The Team

Lesley McWilliam

Service Manager

Lesley’s background is made up of working in strategic development in the statutory sector, she has also worked in the third sector in various roles. For 16 years she has worked with adults in variety of settings.

Her passion within ILS is developing peer mentoring and watching adults thrive with support to achieve our motto of “simply thriving to actively thriving.”

She is also working toward further skills in management.

Lauren Milligan

Business Development Manager

Lauren has a wide range of experience originally qualifying as a nurse with the NHS specialising in emergency care, and in later years after leaving the NHS set-up and owned her own business. Her business background interests and qualifications include mergers and acquisitions, innovation development, marketing & sales. Lauren has undertaken training in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for data and resources structuring for organisations.

Hayley Reid

Finance Administrator

Hayley joined ILS after relocating from London, where she worked for almost 20 years. She originally qualified with a Risk Management Degree and went on to work for several major insurance brokers as project manager and latterly as a Client Executive. The skills she gained have lent themselves well to her current role as Finance Administrator.

Kevin Wield

Support Worker – D&G

Kevin has experience of working in mental health, addictions and housing support. He has completed a GSVQ Level 2 in Social Care and HNC in Social Care. Kevin says “he enjoys challenges of support work and seeing the clients progress”. Away from work he helps with the Veterans Garden Project, and assists other veterans where he can. He enjoys watching football but says “… my playing days are behind me”.

Jo Newlands

ILS Youth – Dumfries

Jo previously worked for ILS for 3 years and has returned to her youth work role with us. Jo has an Honours Degree in Health and Social Policy and an HNC in Social Care. She has experience in advocacy, homeless services, and youth work across the public and third sectors. Jo is passionate about improving the life chances of vulnerable and disadvantage people in our communities.

Laura Middleton

ILS Youth – Stranraer

Laura has 20 years of experience working within the youth work sector in Wigtownshire. Originally qualifying in the Health and Social care field she began volunteering with Stranraer YMCA one evening per week. This developed and led into a career in youth work and given her opportunities to work in a wide range of settings which include Stranraer YMCA, Dumfries and Galloway Youth Service and ILS. Laura has also gained a wide range of training and qualifications throughout her Youth Work career.

Ruth Middleton

ILS Youth – Stranraer

Ruth has an SVQII in Health and Social Care and an HNC in Childcare and Education. She began her career working as a nursery nurse with pre-school children and while in this role she got her first taste of youth work working with YMCA in Stranraer. Ruth returned to Youth work when she took up the role of Family Support Worker with Quarriers, working predominately with Autistic Young people and their families. She joined ILS in October 2023 and has since gained additional experience in youth work by becoming employed within D & G youth services in Stranraer.

Ellie – Volunteer

My name is Ellie Edwards, I’m a volunteer at the ILS and I was one of the young people in ILS. I volunteer for sports group with Ruth one a weeks. I’ve been in ILS since 2020 and it was the best decision in my life. They have supported me with my mental health and help me to how to  cope with my anxiety and my language disorder. My dream job was to be a support worker to work with young adults with support needs like me. The staff been amazing to me and never doubted me at all. I’m forever grateful to be apart of ILS team