Biddy joined Fresh Start in December 2016, bringing with her 20 years’ experience of working with vulnerable and disadvantaged people, volunteers and expertise of the third sector. Celebrating her 10th year at Fresh Start in 2026, Biddy is passionate about people and leads in line with her values, always putting relationships at the heart of everything we do as an organisation. Biddy works tirelessly towards social justice and change, so that those in need can move from a life of surviving to one of thriving. She feels very proud and privileged to lead such a powerful change organisation like Fresh Start and is excited for what the next 10 years have in store.

Gary has been a Trustee since August 2007 and took up the position of Chair of the Board in April 2021. Gary is the Managing Director of Marketing Concepts, an Edinburgh based marketing company who help Fresh Start with marketing strategy and materials. Gary initially came to Fresh Start as a befriending volunteer in 2005 when he was looking for a volunteering opportunity with a local charity. Fresh Start’s aims really resonated with him, in particular, the idea of helping people who have experienced homelessness, as it could happen to any of us. He was delighted when he was asked to join the board, a position he gladly accepted.

Allan has been a Trustee since October 2015. Now retired, Allan qualified as a Doctor in 1971 specialising in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and became a consultant in 1981 working in Edinburgh and in 1995 moving to the Borders General Hospital. An Elder in the Church of Scotland he was first introduced to Fresh Start through his church’s involvement in starter pack collection. He was nominated to be his church’s denominational director which he was delighted to undertake as he is concerned about the plight of the homeless and sees Fresh Start as a very caring organisation trying to help the homeless settle into their new home and make it a home.

Stuart returned to Scotland in 2019 after working in Asia for 26 years, and seeing the appalling levels of homelessness and poverty in the Capital motivated him to get involved, successfully standing as a Councillor for Forth Ward in May 2022. Stuart believes that the Third Sector is an essential partner for the Council in addressing issues impacting residents in North Edinburgh. In Fresh Start he sees an organisation that is making positive changes to the quality of citizens’ lives. Having seen the innovative approach that Fresh Start brings, Stuart believes that as a Councillor and as a member of the Fresh Start team, he can add value to both organisations work in serving the local community.

Alan joined the Fresh Start board in 2019.  Alan is a Chartered Accountant and brings a wealth of financial and accounting knowledge to the team and has been a great help and support to the Finance Team within Fresh Start, regularly visiting the premises to help out with a variety of financial matters. 

In his free time, Alan enjoying cycling and sailing. 

John Loughton is Chief Executive of Dare2Lead, Founder of Scran Academy and one of the UK’s most sought-after motivational speakers and facilitators. A social entrepreneur, campaigner, youth worker and leadership coach with a background in community education, John grew up in North Edinburgh and ran his first campaign aged 11, later studying Comparative Human Rights on a UNESCO programme at the University of Connecticut. As a renowned public speaker, John has addressed the Scottish Parliament Chamber, The Whitehouse, UN General Assembly, TED Talk events and the European Commission. He has served on the Calman and National Literacy Commissions and has worked in policy for leading charities such as Relate and The Princes Trust in London and Edinburgh. 

Among John's other accolades are Outstanding Youth of the World 2013, Queens Honours List / BEM 2020, World Peace Tartan Global Ambassador, World Ambassador for Junior Chamber International, Honorary Doctorate from the University of the West of Scotland 2024, and Trustee of The Robertson Trust, the Children’s Parliament and Turn2Us.

Joining the Fresh Start Board in 2025, John is committed to using his experience and passion for poverty prevention to support Fresh Start's essential services in Edinburgh.

Donald joined the board of Fresh Start in 2026, bringing over 20 years of expertise in strategic HR and leadership development. As Chief People Officer at Edinburgh-based FreeAgent, he specialises in guiding organisations through growth while maintaining core values. Donald’s volunteer experience in Edinburgh includes serving as Chair during a 20-year tenure on the CIPD South East Scotland board and supporting local social and youth initiatives. He is keen to use his professional background to support Fresh Start’s team, volunteers, and growth plans, ensuring the organisation continues to thrive and enhance the wellbeing of those it supports.

With over seven years’ experience supporting charities, social enterprises and public sector partners to deliver positive social impact, Elsa currently works with the Social Enterprise Academy and specialises in partnership development, programme design and organisational improvement. Through her work, Elsa has developed a strong focus on tackling poverty, inequality and community exclusion, and is especially interested in approaches that centre lived experience and collaboration. She brings a thoughtful, analytical and collaborative approach to leadership and governance, as well as being passionate about building a fairer and more compassionate society. Elsa is committed to supporting Fresh Start’s work to tackle homelessness and help people rebuild their lives with dignity and stability.

Sabrina is Co-Founder of The WHY Project, a grassroots youth work charity supporting children, young people and families across South West Edinburgh. She has extensive experience in youth work, community development and charity leadership, with expertise spanning safeguarding, governance, programme development, partnership working and organisational management. As both a former beneficiary of Fresh Start and a professional who has supported many individuals and families to access its services, Sabrina understands the importance of timely, compassionate support, and has seen first-hand the difference organisations like Fresh Start can make. She is passionate about creating opportunities for people to thrive and is delighted to join the Fresh Start Board, where she hopes to contribute both her professional expertise and lived experience to support the organisation's continued impact.