Neil Gerrard was born and brought up in Arbroath. He studied at St Andrews University and Polytechnic of Central London (now Westminster University), before completing his Masters at Southampton University in 1977.

Neil worked as a research chemist in the printing industry before moving to the Isle of Skye in 1986. Here he was involved in training and development within the public sector, and latterly in the voluntary sector where among other achievements he was instrumental in establishing a range of social enterprises.

He joined Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) in 2003, where he now manages a small aftercare team within the Community Land Unit. The team’s remit is to support and develop community land initiatives across the Highlands & Islands, whilst continuing to build the capacity and growth of the community land sector. The Community Land Unit is also part of a consortium which manages the Big Lottery Fund Growing Community Assets programme, which aims to help communities become stronger and more sustainable by obtaining or developing assets, in both urban and rural communities.