Our Team

At Ucan, our dedicated and friendly team are here to help and ensure the best experience possible for those who use our service.

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Our team includes all sorts of talented people, like great artists, expert woodworkers and gardeners, creative chefs and motivational gym instructors. This mix lets us offer lots of different fun activities all aimed at promoting independent living, health and well being, social development and work skills.

As a team of supportive and active listeners we always tries to help Trainees do things on their own, giving help and encouragement along the way.

The most important thing for us is making sure everyone feels included and accepted. That’s what Ucan is all about. Every day, we work to make sure everyone feels important, respected, and supported. We believe life is about appreciating what makes us different, and our team lives by that belief every day.

Advisory Committee

Stephen Canning

Stephen has a wealth of international experience in internal audit, operational risk and governance following a long career in the field, laterally with a large sovereign wealth fund in the United Arab Emirates.
Most recently he was elected as a local Councillor to represent the Annick Ward in East Ayrshire. In his role as a Councillor, he is a member of the Governance and Scrutiny Committee, the Grants Committee, the Licensing Board and Licensing Panel. In addition, he is on the board of the Supplier Development Program and represents East Ayrshire Council on the board of Cunningham Housing Association.
After studying for a BSc. In Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, Stephen qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Glasgow with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.
After working in Aberdeen with KMPG in corporate taxation for a few years, he and his wife moved their young family abroad for a role with Ernst and Young in their external audit services function.
They then moved to the United Arab Emirates where Stephen took up an internal audit role at Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Laterally he was a senior manager within the business audit function. During his time there he was responsible for auditing all parts of the business including the governance functions and the committee structure as well as pioneering data analytics within the business.
After returning to Scotland in 2017 he held a small number of finance roles before becoming a Councillor in May 2022.
As well as spending time with his family, Stephen is a keen golfer and enjoys long walks with his black Labrador Cory in the countryside near his home in East Ayrshire.

Mag Mackenzie

Mag resides in Stewarton and is a mother of three children and grandmother to four grandchildren. She pursued higher education later in life, studying for an English Degree at Glasgow University as a mature student. Following her studies, she embarked on a career as an English teacher, from which she is now retired.
During her career in education, Mag further specialised in Learning Support and additional support needs, with a specific focus on Autism. Her professional expertise is complemented by personal experience, as she has a daughter and a grandchild with Autism. Additionally, Mag has been living with ME and osteoarthritis, conditions that present their own challenges.
Mag joins UCAN's Board with a "can-do" attitude. She has adapted her life to manage her physical disabilities, focusing on what she can do rather than what she cannot. She remains actively involved in her grandchildren's lives, despite the challenges Autism presents within the family. In her spare time she also likes reading and attending to her garden.
Mag's experience and resilience make her a valuable addition to the board.

Les Johnstone

Les resides in Mossblown with his wife and son. His extensive experience across various fields, combined with his personal commitment to supporting his son, who has a learning disability, and his active involvement in community activities, makes him a valuable addition to the board.
Les has worked in sectors including telecommunications, events, insurance, transport, and retail, with roles ranging from Customer Service Assistant to Management, providing him with a broad spectrum of experience and knowledge. He is currently an HGV Driver delivering supplies for the hospitality industry.
He has been an active member of the trade union movement, serving as a Regional and Local Trade Union Officer for the Communication Workers Union (CWU) while working at BT. Les played a key role in organising union recognition at Telewest (now Virgin Media) and served as Secretary of his local Labour Party constituency.
Outside of his professional life, Les is passionate about football and is a devoted Newcastle United supporter. He has a background in refereeing, having officiated at grassroots to semi-professional levels. Les was Chairman of the Croydon Referees Society for over ten years and was granted Life Vice President status for his contributions to the Society and refereeing upon moving to Scotland. During his refereeing career, he also served as a mentor and assessor.

Isobel Taggart

Isobel is a proud mother of three boys, including Jack (26), who has Down Syndrome and attends UCAN. She and her family have been residents of Fenwick for 27 years.
Isobel has had a distinguished career in education. She has served as an English teacher, Pastoral Care Principal, and for 17 years, as a Depute Head Teacher in a secondary school in Glasgow. During her career she was also appointed Area Education Officer, where she led the Curriculum for Excellence initiative and was responsible for a range of Early Years, Primary, Secondary, and ASN schools in the North East of the city.
Isobel has always believed in the potential of every young person and their right to develop and achieve in life with the appropriate support.
Now retired, Isobel continues to be deeply interested in educational matters, particularly those relating to young people with Additional Support Needs.
She is also an avid podcast listener, a fair-weather walker, an erratic baker, and an ace jam and tablet maker!

“Ucan helps clients with varied and challenging disabilities to achieve their goals by helping them to gain new skills which helps promotes independence. This gives clients confidence and increases their self-esteem and sense of achievement."

Parent
“I love learning everything at ucan. I have done cooking. Pet care, painting and gardening. Also played football and the gym."

Service User
“Ucan has increased my confidence and my self-esteem. Everyone is made to feel included and valued, everyone is treated with respect. It’s somewhere I look forward to going every week and I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t go anymore, I would be devastated.”

Service User