Our Trustees & Our Staff Team

Tim Roberts (Chair)

Tim Roberts is Managing Director at Alix Partners and helps clients navigate the complex challenges of cybersecurity, technology, enterprise risk management, and compliance. . He was born and educated in London. Previously, he has been Vice President & Partner of IBM Securities, Managing Director at Promontory Financial Group; Chief Operating Officer of Ignis Asset Management, the fund management arm of Phoenix Group; and a management consultant at McKinsey from 1993-2009, where he was a partner for 10 years and served clients around the world in financial services and the public sector. He led or co-led a number of McKinsey’s practices including asset management, UK financial institutions and risk management, and for a number of years was responsible for McKinsey’s pro bono activities in the charitable sector. His work with charities has largely focused on engaging the private sector in supporting sustainable livelihoods for the poor in the UK and around the world. He received an MA in Mathematics and Philosophy from Oxford University in 1988. Since graduating he has gained a Diploma in Accounting and Finance and a black belt in judo.close

Natalie Creary

Natalie is founder of Liberating Knowledge, a knowledge and engagement consultancy, and is currently on sabbatical from her role as the Programme Delivery Director for Black Thrive Lambeth. Her journey is characterised by her commitment to dismantling the deep-seated roots of inequality and fearlessly challenging the status quo. Her interest lies in working with communities and grassroots organisations focusing on decolonising knowledge and creating avenues for people to own their stories and lead on solutions that respond to the challenges they face. She is an experienced community practitioner and accidental academic. She has recently completed a project with the Understanding Patient data team which engaged healthcare workers and communities to explore the reasons for inequalities in patient data for Black and South Asian communities. She lectures on racial inequities in health for Middlesex University’s MSc in Public Health. Her work and research explore how our intersecting identities shape people’s experiences of health and wellbeing and she works at local, regional and national level to influence policy and practice.close

Mehmet Dalman

Mehmet is the Chairman of Cardiff City Football Club and H R Owen PLC. He is also the Chairman and founder of WMG, an alternative investment firm focusing on real estate and private equity, having left the board of Commerzbank AG to set the company up. Mehmet has held a number of key and high profile directorships throughout his career. Alongside this, he has taken an active interest in charitable work, focussing on children and young adults; having worked with The Disability Foundation based at the Stanmore Orthopaedic Hospital and is currently on the Corporate Advisory Board for Chain of Hope.close

Jenny Halpern Prince MBE

Jenny is the founder of Halpern, a global PR and influencer agency part of the WPP network and &partnership, CHI & Partners.  Jenny has also established education charity, Access Aspiration, which provides the most amount of aspirational work placements in London to State schools. The other charity Jenny has helped co create is Lady Garden which raises funds for the Royal Marsden to research into ovarian cancer. Having been a board member of Great Ormond Street Hospital, Jenny set up Save the Day for GOSH  and helped raise over 1.3 million towards urgently needed pieces of equipment. Jenny is a mentor and adviser to many young entrepreneurs and organisations. In 2023, she was recognised in the King's Birthday Honours for her work setting-up Access Aspiration, her long-running employability initiative which eventually became part of the Mayor's Fund for London's range of programmes.close

Ian Livingstone

Ian Livingstone was educated at St Paul’s School London and attended City University London where he attained BSc Hons in Optometry and qualified as an optometrist in 1984. Ian was Chairman of Optika Clulow Group from 1990-2010, a High Street retail chain in which he was a majority shareholder. This group consisted of 170 stores including David Clulow, Sunglass Hut, Harrods and Selfridges opticians Ian is currently joint Executive Chairman of London & Regional Properties and has been from 1993 to current. He is responsible for commercial property, development, hotel transactions and international expansion. The business operates in 9 countries and is a very active investor and developer both in the UK and overseas.close

Sophie Pender

Sophie is the Founder and CEO of The 93% Club and a corporate lawyer at Bates Wells - the UK's first ever B Corp law firm. Sophie is a Forbes 30 under 30 lister for social impact and a Diana Award recipient. Passionately committed to social mobility, Sophie embarked on her journey at just 19 when she founded The 93% Club. This pioneering initiative provides invaluable support to university students from state schools, guiding them towards meaningful employment opportunities. Today, The 93% Club stands as the UK's largest network of state-educated individuals. Sophie collaborates closely with the nation's top employers, championing access to higher education, career prospects, and opportunities for those hailing from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Sophie's affiliation with our Board is a testament to her long-standing connection with our Access Aspiration programme. She was among the programme's earliest cohorts in 2013, and her inspiring journey from there has led her to speak at prestigious venues such as Downing Street and the House of Commons, highlighting how our charity has profoundly shaped her educational path and ongoing support.close

Roni Savage

Roni is a Chartered Engineer, Chartered Geologist and SiLC (Specialist in Land Condition) and the UK’s first Black woman owner of an engineering company serving the construction industry. In 2009, she solely established Jomas Associates, serving land developers and undertaking site investigations, engineering and environmental surveys on construction projects across the UK. Roni has been instrumental in advocating diversity in Business, Engineering and Construction and is highly recognised as an expert in her field. She is a regular speaker and has spoken internationally, as well as across the UK, on matters relating to diversity in business and construction. A dedicated mother to three boys, Roni is extremely passionate about gender diversity and social mobility, volunteering her time to mentor and coach others. She has received several accolades in recognition of her work including the highly prestigious presidential invitation to Fellowship of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in 2019, an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2020 and most recently as UK’s Most Influential Woman in Construction in 2022. Roni has also been one of the driving forces behind our D&I campaign targeted at the making the built environment more inclusive and a long supporter of our Count on us Maths Challenge programme.close

Jim Minton

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Jim joined the Mayor’s Fund for London having most recently been Chief Executive of Toynbee Hall, an East London community organisation since 2017. During that time, he revitalised its focus; built deeper engagement with communities; and renewed the historic home of the charity to support a vibrant and growing range of services and partnerships. Jim was previously a Director at London Youth, and before that was a senior civil servant in the UK Home Office. He has worked in international development; and earlier for a number of national charities, having begun his career in marketing for a multinational company. Jim is chair of trustees at youth refugee charity, Dost, and a board member of Collaborate CIC.close

Angela Law

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMES

Angela joined the Mayor's Fund in 2020 having previously worked within the charity and public sector in London and Tyneside. With an extensive experience of partnership working, from major development projects through to neighbourhood initiatives. Email: alaw@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Gill Goodby

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Email: ggoodby@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Laura Hughes‑Onslow

Director of Development

Laura joined the Mayor's Fund for London in January 2024 as Director of Development, with a focus on income generation. She was previously Head of Donor Relations at the Sutton Trust, leading on funder engagement and strategic corporate partnerships. She has over a decade of experience in high-value fundraising at a range of charities including Anthony Nolan, Scope and School-Home Support. Laura was formerly Trustee of the Peter Minet Trust, grant-making to support small and local charities in Lambeth and Southwark. Operating on both sides of the funding divide, she co-founded the #FixtheForm campaign to advocate for practical changes to grant application processes, so far saving over a million hours of charity time. On video calls, Laura is often joined by her Dandie Dinmont terrier Mandie. She is in the very slow process of writing a book about the Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas and the 'I-Other' relationship. Email: lhughes-onslow@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Pooja Aggarwal

FINANCE DIRECTOR

Pooja joined the Mayor’s Fund for London in May 2017 as Head of Finance and Operations with over 12 years experience in the Charity and Not for Profit sector. Prior to this, Pooja worked for 6 years as the Head of Finance for Genetic Disorders UK (a national charity that runs the Jeans for Genes campaign). Pooja trained as an auditor and worked in practice before achieving her finance qualifications and ACCA and also worked for 5 years at a top 20 firm of accountants, Saffery Champness, as an Auditor within the charities team. Currently, a fellow of the ACCA, Pooja is also a member of the decision-making panel for the Bank of England’s monetary unit. In her spare time, Pooja enjoys yoga, gardening and takes a keen interest in the conservation of African elephants.  As part of this conservation, Pooja is the foster parent of a young orphan elephant in Kenya, which is where Pooja was born and raised. Email: paggarwal@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Adam Comber

TAKE & MAKE PROJECT COORDINATOR

Adam began at the Mayor’s Fund for London in 2022. Prior to joining, he managed the Borough Food Cooperative, a foodbank and soup kitchen fighting food poverty and food waste in South London. He is passionate about people and their communities, Adam spent time as a librarian for Lambeth Libraries and worked in local government at Rutland County Council. Having worked previously as a Chef de Partie, Adam brings the flavour and intensity of the kitchen to all of his work. His role is coordinating the Mayor's Fund for London Take & Make project, working alongside the Food and Wellbeing Team to tackle food insecurity among young Londoners.close

Akeem Wangeh

SENIOR BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR

Akeem joined Mayor’s Fund for London in April 2023 to work with corporate volunteers to create meaningful employment encounters across London on the Access Aspiration programme. Before this, Akeem worked for a tech start-up and more recently for a community foundation where he focused on investment funds and building cohesion through design thinking. Outside of work, Akeem enjoys long-distance running (usually through Hyde Park), badminton, and travelling. Email:awangeh@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Aminat Raji

Project Support Officer (Access Aspiration)

Aminat joined Mayors Fund for London in January 2024. Before working at MFL, Aminat worked at University of the Arts London supporting the Community Engagement and Outreach Team as a facilitator, exchanging creative skills by working with local schools and organisations in Camberwell. Aminat is a Project Support Officer and Access Alumni, assisting the Access Aspiration Team to ensure young people are prepped and ready for their In-Business and In-School career opportunities and activities. Through her Spatial Design degree, she possesses keen interest in belonging through space, youth engagement within the built environment to shape and rethink the future of their areas. Outside of work, Aminat enjoys crocheting, creating digital art and reading sci-fi books. Email: araji@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Amy Grant

Head of Engagement

Amy joined the Mayor's Fund for London in January 2024. After graduating from King's College London, she volunteered to collect coats for Wrap Up London, increased their organic reach by 700%, and was brought onto the committee. Seven years and a Charityworks graduate scheme later, Amy's transformed communications across several charities including at School-Home Support, a charity helping disadvantaged young people overcome barriers to education, and more recently at Become, the national charity for care-experienced young people. Now, Amy works to raise MFL's profile and drive our strategic engagement. Outside of work, Amy loves live music, plays the steel pan drums, and enjoys being a supportive part of the Brixton community. Email: agrant@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Aneesa Ali

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT OFFICER

Aneesa joined the Mayor's Fund for London in September 2022 as a senior intern for the Mayor’s Entrepreneur Competition programme. After completing her internship, she became the Youth Engagement Officer working closely with our Youth Board to empower young people and deliver youth voice projects. Alongside her work, she’s studying for an MSc in Environmental, Politics and Development after completing her BSc in Environmental Sciences. Her main passions lie in sustainability and social action. Email: aali@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Belle Fitzroy

PROJECT OFFICER (THE MAYOR'S ENTREPRENEUR COMPETITION)

Belle joined Mayor’s Fund for London in October 2022 following a Master’s in Food Policy and several years of experience working on projects focused on sustainability. Mayor’s Entrepreneur students develop a bright idea surrounding this issue.   Belle is part of the Mayor’s Entrepreneur team and helps deliver a programme that supports students to develop entrepreneurial and employability skills. Her previous experience includes delivering sustainability strategies and developing educational programmes to inspire the younger generation to be more socially and environmentally conscious. Her focus and interests are centred on increasing the sustainability of the food systems around her, and hopes a Mayor’s Entrepreneur applicant will seek to target this.  Email: bfitzroy@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Bronwen Owen

SCHOOL PROJECT MANAGER

Bronwen joined the Mayor’s Fund for London in November 2020 after completing a degree in Event Management. Whilst at university, she undertook two internships supporting the events and marking team on various projects. She was president of the Raise and Give society, where she encouraged students to come together to give back to the community and to get involved in fundraising. Before this, she volunteered in Uganda on a Balloon Ventures ICS placement where she had the opportunity to work with young entrepreneurs to help them start or grow their business ideas. She is very happy to continue supporting young people through the Access Aspiration and Count on Us programmes. Bronwen is currently on maternity leave.close

Daisy Hao Li

Project Officer (Mayor’s Entrepreneur Programme)

Daisy joined the Mayor's Fund for London in 2023 as a project officer for the Mayor’s Entrepreneur Programme. Previously, she honed her video production talents as a creative director at CBN in Shanghai, crafting compelling documentaries and news videos. Outside of work, Daisy is driven by a passion for surrealist art and cross-cultural narratives. She enjoys building multimedia installations infused with imaginative visuals and metaphorical storytelling. As project officer, Daisy works with the MEP team to oversee student interns, run the Entrepreneur competition for university students, manage the judging process, and support winners. She also produces impactful videos and documentaries blending filmmaking with empowering young entrepreneurs to showcase the programme’s success. Email: dhaoli@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Dan Gutteridge

Communications Manager

Dan joined the Mayor’s Fund for London in December 2023. Dan began his career in television and radio production, making cups of tea for the stars. He moved into digital content marketing in multiple roles at Birmingham City University, either side of teaching English in Thailand and studying for his master's in Experiential Education. Dan joined from The National Lottery Community Fund where he put his positive energy towards telling the stories of a range of charity's funding journeys. Dan now looks after MFL’s communications, working across digital and social channels. Away from the MFL office, Dan is busy struggling to finish the latest book he’s started. Email: dgutteridge@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Dianne Danquah

Youth Content and Insights Officer

Dianne joined the Mayor’s Fund for London in March 2024. She studied Sociology with a specialism in Race and Global Politics at the University of Warwick. During her time there, Dianne was a Widening Participation Officer and worked on projects to amplify student voice. Since graduating, she has worked in the higher and adult education sector, enjoyed travelling and continues to volunteer with an organisation that aims to create safe spaces for black women. Dianne is the Youth Content and Insight Officer at MFL (part of the Jack Petchey Internship Programme). She works on amplifying youth voices throughout MFL content and communications, and gathers stories to gain insights on impact. Outside of work, Dianne enjoys travelling, baking something new, poetry, discovering new music, and spending time with family and friends. Email: Ddanquah@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Ella Downs

Project Manager (Numeracy)

Ella joined Mayor's Fund for London in September 2023, having previously worked as a Project Manager at ReachOut, a charity that runs weekly mentoring projects in schools. Ella manages our two numeracy programmes, Count on Us and Numbers@Work. This involves working with schools and alternative provisions across London to engage students with Maths and build confidence. She is passionate about providing holistic support for young people and is a volunteer mentor outside of work. When not in the office or schools, Ella enjoys discovering new food spots and spending as much time on the water as possible. Email: edowns@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Freya Gronow

FOOD AND WELLBEING CO-ORDINATOR

Freya joined the Mayor's Fund for London in 2022. Since completing her degree in English Literature and Language, she has worked in both primary and secondary schools as a teaching assistant and Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) support. This work has affirmed her advocacy for equal access to good quality, holistic education and wellbeing services for all young people. Working within your community is important to Freya and is one of the reasons she is passionate about supporting the delivery of food and wellbeing services through the Kitchen Social Programme. Email: fgronow@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Jade Jasmin Harris

HEAD OF PROGRAMMES (FOOD AND COMMUNITIES)

Email: jharris@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Lynn Cartwright

EXECUTIVE SUPPORT OFFICER

Lynn joined the Mayor's Fund for London in September 2020 to support the team with finance, administration and office management. She has 20 years experience of supporting practitioners in youth and children’s services at Kent County Council. Prior to this, Lynn worked in branch and corporate banking. Email: lcartwright@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Mila Smith

HEAD OF PEOPLE

Mila has over 18 years of experience in Human Resources and has worked in the NHS and non-profit organisations. She is a Chartered Member of the CIPD and holds an MA in Design Management and an MA in Personnel and Development. She enjoys working with colleagues to create an environment that values and respects everyone's talents and differences. Email: msmith@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Philip Jolly

EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMMES MANAGER

Phil started with the Mayor’s Fund for London in 2013 working with a network of employment support providers on our Young London Working programme. His current role is managing our employment programmes, including Access Aspiration and Creativity Works. Phil has extensive experience of programme performance and grant management of programmes along with commissioning delivery partners for delivering our Creativity Works employability programme and managing the careers guidance programme Access Aspiration. He is dedicated to evaluating programme outcomes and improving effectiveness. Phil has a passion for programmes supporting young Londoners into work and for helping employers recruit diverse talent for their businesses. He has an in-depth knowledge of careers education and employment and skills provision across London. Email: pjolly@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Poonam Gill

BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

Poonam joined the Mayor’s Fund for London in October 2021 to steward our business partners on the Access Aspiration programme, linking Young Londoners to meaningful employment encounters and opportunities. Before this, Poonam worked at WWF on the Our Planet documentary series and more recently in corporate partnerships, collaborating with businesses to reduce their impacts on nature, people and the environment. Outside of work, Poonam enjoys yoga practice, swims at Hampstead Ponds and trying out new (vegan) recipes. Email: pgill@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Princjona Zejneli

Business Engagement Intern

Princjona joined the Mayor's Fund for London in February 2024, stepping into the role of Business Engagement Intern to support Access Aspiration. Currently, she is actively engaging with our business partners, ensuring young Londoners can access meaningful employment opportunities. Outside of work, Princjona is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in public health at the University of East London. In her leisure time, Princjona enjoys exploring fashion trends, staying active through fitness, and embracing wellness practices. Email: PZejneli@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Rachiel Chimwanda

Project Support Officer (Numeracy)

Rachiel joined the Mayor's Fund for London at the end of January 2024. With previous career experiences of working with young people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds, she wanted to utilise those key skills gained from working with young people, to help young Londoners with their numeracy skills. Her role at MFL, includes supporting with the running of one of the numeracy programmes, Count on Us. This support can range from planning and executing upcoming programme events, to visiting schools and promoting the programme and many more. Outside of work, Rachiel enjoys going to the theatre, attending music festivals, and trying some other new activities across London, like netball and pottery. Email: RChimwanda@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose

Sally Dagli

PROGRAMME MANAGER (THE MAYOR'S ENTREPRENEUR COMPETITION)

Email: entrepeneur@london.gov.ukclose

Susannah Behr

HEAD OF PROGRAMMES (EMPLOYABILITY AND SKILLS)

Susannah has over 15 years experience working across the third sector and was previously Director of Development at Pro Bono Economics, a charity supporting others to measure and communicate their societal impact. Before that she headed up the Business Engagement team at youth charity ThinkForward, delivering a range of employability activities including an award-winning business mentoring programme.  It was there she saw the impact of poor numeracy on young people’s confidence in school and career progression, and so was delighted to get the opportunity to join the Mayor’s Fund for London at the end of 2021 to develop its numeracy programmes and campaigns, to help combat the problem. Susannah started her career in events management and fundraising including roles at the Imperial War Museum, Breast Cancer Haven and Impetus – the Private Equity Foundation.  A born and bred Londoner, she currently lives south of the river with her young son and old cat. Email: sbehr@mayorsfundforlondon.org.ukclose