Abeer MacIntyre
Encyclopedia
Abeer Macintyre is journalist and broadcaster, formerly a regular presenter and journalist at BBC Scotland
from 1994 to 2009, presenting the station's flagship radio programme Good Morning Scotland
and as a presenter of the station's news and political TV broadcasts. She now works as Head of Supporter Care at the charity Mary's Meals
.
with her mother and two sisters after her parents separated. There she attended Belfast Royal Academy
where she excelled academically and took a keen interest in extra-curricular activities, particularly hockey and singing. She pursued her interests by studying English and Drama at the University of Kent
, graduating in 1987.
, the station's flagship breakfast programme. While working at Good Morning Scotland the programme was awarded a silver Sony Award in 1995. She continued in this role for fifteen years, while also working on televised news and politics programmes, including Reporting Scotland
, Frontline Scotland and Newsnight Scotland
. While working as an investigative journalist for Frontline Scotland, she exposed the scandal surrounding the plight of haemophiliacs in Scotland to receive recognition and compensation from the Scottish Executive
after they had contracted infections, including HIV
, from contaminated blood clotting agents. She also conducted an exclusive interview with the lover of Angelika Kluk, which was broadcast immediately following the conviction of Peter Tobin
for the murder of the Polish student.
after meeting the charity's founder, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow OBE
. Since she took on this lead fundraising role, the charity has grown from feeding 350,000 children in the developing world every day to 577,000 children in 2011. Her role involves developing the charity's fundraising operations. She has visited Malawi twice with the charity, including a visit in early 2011 with the singer Annie Lennox
, who is now an official supporter, and Kenya in mid-2011 to visit the charity's projects in the drought stricken
northern region of the country and in Eldoret
.
, Scotland
, with her husband, fellow Radio Scotland reporter Kenny Macintyre
, and has three children. Before her marriage to Macintyre she was known as Abeer Parkes.
In December 2008, MacIntyre, along with 6 other BBC Scotland journalists including Jackie Bird
and Catriona Shearer
, was told that her personal details may have been inappropriately accessed by a doctor in working for NHS Fife
.
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
from 1994 to 2009, presenting the station's flagship radio programme Good Morning Scotland
Good Morning Scotland
Good Morning Scotland is a Scottish breakfast radio news programme. It is broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland weekdays from 06:00 to 08:45. Established in 1973, it is the longest-running radio show broadcast from Scotland and remains one of the most popular....
and as a presenter of the station's news and political TV broadcasts. She now works as Head of Supporter Care at the charity Mary's Meals
Mary's meals
Mary's Meals is a school feeding movement and the name of a charity formerly known as Scottish International Relief . It was founded in 2002 and has grown from its first feeding operation of 200 children in Malawi, to a world-wide campaign, providing free school meals in hundreds of schools and...
.
Early life
Abeer Macintyre was born in Amman, Jordan in December 1964 to a Jordanian father and Irish mother. She spent the first five years of her life living in Beirut, Lebanon before moving to BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
with her mother and two sisters after her parents separated. There she attended Belfast Royal Academy
Belfast Royal Academy
The Belfast Royal Academy is the oldest school in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a co-educational, non-denominational voluntary grammar school situated in north Belfast. The Academy is one of eight Northern Irish schools whose Headmaster is a member of the Headmasters' and...
where she excelled academically and took a keen interest in extra-curricular activities, particularly hockey and singing. She pursued her interests by studying English and Drama at the University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
, graduating in 1987.
Career in TV and Radio
Inspired by summer jobs while a student working at BBC Belfast, Abeer began her career in broadcasting by working for a year at Beacon Radio. In 1990, she moved to BBC Leicester working as a journalist and presenter of their breakfast programme for four years before moving to BBC Scotland to present Good Morning ScotlandGood Morning Scotland
Good Morning Scotland is a Scottish breakfast radio news programme. It is broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland weekdays from 06:00 to 08:45. Established in 1973, it is the longest-running radio show broadcast from Scotland and remains one of the most popular....
, the station's flagship breakfast programme. While working at Good Morning Scotland the programme was awarded a silver Sony Award in 1995. She continued in this role for fifteen years, while also working on televised news and politics programmes, including Reporting Scotland
Reporting Scotland
Reporting Scotland is BBC Scotland's national television news programme. The programme first aired on 1 April 1968, with three main presenters - the most famous being Mary Marquis...
, Frontline Scotland and Newsnight Scotland
Newsnight Scotland
Newsnight Scotland is a BBC Scotland television news programme which started on Monday October 4, 1999. The programme is aired from BBC Pacific Quay in Glasgow, and is an opt out of the main London-based Newsnight programme...
. While working as an investigative journalist for Frontline Scotland, she exposed the scandal surrounding the plight of haemophiliacs in Scotland to receive recognition and compensation from the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
after they had contracted infections, including HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
, from contaminated blood clotting agents. She also conducted an exclusive interview with the lover of Angelika Kluk, which was broadcast immediately following the conviction of Peter Tobin
Peter Tobin
Peter Britton Tobin is a convicted Scottish serial killer and sex offender now serving a sentence of life imprisonment for the murders of three young women....
for the murder of the Polish student.
Mary's Meals
In 2009 Abeer left BBC Scotland to become head of supporter care at Mary's MealsMary's meals
Mary's Meals is a school feeding movement and the name of a charity formerly known as Scottish International Relief . It was founded in 2002 and has grown from its first feeding operation of 200 children in Malawi, to a world-wide campaign, providing free school meals in hundreds of schools and...
after meeting the charity's founder, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow OBE
Mary's meals
Mary's Meals is a school feeding movement and the name of a charity formerly known as Scottish International Relief . It was founded in 2002 and has grown from its first feeding operation of 200 children in Malawi, to a world-wide campaign, providing free school meals in hundreds of schools and...
. Since she took on this lead fundraising role, the charity has grown from feeding 350,000 children in the developing world every day to 577,000 children in 2011. Her role involves developing the charity's fundraising operations. She has visited Malawi twice with the charity, including a visit in early 2011 with the singer Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
, who is now an official supporter, and Kenya in mid-2011 to visit the charity's projects in the drought stricken
2011 East Africa drought
Since mid-July 2011, a severe drought has been affecting the entire East Africa region. Said to be "the worst in 60 years", the drought has caused a severe food crisis across Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya that threatens the livelihood of more than 13.3 million people...
northern region of the country and in Eldoret
Eldoret
Eldoret is a town in western Kenya and the administrative centre of Uasin Gishu District of Rift Valley Province. Lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about 2100 metres above sea level at the airport to more than 2700 metres in nearby areas...
.
Personal life
She lives in ClackmannanshireClackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, with her husband, fellow Radio Scotland reporter Kenny Macintyre
Kenny MacIntyre
Kenny Macintyre is a Scottish sports broadcaster who works for BBC Scotland.MacIntyre provides match reports for Sportsound on BBC Radio Scotland and occasionally hosts the programme...
, and has three children. Before her marriage to Macintyre she was known as Abeer Parkes.
In December 2008, MacIntyre, along with 6 other BBC Scotland journalists including Jackie Bird
Jackie Bird
Jackie Bird is a Scottish journalist and newsreader, working for BBC Scotland.-Career:After working as a reporter for The Sun newspaper, Bird joined Television South in Maidstone as a reporter and presenter for the South East edition of regional news programme Coast to Coast.She has been a main...
and Catriona Shearer
Catriona Shearer
Catriona Shearer is a newsreader, journalist and television presenter who currently hosts the Reporting Scotland news programme on BBC One.Shearer has previously presented Reporting Scotland live from Wimbledon and T in the Park...
, was told that her personal details may have been inappropriately accessed by a doctor in working for NHS Fife
NHS Fife
NHS Fife is one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland. It provides healthcare services in the Fife area. NHS Fife is headquartered in Hayfield House, Kirkcaldy.-Fife:*Adamson Hospital, Cupar*Cameron Hospital, Windygates...
.