Facilitators

Scotland

Kelly McBride

Scotland Director at Democratic Society based in Edinburgh. Kelly joined Democratic Society in 2015 and has worked at offices in Edinburgh, Brussels and Brighton. She is part of the senior leadership team in a role blending strategy, delivery and development.

Kelly works across policy and practice, with over a decade of experience in designing and facilitating spaces for engagement, dialogue and participation. She brings a background in the charity and voluntary sector, community engagement, equalities and youth work. She loves working with people from all walks of life and her work spans from the neighbourhood to European level.

Annie Cook

Democratic Engagement Officer based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Annie is also a filmmaker, director and theatre practitioner. At Democratic Society, Annie has worked on participatory budgeting, directing and producing a national message film, PB training, learning and support materials, Scotland’s AI Strategy public engagement work developing videos, resources and designing and delivering workshops for the public.

Annie is an experienced facilitator, facilitating PB events and workshops, Scotland’s Citizen Assembly, Scotland's Climate Assembly, NACWG, Scotland’s AI Strategy workshops and trying out new online facilitation methods; pseudo World Cafés/ fishbowl sessions. Annie holds qualifications in film, media and acting and voice.

Pandora Ellis

Network & Delivery Manager, based in UK. Pandora has a strong background as Voice & Participation Lead in local government. Her specialism is in local democracy and citizenship projects, particularly facilitating vulnerable or marginalised voice in service design and improvement. She is trained in design methodology and creative solutions for the delivery of evidence-based programmes. She has strategic partnership experience across all sectors, with focus on co-production with groups/residents. As lead in internal Comms for local government directorate, Pandora is a keen communicator. She has qualifications in Youth & Community work, Coaching, Leadership & Management and Fine Art.

Alexander Zur-Clark

Local Democracy Project Officer, based in UK. Alex has worked operations for political advocacy, accounts management for advertising and in broadcast TV. He’s growing a versatile skillset which includes project management, process development, management accounting, digital comms and graphic design. He’s used to working in start-ups so is accustomed to autonomy and taking responsibility to make things happen. He’s a democrat and intersectional feminist and is interested in how theory can be translated into useful, replicable practice.

Mat Basford

Local Democracy Project Officer, based in UK.

Mat has a research background. He studied Social Sciences and then Ethics at university. Before working at Democratic Society he worked as a research assistant in Durham and Cardiff, and as a policy intern for Citizens Advice.

Mat has helped conduct research on how a range of organisations can improve citizen participation, including work with the London Borough of Ealing, Suffolk County Council, and Wheatley Group (Scotland’s largest provider of social housing). He has also supported the delivery and facilitation of citizen engagement; ranging from a PB shortlisting event in Frome, co-design workshops in Calderdale, and listening forums in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

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