Welcome, meet the Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness trustees & volunteers
Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness has a Board of Trustees who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and share a love of mindfulness with a deep appreciation of the positive benefits they receive from embracing mindfulness in their life.
All volunteers, they meet approximately six times a year in their commitment to guide the work of the charity towards its purpose in bringing the benefits of mindfulness to more and more people in the Scottish Borders.
Each of our trustees are motivated to helping Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness develop as a organisation through a keen desire to help others and give back. Please get in touch with us should you want to know more about how the trustees support Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness.
Gareth Stott:
Gareth is the current Chairperson on the Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness board of trustees.
Gareth has lived and worked in the Scottish Borders for most of his life. Mindfulness and meditation have been important to him for many years and he started a Mindful Based Living Course with Peer 2 Peer in 2019. Since then he has completed the Compassion Based Living Course, attended retreats, events and is a keen member of the Peer 2 Peer community.
For Gareth, mindfulness brings an increased sense of peace and wellbeing. Over time this journey has become ever more positive and enriching.
He was a trustee of Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness from the start of the charity and his role includes chairing trustee meetings and the AGM, fundraising and volunteering for awareness raising events and advertising future courses. Gareth sees himself very much as a mindfulness practitioner first, with his trustee role giving him an additional opportunity to help others discover the joys of mindfulness and all it brings.
Tina Moffat: Tina is the current treasurer to the Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness board of trustees. She recently qualified as a bookkeeper with AAT and continues her studies whilst working in a busy accounts department.
Outside of work she competes in strong woman competitions and says “There’s no more mindful a moment than you and a really heavy weight”.
Tina had tried to learn mindfulness on her own before stumbling across a Peer 2 Peer course. She feels it was the key skill that made everything else make sense and definitely feels like a more balanced person who can deal with life’s curve balls a little easier.
Martha Pollard: Martha is secretary to the Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness Board of Trustees and is a member of the Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness (P2P) tutoring team for the Mindfulness Based Living Course (MBLC).
Learning to practise mindfulness helped to support Martha's recovery from a prolonged period of crisis in her life, and has been a crucial part of re-balancing her well-being. She has continued her practice and studies in mindfulness and compassion, including becoming an MBLC teacher in 2023.
Martha has an academic background in psychology and public health. In addition to being a co-author of personality traits textbooks, she is also a qualified person-centred, compassion-focused counsellor, and has Level 2 Accreditation in Essentials in Compassion-Focused Therapy from the Association for Psychological Therapies.
Since 2012, Martha has also worked in community services in care and carer support, especially with people living with dementia. She is currently doing compassion focused PhD research in the field of dementia care, looking at family and staff carer perspectives on freedoms and caring, and what helps.
With mindfulness having been such a foundational part of transformation in her own life, Martha is grateful to be able to share it onwards, and to keep learning from others, through teaching. She has also seen the life-changing benefits of mindfulness in other people’s lives, and finds it a joy and a privilege to walk alongside others in this way.
Brian Turnbull:
Brian, CEO & Tutor. During his working career, Brian ran his own retail and distribution businesses. He has no hesitation in letting people know that whilst his business was successful, he was never fully happy as a result of the severe anxiety and depression he lived with daily as he worried about what had gone wrong yesterday and what might go wrong tomorrow.
He started trying to heal himself in 1992 with self development books, but it wasn't until he was introduced to mindfulness years later that he found the happiness he had always sought to achieve through his business success. Today Brian works full time in a voluntary capacity as CEO for Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness so that other people might also obtain the transformative benefits of mindfulness.
He loves to tell people: "The past is only a memory and the future is only imagination, so live in this moment mindfully. This moment - right Now - is the only thing that is real for you and me!"
Ann Hetherington:
Ann lives with her husband , John, on the beautiful National Trust estate of Wallington in Northumberland. Mother to 3 children, she is the doting granny of 3 grandsons - all of whom are geniuses and the most beautiful boys on the planet!
Ann left teaching in 2019 having taught in a primary school in the Northumberland National Park.
Ann relates the story of how she found mindfulness as: "A yoga friend of mine had shared Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness’s advert for one of the Mindfulness Based Living Courses (MBLC) courses and I commented that it would be great if they would come across the border to Harbottle and teach a class there. Both John and I participated and it isn’t an exaggeration to say that it was life changing for both of us. Towards the end of the course , Brian asked ‘how is the weather for you today’ and I had a sudden vision of standing struggling in the teeth of a storm. I realised that I couldn’t stop the storm, but I could deal with it mindfully. Realising how miserable I was helped me make a decision that supported my well-being.
I then did the Compassion Based Living Course (CBLC) on zoom during deepest darkest lockdown, which was a very valuable experience but weird because I felt that I had made friends for life but I hadn’t met them in the flesh! Subsequently we have met and I still like them…….
For me, Peer 2 Peer came at just the right time. I was struggling with life and becoming the kind of person I didn’t want to be - angry, judgmental and bitter. Mindfulness helped me through that and helped me cope.
As a trustee, I just want to make it possible for others to get the chance to do the MBLC and to benefit in the way I did."
Margaret McCredie:
'Mags' lives in Bedrule with her husband, ponies and chickens. She has 3 children and 5 grandchildren and her family and friends are everything in her world. She enjoys yoga, walking and loves being outside in the countryside.
Mags says: "I first heard of Mindfulness in 2017 when a friend mentioned it to me. I had known Brian from my school days so I decided to go along to the first ever Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness course in Kelso. I was totally unsure what to expect but really enjoyed the Mindfulness Based Living Course. I volunteered to help out when group started in Hawick and have done so ever since. I then enrolled for the Compassion Based Living Course and completed that 2nd time round. Mindfulness is now part of my life and I can honestly say practicing has changed me as a person (for the better) and has been my anchor through some very tough times! I often hear Brian's words PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.... It is a privilege to be a trustee for Peer 2 Peer and I hope I can help in any way possible to support the charity in allowing others to get the benefits I have got from being part of this community (my 2nd family)."
Nyree Stalker:
Nyree lives in Northumberland with her husband Nick and two cocker spaniels Dexter and Reggie. She is mum/step-mum to 6 grown up children and step-nana to 4 grandchildren.
Nyree was a civil servant for nearly 30 years within the Defence sector, before moving into management consultancy earlier this year, specialising in strategy, governance and business change for a global engineering, management, and development consultancy firm. In her spare time (if she ever has any!), she likes to go nordic walking, have weekends away in their motorhome, crochet for the children and grandchildren or craft her own quilled greetings cards.
Nyree dabbled in mindfulness techniques for several years to manage ongoing anxiety, stress and depression; however she never quite got the hang of it, nor understood the fundamentals. Indeed she thought it was about ‘clearing the mind of all thoughts.’
At the beginning of this 2024, Nyree moved home, country, and career all at the same time, while also dealing with long-term illness of an elderly family member, which required extensive and regular travel. As a result, she began to recognise the familiar symptoms of anxiety and depression creeping in, so she went to the local GP and was introduced to the Peer 2 Peer 8-week Mindfulness Based Living Course.
‘It has literally changed my life’, is Nyree’s honest opinion of the mindfulness courses. ‘The tutors explained the true meaning of mindfulness and taught me the fundamentals required to use it regularly to manage my symptoms. I remember having a light bulb moment when I realised it was about noting your thoughts and feelings and consciously deciding how you were going to react to them, rather than trying to ignore them or be pulled in. Furthermore, I realised that not only is it ok NOT to be ok, but it’s actually ok to BE ok too!’
‘The course had such a positive impact on my wellbeing that I felt impelled to volunteer with the charity, to help to give others the opportunity to improve their wellbeing too. By doing this however, I quickly realised that I was not only helping others, but had been included into a long-term supportive community, as well as a new group of friends.’
Sarah Wright: Sarah comes from a background in supporting adults with special needs and childcare. She gave up her career in Oxfordshire to relocate and care for her mother. She also has two nephews and two nieces who keep her busy. In her spare time she does cross-stitch, likes to keep learning new things, and believes that improving your mental health is important.
Sarah was told about Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness by her GP and started the 8 week Mindfulness Based Living Course (MBLC) in May 2023. She found it helped her enormously and highlighted the need for compassion in her life. She then started the 16 week Compassion Based Living Course (CBLC) in September 2023. She has volunteered to support others to do the MBLC, and helped in fundraising for Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness. Sarah is grateful for all she has learnt on her mindfulness journey so far. She wishes to give back by being a trustee.
Sarah says: "By living more mindfully each day, it allows me to discover more about myself and helps me to become more like the person I wish to be. Life is joyful and I know I don't need to be perfect".
Karen Baird: Karen trained to teach mindfulness with the UK Mindfulness Association. She now teaches courses and retreats in Mindfulness and Compassion within the local communities of the Scottish Borders where she lives and works.
She is also an assistant tutor with the Mindfulness Association leading sessions online and courses at Kagu Samye Ling Monastery on Eskdalemuir.
Karen has been a dedicated meditation practitioner for over 15 years and continues her personal development through studying and experiencing insight and wisdom practices.
Karen was originally drawn to mindfulness during her cancer journey where immersing herself in practice helped her deal with pain, anxiety and fear, and she began to find a new way of being with the mind and body, which has become a deeply rich basis for living a life full of joy, love and a passion to share the benefits of mindfulness practice with others.
Karen is also a fully trained Yoga Instructor which she teaches both from her garden studio in Melrose and in retreats combined with mindfulness practices. She is currently studying as a Sound Therapist with the Sound Healing Academy, bringing the harmonising, therapeutic and healing quality of sound baths to all those who are open to receiving the benefits.
George Greiss: George has built a career in the oil and gas industry, leading teams and working on projects that improved operations and supported business growth.
Having discovered mindfulness on his personal journey, he now combines his professional skills with his passion for well-being.
As a trustee, George is excited to help Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness reach more people, believing in the power of mindfulness to positively impact lives.
Alan Perris:
Alan is from Glasgow and studied art and design in Dundee before moving to Jedburgh almost thirty years ago to establish a new business. His hobbies and interests include art, photography, music, playing guitar and walking his dog in the Borders’ countryside. Janet and Alan have a son living in Glasgow.
Alan discovered Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness whilst experiencing physical and mental health challenges. He says: "I benefited in a big way from participating in a Peer 2 Peer Mindfulness course in 2018. Volunteering, as a way of showing my gratitude and giving something back to the Peer 2 Peer community, is something that feels natural to me. Assisting with setting up the mindfulness venues and retreats allows me to be part of the expanding community of fabulous people and friends involved with Peer2Peer.
I am so grateful for how both my mental health and physical well-being have improved beyond belief. Nowadays, life feels more complete and balanced and I feel more confident and able to cope with the busyness of everyday life. I feel safe, healthier, happier and living more at ease”.
Gavin Innes:
When Gavin stumbled upon mindfulness, he was really struggling. He had quit his job to care for his elderly mum, only to find himself jobless for the first time ever and feeling helpless as dementia slowly took her away. Thinking he was doing the right thing by putting his mum first, Gavin realised he was losing his own sense of self. The frustration of not being able to help her shattered his confidence, and a year of unemployment didn't help.
Then Gavin saw the Peer 2 Peer Mindful Based Living Course was being started. It was free and being run in Kelso it meant that he would be with people and not just faces on a screen. So he thought, why not? What started as curiosity quickly became a daily habit. Mindfulness, being fully present in the moment, changed his mental and emotional landscape profoundly. Before, his life was dominated by stress and anxiety from joblessness and care giving. Mindfulness taught him to pause, breathe, and observe his thoughts without judgment, breaking the cycle of stress and bringing some calm.
One big plus has been stress management. Mindfulness meditation made him more aware of stress triggers and equipped him with techniques to stay calm. This not only boosted his mental health but also his productivity. Plus, mindfulness strengthened his connections with himself and others, teaching him to listen better, communicate with more empathy, and appreciate the now.
Fast forward nearly two years, and Gavin's in a job that genuinely satisfies him and values his experience. His mum has passed away peacefully, and he was there, fully present, for her last days. After 98 years, the last words she heard were, "...and I love you too, Mum."
Gavin now says "Mindfulness has made me a better colleague, a better friend, better father, better husband, better son. It has also introduced me to my best life-long friend - me.
Robert Lindsay:
Robert has a keen interest in care and personal development, particularly in the areas of energy healing, neuroscience and mindful meditation.
Robert has been involved with Peer2Peer both as a trustee and a volunteer. He was first introduced to mindfulness in 2018 as a potential tool to help with a particularly difficult period of depression and anxiety. Having found the course very useful, he went on to complete the follow-on Compassion Based Living Course and has been a practitioner ever since.
“I found the initial 8 week course had a profound impact on my ability to bring balance and harmony back to my life. So much so, that I regularly volunteer at the Galashiels course, community group and regular events, so that others may share the benefit that these courses can bring to our lives”..