The Team
Carlene McAvoy
Carlene McAvoy is RoSPA’s Leisure Safety Manager who is currently working on the promotion and delivery of RoSPA’s water and leisure safety programme for the UK.
Carlene is the founder and secretariat to Water Safety Scotland, and co-author of Scotland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy. Carlene also co-created the Drowning and Incident Review (DIR) with SFRS, and recently published research into DIR in BMJ Injury Prevention. Carlene recently completed the World Health Organizations (WHO) Mentor VIP programme and is an Honorary fellow for the George Institute for Global Health.
Jen Foley
Jen Foley is Water Safety Projects Officer with RoSPA.
In this role Jen supports Water Safety Scotland full-time and is a member of the Steering Group. Jen joined RoSPA in 2012 - initially to support a major home safety project - and now works with the various subgroups and differing work-streams to help achieve the targets of Scotland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy. Jen has a lot of involvement in comms and education for WSS, as well as growing the membership to ensure the right people and organisations are involved.
James Sullivan
James Sullivan is a Station Commander and lead officer in the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service’s National Water Safety Project.
James is the Chair of Water Safety Scotland, a role that he took up in 2023 after previously being a member of the WSS Steering Group. James joined SFRS in 2008 and in addition to firefighting roles has been a member of the Swift Water Rescue Teams in Perth and Glasgow. James wrote and implemented the Partnership Approach to Water Safety (PAWS) model and co-created the associated Drowning and Incident Review (DIR) process with Carlene
Michael Avril
Michael Avril is the RNLI Regional Water Safety Lead for Scotland.
Michael has been involved with WSS since its initial meeting in August 2014. Michael took on the role as Chair of WSS in 2014 which he has held until early 2023. Michael has been involved with most of the sub groups but is currently concentrating his efforts as a member of the Suicide Prevention and Data subgroups as well as supporting James set up PAWS groups across Scotland.
Michael is also an active RNLI crew Member at Berwick Upon Tweed and is a helm of both the D Class and Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboats.
Leigh Hamilton
Leigh Hamilton, Ranger Service Manager, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority.
Leigh joined the National Park in 2010 and spent 4 years with the boat team on Loch Lomond promoting safe and responsible navigation, raising awareness of water safety and enforcing the Loch Lomond Byelaws where necessary. Leigh is a commercially endorsed advanced powerboat skipper. As Ranger Manager she currently leads a team of 5 Ranger Team Leaders, 13 permanent Rangers and a cohort of up to 50 Seasonal Rangers throughout the months April – September each year. Leigh is the water safety lead for Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, leading the project since 2019. With advice from Rospa Leigh developed a water safety policy and created a suite of visitor risk assessments to inform where water safety signage and public rescue equipment was required. Working with James Sullivan from 2021, Leigh has been an active member of the local PAWS groups in West Dunbartonshire, Stirling and A&B, recently taking on the role of Chair at A&B PAWS. In 2023 Leigh became a member of WSS Steering group.