Meet the Team
Deborah Grant
Willow Den’s Chief Executive Officer, Deborah, brings a unique skill set from the charitable and Social Enterprise sectors alongside Early Learning and Childcare (ELC). She has more than 25 years of experience leading and supporting organisations and individuals to reach their potential, both in Scotland and in Canada.
She believes that outdoor pedagogy is key to health and wellbeing as children develop their critical thinking, a sense of
responsibility and an understanding of the world we live in. Tackling inequality has been her career-long goal by creating opportunities that enable children, young people, and grown-ups to thrive. Deborah as well as being a qualified ELC practitioner has a BA in Business and Enterprise and an MSc in Entrepreneurial Leadership. She is also a Trustee for both the RDA and Take-a-Bow Musical Theatre. At home, she spends time with her family, horses and dogs.
Louise Collingwood
Willow Den’s Head of Finance, Louise, is a Chartered Accountant with over twenty years experience across accounting practice and financial services. During this time she has worked with a wide range of businesses from small start-ups to international banks.
She developed a keen interest in child development and equity through work with her children’s school, where she is chair of the Parent Council, and other volunteering.
When not at work she enjoys spending time at home with her family and getting out and about with their dog.
Vicki Shiels
Vicki, our Multi-Site Manager, began working in early years following 10 years as a pub manager, initially on a placement with children with Additional Support Needs. ASN has remained a strong interest and focus through her early years career. With this focus, Vicki has gained a great deal of knowledge and experience accessing support from other professionals to support families.
Vicki returned to study to complete her HNC Childood Studies, PDA Childhood Development and BA Childhood Practice while working in a range of private settings across Edinburgh.
Vicki brings 10 years of experience in Senior Management roles in nurseries in a mixture of locations and meeting the needs of a range of families.
Prior to joining Willow Den, Vicki managed a 120 place setting where she introduced a blended indoor/outdoor nursery experience. This allowed the children to spend part of their time fully outdoors.
Vicki is passionate about children’s learning and has seen the huge benefits outdoor learning brings to children.
In her spare time, Vicki loves taking her dog mantrailing and to the beach, listening to music and singing very loudly in her car!
Kathie Nicolson
Willow Den’s Administration & Finance Assistant, Kathie, brings a breadth of business support skills to the team. She has worked across a range of sectors in Scotland over 15 years, including start-ups, social investment and grant-making.
Kathie’s passion for early years development was sparked after having her own children and cemented working for a leading early years funder. She understands how investment in providing high-quality, safe, nurturing but also challenging environments for children during their first years can have the greatest positive impact in shaping their development and futures.
Outside of work Kathie enjoys making the most of the incredible Scottish countryside, building dens and hunting for fairy houses with her children as well as baking and reading.
Meet the Willow Den at Spartans Team
Amy McGlinchey
As Manager of Willow Den at Spartans, Amy is a huge advocate of outdoor play having built a career in early learning and childcare over the past fifteen years. Her love of the outdoors prompted her to complete the Level 2 Forest Kindergarten training, as well as completing specialist courses on rope and tool work with children.
Amy’s experience includes roles as a Senior EYP and most recently as an Outdoor Learning Coordinator, she has used her enthusiasm to promote outdoor play at every opportunity. She wholehearted believes that all children have the right to play and learn in the great outdoors.
In her spare time, Amy enjoys family life with her partner, her young daughter, and two cats. As a family they enjoy getting outdoors as much as possible, they all love a good camp out! At home, Amy is often found cooking up big family meals, or she can be found outside tending to her wild garden.
Satoko Kojima-Kirylczuk
Satoko (Toko/ Toto) has been specialising in Early Years Education for about 10 years. Satoko is deeply interested in the magical reaction between children, play and nature. Recently, she participated Forest School Leader training which transformed her interests into her true profession.
Prior to working with children outdoors at Willow Den, Satoko carried out Forest School sessions for pre-school children and participated in nature play sessions with young children, as well as teaching Japanese language.
As a mum of nature loving daughter, Satoko has witnessed the increased confidence and happiness within her own daughter as a result of spending time outside, and she believes nature is the best stimuli to be awaken everyone’s curiosity. She is happy for children to experience the everyday wonder that being outdoors can bring, and to be part of that journey.
Satoko is a passionate allotment holder and enjoys cooking with her own harvest. With her electric bicycle she cycles for miles exploring Edinburgh and the surrounding areas.
Laura Weston
I grew up in Edinburgh with squirrels on my shoulders. While studying ecology at uni, I started working as an environmental educator with schools in Edinburgh, and continued that for 12 years. I love sharing my passion for nature and helping kids to grow in confidence by getting muddy, or climbing trees, or being creative, or just trying again.
Recently I completed an MSc in the Psychology of Mental Health, and now I’m very excited to be part of an inspiring team at Willow Den and back outside with happy children! I often have leaves in my hair and pockets full of natural treasures, and am happiest either at my pond, on a beach, next to a campfire, or on a netball court.
Jo Fitzpatrick
Jo is from Ireland and has worked in the great outdoors for over 20 years. After gaining her BSc in Outdoor Education she travelled the world and worked outdoors with young people in New Zealand, Asia, Canada, Austria and Switzerland before returning to the UK to complete her MSc in Outdoor Education at the University of Edinburgh.
She is at her happiest outdoors and is passionate about increasing opportunities for connection to nature for young people due to the holistic benefits it can bring to people’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
As a Lowland Leader, Bushcraft Instructor, NNAS Tutor and most recently a Forest Kindergarten trainer, Jo is looking forward to continue developing her skills and is undertaking an SVQ with West Lothian College in childcare.
In her spare time, Jo is a keen sea kayaker, hiker and rock climber and is involved in leading and assessing young people in their Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. She enjoys photography and good coffee and although Jo lived in a Swiss ski resort for 2 years, she claims she cannot ski and was only there for the chocolate and the cheese!
Ana Sanz Amador
Ana completed her degree in Sociology in Spain and moved to Edinburgh almost 12 years ago and couldn’t be happier!
Ana has always had an ability to connect with children but after starting her career in childcare she discovered her passion.
Ana completed her qualification in Childcare SVQ3 in 202 and not long after was introduced to outdoor learning, which she loved. It connects with Ana’s vision of child-centred play.
Ana spent 1 year leading on outdoor learning and learning a bit of everything to nature and is delighted to now be in a fully outdoor early learning and childcare setting.
In her spare time, Ana loves walking (not hiking she tells us though – she stops too often to have a look at a flower or pick a bramble), camping, taking care of her many indoor plants and her fish Mario. Ana loves any kind of crafts – the messier the better!
Meet the Willow Den at The Falkirk Wheel Team
Rhiannon Turner
My name is Rhiannon but most of the time the children call me Rhi. I am from the North of Ireland from a small town called Ballymoney. I love rainbows and bright colours and spend most of my free time crafting and creating using my Cri-cut machine or sketching and painting.
I love the sea and spending time in the water wild sea swimming. I used to work as a swimming teacher and have also spent time in America at a summer camp, where I was a life guard and camp councillor working with children aged 6-17.
I have just moved to Scotland from London where I previously worked full time as a Primary One teacher in a primary school.
A fun fact about me is that my fiancé and I collect board games and have over 100 now in our collection! I also absolutely hate the smell and taste of fish (which is ironic as my father in law works on a boat catching and selling lobsters!).
Jessica Moir Keown
My name is Jessica and I have experience working and volunteering with children since 2014, in a variety of settings, from teaching in Uganda to summer camp in Tennessee!
I completed my BPS Psychology Honours at Glasgow Caledonian University and my PGDE (Primary) in Oban, the west cost in my favourite part of Scotland.
Outside of work I’m a beach lifeguard and enjoy surfing, be it on Scottish islands or somewhere more exotic!
Willow Den Associates
Rachel Cowper
Rachel leads on the design and implementation of both Thrive Outdoors and the Island’s Green Recovery Programme at Inspiring Scotland. Since 2009 Rachel has been actively increasing outdoor play and learning opportunities for children throughout Scotland.
Her experience in the outdoor play sector has made her a leading voice in helping to change and shape attitudes towards play at a national policy level and on the ground. Her work on Thrive Outdoors has led to international recognition and cooperation with similar programmes and leading academics in the field of physical activity, play and play-based learning.
Alongside her outdoor skills and knowledge, Rachel brings 20 years of experience in business management and economic regeneration (FDI) and business development. Using that skills set to support companies across the Scottish Islands on the environmental ambitions for economic growth and recovery.
She was instrumental in developing the plans that brought Willow Den to fruition, ensuring that more children in Scotland benefit from access to outdoor play.
Rachel’s outdoor life continues at home where she farms cattle and sheep in Ayrshire and on the Isle of Bute.
Mairi Ferris
Mairi has long been a passionate advocate for children, play and the natural environment.
She brings a wealth of experience in early years, childcare, children’s rights, workforce development and quality improvement. Prior to joining Inspiring Scotland’s Thrive Outdoors team in 2017, Mairi was the interim Chief Executive at outdoor learning social enterprise Stramash and spent eleven years with Fife Council as Early Years Partnership Manager.
Mairi works specifically on outdoor early learning and childcare for the Thrive Outdoors team leading on their partnership with Glasgow City Council.
Mairi is a qualified ELC practitioner, has an MA in Social Policy a professional award in Leadership & Management and trained as an Improvement Advisor with the Institute of Healthcare Improvement in 2015. She is currently studying part-time for an MSC Education.
