dragons enthusiast.

Email: jennylester@playscotland.org

 

Mollie Nijam

Mollie is the Communication & Information Officer at Play Scotland. She works to develop Play Scotland’s marketing and information efforts.

Mollie has experience in marketing & communications, and volunteer & community management. She has worked with recognised local charities & arts organisations, and currently manages a community project part-time within a local charity. Mollie volunteers regularly herself as a marketing manager for a local grocery co-op.

In her spare time, Mollie enjoys reading, learning new crafts & diy, cooking, and going on walks with a podcast & a coffee – life’s simple pleasures.

Email: mollienijam@playscotland.org

Simon Knight

Simon is an Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Mentor. He initially studied for a sports degree, followed immediately by a post graduate certificate in youth and community work. His career progressed within social work, supporting extremely vulnerable children and young people: firstly as a young people’s support worker and then managing a children’s home. Having survived this he made the jump back to community education, as a senior Community Learning and Development worker, leading generic community work and specialist youth work teams in community and secondary school settings.

During his own time he campaigned against increasing restrictions on young people’s free movement in public spaces and started a part-time PhD in Education (University of Strathclyde). His thesis explores childhood freedoms, licences and their impact on developing selfhood. Further study resulted in a PgCert in Strategic Leadership (Glasgow Caledonian University). Simon also served as a Play Scotland board member for around 10 years.

He left local authority employment in 2019 and since then has been self-employed, supervising and assessing Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions and working with Glasgow Community Food Network to address food insecurity during the Covid lockdown.

For his sins, Simon still leads a Glaswegian Beaver Scout colony every Tuesday evening. This ‘challenge’ is in fact great fun!

Email: simonknight@playscotland.org

 

Laura Paterson

Laura is Play Scotland’s OPAL Mentor for the North and East of Scotland. She brings 13 years of experience teaching in primary school across Early, 1st and 2nd levels of Curriculum for Excellence in mainstream, ASN and nurture settings. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of outdoor play and the positive impact it has on pupil and staff wellbeing.

Gaining professional recognition in Learning for Sustainability with the University of Edinburgh spurred Laura on to study further. She is now working towards achieving a master’s degree with the University of Dundee, specialising in Pupil Wellbeing and Innovation in Education. Believing a sustainable future lies in our connection with nature and with each other, she advocates the benefits outdoor play has on whole communities.

Before becoming a teacher, Laura worked as an interior and environmental designer across the country. Her role as OPAL mentor allows her to draw upon the diverse skill set she gained from both professions. She is eager to guide schools through their own unique journey and is always excited to see how each project develops.

In her spare time, Laura loves nothing more than going on adventures with her husband and three young children. To unwind, she loves all things creative, long walks and going for a swim in the sea with a great bunch of like-minded busy mums.

Email: laurapaterson@playscotland.org

Zoe Sills

Zoe is an experienced teacher and pastoral guidance lead. As an Early Years Manager in Forest School settings and then a specialist Early Years provision for children with significant additional support needs, she developed her passion for play before coming to Play Scotland and OPAL as a Play Mentor.  She is passionate about play and learning, and volunteered at the IPA conference in Glasgow in 2023. Zoe is a Forest School Leader and outdoor learning trainer/facilitator and co-author of The Power of Risky Play in the Early Years (published by Sage, 2025), and can frequently be found out in woodlands, occasionally roaming the Cairngorms as a volunteer reindeer herder and often by the sea as a Shorewatch volunteer.

Email: zoesills@playscotland.org

 

Our Board

Play Scotland has a vibrant, enthusiastic and committed Board of Directors who meet regularly. The highlights of every year are the Staff/Board Away Day where we all get out to play and the AGM-Seminar. The Board is committed to diligent governance and regular training for all Board members.

Heather Armstrong

I am an arts professional with extensive experience delivering child-led arts practice, and in particular harnessing the transformational power of the arts and creativity to improve the lives of our youngest citizens. I have particular expertise using the arts and creativity to deliver key Scottish Government Early Years policies, including Curriculum for Excellence, Pre-Birth to Three Guidance, Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), Closing the Attainment Gap and fulfilling Scotland’s Commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Liane Bauer

Liane is a chartered member of the Landscape Institute and member of the Architektenkammer Berlin. She has 13 years of experience as a Landscape Architect, in which she has worked in New Zealand, Australia, Germany and the United States. Since relocating to Scotland Liane has served as Director at City Design Cooperative, is currently an Associate at rankinfraser landscape architects and has co-founded UrbanPioneers Landscape Architects and an Associate at rankinfraser landscape architecture.

The work of her own practice focuses on socio-political work. Through extensive work with schools and local authorities Liane has developed a particular interest in play and the current limitation for free play in our society. With her office UrbanPioneers Liane has published an article for Architecture & Design Scotland on “Invest more, not less in Outdoor Learning” as part of their Better Briefing for Education Benefit series and has interviewed Edinburgh pupils about their way to school with the intension to create a playable city.

Liane is also a co-producer of the Architecture Fringe. Initiated by a group of architects, designers, landscape architects, photographers, engineers, visual artists, curators and musicians the Architecture Fringe is an independent contributor-led series of projects and events across the arts which explores architecture and its impact.

Mark McLeod, Treasurer

Mark joined the Steedman team in September 2020 through the merger with Scotia Accounting.

A member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Mark’s responsibilities lie mainly in the delivery of client service, including tax and business advice, accounts preparation and software integration. Mark specialises in start-up projects, staff mentoring and building solid and lasting client relationships.

Away from work, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, plays amateur football and enjoys a round of golf. Most of his time, though, is spent chasing after his handsome son, Hunter.

Calum Duncan

Calum Duncan runs an award-winning architectural practice in Edinburgh, working on residential, educational and community-related projects across Scotland. Calum has 25 years of experience in large and small architectural practices. Calum Duncan Architects LTD create homes, buildings and spaces unique to the users’ needs and interests, full of personality, improving energy efficiency and, above all, a delight to live or work in – while remaining flexible enough to cope with changing circumstances.

Coordinating the Archischools project, Calum hopes to empower and engage our young citizens in the design and politics of the built environment. He was a design tutor from 2015 to 2020 at the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture and continues to be engaged as a guest critic and lecturer.

Calum is passionate about the access of greenspace, wild spaces and urban spaces as opportunities for children and young people to access and play.

Away from professional life, Calum enjoys spending time outdoors, often in a reasonably intensive fashion involving bikes or running, but equally enjoying green and wild spaces to explore and clear the head: gardens, wilderness, camping, photography, drawing, birdwatching and swimming. And all the more enjoyable shared with others.

Dr Joyce Leslie, Vice Chair

Dr. Joyce Leslie is a Lecturer and Programme Leader in BA Early Learning and Childcare at the University of the West of Scotland. Her work focuses on early childhood, with her research having a particular interest in the professional identities and practices of Early Years Practitioners, including understanding their perspectives on the importance of play for children’s wellbeing, learning and development and raising the status of play.  Dr. Leslie, a former Early Years Practitioner and Head of Centre,  has contributed significantly to the professional development of the early years sector through her work with students and practitioners in BA Early Learning and Childcare, BA Childhood Practice, BA Hons Childhood Studies and her development of a CPL module for Scottish Government.

Paul Liddell, Chair

Paul is currently Programmes and Funding Partnerships Manager at BBC Children in Need and is the charity’s lead on Youth Work and Violence Impacting Young People.

He was previously part of BBC Children in Need’s Grantmaking Team in Scotland, acting as the first point of contact for hundreds of organisations funded to support children and young people across the nation.  BBC Children in Need are on of the biggest independent funders of Play in the UK and Paul is one of the charity’s Play Champions.

Having worked for BBC Children in Need since 2014, his previous roles include managing a number of grant programmes supporting children and young people at what was then the Big Lottery Fund.

Kevin Kane

Kevin is currently the Chief Executive of Shared Parenting Scotland, where he leads efforts to ensure that children’s rights and wellbeing remain at the centre of family law, policy, and practice. He is pushing for legal reforms that enable children to maintain strong, loving relationships with both parents after separation or divorce.

He has extensive experience in policy, research, public affairs, politics, and campaigning at both volunteer and senior levels across small local and large national organisations.

Donna Nicoll

Having worked for CHAS (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland) for nearly 25 years, I am passionate about creating fun experiences, memories and most importantly play. When I began caring as a support worker in Rachel House Children’s Hospice many years ago, it became very clear to me that it is not only care and clinical provision that should be of the highest standard, but for these children, and families of children with a life limiting condition, the joy and memories that we can help support are of greatest importance. Life is short.

I completed training as a Play Specialist doing my placement at Edinburgh RHCYP, before joining the Activities Team at Rachel House. As the job progressed and it became clear there was a need to support children and their siblings with their feelings and emotions, I undertook training in the ‘Seasons for Growth programme’ and completed a certificate in Counselling Skills. My initial education has now come full circle, an HND in Information and Office Management was a useful tool after all, as I now manage a team of Activities Facilitators who carry out therapeutic play support as well as support our Play Assistants to provide a varied and dynamic programme of play, events and activities on a daily basis.

I had the privilege of officially joining the Board of Play Scotland in 2023, where I am in awe of the wealth of experience and passion for Play.

As seems to be a recurring theme, I have a love of the outdoors, and love walking my dogs, and going for a run, as well as staring at the starry skies

Lizzie Treacy