PlayMakers

Sak Rafique

PlayMaker

Managing Director and Lead Executive Wellbeing Coach at ORANGE BALL. Sak combines his passion for sport, education and positive psychology to develop the mental fitness and wellbeing of individuals, groups and organisations. He has supported the Foundation by creating resources for the Team Mates programme and delivered training for Foundation staff in the areas of strengths, wellbeing and performance.

Emma Wright

Playmaker

Senior Account Director at Hill + Knowlton Strategies, one of the biggest PR agencies in the world, where she leads international PR campaigns for Adidas in football and for Facebook’s virtual reality arm Oculus. She has also founded a new division of the agency H+K Better Impact which helps brands support social and environmental issues. Emma will be visiting children who are moving up to secondary school and helping them prepare for this big change.

Dan Cudmore

Playmaker

Dan works as a Senior Commercial Lead at The FA. Working together with The FA’s partners, he leads health and wellbeing projects like The Greater Game. Dan has a background in Sport and Community Development, and has worked in the charity sector for Cancer Research UK. Before moving to The FA, he worked for a number of HealthTech organisations to deliver digital healthcare solutions. Dan will be using all of this experience to support the foundation across our programmes.

Khalil Campbell

Playmaker

Qualified Social Worker of over 25 years with a specialism in safeguarding vulnerable children and young people, Khalil is currently Public Law Service Manager of the Children and Families Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) in South London. He has had a lifelong interest in working with vulnerable people and in social justice and has been a magistrate for over 10 years. Khalil is a season ticket holder at Crystal Palace and a qualified referee with Surrey FA. He will be supporting the Foundation by volunteering at events, organising educational access to the local courts, mentoring and advising on safeguarding issues.

Chris Grant

PlayMaker

Sport England Board Member and former Charity CEO, Chris has led major projects in sport, retail, banking and other sectors. An expert in group dynamics and organisation development, Chris has been a tutor to coaches and leaders in Olympic and Paralympic sports as well as football. Chris will be using his vast experience to support the Foundation.

Paul Tilley

PlayMaker

Recently retired from the Community Section of the London Fire Brigade. Prior to that Paul worked in international banking for over 40 years including living in Frankfurt, Germany. Paul loves sport and is a keen cyclist having participated in the London to Brighton Cycle ride 5 times.  Paul is now keen to start volunteering for the Palace Foundation as he feels passionate about helping young people, sharing his experience and knowledge and enabling young people to access opportunities and have fun.

Mark Edgington

PlayMaker

Mark has over 25 years of experience in UX and Development. He has founded several startups and worked in large agencies where he has architected solutions serving millions.

Mark is a seasoned speaker, judge and the founder and principal consultant of Incendiary Blue, where he creates elegant solutions to the right problems.

Mark holds a 1st class degree in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence and an MSC in Human-Computer Interaction (UX) and has been published online, spoken at multiple conferences and judges UX awards yearly.

He is also very passionate about working with schools, running digital days and peer groups, supporting charities and acting as an Enterprise Careers adviser for the Mayor of London.

Andrew Brown

PlayMaker

Chief Executive, of the Croydon BME Forum and with over 30 years of mentoring and training, Andrew Brown helps local organisations, with capacity building, fundraising, Training.

As a family man and trustworthy friend to many, he has kept close to the roots of his work by living in Croydon for over 25 years, alongside having worked with Palace For Life, for over a decade.

His specialism in mentoring and working with young people, focuses on helping them to get back into employment and training, if they have been faced with adverse situations in society.

Remiel Mitchell

PlayMaker

Remiel is the Director of Optimise Workforce Ltd. and a Learning & Development Consultant, with over 12 years experience of high volume, multi-million pound projects across diverse sectors (local, regional and national). Remiel has over 5 years’ experience serving on boards providing strategic oversight and direction, including as governor within a Secondary Academy where he served as the Chair of Finance and General Purposes Committee. He has an MBA in International Management and a range of accreditations centred around Project and Change Management. Remiel is a multi-published author and speaker and is advanced in advising on and training people in the skills, credentials and mindset required to manage projects well in any sector and work effectively with people.

Mathieu Koua

PlayMaker

Mathieu holds a Masters degree in English, Linguistics. Being from a French background, he has several years of experience in teaching French and Spanish.

Mathieu has a passion for working with young people and feels fulfilled making an impact in their lives. Mathieu actively engages in community related work, being a support worker on a part time basis, and also an activity coordinator, where he prides himself putting smile on the faces of the residents. Mathieu also plays an active role in his local church as a youth leader, where he organises many activities for the young people, including the youth choir where he leads them into singing.

Mathieu has a positive energy and is ready to share it with everyone!

Scott Hart

PlayMaker

Having worked in the leisure business for 33 years, initially as a Lifeguard at South Norwood pool, Scott is now the General Manager of Croydon Sports Arena. He has worked with Palace Guard FC (Eagles ball boys) as a coach and also took part in the Marathon March in 2017 and 2018. Scott will be sharing his knowledge of the leisure industry to enhance the work of the Foundation.

Dave Burn

PlayMaker

Lifelong and third-generation Palace fan, Dave has over 35 years of Local Government experience and is now a consultant providing and training support to local authorities across the UK.

Whilst Dave was at the London Borough of Lambeth he worked successfully to develop links with the Council and the Foundation. Dave will use his experience to support the Foundation in any way he can, with a particular emphasis on coaching and mentoring.

Adam Greenwood

PlayMaker

Adam has a passion for Crystal Palace F.C. (a current season ticket holder) and technology. After dropping out of college, Adam benefitted greatly from mentoring and now wants to use this experience to help other young people in a similar situation. Adam has built a successful career in technology and wants to show through his example that a setback doesn’t need to define you!

Patrick Stevens

Playmaker

Lifelong Palace fan Patrick is the former International Head of the Crown Prosecution Service and now a Director at Optima. Patrick is giving his expertise, experience and networks to support young south Londoners.

Neil McLeman

PlayMAKER

After starting on local papers and business titles, Neil has worked as a sports reporter in Italy, Hong Kong, Scotland and now the Daily Mirror/Express. Available to give advice and support on breaking into journalism – and how to make the next step.

Jack Snell

Playmaker

Teacher and running enthusiast. Jack has competed in marathons an ultra marathons all over the world. As an ex-running coach and physical trainer, Jack is looking to support the Foundation by encouraging fans to take on their own Palace for Life fundraisers and assist with any advice and tips along the way.

Lisa Goodchild

PlayMaker

Lisa Goodchild is an experienced and passionate devotee of digital, having spent over twenty years in the industry. The agency she founded, Digiwoo, enjoys huge influence over a range of sub-sectors of the digital industry. Lisa’s latest venture, Digilearning, is arguably the most ambitious and important project of her career to date. Digilearning is an undertaking that aims to change the way that digital skills are delivered to young people across the world. Lisa will not be happy until digital is held in the same regard as mathematics, English & science as a core totem of the education sector. Digital changed Lisa’s life from humble beginnings. Now she wants to help underprivileged and marginalised young people (&=and adults) realise it can do the same for them. Lisa believes everyone has a superpower.

Antoni Bohdanowicz

Playmaker

Antoni is a lifelong Palace fan, hailing from south London with Polish roots. He relocated to Poland at age 9, and moved back to England in 2022, after living 3 years in Hungary and spending a significant amount of time in Croatia.

Overcoming various setbacks, including university challenges, Antoni has had a diverse career. Notable achievements include covering the Euros and London Olympics as a sports journalist, organising internationally acclaimed rugby and e-sports events, and receiving prestigious awards for advocacy in sports and wellbeing. Currently as procurement manager at BP, Antoni has spearheaded initiatives on neurodiversity and talent development. In the past he has also been president of Frogs & Co Warszawa rugby team, and club secretary and forwards coach at Budapest Exiles RFC (with whom he won 3rd place in the Hungarian Premier Division). Passionate about mentoring and advocating for inclusion, Antoni empowers others while leaving a lasting impact.

Angelica Nabadda

PlayMaker

Angelica is the Senior Training Manager at YoungMinds, the largest UK-based charity that works to enhance the mental health and well-being of children and young individuals.

Angelica is the former Education, Training and Employment Manager at Palace for Life, and throughout her career, she has gained extensive experience working with young people from a variety of backgrounds and has developed a deep understanding of the unique challenges and needs young people in south London face.

By joining Palace for Life as a Playmaker, Angelica wishes to continue to utilise her skills, expertise, and experience to make a lasting difference to the lives of young south Londoners and further contribute to Palace for Life’s mission to create safe, inclusive, and empowering spaces where young people can thrive.

Leon McLeod

PlayMaker

Leon is currently a police constable working on a public order team within the British Transport Police and a previous Palace season ticket holder.  Leon is currently an ambassador for PTSD 999 and has spoken on occasions about the importance of dealing with mental health and things to look out for with regards to the matter.  Leon received the Queens Gallantry Medal in 2018 following his involvement as a responder to the 2017 London Bridge Terror attack.  

Isaac Fanin

PlayMaker

Born in South London, Isaac is a sports presenter who has covered World Cups, Olympics and Africa Cup’s of Nations for the BBC. A passionate Crystal Palace fan, he gets to as many games as possible as a season ticket holder.

Stuart Pollard

PlayMaker

Lifelong Palace fan Stuart has been volunteering with Palace for Life Foundation since 2022. Just like his first season, Stuart raised money at every home game, stationed in the reception of the executive boxes, and raised an incredible £5,639 across the season! Before this, he spent 7 years selling Super Draw tickets on matchdays, which also raised funds for Palace for Life in the later years. His dedication has significantly supported our work, and he’s a friendly face to season ticket holders and hospitality guests.

Jack Rowlands

PlayMaker

Inspector in the Metropolitan Police and lifelong Crystal Palace supporter, Jack has spent the majority of his 16 year policing career in Croydon and Lambeth focused on helping young people move away from crime and negative choices. In 2015 Jack founded the ‘DIVERT’  programme which steers young people that come into police custody onto positive pathways. In 2018 DIVERT started working closely with the Foundation and we now have a Custody Intervention Coach based directly in Croydon Police Custody Centre who helps young people who are arrested find employment, training and education by referring them onto programmes offered by the Foundation and other partners.

Owen Brice

PlayMaker

Having worked in various communication roles in charities and the NHS, Owen now works in a group of schools for children with autism and social and emotional mental health needs. With a keen interest in photography, graphic design and the written word and a background in care giving, Owen is looking to share his skills and experience with the Foundation.

Andy Street

Playmaker

Co-founder of popular Crystal Palace fanzine, the Five Year Plan podcast, as well as a solicitor at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, working as a litigator with a specialism in sports law cases – and has acted for a number of international footballers. Andy will use his experience to help on the Foundation’s schools programmes, speaking about how his school years shaped his future.

Len Bennett

PlayMaker

Len has over a decade of experience in marketing, communications, and public relations. He has managed the press office at Nestlé, where he played a pivotal role in the company’s accreditation as a Living Wage employer in the UK. At Network Rail, Len was responsible for media relations in the Southern region, overseeing projects such as the £2.6 million revamp of Balham station to modernise its facilities. Len has lived in Croydon for over 40 years and hopes to use his skills and passion to empower young people to reach their potential.

Andrew Cawker

PlayMaker

Most importantly Andy Cawker is born and bred in South London and is a 3rd generation lifelong Palace fan. He has been a season ticket holder for over 30 years, through the many ups and downs since the late 80’s.

Over the years, he has taught sailing to the blind and the deaf and to teenagers with special needs; and has been a trustee of a Charity focussed on improving the lives of Aphasia sufferers. He has been a supporter of Palace for Life Foundation for many years.

In his career as a Fund Manager he has met and invested in businesses across Europe (including Football Clubs). As a Business Manager his role is to encourage idea generation and to bring new strategies through research and development to market testing and launch.

Matthew Packham

PlayMaker

Matthew’s background and career mainly comes from being an ex-county cricketer for Surrey and Sussex. In the early stages of his career, Matthew had an injury to his hand which forced him to stop playing. Matthew has now been coaching for the last 10 years and loves every moment in helping to develop boys and girls at any age. Matthew has been a lifelong Crystal Palace fan, and having heard so many good things about Palace for Life Foundation, feels it’s time to give some of his time and join the success!

Valerie Goodman

PlayMaker

As well as being a lifelong Palace fan, Valerie is a Marketing Director at a large consulting firm and has worked in marketing for more than 30 years. She is passionate about the multiple benefits of work, and has helped many young people through mentoring, training, and the development of job-seeking skills. Valerie is looking to use her energy, skills and experience to support the work of Palace for Life.

Dev Thakker

Playmaker

Junior Doctor, currently carrying out his surgical training in the South East. He has delivered motivational talks in schools for the Healthy Eagles programme and will support the community engagement team to continue to improve health and wellbeing in south London, as well as educate and make positive changes.

Alex Morrall

PlayMaker

Alex is a lifelong Palace fan and has supported the Foundation for several years, including completing five full Marathon Marches! Alex has volunteered at our ‘Extra Time’ sessions and is now moving into new volunteering opportunities at the Foundation, working within community groups for those with disabilities.

Alex is proudly neuro-divergent. He enjoys acting and is a member of ‘Savvy Theatre Company’ and ‘Access All Areas’. Fitness is also a huge part of his life.

Alex is committed to showing others that you can be confident; you can achieve; you can do great things and you can inspire others!

Craig Constantinides

Playmaker

Director of Go2Games, the Award Winning Croydon-Based Gaming Retailer. Craig has been using the power of his company to support the Foundation by sponsoring the Down’s Syndrome Eagles team and gifting gaming consoles to vulnerable young people and families who might be struggling to cope at home during the Coronavirus crisis.

Sara Jukes

PlayMaker

Sara is the Development Manager at the UK’s leading charity, UK Sports, who aim to improve every young person’s education and development through sport and play. Sara combines her enthusiasm and passion for sport to create influential change to a young person’s life.

Sara has a passion for women’s football, and through her engagement in this network she will bring her expertise and energy to impact the communities that Palace for Life work with and empower the next generation of girls to be leaders.

Vivienne Inglis

Playmaker

Housing Fraud Investigations Manager with Wandsworth and Richmond Councils. A Palace season ticket holder and Marathon March veteran, Viv has supported young people on the Opportunities for Success programme with one-on-one support to improve their CVs.

Ross Lovelock

PlayMaker

Ross Lovelock is the founder of SCQuARE International a management consultancy company that has worked across the world in 86 countries and every industry specialising in strategic planning and story telling. Ross is a lifelong Palace fan seeing his first game when Palace beat Accrington Stanley 9-2 on the opening game of season 1960/61. Today his family are also life long season ticket holders.

Jamie Starbuck

PlayMaker

Jamie has been an advertising creative for 20 years, creating ads for the likes of Ikea, Carling, Bose and CPFC! Jamie grew up in Croydon and is going to help the Foundation with creative ideas/comms, as well as showing young people about the industry.

John Curran

PlayMaker

John is an organisational development consultant and anthropologist working with global clients. He specialises in supporting organisations, leaders, teams, and employees in their growth journey by decoding and working with group and team dynamics. He is qualified in systemic executive and team coaching, facilitation, and conflict resolution. John also provides training programmess for leaders and serves as a keynote speaker. His work and views often appear in the Financial Times, and he is a TEDx speaker. John used to write and sell for Eagle Eye and Palace Echo, and he occasionally appears on the Five Year Plan podcast. He holds three season tickets at Palace.

Russell Barnes

PlayMaker

Russell joined David Lloyd Leisure in September 2015 as Chief Operating Officer and was appointed to the role of CEO in March 2021. He previously worked at Merlin Entertainments, carrying our international roles and overseeing new developments and brands. He likes cards, classic rock music and Crystal Palace!

Emmanuel Nwanze

PlayMaker

Growing up, life wasn’t always easy. I came from a tough background where opportunities were limited, and the environment around me often felt more like survival than growth. From a young age, football was my escape, it gave me structure, discipline, and a sense of purpose when not much else did. It was more than just a game to me; it was a lifeline.

At just 16, I found myself living on my own. That period shaped me deeply. It forced me to grow up quickly, to be resilient, and to make decisions that would define my future. During that time, The Prince’s Trust and the Crystal Palace foundation played a major role in helping me find direction. They supported me to allow me to obtain my coaching license and helped open the door to a role within the Club – where I began to coach and mentor young people who like me, needed someone to believe in them.

My journey has taken me from being on the pitch as a player, to inspiring others as a coach, and now working in the finance sector. I support individuals and businesses with their international currency exposure, particularly within sport, where I’ve been able to use my background and experience, to help others navigate the financial side of their careers and businesses.

Becoming a PlayMaker Ambassador is incredibly personal to me. It’s an opportunity to give back to the very community that helped shape who I am. I know what it feels like to grow up with limited resources and big dreams. I know how powerful it is to have someone in your corner, to be shown that your background doesn’t define your future.

As a PlayMaker, I want to be that presence for young people. I want to use my story to show them that no matter what their current situation is, there is always a way forward. I bring a genuine passion for helping the next generation unlock their full potential no matter what path they follow.

The impact I hope to have is simple: to be living proof that resilience, the right support, and belief in yourself can take you further than you ever imagined

Gary Tappenden

PlayMaker

Gary is a life-long Crystal Palace fan and has played, managed and coached football for over 40 years. He is now running the Eagles Fitter Fans sessions for the over 30s. Gary and the team are aiming to collect donations over the next months to raise money and sponsor football in the community groups.

Matthew Angel

PlayMaker

A solicitor who has worked in the television industry for many years, including serving as Chief Operating Officer for a large television production company.  Matthew currently runs his own TV consultancy, Aquilanta, providing business affairs and deal-making expertise to television production companies and individual creators.

Chris Waters

Playmaker

Chief Financial Officer at the white space innovation consultancy Bow & Arrow. Chris has been a season ticket holder for over 20 years, writing for the match day programme and serving as a Board member with the Crystal Palace Supporters’ Trust for 9 years. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, Chris has worked a number of finance roles at the likes of Sony Music and will be sharing career advice to young people on our Route to Employment programmes.

Matthew McKay

Playmaker

Matthew is currently a Facilities Coordinator and has volunteering experience with Bywaters, doing beach clean-ups and much more! Matthew describes himself as a very determined, positive and approachable individual who would happily assist anyone if they needed any help. Matthew is looking forward to being a part of the PlayMaker programme to make a different to the community and his local team.

Caroline Keefe

Playmaker

Group Pensions & Reward Manager for Synthomer plc, a specialities chemicals company and a FTSE250 PLC, Caroline enjoys the challenge of catering benefits to different nationalities and cultures. She previously served over 10 years on the Pensions Management Institute London Group Committee, spending some of that time as business secretary organising industry events for local pension professionals. Caroline is a keen sailor with an interest in health and wellbeing, and supports the Foundation by leading workshops and volunteering at events.

Toby Wait

PlayMaker

Toby is a huge Palace fan who got involved with the Foundation by taking part in the Bike to Villa challenge.

He was the Manager of a successful property business, from which he has now retired at the age of 54. Toby has  30 years of experience in senior business positions, including a lot of time spent with kids over 16 trying to help advise them on how to join the property industry through apprenticeships, degree courses, and work experience

He says it took him a number of years to get into a business that he really enjoyed, and is a firm believer that not everyone knows what it is they want to do from 16 through to early 20’s. He has acted as a mentor for a number of people both early into their work life, but also more experienced people needing advice on which direction to take their career.

Andrew Harvey

PlayMaker

BDO LLP Talent Acquisition Manager for one of the world’s largest accountancy firms. Andrew has 15 years’ experience of interviewing and recruiting individuals at all levels in small start-ups through to corporate organisations. Andrew will be providing training, guidance and support on how young job seekers can set themselves up for success and how to give themselves the best opportunity when interviewing or looking for employment.

Carlie Line

PlayMaker

Carlie is a Palace fan who has loved seeing the club’s progress over the years, and is looking forward to giving back to the community as a PlayMaker. Carlie has lost a great deal of weight in the last 5 years and is now on a mission to support others who are struggling mentally and physically. Professionally, Carlie is a picture framer which means she gets to frame a lot of football shirts, football paraphernalia as well as great art pieces! Carlie works closely with artists in the industry and is compelled to help creatives become the artists they want to be.

Robert Murkin

PlayMaker

Rob worked in accounting and finance for 35 years but gave it up to work with horses for the benefit of his physical and mental health. Rob loves sport and plays football for a local mental health charity in a wellbeing league. Rob has also returned to tennis after a 20 year break and is about to embark on playing on the ITF Seniors Tour.

Julian Tucker

Playmaker

Senior Lawyer at Deutsche Bank with over 30 years’ experience in financial law. Julian is also a member of the Palace for Life Foundation’s Investors Club, a British archery coach and a singer in the East London Chorus. He will be supporting a range of programmes with his diverse skill set.

Emma Bradman

Playmaker

Head of Talent at Prospectus, one of the largest charity recruitment companies in the UK. A local resident and lifelong Palace fan, Emma is helping young people on the Opportunities for Success programme with their interview and presentation skills.

Andrew Graham

Playmaker

Retired professional who possesses 28 years of experience with Barclays Bank internationally, and 11 years of experience working in Sutton Council’s housing department. He is on the Board of Trustees of Croydon Community Mediation, is the treasurer of Croydon Dyslexia Association and spends two days a week supporting administrative duties at Palace for Life Foundation.

Louise Court

Playmaker

former Editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine. She has pledged her time to provide life and career coaching for Foundation participants, as well as sharing her expertise in shaping the new Healthy Eagles programme.

Daz Smith

PlayMaker

Having had a varied career as a HM Forces chef, a teaching career in FE & HE education and Senior management in Global IT. Daz wants to share his experiences in these fields to help develop, coach and mentor the young people within the Foundation.

Darren Amer

Playmaker

Customer experience and UX designer who has run design projects for companies such as Virgin Active, Money Saving Expert, Lord’s MCC, and P&O Cruises. Darren is a lifelong Palace fan who is supporting the Foundation by giving his advice with experience and design while unlocking the creative potential in the local area.

Tom Franks

PlayMaker

Science teacher and Second Lieutenant in the Army Cadet force. Tom has a keen interest in mentoring young people and has taught and lived in south London.

Josh Mansell

PlayMaker

Josh, co-founder of Levels Learning, is a visionary, driven by his 15+ years of experience in education and entrepreneurship. His unwavering commitment to community-led projects has ignited a powerful force, propelling the launch of Levels Learning. With boundless creativity, Josh endeavours to provide captivating educational programs that leave a lasting impact, empowering local individuals to secure meaningful jobs in their own communities. By equipping people with essential tools and skills, both locally and beyond, Levels Learning paves the way for individuals to pursue their true passions, bridging the gap between talent and opportunity. With a firm belief in the inherent potential for growth and success in everyone, Levels Learning empowers all to soar toward their dreams and achieve.

Dave Moore

PlayMAKER

Senior Stakeholder Engagement and Public Affairs Manager at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust, Dave has 10 years of experience in NHS communications and engagement, many of them in South London. Dave wants to share his experience of working for the country’s biggest employer on projects ranging from national campaigns, service change, internal and external communications, and media management.

Angus Robertson

Playmaker

Former Director of Operations at London Sport, Angus has committed his time to deliver a workshop on opportunities in the sport and leisure industry to participants of Palace for Life’s College Academy programmes at Bromley College, Carshalton High School for Boys and Harris South Norwood.

Brian Matovu

PlayMaker

Brian Matovu joins us as a PlayMaker with a wealth of experience in the sports industry; particularly within the media and broadcasting space. Brian has spent time working for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Leyton Orient, Sport Industry Group and Arsenal.

Brian is currently working as Club Link Officer and is responsible for engaging the Men’s and Women’s Academy players with Arsenal in the Community initiatives. He also covers Arsenal 18s and 21s matches for Arsenal’s social channels.

He knows all about the positive impact football can have on young people, and is keen to assist youngsters who are looking to transition into the world of sport, having studied Accounting and Finance and transitioning into sport and media himself.

Alan Dunt

PlayMaker

Retired electrical engineer who worked for Croydon Council for over 40 years, Alan uses his free time to volunteer and will be supporting the Foundation with mentoring young people not in education, employment or training onto positive pathways.

Tim Richards

PlayMaker

Lifelong Palace fan and one time marshal, Tim is a Client Technology Engineer for Octopus and has worked in IT for 32 years. He lived in New Zealand for 12 years, including during the devastating 2010/11 earthquakes. At that time, he worked for Ngai Tahu – a Māori tribe which supports businesses and cultural and social programmes, striving for spiritual wellbeing and cultural protection.

This experience created in Tim a desire to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and in his role on the Red and Blue Review podcast, has encouraged openness, sharing his own experiences and details of organisations to turn to for help. He hopes to continue this to support the work of Palace for Life.

Adrian Dixon

PlayMaker

Adrian is the founder of 0181 Studios in Sutton and a professional DJ with over 20 years of experience. He hosts a weekly show on KISS FM’s new music station, KISS Fresh, which showcases new music, genres, and artists from around the globe. In addition to his music career, Adrian is creative lead for Bauer Radio, where he develops the look and feel of KISS FM, KISS Fresh, KISSTORY and several other stations. As a Palace supporter since the days of Ian Wright, Geoff Thomas, and John Salako, Adrian is very proud to be a Palace For Life PlayMaker.

Martin Tempia

Playmaker

A producer working in film, television and the theatre. He has been involved in a number of training initiatives in the TV industry and has a played a leading role in establishing a charitable trust to take over the governance of Crystal Palace Park where he serves as a trustee. He has been using his wide and varied social networks to connect the Foundation with other valuable PlayMakers like himself.

Neil Bennett

PlayMaker

Neil Bennett is a freelance journalist with a long reporting career at the BBC as a reporter and broadcaster. Neil got his first break in journalism thanks to a kindly editor at the Croydon Advertiser and has never forgotten that first opportunity. He aims to help others at the start of their working lives using his position as a PlayMaker with the Foundation.

Shane Ross

Shane Ross

A Royal Engineer Captain, Shane has served in the British Army for 23 years. His early career provided opportunities to lead and manage high performing technical teams in complex environments, be it delivering construction tasks; instructor roles; or conducting bomb disposal operations. Later roles remained bomb disposal centric, in operations management to train and deploy teams around the world or capability management, leading with innovation & experimentation, supporting procurement and policy development.

Born and raised in Croydon, Shane wishes to support the foundation and local community, especially those from challenging backgrounds.

Mark Silverstein

PlayMaker

Paul Coen

Playmaker

Director of Paul Coen Wealth Management Ltd providing financial advice including investment, retirement, and tax planning. Paul offers bespoke advice to individuals and companies. He will be supporting the Foundation by delivering workshops to provide financial education for children, young adults and senior management.

Ann Sheckley

PlayMaker

Ann is a recently retired housing professional with 30 years of experience in the industry. She has extensive experience working with sports, children, and young people and has led a variety of different community initiatives. She’s well versed in training and mentoring staff to help them achieve their potential and is now looking to share her life and work experience with the south London community.