Meet the team

Neil – our Head of Operations leads the development and delivery of our services and works closely with the rest of the team to ensure the quality and effectiveness of those services.

‘As the Head of Operations, I am incredibly proud of the remarkable work our team of coordinators and volunteers do to support our athletes. It’s truly inspiring to witness how many athletes surpass expectations, making significant strides in both their physical and emotional well-being. Whether it’s a child who begins their journey non-speaking  and develops a broader vocabulary or a child participating in a team activity for the first time, the impact is often profound and life-changing. Keen London is genuinely one of a kind.’

Samantha – our Senior Services Coordinator is responsible for planning, running and managing our South London service and new Early Years work.

“I see Keen and all our families as an extension to my own. If I can even make a small positive contribution to our families lives then I am doing something right. I am blessed to be part of all our amazing athletes’ lives. I often get told by families that I am making a difference to them and they are extremely grateful to have me and keen, and the truth is I am grateful that I am able to be part of their growth and experiences.  To the parents, thank you for trusting me and allowing me to be on  this journey with your children, you all have a place in my heart.”

Viktoria – our East London Coordinator is responsible for planning, running and managing our East London service and our annual residential trip.

“KEEN is a fun and inclusive environment that allows everyone, athletes, coaches and staff alike, to learn something new every week and develop. Having started volunteering at 16 to now being a coordinator 8 years later – KEEN has taught me so much and made me so much more confident, and I have loved every moment of it.”

Bushra – our North London Coordinator is responsible for planning, running and managing our North London service.

“I’m grateful to be part of such an incredible team, and to have a chance to work with my local community and support the growth of our athletes. Each session brings new opportunities for children to grow in a supportive and encouraging environment, and the crucial work of KEEN shines through with each milestone and challenge they surpass and overcome. It’s an honour to work with our athletes and volunteers and play a part in this journey .”

Sam – our Volunteering Manager, is responsible for developing and expanding our base of volunteers across all of KEEN’s services and ensuring that every volunteer has the support in place to be the best they can be.

“I feel truly blessed to work with such an incredible team of volunteers who generously offer their time and skills to support KEEN London, both within our services as Coaches or Play Volunteers, as well as those who operate behind the scenes in our Fundraising, Comms and Outreach teams. It’s a privilege to support each of them during their individual volunteering journey as they make a real difference in the lives of the athletes. Their passion, dedication, and kindness inspires me every day.”

Samuel – Our Finance Manager
keeps track of our spending and makes sure every penny raised is spent exactly where it should be.

Kirstie – our Fundraising Manager makes sure we have the money to deliver our services whilst also sharing the impact that your donations, volunteering and support has on the families we work with.

“When I visit our sessions I am on the inside of our sports hall as the doors open and athletes that have waited all week run in, excited to see their Coordinator and coaches, smiling as they see their friends and barely aware of their parent/carer waving goodbye. How could I not love fundraising for these moments. I am so proud to be a part of this community and so grateful to be surrounded by such positivity.”

Our trustees

We are lucky to have a very hands-on board of trustees who not only manage the direction and overall management of the charity but will help out with all manner of things from IT support, drafting contracts or running our family coffee mornings.

Patrick Smears
Patrick started coaching KEEN London athletes  over 10 years ago and did so for about 10 years and previously coached at our counterpart KEEN in Oxford. Patrick was part of the trustee board when KEEN London first began. Patrick, a software developer, uses his IT skills and experience to support the charity with IT. Contact Patrick here

Jill Robinson, Chair
Jill has been a KEEN London trustee since 2010. She has worked in PR and communications for 25 years specialising in corporate social responsibility and brand strategy. Contact Jill here

Clare Ellis
Clare is a fundraising manager and former KEEN London parent. She provides communication and Fundraising support as well as being our Safeguarding lead on the board. Contract Clare here

Hazel Peck
Hazel has been volunteering as a coach with KEEN London since Spring 2015 and joined the board of Trustees in September 2018.  Outside of KEEN London, Hazel is a solicitor specialising in social investment, transactional finance and the charity and social enterprise sector. Contact Hazel here

Marushka Lobo, Treasurer
Marushka has worked in the financial sector for 15 years, specialising in management and financial reporting. She moved to London 10 years ago from India and is passionate about music and travel. She started her journey with KEEN London as a volunteer coach in 2018 and joined the board shortly after. Contact Marushka here

Hemant Bedarkar
Hemant joins the board as one of our parent trustees from our Hackney KEEN Club and looks forward to bringing the voice and lived experience of the athletes and parent/carers to the trustee board. Outside of KEEN, Hemant has worked in roles across Finance, Tech and NGOs. Contact Hemant here

Sara Hazzard
Sara works on the leadership group of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and Co-chairs 65 health and social care organisations who campaign for a Right To Rehab.  She  joins the board as a parent trustee from our Hackney KEEN Club and looks forward to using both her lived experience and her strategic communications experience to help KEEN reach more families, to offer valuable sports and social opportunities for disabled children in Hackney and east London. Contact Sara here