Meet our team

Penny Halliday

Chair & Founder

Penny Halliday is the founder and Chair of A Listening Ear. She was an FE lecturer with Dumfries and Galloway College for 18 years and then moved to community development for 10 years setting up local and national support for kinship carers as well as families affected by drugs, for which she won several awards. Penny has served as a Non-Executive Member of the Board of NHS Dumfries and Galloway for over 8 years where she is currently Vice Chair as well as Vice Chair of the Integrated Joint Board – the body set up to oversee the integration of local health and social care services within the Region and is also a Trustee for a number of other local organisations.

Jan Mattison

Volunteer Co-ordinator East

After 15 years working as a Regional Fundraiser in Scotland for national charities, I joined ALE as a Volunteer Co-ordinator in April 2023. I look forward to supporting the remarkable work our volunteers are doing and being involved in the organisation’s growth and development across Dumfries and Galloway. As well as my post with ALE, I also work as an Independent Celebrant, conducting services to celebrate life, a role I find incredibly interesting and rewarding. In my spare time, you might find me out walking in and photographing, our beautiful Scottish countryside with my hubby Dave or bashing a small white ball around a golf course.

Susan Ribbens

Volunteer Co-ordinator West

Following a year of volunteering for local group Wigtownshire Women and Cancer, I took up the post of Volunteer Co-Ordinator in April 2023.  I thrive on the rewarding experience of working with volunteers, supporting them, and witnessing the positive impact they create. Realising how much I love working for a community-based organisation I wanted to do more. I believe ALE is a wonderful charity which helps so many people and I’m looking forward to supporting its wonderful volunteers and promoting community engagement. 

I am dedicated to nurturing an inclusive and empowering environment, ensuring that volunteers feel valued and their contributions make a lasting difference and am very excited about the opportunities ahead.

I live near Kirkcowan with my husband Jamie and daughter Abbie and various animals. In my spare time I love playing my fiddle in various local groups and sessions. I also love crafting, sewing and anything gadget or IT related!

Jennifer Hendry

Administrator

My ALE administration role sits alongside gardening, handiwork, and volunteering activities. 

When not doing any of those, I read classical history, watch movies, cook and try to learn to identify moths.

Pat McErlean

Trustee

I worked in Local Government for 30years before retiring to Galloway in 2013. I had worked mainly with Ethnic and Cultural Minorities liaising and managing special events and accommodation. In my spare time I used my work skills to help in the management and support of a number of local and national voluntary organisations. After an active career it was not long before I was bored with retirement and started as a volunteer with A Listening Ear which I thoroughly enjoy. In what’s left of my spare time I am a mad keen wild camper.