The Staff

My name is Ethelinda Lashley-Scott. I was born in Barbados and bought up in the UK.  I am a former Curriculum Manager at Edinburgh College and worked there for over 21 years within the Creative Industries faculty. My background is in Contemporary dance, and I studied at London Contemporary Dance School. My work bought me to Scotland in 1989, where I joined Dundee Rep Dance Company (Scottish Dance Theatre). I started my own company, Helter Skelter Dance Co and also worked as a freelance dance artist and choreographer with many theatre directors throughout Scotland. My last project saw me with Cutting Edge Theatre. This creative organisation focuses on working with and for those with one or more protected characteristics defined by the Equality Act 2010.

I gained my MA in Dance Theatre Practice at Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, accredited by John Moors University and I am developing further research into Overcoming Barriers: Impact of the Arts Council Policy on the Careers of Black British Women in the Subsidised Dance Sector.

I currently sit on the Board of Dance Base, Scotland's National Centre for Dance. I work closely with Advanced HE on the Anti-Racism Project to further capitalise on the current sector-wide commitment to tackle racism in the Scottish HE and FE sector. I am a long-standing member of the Pilates Foundation and support them as their Diversity Champion.

In January 2023, I became the CEO of the Multi-Cultural Family Base. I am delighted to be part of an organisation where I can make a difference in people's lives daily.

Originally from Germany, Angelique, better known as Angie, is a project worker for Bright Choices and supports women affected by Honour Based Violence.

She has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Mental Health in Children and Young People: Psychological Approaches, both achieved right here in Edinburgh. Previously, she worked as a nursery assistant with the German Red Cross, provided practical and emotional support to a vulnerable family and their child during her befriending time with HLFS, and assisted a student with mild learning differences while volunteering with Project Scotland.

Angie's interests outside of work include advocating for greater awareness of autism in women and she shares a great passion for attachment theory. Angie is adventurous and enjoys travelling to learn about different cultures, traditions and stories that bring people from all over the world together.

Elizabeth is the Business Operations Coordinator at MCFB. She supports her colleagues by managing the day to day 'business' running of the organisation as well as taking a strategic look at how to move the organisation forward into new spaces. She wears many hats; she helps to manage finances, conducts HR procedures such as staff and student induction, manages annual leave entitlement, promoted health and safety procedures, maintains the premises and supplies within, liaises with external suppliers, and supports the staff and students in various other ways. She also works as the social media and website admin and uses her graphic design skills to promote and market the organisation.  

Elizabeth started with MCFB as a befriending volunteer with the Safe Haven project, and a group worker for the 4 Corners project, which works to help children become successful learners and confident young adults. She then became the Office and Communications Manager and then helped shape this new role as the "BOC". As an aunt and a long-time volunteer with children across various ages, projects, and countries, Elizabeth has had great insight into how much children can change the world. 

Elizabeth moved to Edinburgh from the States in 2018 to do her Masters in comparative public policy, with a focus on migration. She hopes to do complete her PhD sometime in the near-ish future! She studied theatre and anthropology as an undergraduate, and currently runs her own paper-cutting art business, which takes up a lot of her spare time! She is a devoted cat mum, and her beloved Vail is her ‘studio supervisor’, which really just means eating paper and chewing on the ends of pencils.

My name is Hannah. I have been a youth worker for over 10 years, delivering community based programs and activities for young people from 5-18 years. I am currently in my last year of a BA in Childhood practice. I hold a HND in Psychology and have certificates in mental health, self-harm, and trauma-informed practice. I now work at MCFB as a project worker after a long term position with the local authority, facilitating and helping in planning various projects like Parklife and Discover. I was also involved in mentoring with Rathbone - a youth employability charity. I have experience liaising with partners such as schools, social services, health services, or local businesses to ensure the needs and interests of young people are met, have access to opportunities and holistic support. I am passionate about empowering young people to achieve their full potential and to make positive choices for their future. Skilled in restorative practice and nurture principles, encouraging positive relationships and the impact they have in building resilience in young people. Experienced in living and working in varied settings globally such as Los Angeles in America with the Hazze Hip Hop Cultural Dream Centre and the Forever Angels Baby Home in Bwiru, Tanzania. I have travelled extensively throughout Africa, which has informed cross cultural engagement within my practice. Supporting and understanding cultural nuances and sensitivities, enabling me to understand the needs of young people from diverse backgrounds and circumstances allowing for delivery of meaningful and enjoyable activities. I am efficient in using various methods of evaluation and feedback to monitor and improve the quality of my work. I am committed to continuous professional development as a member of the SSSC. I regularly attend courses and workshops ran by organizations such as LAYC on topics like safeguarding, equality and diversity , youth participation and leadership. I have recently applied to do a Masters degree in Education and I hope to go on to effect policy change within the education sector improving the provision in approaches, attitudes, delivery, and quality of education in disadvantaged socio-economic areas as well as approaches towards children from BME backgrounds.

Hannah first came to MCFB as a student social worker in May 2019 and stayed on as a volunteer for the Mosaic Project. She is now runs MCFB's Junior Groups and is a co-facilitator of the Mosaic Project. From January 2020 she started working in the Footprints Project. Hannah is very passionate about working with children, young people and families and has an interest in inclusion. Previously she has worked in Early Years Education and Disability Services.  Other interests include arts and crafts, eating bread and looking at the moon. Four years after moving to Scotland from Northern Ireland, Hannah is still very excited to see Deer in the wild.

Heather is an experienced art therapist and an Early Years Project Worker.  She enjoys working with individuals and groups through creative approaches and is inspired by psycho-dynamic ideas.   She has also undertaken training in group analytic work.   She has a highly infectious sense of humour and likes charity shops. Currently she is supervising an Art Therapy student from Queen Margaret University,who is based at MCFB for two days a week.

Isabelle is a qualified Social Worker and joined MCFB in 2013, working within the Early Years Service, after spending several years in a local Children and Families Practice Team. She is also a Practice Educator, supervising social work students on placement. Prior to embarking on her social work journey, Isabelle graduated in Social Anthropology and worked with the Scottish Refugee Council.

Within the Early Years Service, Isabelle's practice focuses on infant mental health. She is fascinated by the richness of parent/infant relationships within a cross-cultural context, infants' communication, and the potential for growth and mutual understanding. She is a qualified Infant Massage Instructor, and a Newborn Behavioural Observations (NBO) practitioner. Isabelle completed in 2023 a MSc in Psychoanalytic Observation and Reflective Practice: Therapeutic Work with children and young people, with Human Development Scotland/Strathclyde University.

Isabelle moved to Scotland from Quebec, the francophone part of Canada, in 2000. She loves cycling, cooking anything Ottolenghi-inspired, watching subtitled films, and taking her family on travelling adventures. 

 Jana is a qualified Community Education worker who worked in Glasgow with people who have settled in the Govanhill area originating from EU accession countries, primarily with individuals and groups from the Roma/Gypsy community for several years before she joined MCFB in June 2015 as an Honour Based Violence Project Worker with the Bright Choices@MCFB Service.

During her time as a Community Engagement Co-ordinator & Roma Project worker in Glasgow she was running Roma Drop-in for several years. She was involved with a project tackling Human Trafficking and Exploitation in Roma Communities in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior Affairs in Slovakia.

Jana speaks five different languages and takes a great interest in immigration issues. Jana strong suit is relationship building through providing one-to-one emotional and practical support to people affected by Honour Based Violence. She is particularly good at encouraging and supporting personal independence and self-reliance of the people she works with.

Jana loves meeting her friends and cooking for them, travelling and spending time with her family as well as taking photographs. 

Originally from Okinawa, Japan, Kana joined MCFB in January of 2023 as a Project Worker for 4 Corners. She has a background supporting families at a Family Success Center in the United States.  She is passionate about cross-cultural studies as well as social and educational policy.

Kana is qualified as a social worker in the US and is hoping to get qualified in the UK. Her Masters is in TESOL with a specialisation in Teaching Young Learners.

In her free time, Kana enjoys learning Bachata, and trying recipes from different countries and eating new foods.

Reese is a filmmaker and photographer-turned art therapist. She is currently involved in two projects at MCFB: Early Years Service, and Bright Choices. Her art psychotherapy training is based on psychodynamic theory, which centres on gaining hindsight into the past to provide insight into the present, as well as person-centred care, which emphasised personalised, co-ordinated and enabling care. She takes a trauma-informed approach, using a biopsychosocial perspective, and has a keen interest in the 'life stage' model, identifying opportunities to influence intergenerational health and wellbeing. 

Originally from Hong Kong, Reese has spent half of her life in Continental Europe, only moved from the Netherlands to the UK in late 2020. She acknowledges and appreciates that seemingly straightforward concepts such as 'home' and 'identity' are actually highly complex, fluid, and multi-faceted. 

Reese is heavily involved in voluntary work, roving Edinburgh between courthouses and hospitals. She has too many books and too little time. She bakes for self-care and is curious about the emotive qualities of food. She is also a trained mezzo-soprano in jazz and classical music, and can sing in 13 languages to date.    

Many years ago, Saad came from the ‘deserts of Sudan’ to the lochs and glens of Scotland and loved it so much, he decided to stay. He started working for MCFB as a volunteer for the Syrian Men's mental health group, run in partnership with Re-act Refugee Action Scotland and since April has joined the staff team in the Safe Haven project.

Saad worked in further education for many years as a college lecturer in Glasgow, teaching Computing as his main subject. When the dispersal system was introduced, asylum seekers from the Middle East, Africa and Afghanistan were sent to Glasgow on a no-choice basis. The majority of them were registered at his college to study English.  During his teaching career, he developed a passion for working with asylum seekers and refugees and his next natural step was to gain qualifications in teaching ESOL and in interpreting.

After taking voluntary redundancy from the college, Saad relocated to Africa where he travelled a lot, rediscovering his roots. Since his return around 3 years ago, he has been working with Syrian refugees, teaching Arabic digital skills and ESOL; and also working as an interpreter for CEC and NHS Lothian.

Saira is a project worker with 4-2-7, which works with kids from the ages of four to seven. She runs the Mums' Group, which is for mothers whose children are in the project.