Patrons

Saima Mohsin

Patron

Sky News Presenter Saima Mohsin was appointed a Patron in May 2023.

Saima was born in South London. Her parents came to the UK from Pakistan in the 60s and when they moved from Birmingham to SE25, her father worked for Croydon Council & ran a mini-supermarket near Selhurst Park in the 70s, and since then, Palace has always been a part of her life.

Her career in media kicked off in 1995 when she worked at BBC Radio and she first appeared on our screens at ITV in 2000. Saima has been a familiar face on the BBC ITV, GMTV & Channel 4 since then. She has covered 28 countries as an International Correspondent including CNN covering Europe & Asia.

Saima was on the ground reporting on the devastating Pakistan Floods for Sky News in 2022. She supported at Palace for Life’s fundraising tournament at the Crystal Palace Academy led by members of the Foundation’s Get Involved programme to raise money to help those affected. She has previously been a judge & mentor on our Premier League Enterprise programme working with young people in schools on their communication & presentation skills.

On her appointment, Saima said:

“My brother Javaid, a Palace fan for more than 50 years, introduced me to football when I was a teenager and I’ve been hooked ever since. Football and Palace in particular give me a real sense of community and the foundation is embedded in the fabric of South London. I know how much the young people here can benefit from the great work Palace for Life do and I’m honoured to support them.”

Mark Bright

Patron

Ben Bailey Smith

Patron

Multi-talented creative Ben Bailey Smith, AKA Doc Brown, has been an avid Palace fan all of his life. Ben created and starred in the launch video for Palace for Life’s new fundraising campaign ‘Made in South London’, the Foundation’s new fundraising campaign to raise £1million to help transform the lives of young south Londoners. He was also the mastermind behind Crystal Palace’s unofficial FA Cup song ‘Glad All Over Again’ when Palace met Manchester United in the FA Cup final in 2016.

Steve Reed MP

Patron

Steve Reed is the Labour and Co-operative MP for Croydon North. He was first elected to Parliament in a by-election on 29 November 2012 and was re-elected in the general elections of May 2015, June 2017, and December 2019. Reed is a former leader of Lambeth Council, where he introduced the Living Wage, invested in better council housing, built six new schools, was the first council leader to introduce a ‘public health’ approach to cut violent youth crime, and led Lambeth’s services for vulnerable children from worst-rated in the country to best rated in every single category. Reed has been a vocal supporter of the Foundation’s work for a number of years, attending events in the community and meeting young people aspiring to get into work or training.

Stephen Browett

Patron

Crystal Palace shareholder and chairman of Farr Vintners, the world’s leading fine wine wholesaler, Stephen Browett, is keen to get more closely involved with the Foundation’s work in the community that he grew up in.

“As a local boy and a Palace fan for 50 years, I’m extremely proud of our Club’s role in the South London community.

“I’m proud to become an Honorary Patron of Palace for Life. I’ve closely followed the Foundation over the past eight years and seen its impact on local youngsters, many of whom have had the toughest of starts in life. I look forward to sharing their journey in the future.”

Andrew Johnson

Patron

Andrew scored 85 goals in 161 appearances for Crystal Palace during his career and has twice led the Palace for Life Foundation Marathon March, as well as taking part in the annual Play at Palace match.

He said: “Crystal Palace FC is very close to my heart and I have been working with the Palace for Life Foundation for a while now, so I’m really pleased to become an Honorary Patron.

“Football is such a powerful tool to engage young people who need some extra help in life. I look forward to supporting the Foundation as they continue their great work in the community.”

Chuka Umunna

Patron

“I’ve seen first-hand the excellent work that the Palace for Life Foundation does. They are making a real difference to young people across south London, particularly the most hard-to-reach and hard-to-help, by engaging them though football.

“I look forward to working closely with the Foundation, to help them build strong connections with the local community and business in order to equip young people with the skills they need for their future.”

Susanna Reid

Patron

Host of ITV’s Good Morning Britain and prominent Eagles fan, broadcast journalist Susanna said: “It’s a huge honour for me to become an Honorary Patron of the Palace for Life Foundation. The Foundation does great things for young people in south London and I’m proud to support that work.”

Eddie Izzard

Patron

World renowned stand-up comedian, actor and writer Eddie has followed the Club since the 1960s: “As a kid, my brother and I used to often go and visit our auntie Bea – our Mum’s older sister who lived on Whitehorse Lane, just opposite the Crystal Palace stadium. From there our uncle took us first to watch Palace play in 1969, when we had reached the First Division.

“So it’s now a great thing to be asked to be a Patron of the Palace for Life Foundation, an organisation that can help kids growing up in the area. I’m very happy to try and help.”