Our Staff
We created APiC to work in partnership with children, young people, and everyone who cares about making change with them.
Jenny, Jamie and Anna are the ones that lead our projects. They work together as much as possible, and enjoy collaborating. Read more below about who they are and what they bring to APiC.
Dr Jenny Wood
Co-Director, Policy & Research
Jenny has been a driving force behind APiC since 2017, bringing deep expertise and energy to its work. She holds three degrees in urban and regional planning, including a PhD on children’s human rights and the Scottish planning system.
She has led award-winning Participatory Action Research and Co-design projects in over a third of Scotland’s local authorities, advancing children’s rights in planning, public space, transport, education, and social policy. Her work has shaped national policy, including the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, Play Sufficiency Assessments, and the National Children’s Charter for School Age Childcare. She has co-authored key guidance with the RTPI and ZCD Architects and contributed to the Place Standard Tools for Children and Young People.
Jenny trains and mentors professionals across the UK, building capacity for meaningful engagement with children. She is a sought-after speaker, including internationally, and her work bridges planning, participation, and social justice, with a strong foundation in addressing severe and multiple disadvantage.
Dr Jamie Hamilton
Co-Director, Policy & Research
Jamie is a founding board member of APiC and has driven the organisation’s strategic development and business operations to date. He is a highly experienced professional with specialism in strategic research and marketing, project management, co-creation methodologies, community development, and systems approaches and analysis.
Jamie has successfully led multiple high impact projects through APiC, including Participatory Action Research on the experience of children and young people throigh the pandemic. He specialises in the development of innovative child-friendly projects, services and plans. He has a Degree in Psychology, a Masters in Environmental Decision-Making, and a PhD on early years outdoor learning and closing the attainment gap in Scotland.
Over the course of a diverse career, including working for a toy company, Jamie has also gained extensive experience in all aspects of research and business management. He has successfully co-founded and led several successful start-ups, notably, online research pioneers, Netfluential Ltd.
Anna Gaffney
Policy & Projects Manager
Anna is a founding board member of A Place in Childhood since its inception in 2018. With over 14 years of experience in the public, private, and third sectors, she brings a deep understanding in the operation and governance structures which influence and shape our daily lives. As a multidisciplinary planning professional, Anna is particularly skilled in high-quality communications in complex and sensitive contexts, workshop facilitation, and conducting qualitative research with both adults and children.
In 2023–2024, she led the innovative Children and Teenager Neighbourhood Plan project, co-designing five unique plans with 270 young people across 14 schools in five local authorities. Her work is grounded in children’s rights, strong project management, and a keen sense of how policy shapes communities. Holding an MSc in City Planning and Real Estate Development, Anna combines strategic insight with empathy and adaptability—driving practical, positive change across Scotland’s diverse places.