Our Mission
Enabling and supporting parents & carers to create a secure and healthy base for their children's emotional growth and encouraging positive communication within families.
Meet the Team
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Karen Lerpiniere
Project Manager 
Hello, I'm Karen and I'm thrilled to introduce myself as the Project Manager. I retired from the NHS last December after 32 years working as a Mental Health Nurse in Edinburgh and the Borders, mostly with children, young people and their families and I can't quite believe my luck that I'm still getting to do a job I love so much. As the Mum of three beautiful girls, all of whom have now flown the nest (but I'm delighted to say, frequently fly back for visits), I know that parenting is not only the hardest, but also the most rewarding and important job any of us can ever do. There is a saying that it takes a village to raise a child. I think it also takes a village to raise a parent. We can't do it on our own and that's why I'm so proud of the village we're growing here at ParentSpace. By nurturing ourselves as parents, we will be in a better place to nurture our children. By nurturing our children, we are nurturing the communities we send them out to. By nurturing our communities, we nurture society and the world at large. ParentSpace: changing the world one parent at a time. We'd love you to come and join us.
Lizzie Lerpiniere
Facilitator 
Hello, I'm Lizzie and I'm brand new to the Parent Space facilitator team. I work full time for a mental health charity, co-ordinating the Scottish input on a UK - wide partnership, and delivering training. I decided to get involved with Parent Space because it is such an interesting programme that is so valuable. I have a 3 year old step son and have found the resources I've seen so helpful and want to make sure that as many people as possible have access to them! In my spare time you'll probably find me prancing around a stage somewhere, I try to perform in as many amateur productions as I possibly can.
Elizabeth Mueller
Volunteer & Facilitator 
Hi, I'm Elizabeth and am so happy to be part of ParentSpace, meeting other parents and growing the web of support throughout the local area. I grew up near Duns and after having been away for many years I recently moved back here with my son. The team is so friendly, helpful and full of good humour! Come along to a Drop-in and you'll see what I mean ; )
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Robert Landon
ParentSpace Chair 
I’m a father of four children and teenagers living near Duns. In my day job, I manage a development business that helps people become more effective and fulfilled in their work. This led me to think how valuable it would be to have similar resources and support for us as parents. My experience is that I’m often winging it while dealing with the most important family decisions. ParentSpace helped me to learn some great tips from other parents in the same situations and so I am pleased to support ParentSpace as it grows to walk alongside more parents in our community.
When I’m not in constant Zoom meetings (yes – that is my life), I love to blow away the cobwebs up a snowy mountain, or on a windswept Scottish beach - always with my camera in hand. Julie Major
Facilitator 
I’m a Parentspace Facilitator. I became involved in Parentspace back in 2016 after meeting the founder Di on a yoga day. I was looking for work at the time having moved to the Scottish Borders from Cornwall to be nearer my children and grandchildren. Di offered me the opportunity to help run some of the courses as a volunteer and then to train as a facilitator.
I’m a trained Children’s Nurse and worked in Neonatal Intensive Care before retiring from the NHS. Working with, and supporting families, has always my passion and I really believe that we can make positive changes in society one family at a time. I also work for Nurture the Borders as a Perinatal Support Officer so I am very lucky to have two jobs doing work that I love. Geraldine Keita
Facilitator 
I am a lone parent to three boys who all love mountain biking. I grew up in the extremes of Shetland and Hong Kong, but relocated to the Borders to raise my family.
I am an outdoors person who loves camping, walking, whittling, biking, heading to the beach on a windy day and also knitting on a dark winters night. As well as being part of the ParentSpace team I also run well-being & nature connection sessions in local woods for groups of children and adults with a community interest company called Nature Unlimited. I came across ParentSpace by accident, or maybe it was serendipity and when I found out Karen was involved I was sure it’d be a good thing. I was so thrilled to be invited to join the team. All parents are thrown into parenting with no formal training, and have to learn on the job, and a job that is ever changing. I think it’s really empowering to connect with other parents and share experiences, and actually look at certain things that they may be struggling with and talk it through with others who are going through similar things. We’re a community of parents and families, let’s make this community stronger and more resilient, by supporting each other, sharing and connecting. |
Ali McIntosh
Project Business Support &Administrator 
Hello. I'm Ali and I'm so pleased to be able to support ParentSpace in the role of Project Business Support and Administrator. I moved to the Scottish Borders in 2015 after a number or years based in Cumbria and Tyne & Wear. Having spent in excess of 15 years working in various Quality, Technical and Project Management roles in the food manufacturing industry, I made some changes to my working life to fit in with the needs of my family when we re-located to the area.
Parenting isn't easy and I have always been grateful for the network of people I have met in the community who have really helped me! Lucy Lavelle
Facilitator 
Hello, my name is Lucy. I live in Berwickshire with my 2 boys and husband.
We really like spending time outdoors, biking, in the woods or on the beach. I did a ParentSpace course last year it was really refreshing to meet, such open, honest and genuinely caring people. The more I learned about ParentSpace the more I liked what it stood for. No matter what experience you have had, nothing can prepare you for being a parent. I love that parent space recognises how hard it is, but also that we can take positive actions so both parents and the kids get the most out of family life. Kerry Whitson
Facilitator 
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ParentSpace (SCIO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) regulated by the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), Scottish Charity number: SC049137
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