Our Board of Trustees

Dopamine Dolls is governed by a Board of Trustees. Our trustees are volunteers with lived experience of neurodiversity (either as individuals or as support to a family member). Our trustees are responsible for ensuring our resources are managed and used to meet out purposes, in compliance with our constitution and the law. They are also responsible for conflicts of interest, safeguarding and reporting to the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).

Hiya! I’m Ashley Hope, Co-Founder, Chair, and CEO of Dopamine Dolls.

I have a BA(Hons) in Business and Marketing and a PGDip in Social Work. I enjoy the strategy and service development of Dopamine Dolls, but it is the connection at our Peer Support Groups that gets me up in the (late) morning!

I was diagnosed with dyslexia during my second degree at the age of 25 and I gained my ADHD diagnosis on Valentine’s Day 2023, at the age of 31. Like most, I had quite a complex and challenging journey to gain a diagnosis. Connecting with other people, who truly understand my lived experience has been such a special experience.

If I’m not spending time on a new, and possibly short lived hobby, I’m usually in recovery mode - hanging with my family and baby dogs.

Hi, I’m Toni Hope and I am the Treasurer of Dopamine Dolls.

I have had a variety of professions over the years which have included; DJ, Dinner Lady, Traffic Warden, Postie and Gnome Painter - to name a few! Over the past 16 years I have worked for the NHS, within a variety of administrative roles. I currently manage a small team and have responsibilities that include procurement and budget management. 

I founded a fundraising committee for my local area, to raise funds for a children’s play park. We were successful in raising over £125,000. 

I have 4 children, 3 of whom have neurodiverse diagnoses. I am also a self-diagnosed ADHDer finding my way through the menopause! In my free time, I love to read, walk (especially with my dog) and camp throughout the summer months.

Hi, I’m Seonaid and a Trustee of Dopamine Dolls.

I started my working life as a BBC journalist before going freelance and focusing on writing for television and radio. When a family member became seriously depressed in 2011, I felt utterly powerless to help and it was this that prompted my move into the field of mental health. I now work as an advocate in Inverness covering the Highlands and Islands.

My ADHD was finally confirmed in 2021 after many years of being told it was ‘just’ anxiety. Discovering this has changed my life for the better and that of my adult daughter who learnt she also has it. I appreciate how fortunate I am and would like to support those who continue to fight for their diagnosis.

Most of my spare time is spent with my family and friends, painting and on Vinted!

Hi, I’m Kirsty and I am the Secretary of Dopamine Dolls.

I joined Dopamine Dolls as a Trustee in the summer of 2023 after falling in love with the organisation, and its founders, through my work as a Development Officer with the Highland Third Sector Interface where I was helping Ashley and Isla formally establish their new charity.

I joined HTSI in June 2022 having previously studied law and volunteered within the third sector. In my role I work closely with both new and established third sector organisations, including social enterprises, needing support around governance and strategic planning.

I am dyslexic and live with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (a heritable connective tissue disorder) which greatly impacts my daily life. These struggles, along with my charity development experience, gives me a unique insight in how to best support and develop Dopamine Dolls. I also live with my two dogs, Chridhe (Jackapoo) and Sansa (Schnoodle), on the Black Isle. So when I’m not working or being a Trustee, I’m with them!