our board members
Dan Grandfield - chair
Dan has had a 25 year career in hotel management before setting up his own recruitment, coaching and training business. Dan is passionate about empowering people and building resilience in communities. He lives in Crieff with his wife Susan where they indulge their passion for hillwalking and mountaineering. Dan is also a trustee of Crieff Community Trust and a volunteer with Crieff Connexions and PKC.
donna murray
Donna has had the privilege of working in care and support for 30 years as a carer, personal assistant, practitioner and currently as part of a team helping to implement Self-directed Support.
Donna is passionate about human rights and people being able to choose the type of support which works best for them delivered in their local community by a range of providers in creative ways.
She loves living in rural Perthshire with her daughter and dogs and enjoys running and cycling and catching up with friends on walks and volunteering at the Community Putting Green and Biodynamic Garden.
david holland - treasurer
David is a chartered accountant and company secretary and has worked in financial services for 30 years. He was Head of Fund Accounting at an investment firm in Edinburgh until April 2020 and relocated to his home in Kinloch Rannoch in 2019. David is responsible for all finance and legal aspects at Rannoch Community Trust, a charity based in Rannoch and together with his wife, they operate the Rannoch Foodbank. This year David set up Rannoch eBike Hire to offer something new for locals and tourists as he is passionate about cycling and the great outdoors.
Pat scrutton
Pat’s work background is in community development. Between 1998 and 2009 she was project co-ordinator for Better Government for Older People, initially in South Lanarkshire, and then across Scotland. In 2007, Pat launched the Intergenerational National Network (INN) and continued with her role as co-ordinator when she retired in 2009.
Pat has been on the board of Outside the Box for some years so has watched the development of Support Choices from the beginning. Now that it is developing as an independent organisation, she is looking forward to being even more involved as a board member.
john gilruth
John retired from his role as Director of Housing and Community Care with Perth & Kinross Council in April 2016 having previously undertaken roles as the Head of Service for Children and Families and Head of Service for Adult Social Work and Criminal Justice. Alongside this, John has undertaken voluntary work for Age Concern, Health Encouragement in Deveronside, Banff and Buchan Council of Social Service and is currently the Coordinator of ‘Gien a Haund’ which is a local befriending network.
John’s interests include community activism, reading, writing, gardening, walking, cycling and wine.
eddie king
Eddie brings a wealth of first hand knowledge and experience of self directed support to the Support Choices board.
Following a car accident 11 years ago, Eddie was spinally injured and as a result is a full time wheelchair user. Eddie continues to successfully navigate his own self directed support journey and is passionate about improving care services in Perth and Kinross.
Eddie has played wheelchair rugby competitively and enjoys archery, chess and poker
john yellowlees
John retired from his role as Learning & Development Adviser with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) in 2022. His 15 years there included a secondment as a Senior Fitness to Practise Case Officer. Previously he worked with Capability Scotland in front-line, management and training roles, then as a Social Work practice teacher with Dundee Voluntary Action and as a freelance SVQ assessor and social care trainer. John also undertakes voluntary work as an NHS Volunteer Responder.
John loves time with his family; hill walking/climbing (with or without beloved Jack Russell Terrier); leatherwork (he was once a full-time craftworker); and playing guitar.
Deirdre yellowlees
Deirdre is married to Johnny and both are blessed with two grown up ‘children’, a grand-daughter and a JR terrier. Deirdre has been a prison chaplain for 25years at HMP’s Perth and Cornton Vale – now HMP Stirling. From 200-2012 also a Parish Assistant in a Team Ministry in Strathearn. Until very recently and for 30 years, a shepherd assisting her father on his farm on Lochtayside. Deirdre’s initial contact with Support Choices was enabling her to best navigate the complexities of the Care system on behalf of her father who needed supported care for 4 years or so before his death in 2022.
Click below to view our governing document which explains what Support Choices is set up to do and how we operate.