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.
Our team includes all sorts of talented people, including great artists, expert woodworkers, creative chefs and motivational gym instructors, to name a few! This mix allows us to offer lots of different and 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 try to help ourTrainees do things on their own, giving help and encouragement along the way.
Ucan is for everybody, and our priority is making sure everyone feels included and accepted; that’s what Ucan is all about. Every day we work to create an environment where 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.
Meet the Management Team
Directors
Matt Buckman
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Matt is a graduate in Public Policy and Management and a qualified Social Worker with over 20 years of experience in Social Work and Education. His career began as a Residential Social Worker and Manager, supporting young people with complex needs and challenging behaviours.
During his time in Social Work he also became a trainer in Therapeutic Interventions and an SVQ Assessor. Transitioning to Further Education, Matt served as a lecturer in Social Care and Social Science, earning his Teaching Qualifications. He contributed to developing new social care
qualifications through SQA working groups and later worked as a Curriculum Manager in Social Inclusion before co-founding Ucan.
Matt is married to Susan, with two sons, he enjoys music, fitness, cycling, he coaches a youth football team and plays golf..badly!
David Campbell
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Graduating with a Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering David worked for 30 years in Further Education. During this time, he gained his TQFE and lectured in the field of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. He progressed through a variety of management positions and departments before his final post Curriculum Manager responsible for Engineering, Automobile and Construction.
David is a true Buddy, born and educated in Paisley he still lives there with his wife Valerie and two grown up daughters. In complete denial about his age, he loves, reading, indie music, snowboarding, cycling and still wants to play for his beloved St Mirren!
Joe Fairbairn
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Joe started his career in mining and construction while pursuing his passion for music, playing accordion in a band from the age of 14. After a mining accident, he had a change of career and shifted his focus to the piano, earning advanced music qualifications, becoming a Music tutor and forming a band that performed for 26 years in social clubs and wedding venues across Ayrshire. He then managed a large music shop in Ayrshire for 14 years before becoming a qualified lecturer, specialising in supporting adults with learning disabilities and young people not in education or employment.
Now living in Kilwinning with his wife Carol, Joe still enjoys playing piano for leisure, following football and Formula 1, and of course his love of cars.
Team Leaders
Driving Ucan forward with creativity and innovation, our Team Leaders bring a diverse array of skills and qualities that perfectly complement each other. Their fresh ideas and collaborative spirit help our team to ensure Ucan remains a warm, supportive, and fun place to be.
Clare McCann
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Clare studied Additional Support Needs education at college and then university. Her journey at Ucan began as a student on placement, and she enjoyed it so much that she decided to stay!
Her expertise and experience have been invaluable in advancing our programs and developing robust, beneficial activities that align with our goals.
Clare leads the coordination of referrals and visits to Ucan, and plays a key role in reviewing our policies and procedures.
Her favourite aspect of working at Ucan is supporting individuals with diverse needs to achieve success in various areas of their lives
Contact Clare -
Morgan Campbell
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Morgan has been an integral part of Ucan for over two years. With a degree in English, she initially joined the team to review and revitalise the curriculum.
As well as helping to ensure a creative and innovative curriculum, Morgan now manages the company’s social media platforms and digital marketing, while leading practice support for students from all disciplines on placement.
She loves channelling her creativity into these roles and is always looking for new ways to promote Ucan to a wider audience. Morgan's favourite thing about Ucan is the sense of community amongst everyone, and the feel-good energy around the building.
Contact Morgan - morgan@ucanlwl.co.uk
Yvonne Dowds
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Yvonne is one of the longest-standing members of Ucan’s team, having initially volunteered her time to help get the idea off the ground.
With a background in Health and Social Care from college, Yvonne spent several years working in residential care for children with Additional Support Needs. This experience gave her invaluable insights into their needs, fuelling her passion for the job and ensuring Ucan’s ethos remains relevant and effective.
Yvonne has been pivotal in Ucan’s fundraising and community initiatives and plays a key role in creating and reviewing policies and procedures, as well as supporting staff continuous professional development.
Her favourite thing about Ucan is the vibrant energy and the daily laughs and smiles. As she says, it truly is a job like no other!
Contact Yvonne – yvonne@ucanlwl.co.uk
Dean Allan
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Dean has been a dedicated team member for nearly eight years. Throughout his time with us he has taken on various roles from lead Gym Instructor to SQA Assessor.
His passion for the job is evident in his ability to also maintain a role externally as a Personal Assistant to a gentleman with mental health issues and, despite the demands of his current position as Team Leader,he still finds time to serve as a relief firefighter.
Dean has been key player in Ucan’s curriculum planning and uses his computer expertise to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of Ucan’s systems. He is always discovering new ways to enhance our operations.
A massive gym enthusiast, Dean loves promoting the health and well-being of our trainees.
Contact Dean – dean@ucanlwl.co.uk
Advisory and Support Group
Accessing the right external support and advice is crucial to Ucan’s success. We are delighted to have a highly qualified and knowledgeable advisory and support group. Their diverse range of experience and expertise ensures we maintain the appropriate level of scrutiny and keep our work relevant.
Stephen Canning
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Stephen brings a wealth of international experience in internal audit, operational risk, and governance, having worked with a large sovereign wealth fund in the UAE. He holds a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Heriot Watt University and is a Chartered Accountant.
Stephen’s career includes roles with KPMG in Aberdeen and Ernst & Young in the UAE, where he pioneered data analytics in internal audit at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Since returning to Scotland in 2017, he has held various finance roles and was elected as a Councillor for the Annick Ward in East Ayrshire in May 2022. He serves on multiple committees and boards, including the Governance and Scrutiny Committee and the Cunningham Housing Association.
In his free time, Stephen enjoys golfing and long walks with his black Labrador, Cory.
Mag Mackenzie
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Mag resides in Stewarton and is a mother of three and grandmother of four. She pursued an English Degree at Glasgow University as a mature student and had a career as an English teacher, later specialising in Learning Support and Autism. Mag has personal experience with Autism, as her daughter and grandchild are both on the spectrum. She also manages her own ME and osteoarthritis.
Mag joins UCAN’s Board with a “can-do” attitude, focusing on her abilities rather than limitations. She remains actively involved in her grandchildren’s lives and enjoys reading and gardening in her spare time. Her experience and resilience make her a valuable addition to the board.
Les Johnstone
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Les resides in Mossblown with his wife and son. His extensive experience across various fields, combined with his commitment to supporting his son, who has a learning disability, and active community involvement, makes him a valuable addition to the board.
Les has worked in telecommunications, events, insurance, transport, and retail, holding roles from Customer Service Assistant to Management. He is currently an HGV Driver delivering supplies for the hospitality industry.
An active trade union member, Les served as a Regional and Local Trade Union Officer for the Communication Workers Union (CWU) at BT and played a key role in organising union recognition at Telewest (now Virgin Media). He also served as Secretary of his local Labour Party constituency.
Passionate about football, Les is a devoted Newcastle United supporter and has a background in refereeing and officiating, from grassroots to semi-professional levels as well as serving as a trainer and mentor.
Lynne Pringle
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Lynne is a senior project manager at Scottish Enterprise with over 40 years of public sector experience. She has managed complex, high-profile projects in strategic partnerships with government, academia, and the private sector. Her expertise includes planning and budget management, project management, and relationship development. Lynne is also an experienced people manager.
A long-time trade union member, Lynne has served on her local branch executive committee and has been a board director of the Burns Festival Company. She chaired the Woodstock School Parent Council and its successor, Willowbank, where she managed the transition to a new facility and established the “Friends of Willowbank” charity.
As a mother of a son with autism, Lynne understands the importance of quality services for adults with additional support needs. She lives in Kilmarnock with her husband and two grown children, enjoys the gym, looking after her granddaughter, and holidaying in the UK, especially Cornwall.
Isobel Taggart
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Isobel is a proud mother of three boys, including Jack (26), who has Down Syndrome and attends UCAN. She and her family have lived in Fenwick for 27 years.
Isobel has had a distinguished career in education, serving as an English teacher, Pastoral Care Principal, and 17 years as a Depute Head Teacher in a Glasgow secondary school. She also served as an Area Education Officer, leading the Curriculum for Excellence initiative and overseeing a range of Early Years, Primary, Secondary and ASN schools in the North-East of the city.
Isobel has always believed in every young person's potential and their right to develop and achieve with the appropriate support. Now retired, she remains deeply interested in educational matters, especially those related to young people with Additional Support Needs.
In her free time, Isobel enjoys listening to podcasts, fair-weather walking, erratic baking, and making ace jam and tablet!