Rochana Sheward, Director

Rochana leads our team utilising her 25 years of experience including hands-on environmental work and policy advocacy, partnering with grassroots organisations and government bodies to tackle root causes of environmental and social issues. She is dedicated to advancing climate justice by identifying key leverage points, building strategic relationships, and connecting the dots to drive meaningful transformational change across Scotland.

She has a background as community developer, mediator, and educator, and recently completed a Masters in community leadership with focus in systems change practice. Outside of work, she is re-acquainting herself with the swimming pools and urban walks of Edinburgh as well as baking, with her showstopper being a coffee + walnut cake.

Alison Ritchie, Head of Operations

Alison’s focus is on operations, including finance, HR and membership. Before joining Friends of the Earth Scotland she worked in hospitality, managing hotels in Scotland, France and Switzerland, but was very excited at the chance to work for a charity campaigning on environment issues. She lives in Pitlochry, where she volunteers for local nature restoration projects planting trees and clearing Himalayan balsam. In her spare time she enjoys reading, and walking and canoeing with her dog.

Alex Lee, Senior False Solutions Campaigner  

Alex’s work focuses on a just phase out of oil and gas that does not rely on speculative carbon capture technologies (CCS) and fossil hydrogen. They have a BA (hons) in Media, Culture and Society and an MSc from the University of Edinburgh in Soil Science. Outside of work Alex enjoys miniature painting, cinema, and analogue photography.

Anny Morel, HR and Finance Officer

Anny joined FoE Scotland in 2021. Born in Switzerland, she enjoys travelling and discovering the beauty of Scotland. Anny’s background is in hospitality where she worked as a Store Manager for Costa Coffee. She is passionate about providing great customer service and is excited to be working for FoE Scotland. When she is not working, Anny enjoys spending time with her partner and two children. During lockdown Anny discovered  calligraphy and brush lettering and has been practising ever since.

Caroline Rance, Head of Campaigns

Caroline joined in 2017 from Stop Climate Chaos Scotland where she was Campaigns Manager. She spent several years working on improving Scotland’s Climate Change Act, lead on our work on COVID-19 recovery, co-ordinating the Just and Green Recovery Scotland civil society coalition. She is now Oil & Gas Campaign Lead and her role spans from policy development and political advocacy, to working with activists and local groups. @carorance

Catrina Randall, Young Friends of the Earth Scotland Network Co-ordinator

Catrina supports our youth network, Young FoES, helping young people with the skills and resources they need to take climate action in their communities. Catrina has an MA in Geography and an MSc in Environment, Culture and Society. She previously worked for an environmental community project in Edinburgh and was involved in youth climate activism and anti fossil fuel campaigning before coordinating YFoES. In her spare time Catrina is interested in sci-fi and fantasy novels, following Scottish women’s football, and community organising.

Connal Hughes, Communications & Engagement Manager

Connal joined the team in 2014 after spending time with Friends of the Earth in both Northern Ireland and Brussels. He works across all communications outputs helping to ensure the technical expertise of campaigners is communicated in accesssible and engaging ways. Outside of work he enjoys watching football, yoga and going to live comedy.

Eilidh Stanners, Communications & Engagement Officer

Eilidh joined Friends of the Earth Scotland in 2021 and leads the communications for our transport, circular economy and divestment campaigns, including media, web content and social media. She also edits our member’s magazine What on Earth which is sent out to all of our members three times a year. Previously, she worked at People’s Postcode Lottery, sharing stories of the environmental and international projects that were funded by the lottery.

Freya Aitchison, Oil & Gas Activism Officer

Freya joined FoES in 2022 as maternity cover for the oil and gas campaigner position, and is now back as an activism officer for oil and gas. She worked extensively on the campaign to stop the Rosebank oil field and can often be seen carrying large paper maché structures around Edinburgh. In her spare time, Freya coordinates a climate action group in Argyll, where she grew up. When she is not doing any of these things, you can find her in a tent, up a mountain or in the sea!

Guy Ingerson, North East Organiser

Guy has been a campaigner in Aberdeen for many years, with an initial focus on LGBT+ rights. He worked in the oil and gas industry before returning to education to complete a BA (Hons) in Public Relations. It was during the 2015 oil price crash that he witnessed first-hand the problems associated with a reliance on the fossil fuel sector. Since then, he has been involved in several local campaigns and worked in the Scottish Parliament as a communications assistant. He has strong local roots and is focused on promoting our work in the pursuit of climate justice for communities across the North East.

Kate Whitaker, Movement Building Lead

Kate supports local groups, communities and activists working towards climate and environmental justice across Scotland. Previously, she worked on network development for Young FoE Europe co-ordinating international exchange projects, campaigns and trainings. She is interested in popular education, community organising, movement building, as well as bagging Munros and playing guitar in her feminist punk band.

Kim Pratt, Senior Circular Economy Campaigner

Kim is from London and moved to Scotland to study Environmental Management and Protection. Her work focuses on material and waste research in a policy context and has included developing the Scottish Carbon Metric (a national indicator for measuring the carbon impacts of waste). She is a guest lecturer at Edinburgh and Strathclyde Universities on Life Cycle Analysis, a technique used to measure and compare environmental impacts of products and systems. Outside of work, Kim enjoys reading sci-fi and feminist novels. @kimpratt

Malachy Clarke, Policy & Advocacy Manager

Originally from Belfast, Malachy moved to Glasgow in 2009 to study Politics, followed by an MSc in Political Communication. He has worked in and around Scottish Politics ever since. Malachy works on maintaining political relationships, representing FoES to external political organisations and managing FoES political output. Outside of work Malachy enjoys tabletop gaming and watching American Football. @malachyclarke

Matthew Crighton, Sustainable Economy Advisor

Matthew has co-ordinated the FOE Edinburgh local group and helped set up the Edinburgh Climate Coalition. He is the Secretary of the Just Transition Partnership, which he set up with the STUC in 2016, with membership including FOES, Unite Scotland, UNISON Scotland and others. He first became involved in climate activism as International Officer of his UNISON branch. He has previously worked in local economic development and as an associate of the Learning and Work Institute.

Michelle Marshall, North East Community Engagement Officer

Michelle was appointed in Summer 2024, using her knowledge of the community and local life of the North East to help promote FoES and our work to the people of Aberdeenshire. She gained a BSc in Combined STEM through the OU primarily focusing on Environmental Science. Outside her passion for climate work, when she gets a child free moment, she enjoys pro wrestling and playing ukulele.

Ric Lander, Research and Development Manager

Ric has campaigned with Scottish activist groups and national networks on climate change for some years, including working with Friends of the Earth members and staff on fracking, fossil fuel finance and the Independence referendum. He has an MSc in Environment and Development and writes and researches climate change and democracy. Since 2014, Ric has lead our work campaigning for investors and institutions to break their financial ties with fossil fuel companies.

Rosie Hampton, Oil & Gas Campaigns Manager

Rosie joined the team in March 2023 to campaign for a just transition for workers and communities, working closely with our trade union partners. She recently completed a PhD in Geography at the University of Glasgow, which examined left-wing spaces and political organising in 1970s and 1980s Scotland. Rosie also organises with her local Living Rent branch in Partick. Outside of work and politics, she enjoys swimming, playing piano, and going to gigs. @rosiehampton_

Ruby Bayley, Fundraising Lead

Ruby joined us in September 2024 and leads efforts to raise funds for our important work. She is also currently seeking her MSc in Environment, Society and Culture at the University of Edinburgh and is a trustee of menstrual equity charity Bloody Good Period. Previously, she fundraised for the British Red Cross and Amnesty International UK. Having grown up in Ecuador and then Speyside, she is particularly interested in feminist and decolonial geographies and issues of nature and identity. When her head isn’t in a book, you’ll find her in the Pentlands with her goldie Yuca, in the ocean, or dancing cumbia.

Scott Herrett, Just Transition Organiser

Originally from Grimsby, Scott worked in construction for 15 years before completing a master’s degree at the University of Edinburgh. He lives in Aberdeen and previously work as a social environmental researcher. Along the way climate and social justice activism has been a big part of Scott’s life, and so is rock climbing. When Scott is not working on building a people-led Just Transition movement in the North East, he can often be found clinging to some Aberdeenshire sea cliff.

Susan Scott, Administrator

Susan was delighted to join the FOES operational team in 2023. She comes to us with a rich background including experience of environmental policy, corporate governance, finance, recruitment, customer service and her Life Science degree. Susan is from Edinburgh and is passionate about this amazing city, particularly the fantastic green spaces. When she is not working, she can probably be found outdoors photographing everything, walking, exploring Scotland or delighting in growing flowers and organic veggies.

Current Board members

Our current Board members (updated July 2024)

Executive Committee

Chair: Robin Aitken

Treasurer: Catherine Lyons

Secretary: Ery McPartland

Other Board members

Mark Ballard

Giulia Mazetti

Andrea Forbes

Harriet Munro

Ian Marlee

Bernice Maxton-Lee

Chris Stanley

Sophie Ogilvy Taylor (co-opted)

Keith Skene (co-opted)

Megan McHaney (co-opted)