Dr Sarah Fane OBE - Director
Sarah Fane studied Medicine at Bristol University. As a medical student and doctor, she travelled extensively in Pakistan and Afghanistan supporting health for women and children during both the Soviet-Afghan War in the eighties and under the Taliban regime in 2001.
These visits and the people she met inspired her to set up a charity, Afghan Connection, in 2002. Over 18 years, the charity supported some 500,000 children with Health, Education and Cricket in Afghanistan, building and renovating 130 schools and training more than 1,000 teachers.
In partnership with MCC, alongside the meteoric rise of the Afghanistan National Cricket Team, Afghan Connection delivered cricket projects to more than 150,000 young people. It built 110 pitches in schools and disability centres and provided coaching to teachers and young people across the war-torn country.
As a result of her work to promote and nurture the cricketing scene in Afghanistan, Sarah was made an Honorary Life Member of MCC in 2012. She received an OBE in 2013, in recognition for her work in Afghanistan.
Suse Harrison - Finance Director
Suse Harrison joined the MCC Foundation in April 2020. She spent the first nine years of her career at Lloyd’s of London, as an Assistant Underwriter specialising in US medical and legal malpractice reinsurance. She then took up an opportunity to race a yacht around the world in the BT Global Challenge. On her return in 1997 she helped set up the luxury ski chalet business Descent International, being fully responsible for the financial side of the business which grew to a turnover of £3m.
Following some time at home raising her children she returned to work in 2016, managing finance first at a biochemical firm and then at Afghan Connection, a charity which supported Education and Cricket in Afghanistan.
Reece Bird - National Hub Manager
Reece Bird joined the MCC Foundation in August 2014 as the MCCF National Cricket Hub Manager. Reece brings a wealth of cricketing knowledge to the Foundation from his previous ten years' experience as County Cricket Development Manager for Yorkshire Cricket.
In his current role, he oversees the Hub programmes across the UK, ensuring high-quality coaching and effective programme management. Reece is an active ECB Tutor, ECB Level 3 Head coach & Pathways lead coach who has a passion to develop players and new coaches. He also sits on the MCC Youth sub-committee.
Angus Berry - Head of Operations
Angus joined the MCC Foundation in April 2022. He graduated with a BA in History (including archival research at the Lord's library) from the University of Sussex in 2014 and followed this with a master’s degree from the University of St Andrews in 2015. During this time, Angus founded an international charity, Connecting Clubs International, which works to develop the next generation of cricketers in Nepal whilst tackling harmful gender norms such as child marriage and gender-based violence. Reaching more than 5,000 children since its inception, Angus looks forward to scaling the next phase of the project through MCCF and its partners.
Angus has worked in Global Health and international consultancy with experience working across low and middle-income countries. His experience includes project managing, health research programmes in Southern Africa and securing multi-million-pound contracts with UKAid, USAID, WHO, World Bank, and other multilateral funders. Most recently he has been developing global health partnerships at the NHS with a focus on health system strengthening.
Angus is a keen sportsman and enjoys running and playing golf on a regular basis. During the summer months he can be found toiling away with his left arm spin for his local club, the Buccaneers.
Izzy Gurney - Operations Coordinator
Izzy completed a MSc in International Development at the University of Bristol shortly before joining the MCC Foundation. Prior to that, she studied BSc Geography (Human) at Cardiff University and was President of Cardiff University Ladies Cricket Club.
Izzy is an avid cricket player and ECB Level 2 coach. She spends her spare time in the summer playing in both men’s and women’s sides, coaching for the Buckinghamshire County Cricket Board and for her club. Izzy is an influential Committee member of her club where she established a women and girls’ set up and organises events such as six-a-side tournaments and Awards Evenings.
Over the past six years, Izzy has fundraised thousands of pounds for sport-for-development NGOs and firmly believes in the power of sport, particularly cricket, to influence positive social change.
James Bailey - Head of Communications
James is a former Ski Instructor of America, LAMDA Teacher and Screen Actor. He joined the Foundation in September 2021 and since then has overseen the production and delivery of compelling stories from MCCF’s projects in the UK and around the world. His highlights so far include travelling to Lebanon with MCC where he produced the CFA award-nominated short film 'ALSAMA', which documents the lives of young Syrian refugees supported by the Foundation. James has also travelled to South Africa to document the launch of a Women's Empowerment Project in the Khayelitsha township.
Among other responsibilities, James manages the Foundation's internal & external comms, including its monthly newsletters, filming & photography, video editing, brochure design, social media and website.
Occasionally, James dips back into acting. He is known for playing various creature characters in several Star Wars films and TV series.
Phillip Hodson - Chairman
Phillip studied at Downing College, Cambridge and played cricket for the University. He has also played for Yorkshire CCC, and represented MCC in over 300 matches. Phillip was President of MCC in 2011/12 and is currently President of Scarborough CC. He was CEO of Oval Insurance Group from 2003 to 2012 and still has interests in the property and financial services sector.
Matthew Kirkby - Treasurer
Matthew studied at Pembroke College, Oxford where he captained the college cricket side. He is a qualified lawyer who spent most of the last 25 years in the banking industry predominantly in Asia. Matthew currently sits on a number of company boards. In the Not for Profit sector, he has been involved for the last ten years in programmes aimed at increasing access to Universities from applicants from lower socioeconomic and minority backgrounds.
Charlotte Appleyard
Charlotte Appleyard is Director of Development & Business Innovation at the Royal Academy of Arts. She previously worked at Outset Contemporary Art Fund, and in the curatorial departments at The National Gallery in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
In 2012 she published "Corporate Art Collections: A Handbook" a history and survey of corporate collections. She served as a trustee of Turner Contemporary and the ICA and currently sits on the advisory board of the Centre for Entrepreneurs and the Evening Standard London Recovery Board. She is a graduate of Oxford University, the Courtauld Institute and Harvard Business School.
Varun Chandra
Varun Chandra is the global managing partner of Hakluyt, which advises leaders of the world’s largest companies and investment firms on the opportunities and risks facing their businesses.
Prior to joining Hakluyt, Varun read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Magdalen College Oxford, trained at Lehman Brothers, and went on to help build a regulated advisory firm for former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, where he was responsible for transactions typically involving sovereign wealth and emerging markets businesses. He has also co-founded a merchant bank with a private family investment company; advised a UK foreign secretary on business and economic issues; written for various political publications; and invested in a number of early-stage companies.
In addition to his work with the MCC Foundation, Varun sits on the board of Sesame Workshop, the world’s leading early learning media platform. He previously chaired the associate board of The Opportunity Network in New York, was a trustee of Afghan Connection, and completed a five-year term as a governor of an inner-city London primary school. He was selected by the World Economic Forum as a Global Shaper, sat on the steering committee of the Milken Institute’s Young Leaders’ Circle, and was an inaugural fellow of the Forward Institute.
Clare Connor CBE
Clare is a former England cricket captain who retired from playing for England in 2006 with over 100 international caps and having led the team for 6 years. At the age of 30, she was awarded the OBE after leading England to a first Ashes win in 42 years. She was then awarded the CBE for services to women’s sport in the 2018 New Year’s Honours List.
Clare is now Managing Director of Women’s Cricket at the England & Wales Cricket Board, driving a period of significant change and growth for the women’s game. She has also been Chair of the International Cricket Council’s Women’s Cricket Committee since 2011.
Clare has enjoyed a dynamic career outside cricket. For 7 years, she combined playing for England whilst teaching English at Brighton College and heading up the school’s PR & Marketing operations. Clare has also worked in the cricket media, presenting for Channel 4 Cricket, summarising for Test Match Special, writing a column in The Observer and as a guest on Sky Sport’s coverage of international cricket.
In October 2021, Clare will become the first female President of the MCC in its 233-year history.
Mehmooda Duke MBE
Mehmooda is the founder and CEO of Moosa – Duke Solicitors, specialising in medical negligence claims.
In May 2019, she became Chair of Leicestershire County Cricket Club, making her the first female in English Cricket to Chair a First Class County. She was also the first Asian female in the 155-year history of Leicestershire Law Society to be President.
Mehmooda is the founder and Chair of ‘Leading Ladies’, a membership organisation made up of professional and non - professional women of all generations. The aim is to inspire, mentor, coach and support one another to ‘dream big and fly high’.
Mehmooda was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List 2019 for services to the Legal Profession and female entrepreneurship.
Tony Elgood
Tony studied at Pembroke College, Cambridge where he coxed for the university and captained the college cricket side. He is the current MCC Treasurer, having previously been treasurer of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. Prior to his retirement in 2009, Tony was with PricewaterhouseCoopers where he was a tax partner for 21 years. He has been a member of MCC since 1972 and has held various positions in the charity sector over the last 30 years.
Matthew Fleming
Matthew has been an enthusiastic member of MCC since 2004. Prior to that he played cricket for Kent between 1990 and 2002 Captaining them for 4 years, and representing England 11 times between 1997 and 1998. He Chaired the Professional Cricketers Association 1996-2003.
As a member of the MCC he has been on both the Main and Cricket Committees, Chairing the latter and was the Club’s President in 2017. He was the MCC’s nominated Director of ECB between 2009-2016. Away from Cricket he is a Partner in Stonehage Fleming, a multi-family office, where he leads the Family Governance and Succession Practise, supporting families as they develop and implement intergenerational strategies.
He is married with three cricket-mad daughters, lives in Norfolk where he is a season ticket holder at Norwich City FC and a galanthophile. He has been a Director of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, a Trustee of the PF Charitable Trust and held various other external positions.
Rick Johnson
Rick studied at the University of London. Having played cricket for Surrey at most age groups, at university he was elected a playing member of MCC and toured with the Club to Cayman Islands and Belize. A serial tourist, he has organised and participated on numerous tours. He has been chairman of two cricket clubs and over the last four years has pioneered a community approach to cricket development at Cranleigh Cricket Club. His other passions include serving on the committee of the Arabs Cricket Club and the governing body of Cranleigh School.
Rohan Kapadia
Rohan has extensive experience in cricket and education. His coaching experiences have ranged from coaching for the MCC Academy, MCB, NCCC, Chance to Shine and ICC Americas (Argentina) to being senior coach at Barnes CC, Richmond CC, and Nottingham University CC (Mens and Women’s).
Having been a Teach First Ambassador and headed up Cricket for The Prince’s Trust he also has extensive administration and community sport experience both at local and national levels. His teaching experiences cover leadership positions in all phases of education, having taught all ages from nursery to secondary, most recently being the Head Teacher at Twice Times Nursery School in Fulham.
Rohan is ECB Level 2 qualified, holds QTS, Safeguarding Level 3, Pediatric First Aid and is our lead child protection/safeguarding officer and lead first aider.
Dr Samir Pathak
Samir was educated at Hymers College in Hull. He subsequently attended Liverpool Medical School. He undertook his medical training in Liverpool, Bristol and Leeds and is now a Consultant Pancreatic Surgeon at St James's University Hospital in Leeds
Samir has captained his University, played for England Universities in 2004 and is currently a member of the MCC Cricket Committee.
Daniel Peltz OBE
Daniel Peltz is CEO of London Freeholds Ltd following a career in property and asset management with both GUS and British Land. He is an Honorary Fellow of both King's College and Birkbeck College. He sits on the King's Campaign Board and is the co-lead on the King's Mental Health Initiative. He also sits on the Estates Committees of both King's and Birkbeck Colleges. He is Chairman of Technion UK and is a Trustee and Treasurer of The Anna Freud Centre. He is also a Trustee of Warburg Institute's Charitable Trust, The National Gallery Trust Foundation, The Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies at Oxford University, The Institute of Jewish Studies at UCL and The City of London School Bursary Trust. He is currently a panellist on the Education Panel of The Wolfson Foundation, and sits on the Estates and Arts & Library Committees of the MCC. In 2015, he was awarded the OBE for Philanthropic and Charitable services.
MCC Foundation is proud to be supported by:
Mike Atherton OBE
Mike Brearley OBE
Stephen Fry
Mike Gatting OBE
Michael Holding
Roger Knight OBE
Claire Taylor MBE
Heather Knight OBE
Heather is an English cricketer and captain of the England Women's cricket team. She is a right-handed batter and right arm off spin bowler. In 2017, Heather led the England team in her first Women's Cricket World Cup as captain. England won the tournament, beating India with a 9-run victory at Lord's. Following the team's success, Heather was awarded an OBE in the Queen's 2018 New Year Honours list. She played in her 100th Women's ODI match for England in December 2019. In 2021, she scored her 3,000th run and took her 50th wicket in ODI cricket.
“I'm delighted to be an Ambassador for the MCC Foundation. I've admired the work the MCCF has done from afar, so I jumped at the chance to support such a brilliant cause. Cricket has given me so many amazing experiences and taught me so many life lessons, so I look forward to giving back a little and helping young people develop a similar lifelong love of the game.”
Roberta Avery
Robertarn is a Brazilian cricketer and the captain of the Brazil Women's cricket team. Roberta initially played golf and handball to a high standard throughout her youth and did not start playing cricket until she was 27. As well as playing, she also coaches cricket to children at different schools across Brazil during her spare time.
“Cricket for me is much more than a sport, it is about changing lives with the best game in the world. The smiles and happiness we see on participants of the developing programs done with the Foundation are one of the main reasons we want to keep Cricket growing and giving opportunities to children all over the world. So, it’s an honour to be involved with MCC Foundation and sharing their values through our paths.”
Maia Bouchier
Maia is an English cricket who plays for Hampshire, Southern Vipers and Southern Brave. She plays as a right-handed batter and bowls right-arm medium pace. Maia has previously played for Middlesex, Auckland, Melbourne Stars and Western Australia. She made her international debut for the England Women's cricket team in September 2021.
“The work of the MCC Foundation has been critical in providing the best opportunities to young cricketers around the world. I have been so lucky as a young girl to have grown up playing cricket in my back garden and now, playing for my country, so to be asked to be a playing ambassador for the Foundation is an absolute honour and I cannot wait to be part of the team!”
Saqib Mahmood
Saqib is an English cricketer who plays for the England Men's cricket team and Lancashire. He is a right-arm fast bowler. Saqib made his international Twenty20 debut for England in November 2019, with his Test debut in March 2022. In April 2022, he was bought by the Oval Invincibles.
Mohammad Nabi
Mohammad is an Afghan cricketer and former captain of the Afghanistan Men's cricket team. He is an attacking batting all-rounder, playing as a right-handed batter and off break bowler. He played a major role in Afghanistan's rise to the top level of international cricket, playing in both their first ODI in 2009 and their first Test match in 2018. He was part of Afghanistan's first ever T20I team when they played Ireland in 2010 and was part of Afghanistan's first ever T20 World Cup team.
Sophia Dunkley
Sophia is an English cricketer who plays for Surrey, South East Stars, Welsh Fire, Gujarat Giants and the England Women's cricket team. A right-handed batter and right-arm leg break bowler, Sophia made her county debut in 2012 for Middlesex and her England debut in 2018. In 2021, she was awarded her first central contract with the England Women's cricket team and made her Test debut that same year, becoming the first black woman to play Test cricket for England.
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Louay Al-Kadro
Louay is a Junior Coach and student at Alsama in Lebanon.
Before coming to Lebanon, Louay lived under ISIS in Syria. He and his family escaped by hiking over the mountains bordering the two countries. When Louay first arrived in Lebanon, he was illiterate and worked in a clothes factory for 18 months.
Louay discovered cricket in 2018. His skills progressed quickly, becoming an Assistant Coach at Alsama in September 2021, and a Junior Coach in March 2023. He relishes his position as a young leader and now works alongside other coaches to ensure that Alsama’s cricket players are conducting themselves safely and with good technique.
Before Alsama, Louay’s refugee status meant that he could not access formal education. Now, as one of Alsama’s top-performing students and a Young Ambassador for MCCF, Louay is looked up to as a model example of cricket’s potential to transform lives.
Maram Al-Khodir
Maram is an assistant coach and student at Alsama.
Maram was born in Syria - but the ISIS regime meant that she and her family were forced to flee to Lebanon illegally. Before discovering cricket and the Alsama Project, Maram’s refugee status meant that she couldn’t access formal education in Lebanon. 41% of Syrian refugee girls in Lebanon are married before they are 18; for Maram, it looked like this would be her future. But then she found cricket and her life changed.
Maram started playing cricket in 2019. She sees the game as a weapon against oppression - a way to help girls take a step forward, and a platform for them to have a voice. Maram’s passion and skill was evident from early on and she became an Assistant Coach at Alsama in September 2021. She is now part of a leadership team working to support other cricket players.
When MCCF visited Alsama in 2022 with MCC, the Community Coaches recognised Maram’s love for the game, and her desire to teach and inspire through cricket. She was made an MCCF Young Ambassador, a role which Maram hopes will help her to spread girls’ cricket throughout the Middle East and champion women’s rights through female empowerment.
Georgie Heath
A self-professed badger, Georgie is a journalist, commentator and presenter who is hugely passionate about growing the game globally for women and girls. She is co-host of Women's Cricket Chat podcast and has already commentated at FairBreak Invitational, the ICC Women's U19 T20 World Cup and a range of domestic cricket matches as well as reporting for TalkSPORT and Times Radio.
Georgie first fell in love with the game as a kid on the (very cold) beaches of North Yorkshire with her Mum and even has two dogs named after cricketers (Tuffers and Morkel), so her dedication to the game is unquestionable.
She freelance writes and reports for numerous outlets and is ready to front MCCF video campaigns, helping to share the incredible stories of the Foundation's beneficiaries.
In 2022, she and 2017 World Cup winner Fran Wilson won BBC's Celebrity Pointless. Her charity of choice was one of MCCF's delivery partners, Cricket Without Boundaries.
Lucy Jayne Rees
Lucy is a Sports PR specialist, cricket scorer, writer, coach, player, and all-round badger. As someone who grew up playing boys’ cricket, she is passionate about growing the game for women and girls. Previously working as part of The Hundred and commentating on Western Storm games during the pandemic, Lucy knows the game inside out.
Lucy has had an interest in cricket from an early age, probably due to it being drummed into her at home on a daily basis. She started playing at Briton Ferry Steel in the Under 9's and soon started training with the regional Girls’ set up back in South Wales.
Lucy eventually turned to scoring and in 2016 joined the MCC scoring panel. She has scored at the Home of Cricket twice and has travelled far and wide with the MCC representative teams.
Lucy studied Sports Journalism (NCTJ) at the University of Gloucestershire and is now living and working in London for Press Box PR, managing sports clients and writing Cricket and F1 content.
Melissa Story
Melissa has played cricket since she was 7 years old and has represented Wiltshire, Hampshire, Young Vipers, and Gloucestershire. She is a passionate advocate for grassroots women’s cricket having previously coached junior girls' club teams and helped to grow the University of Southampton Women’s Cricket Club.
Melissa grew up in a cricket-loving family, spending Saturdays at Corsham CC watching her Dad play, having TMS constantly on the radio, and pretending to be ill so she could skip school and watch the 2005 Ashes boxset.
In 2021, Melissa began cricket commentary covering Hampshire men and Southern Vipers’ games. Four months later she became the youngest-ever TMS commentator.
Melissa has since commentated on the England Women’s series against South Africa and India, the Commonwealth Games, The Hundred, and a range of domestic cricket matches - although she considers one of her finest moments to be her breathless running commentary of the mascot race at the 2022 T20 Finals Day.
Melissa is thrilled to share the successes of the Foundation and support all the brilliant work it does in the UK and around the world. Bringing cricket to under-represented communities and providing grassroots programmes is integral to growing the game and making it more inclusive.
AMBASSADOR ALUMNI
Will Gaffney
Cordelia Griffith
Mumtaz Habib
Harry Savill
Ajmal Shahzad
We are most grateful to all the companies, trusts and individuals listed below (and those who wish to remain anonymous) who currently support us, and to those who have given generously in the past.
Without them, we could not use cricket to transform and improve people’s lives.
Alan and Irene Halsall
Aldridge Foundation
Charles Stanley
David Peck
Dominic Pemberton
Donald Pearse
Eric M Young and Family
Felix Byam Shaw Foundation
Gary Parekh
Geoff Ball
Geoffrey de Jager
Gerald Corbett
GKL Leasing
Glamorgan Followers Club
I.R.K. Maclaren Settlements
In Memory of Gerald and Pamela Williams
In Memory of Michael Melluish
Jan Wulf van Alkemade
Jonathan Orders
Mark Powell
Oliver Stocken
Paul Knox
Peter Bennett-Jones
Peter Stormonth Darling
Philip Bassett
Phillip Hodson
Reigate Priory C.C.
Rick and Melissa Johnson
Simon Dyson
The Cricket Society Trust
The Derek Raphael Charitable Trust
The Dowley Charitable Trust
The Garfield Weston Foundation
The Holbeck Trust
The John Swire Charitable Trust
The Loveday Charitable Trust
We would also like to extend our gratitude to the following schools and venues who support the Hubs programme by offering us free, or significantly discounted, facility hire:
Aldridge Cricket Academy
Bradford Grammar School
The Cotswold School
Dauntsey’s
Dulwich College
Eastbourne College
Fettes College
Framlingham College
Hymers College
Magdalene College School
Mount Kelly Boarding and Day School
Norwich School
Nottingham High School
Oundle School
Sibford School
St Dunstan’s College