About SWF

As an elected politician for 16 years and serving in various roles in the Scottish Government, including as the Minister for Sport, Aileen brings a wealth of experience to SWF. A lifelong fan of football and mother of two fitba daft sons, she is passionate about levelling the playing field for women and girls in a sport she cares deeply about. A dodgy centre-half in her day, she feels privileged to be part of SWF.

Kirsty’s extensive knowledge of the third sector and of the sporting landscape means SWF’s competitions and governance are in safe hands. Kirsty is a keen fan of football and has worked for Scottish Hockey and Scottish Judo ensuring SWF can help drive improvement in football through learning from the best of what other sport can offer. Kirsty splits her free time between coaching and playing hockey and is an avid cinema-goer.

Tom has held various senior communication and journalistic roles across politics and public life with his main passion being story-telling. He is inspired by the girls and women who play our sport, their determination, strength and courage and wants to give voice to them, showcasing what they do on and off the pitch. A keen follower of football, tartan army member and father to his football-daft daughter, Tom is also a trained actor and has appeared in Casualty!

Kelly joins SWF from Bowls Scotland where she fulfilled a similar role. A keen historian, she is ambitious abut the power sport can play in transforming the lives of young women

Rebecca has played football all her life and continues to play five aside. A passionate believer in equality and fairness, Rebecca is committed to advancing the women’s game to ensure the young players in the leagues she administers have bright futures in the sport. Rebecca’s academic background is in film and TV and loves any opportunity to bring her creativity to SWF. A Munro bagger, Rebecca’s never happier than out in the great outdoors in her campervan.

A former teacher, Jake moved to Scotland in 2021 after living and teaching in England since 2013. He previously worked in administration for the Scottish Qualifications Agency.

He is a keen e-sports competitor, travelling around the UK to take part in competitive Pokémon tournaments.

Heather came to SWF from netball where she was an experienced player then coach. She has also worked in the active schools programme and is studying for a Master of Science in Sports Management degree.

Former referee and football coach Ciaran McBride has recently become a dad. After studying for an Honours Degree in Sport Coaching, Ciaran picked up experience developing talented girls at Next Gen level.

Gareth coaches in other sports and joins the senior women’s game at a time of great growth for the SWFL, keen to support new clubs embarking on their journey into the competitive game.