Meet the Team

Tel : 07377 070387

Takki Sulaiman – CEO

Takki has senior level experience in business, the public sector, politics and the voluntary sector. Following his relocation to Lochawe in 2015, Takki joined Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface as CEO in March 2021 after three Chief Officer roles in councils including Greenwich and Aberdeen City Council where he managed a range of services including policy and strategy, heritage, culture, leisure, community services, voluntary sector grants and communications.

Prior to his time in local government, he was Head of Public Engagement at Cafcass, a UK government Executive Agency of the Department for Education where he worked to promote the voice of the child in family courts.  He was also Head of Communications for supported housing provider, Stonham. In the late 90s Takki was a co-founder of an Aim-listed financial PR company and in a parallel life he was a councillor for a London borough.

Having started his career in the voluntary sector as a fundraiser and event organiser, he has an acute understanding of the central role charities, community organisations and social enterprises play in the fabric of our communities.  This is even more so for our rural and island communities and Takki considers it a privilege to have a key role in supporting and promoting voluntary and community organisations in Argyll and Bute.

Third Sector Support Advisors

We have four Support Advisors serving the four wards in Argyll and Bute. Our advisors have extensive knowledge of operating in the Third Sector and can advise and help in the areas such as securing funding, setting up a charity, defining your constitution, policies, training, social enterprises, volunteering plus much more.

You can book an appointment, either online or face to face, with your Support Advisor by signing in as a member and clicking the relevant “Book Appointment” button. This will show their availability and allow you to book a meeting.

Petra Pearce

Oban, Lorn & the Isles

Petra is a passionate advocate of community development with over 25 years of experience in the Third Sector. Her roots are planted in Islay, her birthplace, where she has cultivated a robust background in social enterprise and community engagement. Island life often necessitates creative problem solving due to limited resources.

In her role at Argyll and Bute TSI she gets to share her enthusiasm and leverage the skills she’s honed over the years to empower individuals and groups in the Third Sector. Outside her professional life she enjoys spending time with family and exploring the world.

Tel : 07956768604

Margaret Wallace

Mid Argyll & Kintyre

Margaret has many years’ experience in supporting Third Sector organisations across Mid Argyll and Kintyre and wider afield.

She assists community groups in variety of ways, including the process of achieving Charitable status and accessing funds. She considers building relationships with community organisations the most important aspect of her role.

Tel : 07443631835

Janis Marshall Reilly

Cowal and Bute

Janis worked for over 25 years in the cultural sector as a performer, director, programmer and events/festival manager. She specialised in work for children and families.

Having departed Cowal in the late 1990s, she recently returned with a family on tow and found her new role as Third Sector Support Advisor, relishing the opportunity to meet and support the inspirational organisations across Cowal and Bute. She still dips the occasional toe into creative work, moonlights as a Wedding Celebrant, loves whisky, recently got a pair of roller boots and is a Freddie Mercury fanatic.

Tel : 07443764851

Caryl Mclean

Helenbugh and Lomond

Caryl is a dedicated professional working across the Helensburgh and Lomond area. As a Third Sector Advisor, her role involves providing guidance, support and advocacy; helping to ensure the diverse needs of our local communities are effectively represented and addressed.

Whether coordinating initiatives, supporting grassroots projects or simply being the local go to point of contact, Caryl is committed to fostering an environment where collaboration thrives, resources are maximised and communities are enpowered to succeed.

Tel : 07398989436

Tel : 07377070392

Lauren Martin – Business Manager

Lauren is responsible for not just the day to day management of the back office functions, but also maintains our social media presence and website content, organises meetings and conferences such as our Volunteer of the Year awards, and manages and maintains our Meeting Hub in Inveraray. She is also the lead on numerous projects within the TSI and has extensive knowledge on process and procedures within the sector.

Kirsten Johnston – Coordinator

Kirsten has worked for Argyll and Bute TSI for several years and is the lead for Networks, Policy and Volunteering, with responsibility for organising network meetings and events.  Kirsten also sits on local and national partnership meetings and forums.  Kirsten project manages the Positive Destinations programme and is the key contact for volunteering and external projects and partnerships that will support the sector.

Tel : 07778472308

Tel : 07443763460

Phil Ashby- Systems and Data Manager

Phil has 30 years experience in the corporate sector in both a Training and IT background. He is responsible for setting up and maintaining our database of Third Sector organisations, the creation and maintenance of the Community Directory and the creation and maintenance of our bespoke Funding Platform. He also works at streamlining processes through developing online solutions. He’s happy to offer advice to the Third Sector on technical issues and solutions.

Brian Grout – Volunteer & Mentor Officer

As part of our ongoing drive to promote Volunteering and the positive impact this can make on individuals, we run our Positive Destinations programme. This involves a group of external mentors that work with people in the community to help them grow and develop. Brian is the lead Mentor and works closely with Kirsten in running this great programme.

Tel : 07940026705