Our People

Staff Team

Dr Rose Drew
Chief Executive Officer (part-time)

rose.drew@interfaithglasgow.org

Rose (she/her) is founding CEO of Interfaith Glasgow.  Her interest in interfaith dialogue began while living with a Hindu family while teaching English in Nepal in the late 1990s.  As well as extensive practical interfaith experience and facilitation training, Rose has a PhD in Theology and Religious Studies (University of Glasgow) and an MA in Interreligious Relations (University of Birmingham); and has held lecturing and research posts at Glasgow and Uppsala universities (including a period as Programme Director of Glasgow’s Postgraduate Masters in Inter-Faith Studies).  She has published academic articles in the fields of interreligious dialogue, comparative theology, and the theology of religions; and an award-winning book, Buddhist and Christian? An Exploration of Dual Belonging (Routledge, 2011).

Dr Magdalen Lambkin
Development Director (part-time)

magdalen.lambkin@interfaithglasgow.org

Magdalen (she/her) manages a range of our projects and has responsibility for developing new programmes. Originally from Belfast and brought up within Northern Ireland’s vibrant ecumenical movement, she became interested in interfaith engagement on moving to Glasgow and encountering its rich diversity. She has an MTh in Inter-faith Studies from the University of Glasgow, where she also completed a PhD. Her thesis explored various theories and practices of interreligious learning, including the dialogue practice of Scriptural Reasoning. She is a trained facilitator and mediator and a volunteer practitioner with Place for Hope – a charity assisting faith communities experiencing change and conflict.

Fakhriya Abdulkadir
Project Leader (part-time)

fakhriya.abdulkadir@interfaithglasgow.org

Fakhriya’s (she/her) work is focussed the delivery and development of our Weekend Club project – an interfaith response to the social isolation experienced by people from refugee backgrounds – and before joining our staff team, she was a volunteer with the Weekend Club for more than five years. Fakhriya has considerable experience of working with people from refugee backgrounds and was awarded an Ethnic Minority Impact Award by CEMVO in 2017 in recognition of her voluntary work in this area. Fakhriya is trained in community development work and holds a BA in Community Development from the University of Glasgow. Fakhriya is deeply committed to highlighting the inequalities faced by asylum seekers and refugees and to challenging the ideologies and power structures that affect marginalised groups.

Thalia Groucott
Project Leader (part-time, freelance)

thalia.groucott@interfaithglasgow.org

Thalia (they/she) coordinates the Interfaith Food Justice Network, which supports collaboration between groups tackling food poverty from diverse religion and belief perspectives. When not working for Interfaith Glasgow they work on communications and community engagement at Glasgow Food Policy Partnership, manage Dig In Community Greengrocers in Govan, and run a food-focused craft group for young people at Rumpus Room on the Southside of Glasgow. Despite a clear interest in food, Thalia actually studied Politics at the University of Glasgow (although they always wrote essays about food when given the chance!). Thalia is passionate about food justice from international supply chains to grassroots food initiatives, and is pleased to now be working in this area in an interfaith capacity.

Gaston Bacquet
Project Leader (part-time, freelance)

gaston.bacquet@interfaithglasgow.org

Gaston (he/him) leads on dialogue programmes and supports the delivery of the Interfaith Restorative Justice Project, a three year partnership with The Faith and Belief Forum and Restorative Justice charity Why Me? Gaston is originally from Chile and brings more than two decades of experience teaching and facilitating inter-cultural dialogue, having worked and taught in Saudi Arabia, Myanmar and Japan. He has an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from University College London and a PhD in Education from the University of Glasgow. His thesis explored ways to develop inclusive pedagogies informed by different nonviolence philosophies, such as Gandhi’s satyagraha and Buddhism. He has a strong commitment to assisting in the development of inter-cultural understanding by bridging gaps of faith, ethnicity, culture and sexuality. In addition to his work at Interfaith Glasgow, Gaston teaches intercultural communication at the University of Strathclyde and contributes to the class on Education and Violence at the University of Glasgow.

Board of Trustees

Rev Dr Kleber Machado
(Chair)

Kleber is a Church of Scotland minister serving a city centre parish. He was born in Brazil and has also lived in the Netherlands and England. Alongside personal experience as migrant, Kleber has worked with migrant communities in various contexts, such as when he was a minister in a community of Dutch migrants in Brazil. He has also helped in different Church of Scotland faith projects in Africa. Kleber has a MTh in Interreligious Dialogue and a PhD in Intercultural Theology from VU Amsterdam and is very interested in the rationale behind interfaith cooperation and multifaith fellowship.

Lynnda Wardle
(Vice Chair)

Lynnda worked for Interfaith Glasgow from 2015-2023, latterly Programme Manager for our Weekend Club project, which facilitates an interfaith response to the social isolation often experienced by people from refugee backgrounds.  Her interest in community development work grew out of her experience as a community librarian in South Africa in the 1980s and 90s.  Lynnda studied community librarianship at the University of America in Washington D.C. on a Fulbright Scholarship and obtained a BA in Community Development from the University of Glasgow in 2012.  She worked with Bridges Programmes as an employability caseworker for refugees before joining the Interfaith Glasgow team. Lynnda is also a writer and is currently completing an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, exploring the experiences of Scottish migrants to South Africa in the 1820s.

Andrew Lal
(Treasurer)

Andrew is an active member of Glasgow’s Hindu community. In particular, he has been involved with the Hindu Mandir Glasgow for over 20 years and is an executive committee member. A wholesaler and property developer by profession, Andrew has engaged far and wide with different communities around Scotland, enhancing his communication skills. As a Trustee of the social and cultural centre Shanti Bhavan, moreover, Andrew helps to bring elderly members of different communities together.

Sheikh Hassan Rabbani

Hassan is a Scottish born Muslim (Sunni) Imam & Scholar. He completed his theological studies at Al-Azhar University in Cairo; and holds postgraduate degrees from the University of Aberdeen & the University of Glasgow. Hassan is very active in the interfaith space and currently serves as an Imam in the south-side of Glasgow where he has hosted numerous interfaith events. He also is also an Imam & Muslim Chaplain at Heriot-Watt University; works as a Relationship Counsellor; and is a frequent contributor with the BBC Radio Scotland.

Katie Sproull

Katie worked for Interfaith Glasgow from 2019-2023, latterly as Project Leader focusing on delivering dialogue events, coordinating the Interfaith Food Justice Network, and managing our talented team of office volunteers. Katie now works for the Scottish Qualifications Authority as an Assessment Materials Officer, with a specific focus on accessibility. Glasgow born and raised, Katie has an MA and MTh in Theology and Religious Studies from the University of Glasgow, her research masters specialising in biblical art, and she is also a trained facilitator. Katie’s interest in interfaith engagement was sparked when she started attending our Faith to Faith dialogue events, while working as a volunteer with our partners at St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art. In her free time, Katie can be found in a climbing in a bouldering gym!

Sabah Aslam 

From a Muslim background, Sabah was introduced to interfaith work after carrying out Seva, or selfless service, with the Sikh community in Glasgow.  Her curiosity about Glasgow’s religious diaspora led her to Interfaith Glasgow and she worked with us as an Events and Communications Volunteer for four years before becoming a Board Member in 2022.  A Policy and Public Affairs Coordinator by profession, Sabah has extensive experience of researching and working with marginalised communities through her work with refugees and asylum seekers and her research in relation to gender inequality and the racial and religious discrimination faced by Scotland’s ethnic minority communities.

Mala Jayhindaran

Mala arrived in Scotland as an Asylum Seeker, bringing with her more than 40 years’ experience in community development, fifteen years’ experience as a politician, and five years’ with The Ministry of Communication Multimedia Malaysia. She was the founding President of Social Economic and Women’s Welfare Association in Malaysia – an organisation supporting women facing social exclusion and other difficulties. Mala has won multiple awards in recognition of her contributions to society, including, in 2013, the Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm – a Malaysian federal award for meritorious service to the country; and, in 2019, a Minority Ethnic Impact Award from CEMVO Scotland, in recognition of her health research with BAME communities in Scotland.

Sunna Kaleem

A Shia Muslim and active member of Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society, Sunna is a psychologist by profession and has a wealth of experience with diverse charities, ranging from working with people with life-limiting health conditions to addressing mental health needs. She has also worked with community councils and undertaken international interfaith work. Sunna loves meeting people from diverse backgrounds across the world. “Learning new things always excites me and I believe working together is the key to a successful and purposeful life!”

Kam Kaur

Kam is an initiated Sikh, trying to implement the teachings in her daily life.  She is passionate about tackling social injustice issues and has currently been involved in climate change work – something she attributes to the cultural values she inherited from her parents, who were farmers in the Punjab:  organic farming, reusing, recycling, and resource-sharing.  Kam has been working in Glasgow’s Third Sector for more than ten years:  initially, as a finance officer and now running workshops helping women in confidence and wellbeing.  Kam has also delivered practical, educational workshops for local women exploring practical steps to combat climate change.  She’s also a mother to two daughters and recognises the importance of open discussions on all aspects of life.

Rev Dr Maggie McTernan

Maggie began her career as a social worker, supporting children and families in a variety of settings. She is a Christian and was ordained in the Scottish Episcopal Church more than ten years ago. Since then, she has worked part time in the church alongside her other work. Having served as a city councillor for five years in Glasgow, Maggie is now encouraging other women on their own political journeys as Programme Coordinator for Scotland at Elect Her. Alongside other community work, she has been involved in interfaith work in Glasgow for a number of years and is currently a member of the West of Scotland branch of the Council of Christians and Jews. Maggie also likes walking, reading, and playing the ukulele.

Eileen Caroll

Eileen has been a member of Glasgow Reform Synagogue for over 30 years and has been fully involved in all aspects of running the congregation. Her husband is a practising Roman Catholic and throughout their 42 years of marriage they have been involved in a number of interfaith celebrations both with their families and within their communities. Eileen also helped in the community kitchen in the Buddhist centre preparing food for the homeless community in Glasgow. In the course of her many years working in the NHS Eileen was instrumental in setting up and managing the interpreting services for patients. 

Michael Shanks

Michael is a secondary school teacher, having previously worked as head of policy and communications for a large children’s charity and as a political adviser in the Scottish and UK Parliaments. In addition to his work with Interfaith Glasgow, Michael leads a charity for young people with complex disabilities and is a Trustee of Epilepsy Scotland. He is also a Christian and an active member of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral.  Oh, and during the pandemic, Michael challenged himself to run every street in Glasgow … and did!

Angela Lombardi

Angela has been a practising Buddhist in the Triratna Buddhist Movement since 2006. A committed mitra (friend) in the ordination process, she teaches dharma and meditation at Glasgow Buddhist Centre. As mandate-holder for its Social Action Group, active during COP26, she engaged with other climate-concerned people of diverse faiths and none, developing an interest in interfaith and a sense of the unique value of faith voices. She is a founding and active member of the international Triratna Earth Sangha. She has an MA (Hons) in languages, and has worked and volunteered in admin, social care, arts and community development, across the NHS, private and 3rd sectors. As a family (dementia) carer, she sat on various committees, boards and working groups. She is Buddhist chaplain for Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre in Lanarkshire and serves on Thenue Housing Association’s Communities Board. And she dances!

Joseph Sikora

Joseph Sikora is a practising Roman Catholic and the Interfaith Officer for the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland. He works with the Committee for Interreligious Dialogue on matters relating to the development of positive engagement between the Catholic Church in Scotland and other faith communities.  Prior to this role, Joseph was – for 25 years – Principal Teacher of Religious Education in St. Joseph’s Academy, Kilmarnock, where he collaborated with numerous projects, including curriculum development initiatives with SCES (Scottish Catholic Education Service) and Education Scotland; organised educational trips abroad; and engaged his students in various activities supporting charities such as SCIAF, Mary’s Meals, HCPT, and the Martin Chambers Ecuador Trust.  He also worked for a time as a journalist and sub-editor for the Scottish Catholic Observer and, since retiring, enjoys volunteering with Barrhead charity Include Me 2 Club and fostering constructive interfaith dialogue in Glasgow.