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LEAH HALLIDAY


Leah is co-founder and Director at The Guild. She is a designer, maker, marketeer and educator, and has worked within the creative industry for over 20 years.

She has taught her popular sewing & creative classes in Dumfries for over 10 years. She loves sharing her expertise and skills and has previously worked as lecturer at university and a F.E college. Leah has an eye for detail and can be a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to her work. 

To relax she loves walks along the many beautiful beaches near where she lives usually with a camera in hand. She also enjoys pottering about in her garden, growing vegetables, lots of flowers and has four hens. 

Colour, print and pattern inspire her designs along with found objects and forgotten fabrics.  She loves nothing better than a really good rummage at a car booty.  She believes passionately about this project and feels that if it is allowed to proceed it will play a part in helping the town centre to become thriving town centre. Her determination, hard work and perceverance will make it happen.

 

NATALIE FARRELL


Natalie is a Director at The Guild and officially joined the team in September 2019.  She is a teacher, maker and a small creative business owner. Her creative background is put to excellent use in a local Secondary School where she teaches both Craft, Design & Technology and Home Economics. When she isn't cutting wood and baking cakes at school she is collecting vintage buttons to embellish her handmade designs. 

Natalie is originally from Kirkcudbright, a beautiful artists town in Dumfries & Galloway with a busy high street and a real community spirit. It's this experience that inspired her first to become a volunteer with The Guild, and her desire to see Dumfries, the place she now calls home become a 'go to' town centre, where things happen and people come together. 

Having previously volunteered at The Guild and taken part in previous Christmas Makers Markets and the Pop Up Shop, she was delighted to have been asked to become a Director. She truly believes the plans The Guild have will help create a town centre to be proud of, one with a real creative buzz. She is so pleased she can now make more of a contribution and can help make it happen.

DIANE LAWS


Diane joined The Guild as a director at the beginning of September 2021. Diane is a Project Manager currently working in The Third Sector in Dumfries helping to establish Social Enterprises across the county. She brings with her 20+ years of experience working as a civil servant mainly in the Department of Work and Pensions as a finance manager, project manager and operational leader.

Diane is from the North East of England and moved to Lockerbie with her husband and 10-year-old twins 5 years ago. Following many holidays in the region, and a desire to live in a more rural location Dumfries and Galloway seemed the ideal place to set down roots in a forever home. Passionate about shopping local and supporting small business Diane brings both enthusiasm and business knowledge to The Guild. 

Diane has watched the success of The Guild from afar and she is thrilled to now help support and shape its ongoing success. 

REBECCA MASTERTON


Rebecca joined The Guild as a director at the end of January 2023. Rebecca is a flower grower and floral artist, best known for her home-grown dried flower creations. She's a small business owner with 15 years of experience within the region. First with her successful Dog Grooming business, which she retired from in 2021 and now with her Flower Farm and Floristry business, which she has built from scratch and runs alongside her husband, from their home near Lockerbie.

Rebecca has been involved with The Guild from the beginning, as a maker and volunteer, and more recently as part of the Flourish Team as a PT Comms Assistant. When she is not getting her hands dirty sowing seeds and growing flowers or creating with them in her home studio whilst listening along to her favourite reggae music, she loves nothing better than a walk with her dog, Donald or a second-hand-shop shopping spree and catching up with friends.

Having found herself so invested and passionate about the work that The Guild have been doing, she is now delighted to have been given the opportunity to make more of a contribution as a Director and to help bring their plans and ideas to fruition.

THE GUILD (DUMFRIES) C.I.C

Registered in Scotland as a Community Interest Company Limited by Guarantee | Company Number No | SC595249

Registered office | Solway House, Crichton Business Park, Bankend Road, Dumfries, DG1 4TA