About » Who we are
Trustees
Marie Fallon
Marie Fallon (MD FRCP(Glas) FRCP(E) MRCGP DCH DRCOG) is Professor of Palliative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and is an Honorary Consultant in Palliative Medicine based at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre. She has played a significant role in research both nationally and internationally. She has led international palliative care guidelines such as ESMO for cancer pain and ASCO for cachexia. She has been Joint Editor of four editions of the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine which is the reference textbook in the specialty. She has edited several other books and sits on numerous grant committees, as well as being an editorial board member of the BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care. Finally, of note, much of her research in recent years and currently relates to Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs). She strives to help with the thorny issue of opioid availability in LMICs.
David Knight
David is a retired orthopaedic surgeon, he worked in Aberdeen from 1990. He is a born and bred Scot, but in 2011 he moved to China to work with a Christian NGO. He tried with limited success to learn Chinese and then taught foreign medical students and Chinese doctors in a big city in South-west China. He returned to Scotland in early 2020, and soon entered lockdown. He was a Cairdeas Trustee in the early years and has now returned to the fold. He is busy with the leadership team of his local church and loves to travel and to read, sometimes at the same time.
Marian Morrison
Marian trained in Obstetrics in Glasgow and served in a Christian Hospital in Pakistan for many years, latterly as Hospital Director. Whilst she does not have experience in the field of Palliative Care, she does have cross cultural experience and a working knowledge of the kinds of communities Cairdeas is aiming to facilitate training and delivery of care. She is excited to join the team of Trustees, learn more of this worthwhile ministry, and contribute to the organisation.
Margaret Sutherland
Professor Margaret Sutherland, PhD is Professor of High Ability Studies and Inclusive Practice and is Director of the Scottish Network for Able Pupils at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She has 42 years teaching experience in mainstream primary schools, behaviour support and latterly in higher education. She is interested in social justice and issues relating to poverty and the role of formal and non-formal education in creating more just societies in the global north and south. She adds, "Having lived in Lenzie, I have known Mhoira for over 30 years and so have seen first-hand the development of Cairdeas and the difference it has made in many parts of the world. I’m honoured to bring my experiences in Higher Education to the board."
Staff
Mhoira Leng
Medical Director
Mhoira is a specialist palliative care physician with over 25 years’ experience. Global palliative care, values based health systems and addressing the huge global inequalities in access to palliative care are a particular interest and led to the founding of Cairdeas. She has worked in 5 continents supporting palliative care and loves to develop and mentor the next generation of palliative care practitioners. She currently holds academic contracts in Uganda (where she is based) and Scotland, is a board member of the International Hospice and Palliative Care Association. She loves to explore the food, dress and culture of the places she visits and spend time in the great outdoors… the wilder the better.
Grace Kivumbi
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer
Grace is the monitoring and evaluation officer for Cairdeas based in Uganda working alongside Dr. Mhoira Leng and the team in the Makerere Palliative Care Unit. Before this she worked with Hospice Africa Uganda for close to 10 years running the administration of the distance learning programmes in Palliative Care. She is blessed with two daughters St.Claire and Kayleen Margaret. She enjoys spending time with family, watching soaps and dancing!
Ian Robinson
Finance Officer
Ian is our finance officer. He keeps an eye on our income and spending to ensure that we operate within our means. He provides bi-monthly finance reports to the trustees and prepares the end of year final accounts for independent examination and submission to OSCR. Ian is a retired chartered electrical engineer who spent a long career working on large industrial projects in the UK and overseas. He has also in recent years run his own consultancy business and brings skills in this area to our operation. Ian volunteers, with his wife as a befriender for Care for the Family’s Bereaved Parents Support network and has also been involved in fund raising for the Brain Tumour charity, Hope for the Future, Parkinsons UK and the Mustard Tree Trust (Northumberland). Ian is interested in music and plays guitar in the Northumberland based Teddy King Big Band as well as performing solo. He is also a keen runner and is due to run in the Great North Run again this year. Ian is a keen Sunderland AFC supporter.
Hannah Ikong
International Programmes Consultant
Hannah began supporting the communications of Cairdeas IPCT in September 2022 and then joined as an International Programmes Consultant in March 2023. She also serves as a consultant in administration and finance in two other organisations. She appreciates the approach of Cairdeas IPCT as "motivated by Christ's love" in the work of palliative care. She enjoys participating in different ministries at church, reading, taking walks, and time with family.
