Behind the scenes

Meet the steering group who put together the Young Women Remember archives.

Hear from our steering group members

14 Feb 25
Recording Women’s Lives in Scotland
Samar, our Heritage Research Coordinator, tells us about the Young Women Remember project so far, and why we are collecting stories about the 100 year history of our movement and the YWCA in Scotland.
- Heritage
- Young Women Remember
- Article
19 May 26
My archival placement at The Young Women’s Movement
Iona worked on our Young Women Remember digital archive project – read about her experience as a researcher.
- Young Women Remember
- Article
19 May 26
Transcending through time with feminist Oral History
In this article, Young Women Remember researcher Katie Fielding explains what Oral History is, and how it has shaped the Young Women Remember digital archive.
- Young Women Remember
- Article

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Meet the steering group

Alba McVicar- Reyes (She/They), 24, from Grenada, living in Glasgow

Alba is an ex- student of film, media and journalism who is passionate about publicly preserving women’s stories. Alba got involved with The Young Women’s Movement while finishing their Master’s in Gender Studies.

Alba has pale skin and dark hair. She is wearing a purple jumper and purple eyshadow

Beth Campbell (She/Her), 26, from the Black Isle, living in London
Beth is currently living between the Highlands and London whilst undertaking her PhD in English Literature, researching women’s literature about the British countryside between the First and Second World Wars. Beth has a passionate interest in women’s history, and is especially drawn to the stories that have too often been overlooked, marginalised, or deliberately erased.

Beth has dark hair and pale skin. She is wearing a red shirt and red lipstick.

Bethany has pale skin and light brown hair with a fringe. She is wearing glasses and a bright gren blouse.

Bethany Spain (She/Her), 24, from Clackmannanshire

Bethany is a writer and communications specialist who cares deeply about stories. With a background in journalism and digital media, she is passionate about heritage, oral histories, and the power of young women sharing their experiences in their own words. She believes storytelling can build connection across generations and is proud to help ensure these voices are heard, valued, and remembered.

Elizabeth has pale skin and brown hair. She is smiling at the camera.

Elysabeth Prigmore (She/ Her), 24, from the US, living in Edinburgh

Elysabeth is originally from Kentucky in the US but has lived in Edinburgh, Scotland for the past two and a half years working in sexual and reproductive health. Elysabeth joined the YWR project in January 2026 as a volunteer assisting the Heritage Research Coordinator with various data collection and analysis tasks.

Hannah Wilson (She/Her), 22, from Lanark

Having studied Social Anthropology and Social Policy at the University of Edinburgh, Hannah now works at New Lanark World Heritage Site – where she grew up. Outside of work, Hannah is a second degree blackbelt in Judo and volunteers backstage at a musical theatre company.

Hannah has pale skin and light hair. She is wearing a graduation gown and standing in front of McEwan Hall in Edinburgh

Iona MacMillan (She/Her), 23, from Falkirk, living in Glasgow

Over the past nine months, Iona has really enjoyed completing her applied dissertation placement with The Young Women’s Movement. This involved producing an Archive Report, cataloguing materials from 1902 to 1989 and highlighting potential routes for future research. Alongside this, Iona has also written two profiles on influential women in the YWM’s history, including one on Stella Jane Reekie, and a joint profile on Isabel Fleming and Jessie Service.

Iona has pale skin and long dark hair. She is sitting in a restaurant.

Iona has pale skin and brown hair with a fringe. She is in an archive and wearing a blue shirt.

Iona Rogers (She/Her), 25, Glasgow/ East Ayrshire

Hailing from the West of Scotland, Iona brings a vibrant blend of skills in historical research, youth work, and inclusion practises to the Young Women Remember Project. Currently working in the University of Glasgow Archives & Special Collections, Iona has a longstanding passion for history, namely 18th century material culture, and international social movements of the 20th century. In other areas of life, Iona is a dedicated roller derby athlete, crochet enthusiast, campaigner and trade union activist.

Julia has pale skin and light hair that is hidden by a knitted headband. She is wearing a scarf and glasses and is on top of a hill.

Julia Danielsson (She/Her), 25, from Finland, living in Glasgow

Julia is currently studying an MSc in Global Mental Health at the University of Glasgow, where she previously did her undergraduate in Psychology.

Katie Field (She/Her), 25, from England, living in Edinburgh

Katie has found working on the Young Women Remember project invigorating from the outset and has especially enjoyed developing new skills in Oral History theory and practice, data analysis and videography. New to co-design, Katie has found the experience of working with other like-minded women to uncover hidden stories, very empowering.

Katie is smiling at the camera. She has pale skin and brown and pink hair.

Kelly Anderson (She/Her), 27, from Dunfermline, living in Glasgow. After studying history at undergraduate and masters level, Kelly now works in wellbeing in women’s sport. Despite finding surprising connections between the two disciplines, Kelly missed the hands on aspect of archive studies and found this project to be the perfect opportunity.

Kelly has pale skin and long red hair with a fringe. She is smiling at the camera and wearing sunglasses on her head.

Laura has pale skin and short dark hair. She is wearing large orange glasses and smiling at the camera.

Laura Menéndez (She/Her), 28, from Spain, living in Edinburgh

Laura is a Spanish journalist, copywriter and literary translator based in Edinburgh. She holds an MSc in Applied Gender Studies, where she refined her passion for preserving women’s stories. “Capturing and collating the stories of the women that came before us while getting to know the women I’ve worked with has been a joy and an honour.”

Rajsee is standing in a cathedral. She has brown skin and long dark hair.

Rajsee Saraf (She/Her), 18, from Glasgow

Rajsee is an elected MSYP, representing her constituency on local and national levels. Passionate about equality and extending young people’s democratic wellbeing, Rajsee strives to bring a positive and constructive approach to work.

Sofia Abdul-Rehman (She/ Her), 28, from Glasgow

Sofia works in museums and the third sector and is greatly interested in bringing about more representation of marginalised voices and stories. Sofia is delighted to have been a part of this project which centres the lived experiences of women, highlights diverse experiences across Scotland, and values inclusion and inspiration.

Sofia has pale skin and is wearing an orange hijab and glasses. She is smiling and standing in front of a yellow rose bush

Suzanna Beaupre (She/Her), 31, from Somerset, living in Edinburgh

Suzanna moved to Fife back in 2024 and heard about the project. Having studied history and been part of feminist societies at university, she was excited to take part in the YWM and looking forward to hearing the stories of those who have been part of the movement to date.

Black and white image of Suzanna, who has pale skin and short dark hair. Suzanna is standing in a library holding a book and smiling.

Young Women Remember project leads

Lauren has pale skin and long blonde hair. she is smiling at the camera

Dr Lauren Beatty (She/ Her), 32, from Dunfermline

Lauren is an oral historian who joined The Young Women’s Movement in August 2025 as Heritage Research Coordinator for the Young Women’s Movement, leading on the Young Women Remember Project. Lauren is a proud feminist who is passionate about oral history and story-telling.

Samar has dark curly hair and glasses. She is smiling at the camera.

Samar Ziadat (She/They)

Samar is a researcher and policy professional who was the Heritage Research Coordinator for The Young Women’s Movement from June 2024 until June 2025.

Designers

Jennie Bates (She/Her), 30, from Glasgow

Jennie is an artist and community worker from Glasgow. She loves supporting people to explore their creativity. Jennie and Lois have co-delivered three co-design sessions with the Young Women Remember volunteers, shaping the design of the website archive and associated outputs.

Jennie has pale skin and short dark hair with a fringe. She is smiling at the camera with her arms crossed.

Lois Paton (They/Them), 33, from Glasgow

Lois is a freelance graphic designer from Glasgow. They have a bold, playful style and especially enjoy working with clients who share their desire to make a positive impact on the world. As well as delivering co-design sessions with the steering group volunteers, Lois has also designed the Young Women Remember Research Report for the project.

A note from The National Lottery Heritage Fund
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.