SOPA Members
Diana Findley was elected as Chairperson at SOPA’s AGM on 26 July 2018.
Born and educated in Angus, Diana attended Business College after school During her working life she was a Personal Assistant at director level in three different international companies in England. She also worked in hotel management, and latterly worked with her husband in their own business. On retirement, Diana became involved with Better Government for Older People and was the Chairperson of its Scottish section, the Scottish Older People's Advisory Group. She has served on Age Scotland Board and is currently their Regional Ambassador for the Borders as well as a Trustee of SOPA. Locally, she is chairperson of Borders Older People's Forum, is on the Borders Social Enterprise Chamber and attends various other groups in relation to Older People and their concerns with Scottish Borders Council and NHS.
"I believe it is most important to strengthen the voices of our older people and make these known and understood by those who have the power to make changes and improve lives."
Full Members
Aberdeen Multicultural Centre: Dr Narayan Shrestha
Ability Net: Chris Grant
Action on Elder Abuse: Brian Rapley
Age Scotland: Diana Findley (SOPA Chair)
Alzheimer Scotland: Archie Noone (Scottish Dementia Working Group)
Association of East Lothian Day Centres: David Ferrier
Borders Older People's Forum: Diana Findley (SOPA Chair)
Broomhouse Centre: Nancy Bryson
Clackmannanshire Older Peoples Forum: Graham Reece
Clydesdale Community Acitivities Group​: Anne Marie McClounan
Deaf Scotland: (Awaiting new member)
Disabled Living Foundation: Dianna Stirling
Dementia Friendly Tranent: Rosanne Woods
Dumfries & Galloway Seniors Forum: John White
Edinburgh Association of Community Councils: Patricia Eason
Erskine: Lorraine Haining
Faith in Older People: Maureen O'Neill
Falkirk Older People's Network: David Paterson
Food Train: Michelle Carruthers
Generations Working Together: Alison Clyde
GMB Union (Retired Members): awaiting new member
Health All Round: Gloria Gibbons
Highland Senior Citizens Network: Jo Cowan
Human Development Scotland: Christine Wilson
Independent Age: Gerry Kiernan
Interfaith Association: Bashir A Malik
Learning in Later Life Students' Association, University of Strathclyde: Carl Bow
Living Streets Scotland: Penny Morriss
LGBT Age: John Thomson
National Federation of Occupational Pensioners: Alan Spinks
Local Older People's Champions: Cllr Jimmy Miller (North Ayrshire Council), Cllr Elaine Thornton-Nico (Scottish Borders Council), Cllr Jim McMahon (East Ayrshire Council), Cllr Lynne Short (Dundee City Council), Cllr Jennifer Adam-McGregor (Renfrewshire Council)
Outside the Box: Christine Ryder
Pilmeny Development Project, Edinburgh. Anne Munro
Quiet Scotland: Anne Wellman
Retired Police Officers Association Scotland: Matt Hamilton
RNIB: Sandra Wilson
Seniors Together (South Lanarkshire): Catriona Mason
Shared Lives Plus: Lesley Stevenson
Sighthill, Broomhouse and Parkhead Community Council: Betty Milton
Stirling Public Partnership Forum: Eileen Wallace
Trust Housing Association (Equality Scotland): Rohini Sharma Joshi
U3A in Scotland: awaiting new member
U3A Edinburgh: Keith Guy
Unite Retired Members Association, Dumfries: Alan Sidaway (SOPA Vice Chair)
Unite Retired Members Association, Lanarkshire: Sam Gibson
Voice of Experience Forum (North Lanarkshire): Beverley Lockhart
SOPA Trustees: Diana Findley, Sam Gibson, Betty Milton, Alan Sidaway, Alan Spinks, Eileen Wallace, John White, Christine Wilson, Elaine Thornton-Nicol.