Chair

Arlene has been passionate about supporting people with a visual impairment for a long time.  Previously the Chair

Trustee / Chair of the Finance Committee

“I worked in the Financial Sector for many years and have extensive experience in both investment and company management.  I decided to retire from full time employment in 2013 and joined the Board of Visibility Scotland in 2014.  I have long been interested in charities associated with the blind/impaired vision.  My father was a Type 1 Diabetic so I am very well aware how important sight is and the difficulties caused by visual impairment.”

Trustee

Trustee

“Despite all that she/we had to deal with during that awful year, I still felt that we were fortunate. I therefore became a trustee with Visibility Scotland approximately 7 years ago as I wanted to help others.  As a Trustee I have helped to raise more than £100,000 through a variety of fundraising events.  This money has been used to help babies, children and adults cope with their sight loss. I very much hope that this practical support has also helped their parents, partners, relatives and carers.  It is an enormous privilege to be a trustee with Visibility Scotland.”

Trustee

Born in the North of England, I came to Scotland in 1972, after a period of teaching in Malaysia and studying in the USA. I then spent most of my working life here in Glasgow leading a research team in Virology. I have always enjoyed outdoor pursuits: walking, climbing, skiing and sailing. In the States I climbed a lot including ascending Mount McKinley in Alaska. I have enjoyed Scotland’s beautiful hills and sailing in its outstanding coastal waters. Whilst Commodore of Helensburgh Sailing Club I helped develop youth training programmes there and helped organise “Sailability”, which provides sailing for people with disabilities.

Three years ago I had a stroke and lost my left peripheral vision. I could no longer drive and it became difficult to do the things I needed to do. Quite fortuitously I came across the charity Vision. They provided me with emotional support and new practical skills of scanning and strategies for moving around. I cannot overestimate how helpful this was for me and now I’m much more confident in negotiating complex environments like the centre of Glasgow. I felt strongly that I should try to help Vision make it’s skills available to others, often with more severe visual impairment, and to raise the profile of Vision. Consequently, I joined the Board of Trustees.

Trustee