Children in Scotland

Erika Macarty Velazquez

Director

Erika is the Head of US Partnerships at Oxfam, where she leads on strategic engagement with the US Government on humanitarian cooperation to enhance funding opportunities and support humanitarian emergencies worldwide. In this role, she leads on resource mobilisation strategies for humanitarian programmes focused on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Emergency Food Security and Vulnerable Livelihoods (EFSVL) and Protection for the most vulnerable groups, including children.

Erika’s journey in children’s rights commenced with a focus on addressing inequality and poverty. Over the last 14 years, she has taken leadership roles in critical areas such as child protection, social policy, online child protection, disability rights and care reform. She has successfully built and managed strategic partnerships across the world, collaborating with governments, donors, civil society organisations and academia to create long lasting change for children and young people.

Erika holds an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics (LSE), and her experience includes working for Oxfam, the Lumos Foundation, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the European Union, and international academia.

Originally from Mexico, but now calling Scotland her home, she has dedicated the last 8 years of her career to the UK nonprofit sector. She lives in Glasgow and enjoys exploring the Highlands and the Lochs, finding joy in both hiking and kayaking.

Sara Vanatta

Director

Sara is currently Early Years Lead with the Education Endowment Foundation, an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement. She joined the Children in Scotland Board in 2024.

Recently, Sara has been Senior Early Years Adviser for Save the Children UK, providing expertise to inform early years projects and programmes across the four nations.

Before relocating to Scotland in 2020, Sara spent nearly a decade supporting family engagement and health activity for Acelero Learning, a large Head Start provider in the United States. Head Start provides comprehensive early childhood education services and promotes school readiness for children under five from low-income families in the US.

She is also an Associate for Cattanach, a grant maker for the early years in Scotland.

Sara holds a Masters in Social Work from the University of Georgia. She is based in Glasgow with her partner and four young children. When she has a rare moment alone, Sara enjoys running, yoga and drinking a hot cup of tea uninterrupted.

Gary Gallacher

Director

Gary currently works as the Head of Operations for Redress Scotland, supporting decision making on applications from survivors. These applications relate to historical abuse whilst in a relevant care setting in Scotland.

He joined the Board of Children in Scotland in July 2024.

Gary has had a wide-ranging career in the charity and public sector, with a passion to support children, young people, adults and their families. In more recent years much of this has focused on supporting those who have experienced complex trauma in their early life.

He has experience as both a frontline practitioner and over 10 years’ experience as Senior Leader with a drive to support those engaging with services.

Gary has a BA in Community Education.

He grew up in the West Coast of Scotland, but has spent much of his adult life on the East Coast. He has a large family and spends his free time out exploring the countryside and participating in a range of extreme sports.

Annemarie Devlin

Director

Annemarie’s has enjoyed a wide and varied career, mostly within the fundraising and charity sector. Past experience includes working at a number of charities in Scotland and UK wide. Annemarie has been a consultant working with charities to develop income generating growth and development. More recently, Annemarie is Director of Development at Royal Lyceum theatre in Edinburgh, where she enjoys her role raising income and support for the theatre.

Annemarie was awarded CIOF Fundraising Excellence Award and was an inaugural member of Scottish Fundraising Adjudication Panel.

Outside of work her passion is walking and being walked by her two labradors!

Craig Johnston

Director

Craig has over 30 years' experience working in the fields of Higher and Secondary Education, Youth work, Psychology, Social Work, Sport and Health across the UK and the USA. He has held Doctoral, Masters and bachelor’s level teaching commitments on Criminology, Education, Youth Work, Sociology and Social Work at various universities.

Craig 's research interests lie in the study of youth justice, alternative school provision (exclusion) and the social and sociality affecting individuals and communities. His published work held a rating of world leading, with a priority to engage in research with a right’s based and/or strong social justice agenda.

Craig holds a Doctor of Philosophy (in Education) and Master of Arts in Youth and Community work from Brunel University, London, a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, from Winchester University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sport and Community from Strathclyde University, Glasgow. He is also a Fellow of ADVANCE HE.

Craig currently lives in Oxford and works at the University of the West of England, Bristol but was born and raised in Forfar, Tayside.

Gary Leadbetter

Director

Gary is currently a Democratic Services Officer at Midlothian Council, supporting the democratic and decision-making processes of the Council. He also sits as a Trustee on the Board of Edinburgh Food Project, which operates several food banks and offers free benefits and debt advice around Edinburgh.

He has ten years' experience both working and volunteering within the charity sector in a range of advisory and project management roles.

Previous roles and accomplishments include launching and leading a University Student Action for Refugees Society whilst studying LLB Scots Law, advising on debt, welfare, housing and other social issues and leading Scotland-wide welfare reform mitigation projects whilst also supporting Scotland-wide debt support projects.

He is also currently studying for an MPP Public Policy degree, aiming to follow a career in public policy.

Gary was born and raised in Midlothian and has now settled in Edinburgh after living in various cities around Scotland. When he’s not working or studying, he likes to socialise with friends, go on holiday and wild camping and has recently taken up bouldering and yoga.

gleadbetter@childreninscotland.org.uk

Clare Steel

Director

In May 2022, Councillor Clare Steel was elected Councillor in the Clydebank Central Ward of West Dunbartonshire Council.

She is a mum and unpaid carer to her teenage twin daughters, Holly and Katie. Katie has complex medical health needs and requires round the clock care.

Councillor Steel is an active Campaigner for Disabled children and for Unpaid Carers. She is currently the chair of Carers of West Dunbartonshire Carers Centre. Councillor Steel's passion is helping people in the community, giving a voice to people who maybe can't use their own, and being an advocate for people who need that support.

She is a member of the COSLA Children and Young People Board and is Convener of Education Services in her own Council.

She is also a volunteer panel member with Children’s Hearing Scotland

Donna Martin

Director

Donna has skills, experience and knowledge with respect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the embedding of a children’s rights-based approach. She has developed her skills and understanding through her work with many organisations including Children 1st, NSPCC Scotland and Who Cares? Scotland.

She has applied her passion and knowledge in roles with the Scottish Football Association, Scottish Women’s Football, Children’s Hearings Scotland and through her own business Child Friendly Culture where she has worked to support lasting change in environments to help ensure that children and young people are able to claim their rights. She also has experience of leading Scottish Government’s GIRFEC team and is now the operations lead with CELCIS (Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection).

dmartin@childreninscotland.org.uk

Steven Sweeney

Convener

Steven is the Chief Executive of Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire, the Third Sector Interface for South Lanarkshire.

Steven is also a board member at sportscotland, the national agency for sport. He previously led Aberdeen FC and its partner charity to be named by UEFA as the Best Professional Club in the Community in Europe, largely due to a strong emphasis on children’s participation in physical activity and sport, their education, and contributing to the wider community. 

His background is in teaching and coaching, with a particular interest in soft skills, personality and character development.

Steven has a BSc in Sports Studies and a PGDE in Education.

Steven recently relocated from Aberdeen back to Paisley to be closer to a wider family support network. He lives with his wife Cheryl and their two girls.

Meritxell Bulbena Vela

Director

Meritxell is the Manager of Finance Projects and Growth Delivery in EMEA for Hilton. She started working for the Hilton company in Barcelona in 2017 and moved to Venice, Dubai, Edinburgh and now she is based in London.

Meritxell has degree qualifications in Finance and college diplomas in Music. She spent her university years teaching music to children. In 2012, she volunteered to teach music and English to children in schools and orphanages in Sri Lanka.

She did her Masters in Business Administration and Finance at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. She also qualified with a diploma in Negotiation from Harvard University in Boston in 2016. In 2021 she graduated from CIMA, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

She lives in London with her husband and her two lovely cats. During her free time, she goes for a run, sings in a choir and takes acting classes.