Alex has 30 years of experience in CLD and joined LWTT in 2003. He is currently responsible for the development of LWTT’s consultancy strand of work and has a particular interest in community engagement and community capacity building in relation to Community Planning, environmental action and community organising. He is currently leading on LWTT’s work on rural CLD practise developments, for instance as part of a joint project with SCDC, funded by the Carnegie Trust, into developing a rural skills framework; the development of training materials and approaches to training for young people not involved in training or education; and is the lead on our Environmental work, which has included work on community engagement in environmental improvements action.

Alex was formerly director of Policy and Research at Community Learning Scotland (CLS) before becoming a freelance consultant in 2000, during which time he designed and delivered two major projects based on engaging local people in the establishment and development of Scotland’s two National Parks. He has experience of community learning and development as a practitioner, trainer and manager in the voluntary and public sector. During his career he has built up knowledge of community development in a wide variety of settings. He has direct experience of both local practice and national work in the voluntary and the public sector having worked for SCVO and the former

Stirling and Kirkcaldy District Councils and CLS. Similarly he has experience in equal measure of work in rural and urban settings. He also has worked with and trained professionally qualified staff and staff from other professions in community learning and development approaches. Alex has published work on a range of subjects including practise related to urban regeneration, rural work, housing and community councils.

Alex was the book reviews editor on the Journal of Community Work and Development and he has served on the Boards of the Association of Community Workers, Volunteer Development Scotland, and the former Standing Conference on Community Development and is active in the International Association of Community Development.