Sheila McKechnie

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Dame Sheila Marshall McKechnie, DBE (May 3, 1948 - January 2, 2004) was a Scottish trade unionist, housing campaigner and consumer activist.

Sheila McKechnie studied at Edinburgh University, where she was a friend of future UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. She was a member of the Students' Representative Council, holding the posts of Secretary and 2nd Junior President. After graduating in Politics and History, she took an MA in Industrial Relations from Warwick University. After working for various trade unions in the 1970s, during which she was also active in the Women's Movement, she became director of the housing and homelessness charity Shelter in 1985.

After ten years in charge, she left to become head of Britain's Consumers' Association, campaigning on behalf of consumers against unfair, environmentally damaging and dangerous business practices. She was made an OBE in 1994 for her work with Shelter, and DBE in 2001 for her work on behalf of consumers.

She was chosen as the University of Edinburgh alumnus of the year in 1991.