Who we are
Community Development Alliance Scotland is a registered Scottish Charity whose work is overseen by a Management Group and organised by a co-ordinator. If you are interested in the work of the management group then please contact CDAS for further information.
You can access and read our Constitution by clicking here.
Colette McGarva - Co-ordinator
Colette McGarva
I am delighted to be co-ordinating CDAS and always look forward to getting to know our members and more about their organisations. I am reminded of the literal definition and core values and principles of an effective “Alliance”. From the French word ally/ allegiance meaning solidarity, coalition, joining of forces, unity and collaboration; I will endeavour to support you, your organisation, teams and clients in order to strengthen our alliance and support the progression and enhancement of community development policy and practice in Scotland, Europe and beyond.
I believe it is crucial to value our existing membership organisations and to build upon examples of good practice in order to learn, share and become stronger together.
Colette brings a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience in community development, regeneration and co-production nationally and Internationally to CDAS and has worked for the past 25 years on community development and regeneration policy and practice in various parts of Scotland as well as Africa and North America. From 2016 to 2021, she was a Board member and Regional Director for Europe for the International Association for Community Development and the Chair of the Membership, Communications and Marketing Committee for IACD. As the chair of the World Community Development Conference Advisory Group 2019, she co-ordinated national partners in preparation for the IACD conference. She is a recipient of IACD Global Ambassador Award 2021.
Jewels Lang - Chairperson
Jewels Lang
Jewels Lang has been the chairperson of CDAS for 3 years and brings a wealth of experience in community development including human rights and inclusion.
She is the current CEO of Stratherrick and Foyers Community Trust.
I previously worked for Scottish Refugee Council as their Community Development Manager using my experience of community development and fundraising to benefit refugees and their communities across Scotland.
I am delighted to be the Chief Executive Officer of the SFCT and will continue to use my lifelong experience of community development, people and project management to ensure the Trust understands and strives to meet the needs of the community.
Chris Woodness
Chris represents CLD Managers Scotland as a Trustee and board member to CDAS and brings 30+ Years of experience in CLD, initially through the third sector before moving across to the statutory sector in Youthwork, Adult learning before developing a focus over the past 25 Years in Community Development, community regeneration; public engagement and capacity building. Chris is also recognised for his experience and skill in chairing and representing several national community development organisations from, Scottish Community Development Network, the National network for CD practitioners. Former chair of CDAS and Chair to the Registrations and Membership committee of the (CLD Standards Council). He brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding from representing CD on a national platform and engaging directly with funding bodies; Scottish Government Policy teams always with a focus on the future for Community Development practice across Scotland and internationally.
An advocate for building stronger partnerships around Community Development policy and practice in furtherance of empowered communities The inclusion of all partners to positively influence Anti- poverty and community participation agendas to benefit our communities.
Chris firmly believes the enhancement of the role and work of CDAS, CLDMS, CLDSC and all inter-related national partner agencies supporting local community-based community development practitioners is the best way to stronger, more resilient individuals and communities. We must develop pathways into learning for future Community Development practitioners.
Derek Rankine
Derek Rankine
Derek is motivated by evolving relationships between community and place, and the scope for making positive, practical changes in Scotland’s urban and rural communities. He has over 20 years of experience in community empowerment, place-based regeneration, stakeholder engagement, policy development and charitable governance.
In early 2025 Derek joined BEFS, the umbrella body for organisations working in the built environment in Scotland. Drawing on extensive expertise in a membership-led forum, BEFS informs, debates and advocates on the strategic issues, opportunities and challenges facing Scotland’s historic and contemporary built environment. He previously worked for the regeneration charity SURF - Scotland's Regeneration Forum, and has been a CDAS Board Member since 2022.
Dr Andie Reynolds
Dr Andie Reynolds
Andie Reynolds is the Programme Director for the MSc in Social Justice and Community Action, and a Teaching Fellow in Learning in Communities at the University of Edinburgh. Andie obtained her PhD in Community Development Policy in 2018; has eleven years of experience of undertaking teaching and research in HE across the UK, and over nine years of practitioner experience in youth work, community development and adult education and in the voluntary / civil society sector across seven different countries (UK, USA, Australia, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Ethiopia).
Andie has been involved in a total of fifteen research and evaluation projects across the fields of refugee education, widening participation in Higher Education, young people and mental health, community development and organising, youth work and volunteering. Andie is also a board member for Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland.
Vikki Carpenter
Vikki Carpenter
Vikki has joined the board of CDAS representing the CLD Standards Council, where she has the position of Development Officer for Policy. Vikki has a passion for all things CLD, and has worked and volunteered within the CLD sector for over 20 years through her roles with Aberdeenshire Council, SACHD (Scottish Association for Children with Heart Disorders), Fife College and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Vikki is enthusiastic about raising the profile of all things CLD in Scotland through improving policies and practice, as well as growing, developing and supporting all practitioners within CLD.
Nicola Sykes
Nicola Sykes
Nicola is the Education Scotland representative to the CDAS board. She currently leads the Education Scotland Communities and Families national improvement team, which includes Community Learning and Development (CLD), Parental Engagement and Family Learning. Her main responsibilities include leading national responses to support policy implementation through: cross-sectoral collaboration, professional learning and networks, and targeted improvement support.
She has over 27 years experience working in community, education, and skills across the voluntary sector, local authority CLD, further education, and national policy and improvement. Nicola undertook an undergraduate degree in Ecological Science at the University of Edinburgh, then motivated by her experience working in community-led regeneration, went on to gain a Post Graduate Diploma in Community Education at the University of Dundee. She is also a proud member of the CLD Standards Council.
Gordon Terris
Gordon Terris
Gordon Terris is Vice Chair of SCDN and has worked in CD with the public sector for 30 years. Gordon has been involved in the CDAS conference planning as part of his role on the board.
Iain Shaw
Iain Shaw
Iain has over 30 years’ experience in community development using participatory video, theatre arts, media and communications.
Media Education supports people to move from awareness to action. They use filmmaking training and production as the means by which people can develop an overview, see where they fit in the overall picture, work out their powers and make reasoned, effective arguments for the changes they want for themselves and others.
This creative, inclusive practice brings about transformational change for individuals, groups, organisations and society more widely.
He has been a board member of CDAS since 2024.