Aberdeen charity chief and former deputy procurator fiscal made MBE

Lady Catto is chairwoman and a trustee of the charity VSA, which works to provide care and support to strengthen the future of young children and adults through a variety of services.

Lady Catto, who is also deputy lord lieutenant for Aberdeen, said: “On my birthday this year, I opened a letter letting me know that I would be recommended to receive an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

“I was surprised and delighted – all the more when I realised that Voluntary Services Aberdeen (VSA), the major charity I chair, was included in the citation.

“The invaluable work they do with children and young adults is not always recognised, but much appreciated by the parents and children from Aberdeen and across Scotland in their care.”

Lady Catto has dedicated her career to supporting young people.

She became the deputy procurator fiscal at the city’s juvenile court, after studying law at Aberdeen University. This convinced her that the adversarial system was inappropriate for children and young people and a more investigative approach was needed for the Children’s Panel to work in the best interests of the child.

Her time as a Kennedy Scholar at Harvard University influenced her views on social policy and, upon returning to Scotland, she went back into legal practice, becoming involved in family law cases.