Alastair has a varied background as a barrister, commodity trader and former chair of the Bike Station Charity.

• A senior marketing and trading executive with 15 years international experience gained within a major blue chip energy company. Strong track record in both starting up and running trading and marketing companies and the associated risk management. Has led several successful company transformations, both in strategy design and implementation. Strong project management skills including infrastructure and M&A.
• A qualified barrister who has held several demanding governance/director roles where his legal training has proved invaluable.
• A strategic thinker who has delivered exceptional results pragmatically within a corporate environment.

Christopher Ludlam was born in Edinburgh and has lived most of his life in South Edinburgh. He is a University of Edinburgh graduate, and now a retired doctor having worked previously at the Royal Infirmary and the University. Christopher plays the violin in the Southside Community Orchestra.

Joanna is an artist and arts project organiser living close to Edinburgh Southside Centre on the Southside.

She collaborates with a wide range of groups, service providers, cultural bodies and creative agencies to design and deliver art and environmental projects working across a diverse range of communities and age groups. Joanna is also an artist.

Joanna also works in the museum and galleries sector and has a range of industry related skills that range from the practical skills needed to hang a picture to the creative and managerial skills required to curate and install an exhibition.

Lamin Bajo joined the SSCC Management Committee in February 2023.

Lamin was born in The Gambia, Africa and moved to Scotland in 2006. He is employed as a security officer for Mitie. He is also an Army Reservist and president of the Gambian Community Charity of Edinburgh. Lamin’s heart is both here in Edinburgh and also in The Gambia. To this end he has helped set up the first school in his birthplace to help develop the future of the children there.

In the past Lamin has organised and hosted a number of community events at the Southside Community Centre. He believes this diversity can only help the Centre prosper into the future, saying

“Joining the Southside Community Centre family has been an honour and a privilege both for me and for the wider Gambian community settled in Edinburgh. It will make us all join together in harmony”.

MD Noor Alam (known as Rashid) moved to Edinburgh from Bangladesh 18 years ago and sees Edinburgh as his home.

Rashid has been involved in community activism for many years, being a volunteer with several different local charities, such as The Adult Learning Project, The Welcoming and the Leith Community Centre. He finds great pleasure in helping others and supporting those who want to help make Edinburgh a welcoming city for all.

In 2018 he was given The ‘Best Volunteer Award’ by the then Lord Provost, Frank Ross.

Before the Pandemic he was a regular user of the Edinburgh Southside Centre (Southside Community Centre). Rashid joined the Centre’s Management Committee because he want to help make the Centre a place where diverse communities can come together, have a cup of tea and get to know each other.

Nahid was born in Edinburgh. Her parents came from Pakistan in the 1960s. She describes herself as a Punjabi Scot.

Nahid has been involved in community relations for over 30 years. Her first encounter with multiculturalism was when she volunteered with the YWCA Roundabout Centre as a summer school helper. Nahid has worked with a number of community groups over the years, including The Welcoming, ALP, ELREC and Linknet Mentoring.

Nahid joined the Edinburgh Southside Centre Board in March 2022 and has enjoyed being part of the Community Centre. She would like to see the Edinburgh Southside Centre develop into a hub for community engagement, bringing people from diverse backgrounds together to share and learn from each other.

Nila Joshi came to Scotland in 1975 as a young bride. Soon after arriving, she made Scotland her home.
Nila worked for city of Edinburgh council for 35 years as a library officer and retired in November 2022 to put her time into the community.

Over Last 20 years, she has been involved in women’s interfaith group in Edinburgh, which gave her opportunity to work with wider community and in recognition of this, and her other work,she was nominated for ‘Hidden Heroine’ award in 2004 award.

Edinburgh Southside Centre has been important to Nila for many years, and she became a Trustee in 2022 to help open the Centre’s doors to everyone.