Scottish Cycling is delighted to confirm that following a competitve recruitment process, six individiuals have now been appointed to the roles of Club Development Coordinators across the country 

At the heart of cycling in Scotland are our clubs; they are the key driver in the growth, development and success of the sport. In order to support these clubs, Scottish Cycling has recruited a dedicated and skilled Club Development Team, underpinned by significant investment in resources that will empower clubs to develop and enable them to achieve their ambitions.

The Club Development Coordinators appointed are as follows:

• Craig Stephen (Tayside & Fife)
• Gill Thayne (West)
• Hamish Cowton (East & Central)
• Julie Erskine (Grampian)
• Madeleine Watson (South-West)
• Neil Wilson (North)

The team is led by the two Club Development Managers: Fraser Johnston and James Bracher.

You can find out more about the new additions to the team below:

Craig Stephen (Tayside & Fife)

Craig recently graduated from the University of Stirling with a degree in Sports Studies. His background is in Basketball, having played from a young age and taking on a leadership role within his University Club, where he drove up participation numbers and left it in a great place for the next generation. Craig is looking forward to learning more about the Scottish Cycling community, and looks forward to the opportunity to meet with local clubs and volunteers at some point in the future

Gill Thayne (West)

Gill is currently undertaking a Masters in Sports Management at the University of Stirling following on from an undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science. Prior to undertaking her Masters, Gill was elected to the one-year position of the University Sports President. Her role was to lead the Sports Union, which only solidified her commitment to Physical Activity and Sport. Gill has always been involved in sport from competing in a range of sports including Hockey and Rowing and coaching in numerous sports. She is passionate about inclusion in sport, driven by her involvement in disability sport with a local wheelchair basketball team. 

Hamish Cowton (East & Central)

Hamish is a recent graduate of the Sport and Recreation Management programme at the University of Edinburgh, where most of his academic work was focussed on equality and diversity in the sporting world. He has been involved in sport from a young age, both as a participant and a deliverer. He has worked to deliver accessible sport to young people in Ireland, Scotland and south-east Africa, and looks forward to working towards developing a nation of cyclists in this exciting new role.

Julie Erskine (Grampian)

Julie previously worked for the sportscotland institute of sport as an Exercise Physiologist.  She was then fortunate to take a career break to follow her dreams in Road Cycling. After retiring from competitive cycling, she decided to have a change of direction and began working as a Project Activator in a partnership programme between Sport Aberdeen and the charity Action for Children, where she supports vulnerable families in the city to be more active. She is now very excited to be back involved in cycling again and is delighted to be joining the team at Scottish Cycling as a Club Development Coordinator for the Grampian region.

Madeleine Watson (South-West)

Madeleine is also currently undertaking a Masters in Sports Management at the University of Stirling. Her undergraduate degree was at the University of Strathclyde where she studied Politics and Journalism. Coming from a sporty family, clubs have been a big part of her life from a young age. During her time at University, her passion grew for running, and she took on several roles within the University club. At the end of her Undergraduate degree, she was elected to the role of Sports President of the Student Union. A keen outdoor enthusiast, she is looking forward to getting stuck in with the Scottish Cycling team.

Neil Wilson (North)

Neil has been riding bikes for over 40 years and truly believes that the bike is the best place to view the world from. As a coach and a guide, he regards himself in being in a privleged position to encourage riders to progress their skills and realise that there is so much more out there and expand their horizons. He believes that while life can be serious at times, he is passionate about using the outdoors to bring joy to others. He is looking forward to supporting clubs in the North of Scotland.