Meet the four new Trustees joining the Palace for Life board
We’re excited to welcome four new Trustees to the Palace for Life board!
We’re excited to welcome four new Trustees to the Palace for Life board. Each one brings their own experience, ideas and passion to help us do more for young people across South London.
They’re leaders in their fields and all share our belief that Palace has the power to change young people’s lives in our area. Here’s a bit more about them…
Jack Rowlands
Jack is a serving Superintendent in the Met Police with over 20 years’ experience tackling violence and supporting young people at risk. He’s developed several intervention programmes aimed at helping people make positive choices and has worked with Palace for Life for nearly a decade.
One of his most impactful projects placed our coaches in police custody suites, giving young people vital support at a make-or-break moment. A lifelong Palace fan, Jack has seen first-hand how the Palace for Life helps young people across South London fulfil their potential and is now bringing his experience to the board to help make an even bigger impact.
Charlotte Appleyard
Charlotte Appleyard is Director of Development at the British Museum. She has held senior roles at the Royal Academy of Arts, the Outset Contemporary Art Fund and in curatorial departments at both The National Gallery in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Charlotte has served on the boards of several major cultural organisations including Turner Contemporary, the Institute of Contemporary Arts and the Marylebone Cricket Club Foundation. She currently sits on the advisory board of the 10,000 Interns Foundation and is a trustee of Figurative, a cultural impact fund. Charlotte holds degrees from Oxford University, the Courtauld Institute and Harvard Business School.
Lekan Ojumu
Lekan Ojumu brings over 15 years’ experience in social investment and grant funding, with a focus on youth and community development. He has worked with leading social investment funds and grant-making bodies and now helps deliver high-quality, evidence-led funding at a national What Works Centre.
A long-time Croydon resident and proud South Londoner, Lekan has also served on the boards of several youth and education charities. His career is grounded in supporting organisations that deliver meaningful change and he believes passionately in sport as a gateway to better outcomes for young people.
Mark Smith
Mark is an entrepreneur with deep ties to Palace. He co-founded a successful manufacturing business in the 90s and has since gone on to invest in and support several early-stage companies. Back in 2013, after donating to support the Crystal Palace Academy, the club thanked him with a surprise front-page spot on the matchday programme, now framed proudly on his wall.
Born into a Palace-supporting family, Mark has had a season ticket in almost every part of the ground and now watches games with his family from Speroni’s.
Paul Cleal, Chair of Trustees, said:
“We’re really pleased to welcome Jack, Mark, Charlotte and Lekan to the Palace for Life board. They each bring something different to the table and all have genuine shared passion for what we do and a strong belief in the impact football and Palace can have. Their experience will be a huge asset as we continue to grow and reach more young people across South London and I’m really looking forward to working with them and seeing the fresh energy and ideas they bring to the team.”
Please join us in welcoming Jack, Charlotte, Lekan and Mark to the Palace for Life team!