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SCOTLAND: Lorraine takes up new challenge in Scotland
By John Newton and John Pontifex
Lorraine McMahon, Aid to the Church in Need's new Head of Operations in Scotland
A woman whose commitment to the poor led her to undertake a true feat of human endurance has set herself a new challenge – helping to lead Aid to the Church in Need’s outreach to the people of Scotland.
Lorraine McMahon takes over on Monday, 15th November as Aid to the Church in Need’s Head of Operations in Scotland. She is taking over the role from Dermot Lamb, who is retiring.
Lorraine’s role will be to raise the profile of Aid to the Church in Need in Scotland, increasing awareness and raising funds. She will build on the foundations laid by Dermot Lamb and Scottish Secretary Doctor John Watts and will be based in Motherwell, near Glasgow, where the charity formally opened its Scottish office in autumn 2009.
Speaking on the eve of taking up her new appointment, Lorraine said: “I always wanted to work in the missions since I was a young girl.”
Describing her role as “the job of a lifetime”, she added: “It’s about basic human rights. We all have a right to believe in what we want to and to worship how we want to – whatever religion we are.”
Lorraine is no stranger to helping charities. In 2009 she undertook the Caledonian Challenge, walking along the West Highland Way.
She covered 54 miles in 24 hours – the equivalent of two marathons – to raise money for the Scottish Community Foundation to support children in deprived areas.
Lorraine, who helps with the children’s liturgy at Stain Francis Xavier’s parish, Carfin, explained that she is strongly motivated to help Christians who face persecution or oppression for their faith.
Reflecting on her new role, she said that it was about being able “to give other people the chance to be passionate about the plight of Christians and make a difference.
“It’s great for them to be able to say that the money we’ve raised will give a child an education for a year – and know that what they’re doing is really helping change the lives of Christians,” she said, referring to the Save the Saveable schools project in Sudan which Aid to the Church in Need supports.
The Save the Saveable programme provides full-time Christian education for children in north Sudan, many of whom come from refugee families displaced during the country’s civil war.
Considering the challenges that will face her next year, Lorraine said: “In the next 12 months within Scotland I hope to raise awareness of the charity in parishes, and go into schools and get the youth involved – because they are our future.”
As well as her fundraising for the Scottish Community Foundation, Lorraine has carried out charity work while working in the corporate sector, where she was a manager for nearly 30 years.
She helped the company develop its involvement with charities.
Her choice of charity – a school for handicapped children – was taken up as the company’s charity of the year in 2009.
The school required £6,000 for new facilities – but under Ms McMahon’s leadership they managed to raise more than £16,000.
And with other members of staff she took a hands-on approach to helping the school.
“We got a team together and actually went in and did the painting,” she said,adding with a smile: “Although I’m sure they would rather have had professionals in.”
Relinquishing his position as Aid to the Church in Need’s Scottish Administrator, Dermot Lamb said: “It has been an exciting time developing the charity’s work in Scotland and overseeing the establishment of the office in Motherwell.
“I would like to thank everyone who has helped us in the work over the last year – and I wish Lorraine every success as she starts her work for Aid to the Church in Need in Scotland.”