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BALLARD MAKES HIS MARK IN CHILDREN’S SECTOR WITH TOP JOB AT SAVE THE CHILDREN
Save the Children welcome their new Head of Scotland, Mark Ballard, with a particular focus on taking forward the charity’s work on early years in Scotland.
Former MSP Mark, who has won a string of awards for his charity campaigning, has taken the lead role at the Children’s charity, as it approaches its 100 year anniversary.
Mark previously spent eight years at Barnardo’s Scotland as their Head of Policy and is a former MSP for the Lothians. Most recently, Mark was Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland’s Director of Strategy and has spent most of his working life in the Scottish charity sector. He is also a former a Scottish Government Advisor on child poverty and co-wrote The Public Affairs Guide to Scotland – a guide for voluntary organisations to lobbying in Scotland.
Mark has held a number of positions in Scottish civic society, including being elected as Rector of Edinburgh University in 2006, defeating Boris Johnson amongst others in the process.
Speaking on his appointment, Mark Ballard said:
“It’s a real privilege to be working for Save the Children and heading up their team in Scotland. I have been incredibly impressed by the passion and commitment I have already witnessed among the staff, volunteers and supporters to make change happen for children in Scotland and around the world.
We know Scotland needs to become a fairer place to grow up, especially for those children living in deprived communities. Every child in our country in deserves an equal chance at school, home and life. Save the Children’s vision is to make this happen through developing and piloting new approaches with local communities, and then campaigning for these approaches to become mainstream. I am very proud to have the opportunity to take a lead in this work”.
Save the Children’s former Head of Scotland, Neil Mathers, left the organisation in August after five and a half years, to join Children’s University as their CEO. Douglas Hamilton was Neil’s predecessor, now the Director of RS Macdonald Charitable Trust and the Chair of the Poverty and Inequality Commission for the Scottish Government.
Mark lives in East Edinburgh and his favourite pastime is watching Great British Bake off and then attempting to recreate the bakes with his two primary aged children.