The Trust Company is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status, with sportscotland being it’s sole member. The Trust Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of sportscotland. This section lists our directors and provides a brief overview of their background. 582u4o
Chair: Andrew Bain 5x2620
Andrew is ionate about the positive impact sport and physical activity brings to communities. A highly experienced leader within the sport and leisure sector with over thirty years senior management experience covering private, public and trust sectors.
Andrew is keen golfer and enjoys recreational cycling and running as a means of keeping fit and healthy.
Kirstie Hepburn 4t4d5f
Kirstie has handled programme creation, communications strategy, event delivery, and speaker and VIP management for conferences and summits around the world, including as Programme Director for a global conference on sport for social good. Prior to that, she was a magazine editor, then director of strategy for the Middle East for one of the world’s largest PR networks. She now runs her own communications consultancy.
She also works as head of corporate and education activities for Head Talks, a non-profit digital platform for mental health and wellbeing, and is on the Ayrshire fundraising committee for Marie Curie. She is a volunteer for Pets as Therapy, where her dog provides one-on-one care for patients with dementia. She is a very amateur curler and has a ion for National Hunt racing, and is a member of a syndicate that owns several National Hunt racehorses.
Iain Houston 4f65t
Iain has over 30 years’ experience in the sports and physical activity sector having worked for five years in a community sports and fitness role in Ferguslie Park, Paisley, before progressing into the Further and Higher Education sector. He has been a lecturer and academic manager in sport and fitness for 25 years and in his current role as associate dean at City of Glasgow College he has overall management of more than 600 sports and physical education learners. He is an advocate for coaching and leadership in sport and has delivered on the degree program at Glasgow Caledonian University.
Iain is a product of school sport opportunity and a lifelong activist who ionately promotes the benefits of sport and taking part at all levels. At Glasgow College he has ed the establishment of many groups and clubs with a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion.
As a participant in sport, Iain holds a broad range of coaching qualifications from the SFA B Licence to a BASI Level 2 ski instructor qualification. Alpine skiing is a particular interest and he has led student groups at home and abroad for many years, recognising the life-changing impact of outdoor education on individuals. He now takes part in climbing, biking and canoeing with the same energy he used to apply to adventure racing and ultra-marathons.
Husnain Raza Sadiq 241a6y
Raza, a dedicated leader and advocate for equality in sports and community inclusion, has spearheaded transformative initiatives through the Active Life Club since its inception in 1999. His unwavering commitment to empowering youth, tackling inequalities, and fostering integration in Glasgow's diverse communities has left an indelible mark on countless lives. As chairperson of various boards and committees, including the Unison Scottish Black Committee and STUC Black Committee, Raza continues to drive positive change and inspire others to champion fairness and unity. Recognized with numerous awards such as Lifetime Achievement Awards and Diversity Hero for his outstanding contributions, including an honorary degree from Open University, Raza exemplifies the spirit of service and leadership, making him a truly impactful figure in both the sports and community spheres.
Husnain Raza Sadiq of interests
Susie Sandilands 2p4x10
Susie Sandilands is Executive Editor of the Impact Team at BBC Scotland. In this role she leads diverse and creative teams responsible for content such as the award-winning BBC The Social, Bitesize Scotland, Authors Live, schools outreach programme The LAB, and BBC Scotland channel content such as The Entertainment Mix with Michelle McManus. She also works on cross-team projects such as the future of shortform video on BBC-owned platforms as well as on third party platforms, and has a keen interest in blending technology developments with editorial.
Susie has over 20 years’ experience in the broadcasting and media sector, with previous roles in the BBC as Commissioning Executive for BBC Ideas, Senior Content Producer of shortform video for digital platforms, and Social Media Management. Susie is a 2nd Dan black belt in Taekwondo and a former instructor in the sport, who is now learning to play tennis. She is a firm believer in the power of sport and physical activity to improve wellbeing.
Olivia Strong 26442t
Olivia is the founder of Run For Heroes, a charity that raised over £10 million for the NHS Charities Together Covid-19 appeal, and encouraged over 1.5 million people to get active. Today, the charity continues to raise vital funds for health and wellbeing initiatives, while inspiring the nation to get moving. As well as running the charity, Olivia has been a documentary filmmaker for 8 years. She has a particular focus on social and political storytelling. Working with networks such as BBC, Netflix, Apple TV and Channel 4. Olivia is a keen runner and enjoys encouraging others to take up the sport, not only for your physical health but also mental.
Ronan Welch 1m6n36
Ronan currently works for Scottish Rowing as Pathways Manager, as well as being a Director on the board of Scottish Clubsport, combining a ion for sport development with a wealth of experience in governance and strategy for third sector organisations. He is a strong advocate for the value of sport & physical activity and the power it has to change lives, particularly when it comes to youth leadership. Ronan graduated from the University of Strathclyde with a degree in Sports Design Engineering, staying on at the institution to serve as Sports Union President, representing 25,000 students and chairing the organisation as it delivered a portfolio of over fifty sports in addition to numerous wellbeing and active health programs - while also advocating across the academic institution to ensure sport was championed at all levels. He is a keen sportsman: participating in a wide variety of sports from bouldering to sailing, but his main sport is rowing in which he has represented Scotland as both an athlete and a coach.