About the Foundation

Jim Metcalfe is Principal of Fife College. He was formerly the chief executive of the College Development Network (CDN), a Scotland-based charitable company supporting innovation and performance improvement in vocational education.

Before joining CDN, Jim worked as head of projects and development for nationwide philanthropic foundation the Carnegie UK Trust for five years. Before that, he was an aide to MPs Gordon Brown and John Healey and a director of the charity Age Concern.

With Carnegie UK, Jim designed and grew TestTown, the UK’s biggest retail business skills programme for young people, and the Community Shares Scotland social finance initiative. He also supported environmental projects such as the Lost Effra community water pilot and the Growing Livelihoods food production scheme.

Jim lives in Glasgow with his wife and two children. He served on the Energy Saving Trust Foundation board from 2015-16 before joining the main Energy Saving Trust board. He is currently a non-executive director of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership, which is a regional committee member with the Institute of Directors (IoD).

Margaret Cobbold has worked in the environmental and waste services industry for over three decades.

She was executive director of The Veolia Environmental Trust, a grant-giving organisation and charity. She was responsible for overseeing hundreds of individual projects across the UK, funded through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. Schemes ranged from practical community initiatives to significant research projects aimed at reducing waste and protecting the environment and working with businesses, charitable organisations and government. Margaret also drove a period of significant change, including the creation of new operational processes for the business.

Margaret’s background before this was in marketing and communications, working for Veolia and Waste Management Ltd. Among other achievements, she was involved in the introduction of bi-weekly waste collection and recycling, working in partnership with local authorities. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Gill Collinson, B Sc. (Hons), M.Sc. MBA, CEng, MIET, is director of education and programmes at STEM Learning Ltd., which successfully manages a range of UK programmes supporting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and skills through the National STEM Learning Centre at York and wider Network of providers across the UK.

As a chartered engineer and member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Gill has many years of experience within the public and private sector in senior leadership and technical management roles. Earlier in her career, she worked in the energy, engineering and manufacturing industries in the UK with companies including Philips, Rolls Royce and Siemens.

Gill’s key areas of expertise include strategic and operational leadership, stakeholder engagement and business development.

Daisy is the diversity and inclusion (D&I) lead at Energy Saving Trust, experienced in embedding equity and inclusion within organisational practices, cultures and programmes.

Daisy has a deep understanding and knowledge of a range of social justice issues and identities. They also bring their lived experience as a queer, disabled person to much of their work.

Daisy has previously worked at Queen Mary University of London and Wellcome Trust, carrying out roles involving D&I, communications, research and grant-making.

Daisy is passionate about the intersection between social and climate justice and is delighted to be joining our board of trustees.

Carys Nelkon specialises in developing projects that work directly with young people and volunteers to make long lasting social change. Carys is currently working with the local community to develop a place-based, nature-based and sustainability focused curriculum.

Before this, Carys helped establish Arts Emergency, growing it from a grassroots project to a nationwide charity. She has varied experience working with charities, higher education and the legal sector alongside a range of cultural organisations both in the UK and Australia.

Carys also sits on the board of the Daisy Farris Dance Collective and is known more widely as a facilitator, mentor and as a Clore leader.

Julian is Deputy Director of Conservation Programmes at WWF UK. He is a passionate advocate for young people and social and climate justice. Julian has over 25 years’ experience working with civil society organisations to build the skills and social capital of local stakeholders to become effective change makers.

He lived in Africa and Central and South America for over 17 years. He has first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities for civil society, young people and social change movements.

He was chief executive at youth leadership organisation Raleigh International and now works at WWFUK in conservation partnerships.

Lindsay Marsden joined the Foundation in June 2022 as its first head of Foundation.

Lindsay’s professional background has been split between income generation and leadership roles within charities across the UK, including Groundwork North Wales and UK Youth, and grant making and strategy development roles with grant making bodies, including the UK’s largest funder – The National Lottery Community Fund.

Lindsay has also held volunteer positions on the Children in Need London and South East Committee, and trustee roles with youth led charities and homelessness charities.