Gil Gillies

Gypsy/Traveller Community rights Development Worker

Gil was delighted to join the MECOPP Team in April 2021.

He saw a lot of inequality in his youth, money, happiness, religion etc. and it had a huge effect on him. He wanted to work to try to help level the playing field, to afford the same opportunities to all.

Gil left his first life as a Marine Engineer in Harland & Wolff in Belfast and came to Scotland in 1990. He has lived, worked and travelled around the world in communities and has over 22 years of experience as a youth and community worker and Street work Team Leader looking at education, employment, drugs and alcohol work and safety.

Gil believes in equality. Discrimination or unfair treatment on the basis of certain personal characteristics, such ethnicity, is unacceptable.

He has been studying part time continually for the last 7 years and also volunteers as an Adult Literacies Support Tutor with West Lothian Council.

He is absolutely delighted to be working in this post as it brings both his passions and his life experience together.