Our people

Rob Trimble

Chair, Director

Rob Trimble is the current Chair of Grassmarket Community Project. For the past 25 years Rob has worked with charities focused on supporting individuals and communities facing deep-seated problems and complex issues. His principal role was as Chief Executive of the Bromley by Bow Centre in East London for 20 years, where he rolled up his sleeves; built a team and radical culture; and in the process helped create an internationally recognised model of excellence in community health and regeneration. His approach is to challenge conventional wisdom by working at the grassroots and applying the entrepreneurial principles he learnt from his earlier career in business.

Rob continues as Associate Partner at Bromley by Bow Health, which delivers primary care services to 52,000 patients, living in some of the most diverse and deprived estates in the UK. He recently stepped down as founding chair of Settle, a charity focused on preventing homelessness for care-experienced young people and was Patron of the Reader Organisation, a national charity promoting the therapeutic value of shared reading. He hails from Orkney and lives in Fife.

Nicky Findlay

Director, Treasurer

With over 30 years’ experience in various accounting and finance roles, Nicky is currently working as Head of Finance & Estates at a special needs school locally and prior to that had spent eight years working at a specialist alcohol & drugs charity based in Aberdeen. Nicky has also worked within the oil & gas and service sectors in various finance and management roles. In 2006, after a career change, she completed an MSc in Property Economics and undertook academic research for a further year. She hopes to put to use her skills and experience as a GCP Trustee, in supporting the team at this very exciting time in the future development of the organisation.

Greig Honeyman

Director, Secretary

Greig is a retired lawyer having been a Private Client and Family Business partner at Shepherd and Wedderburn. He was regarded by his clients as a “ man of business”. Although no longer a practising lawyer, Greig remains a trusted advisor to many families, businesses, charitable trusts and individuals.

Greig joined the Grassmarket Community Project Board in March 2023. In addition to his many appointments, Greig is also Company Secretary of the Greyfriars Charteris Centre.

Jo Elliot

Director

Jo Elliot has been a Trustee since retiring as a merchant banker in the early 2010s. He is Session Clerk of Greyfriars Kirk and also a trustee of Greyfriars Charteris Centre. His other appointments since then have included Court membership of the University of Dundee, board membership of the Church of Scotland’s social care arm Crossreach, and trusteeship of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Richard Frazer

Founder

Richard has been minister at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh since 2003 and is the founder of the Grassmarket Community Project.

He has a longstanding interest in enabling people to flourish regardless of their background and has a passion for social justice and finding alternative pathways towards a viable and humane economy that includes rather than excludes and enables people and the planet to thrive. He has an interest in and has written on agriculture and pilgrimage walking and loves to cook, build and garden.

He is married to Kate, a counsellor and psychoanalyst and they have three grown up children.

Helene van der Ploeg

Chief Executive Officer

Catherine Jones

Social Enterprise Director

Catherine was Deputy General Manager at Edinburgh Zoo for 16 years, with responsibility for dozens of restaurants and kiosks, managing multi-million pound budgets and serving one of Scotland’s largest visitor attractions. Following this she was training manager for Macdonalds across multiple stores.

Catherine manages the largest team at GCP, many of whom have support needs. She nurtures talent many employers ignore. Her team were integral to the success of the GCP receiving Scottish Enterprise of the Year Scotland and Best Performing Business awards.

Perry O’Bray

Head of Members Services

Perry has worked in the public and third sector for over 12 years and brings extensive experience leading social care and community services supporting vulnerable adults across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

A huge advocate for hobbies, Perry can often be found walking in the hills, cycling, or creating art and music. Sharing these passions and exploring creative ways to support people has been a central part of Perry’s career. Since 2022, Perry has focused on learning from and listening to the wonderful community created by so many people at GCP, and on leading a dedicated team of staff and volunteers to ensure it remains a 'good place to be' for everyone. This work is rooted in strengths-based and trauma-responsive approaches, helping to design and deliver services that meet the changing needs of people in our city.