The Team

Lyndsey Ritchie
Project Manager

Lyndsey’s passion for youth work began when she was a young volunteer for an Edinburgh based youth project. Since then she has worked with many different organisations, providing supports to some of Edinburgh and the Lothians most vulnerable young people within a range of settings. During her time with Y2K,  she has worked across all its services giving her the opportunity to work with young people from all walks of life before becoming project manager in April 2021. Lyndsey is committed to supporting young people to make positive changes to their lives to work towards a more positive future and thoroughly enjoys developing services to meet their needs. Lyndsey has worked for the voluntary sector since starting her youth work career and finds Y2K a fantastic, unique place to work.

Liz Campbell
Finance Manager

Whilst bringing up my children, I wanted a more fulfilling role in my work and skill development that I began studying full time in I.T.  I achieved accreditation in all Microsoft packages and went on to gain my E.C.D.L.  New to the sector, I volunteered with Loanhead after School Club and then with the MARC project in Dalkeith.  I soon secured an administration post at MARC and assisted in the finance section.  I realised that I had a flair for numbers, and this gave me the confidence to gain accreditation in bookkeeping via Stow College.  I left my role at MARC and became the treasurer of a Midlothian based Playgroup, I enjoyed this immensely but was still looking to expand on my skills. I joined Y2K in 2010 and quickly realised that this was the project that I was looking for.  I have worked with many staff and volunteers over the years and have seen many changes with different projects but still have a deep affection and commitment to my work.  Y2K has always been and remains responsive to the needs of young people and I am still in awe of this.

Morag Fraser
Office Manager

Morag joined Y2K in January 2021 as Office Manager.  She has had a career in the civil service for many years, firstly at the Scottish Office in Edinburgh, transferring first to the Ministry of Defence, (Navy) at Kyle of Lochalsh then to the (Army) at HQ Scotland near Edinburgh, (as a civilian). In 2008, Morag joined NHS Lothian as a Personal Assistant and worked in the Edinburgh Cancer Centre at the Western General Hospital for the senior management team, then to NHS 24 also as a Personal Assistant.  In 2014, Morag moved to an Office Manager position for a privately owned company in Roslin working with a small group of Materials Scientists.  She was there for six years before being made redundant because of the downturn in work due to the pandemic. The voluntary sector is a new challenge for Morag who says she is looking forward to her new role at the heart of the wonderful Y2K team!

Natalie Paris
CashBack 180 Project Lead

Natalie joined Y2K in February 2018 as a sessional worker looking to gain practical experience in youth work whilst continuing her career in Finance at the University of Edinburgh.  Although Natalie’s working background and original studies had been Accounting, she had always been interested in Criminology and Youth Offending.  So, a few years leading up to her joining Y2K she had completed her 1st year in Criminology and a Higher Certificate in Children and Families. After starting with Y2K Natalie went on to complete a Professional Development Award in Youth Work, reduced her hours at the University of Edinburgh and became our Part Time Young Women’s worker, this gave Natalie experience in working with vulnerable young women in Midlothian with an age range of 11 to 24 and some with mild to moderate learning difficulties.  When Natalie first heard about the 180 service, she knew it was something she really wanted to be involved with so in September 2018 she made the leap from the University of Edinburgh to Y2K Full Time and became the 180 Project Lead and has never looked back!

Elaine McCairney
Guid 2 Go

Project Worker

“I joined the Y2K team in May 2017 as a volunteer, where I gained lots of experience in youth work.  I started in the office to begin with and went on a few summer trips with the young people which helped me get to know them and build up my confidence. I took on a Youth Worker Role and started studying again in Jan 2019, I completed the Professional Development Award in youth work. I was soon promoted to a Project Lead for the Guid to go project and I am now responsible for the all the Youth Achievement Awards work at Y2K and I love it. Y2K have been amazing with the support they have given me, they helped me build my confidence and made me see the world in a different way, it is like a second family here with the amazing staff team and young people it all works well”.

Leona Dowdeswell
Guid 2 Go
Project Worker

Leona joined Y2K in 2019 as Project Youth Worker after many years in the voluntary sector working with organisations such as Girl Guides Rainbows and Playgroup Midlothian supporting adults and young people with additional support needs. Leona has completed a Professional Development Award in Youth Work, and is now studying level 2 Mental Health Awareness, Leona is committed to building trusted relationships with the young people, so they have a safe space where they can learn and grow. Leona loves working at Y2K and believes that we learn just as much from the young people as they do us.  Also no two days are ever the same, with so many young people accessing the Y2K services there are lots of different people to get to know.

Lorraine Wylie
CashBack 180 Project Worker

Lorraine joined Y2K’s Cashback 180 service in April 2021. She has worked with children and young people in an After school club settings previously and during this time completed her SVQ level 3 Social Services and Young people. Before she began working within the childcare sector, Lorraine was an Accounts Manager but realised she wanted a new challenge, so decided it was time for a career change. Lorraine is passionate about supporting young people to navigate their way through the challenges of today. She thoroughly enjoys working with the Cashback 180 service as it gives her the opportunity to support young people to make informed choices about their own lives and futures.

Jamie Blair
Y2K+ Project Worker

“When I was younger, I had a lot of support from trusted adults who helped me achieve positive destinations. They helped me get into volunteering with youth work projects, where I got my first position as an assistant youth worker with Highlife Highland when I was 18. I loved this work, and found it really powerful to be a part of a project that had done so much for me, and to see it from the other side. Since then, I moved to Edinburgh to study Social Sciences and worked part-time in south west Edinburgh with vulnerable young people. I joined Y2K in June 2022 and I am really excited to be back doing work I love and working within this community. I am passionate about promoting and supporting the agency of young people, and helping them to achieve goals and positive futures”.