Our People
Staff Team
Dr Rose Drew
Chief Executive Officer (part-time)
rose.drew@interfaithglasgow.org
Rose 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 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.
Lynnda Wardle
Programme Manager (part-time)
lynnda.wardle@interfaithglasgow.org
Lynnda is Programme Manager for our Weekend Club project, which facilitates an interfaith response to the social isolation experienced by people from refugee backgrounds. Her interest in community development work grew out of her experience working 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.
Katie Sproull
Project Leader (part-time)
katie.sproull@interfaithglasgow.org
As Project Leader, Katie focuses on planning and delivering dialogue events, coordinating the Interfaith Food Justice Network, and managing our talented team of office volunteers. 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 is an amateur playwright and equalities activist, and is passionate about increasing the representation of marginalised communities in media.
Satya Dunning
Project Leader (part-time, freelance)
satya.dunning@interfaithglasgow.org
Satya’s work includes planning and delivering dialogue and friendship-building events and facilitating interfaith cooperation in relation to the climate crisis. Born in Dakar, Senegal, Satya has a background in community work and has worked for various organisations, such as The Rainbow Muslim Women’s Group, Forth Valley Sensory Centre, and RNIB Scotland. Satya studied Interpreting and Translation at Heriot-Watt University and contemporary dance at Trinity Laban and has leadership training in Nonviolent Communication. Alongside her work at Interfaith Glasgow, she is a freelance Dance & Movement Artist and wellbeing practitioner. Satya loves nature, meditation, reading, cooking, and dancing.
Rosie Burrell
Project Leader (part-time)
rosie.burrell@interfaithglasgow.org
As Project Leader, Rosie leads on the organisation of our Weekend Club events and the coordination of One Big Picnic, as well as other charity work. After graduating in Philosophy (MA, First Class) from the University of Glasgow in 2020 and developing an interest in moral philosophy, gender and race, and climate ethics, Rosie started working in the Third Sector. As well as working for Interfaith Glasgow, Rosie has another part-time job working on the Mental Health Foundation’s refugee project and is on the committee of Refugee Sponsorship Ibrox, Glasgow’s first refugee sponsorship group. She is also involved in climate justice work and is a founding member of grassroots climate action group Time for Change Argyll and Bute, based where she was raised on Scotland’s west coast.
Fakhriya Abdulkadir
Events and Outreach Assistant (part-time, freelance)
fakhriya.abdulkadir@interfaithglasgow.org
Fakhriya’s work is focussed on supporting 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, holds an HNC in Working with Communities, and is now entering her 3rd year of her BA Community Development at 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.
Board of Trustees
Philip Mendelsohn
(Chair)
Philip has been Chair of Interfaith Glasgow since it became an independent charity in 2016. A Chartered Engineer by profession and with a wealth of governance experience gained in various contexts, Philip is Jewish and has a long history of communal involvement within his community, from youth groups in his teenage years, to service on the Council of Queens Park Hebrew Congregation (including as Chairman) and, later, a period as President of the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council. Through this work, Philip developed an interest in interfaith engagement and welcomed the chance to join the Interfaith Glasgow Advisory Group in 2013, which later became our Board of Trustees.
Dr Anthony Allison
(Treasurer)
Anthony has been Treasurer of Interfaith Glasgow since it became an independent charity in 2016. He has an academic background in Christian-Muslim relations and has a keen interest in interreligious dialogue and issues surrounding social justice, human rights, and inclusion. He has previously taught, researched, and published on these topics at the University of Glasgow and University of Edinburgh. He is also a Roman Catholic and a member of both the Bishops’ Conference Committee for Interreligious Dialogue and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland’s Interfaith Theological Advisory Group.
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!”
Andrew Lal
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.
Rev Dr Kleber Machado
(Vice 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.
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.
Dharmacharani Parami
Parami is a Senior Teacher in the Triratna Buddhist Order. She began practising Buddhism in 1977 and was ordained in 1980 when she was given the name Parami. In her over 40 years in the Order, she has held various responsibilities, including helping women train to enter the Order. She recently returned to her native Glasgow after decades of living and working within her Buddhist Community around the world, especially in Spain and Latin America. Parami is a founder member of the Glasgow Buddhist centre Social Action group and a member of a working group for Triratna worldwide supporting the LGBT+ community, especially Trans and non-binary folk within the community.
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!
Mahrukh Adnan Shaukat
Mahrukh is a member of the Sunni Muslim community. She has worked as a helpline development officer at Amina Muslim Women’s Resource Centre for more than five years. She is currently working on improving understanding of equalities issues and inclusion practice across all sectors, especially with regard to gender, race, and religion, and creating campaigns for visual and literal representation of a diverse range of women’s voices.