Laura Cordingley Chief Executive Expand In mid-April 2018, Laura Cordingley started as the new Chief executive at Chance to Shine. Laura previously worked at the Mayor of London’s office as Assistant Director, responsible for Team London, volunteering and sport across the Capital. From 2013-2017 she was Community Development Manager at MCC, where she developed and delivered the Club’s community engagement strategy. Earlier in her career, she held sports development roles at Durham City School Sports Partnership and Volleyball England. Laura previously played for and captained her country at netball. Follow Laura on Twitter
Charlie Baxter Corporate Partnerships Manager Expand Charlie became Chance to Shine's first dedicated Corporate Partnerships Manager in December 2019. He has nine years experience in corporate partnerships with roles at The Prince's Trust, the RNLI and most recently at British Red Cross. Prior to his work in fundraising Charlie spent ten years working in outdoor and water-sports education, primarily with young people, giving him a strong understanding of the power of sport to change young lives. Charlie's limited on-field cricketing talents quickly led to him being asked to score, rather than play in, school matches. He is looking forward to developing partnerships that will ensure children and young people get the most out of their experience with cricket. [email protected]
Miriam Butt Prospect Research Officer Expand Miriam joined Chance to Shine in December 2019, having previously worked as a Prospect Researcher for the British Red Cross. Before starting her career in research, Miriam completed an MA in International Politics and Human Rights and volunteered for SASANE in Kathmandu, Nepal, an organisation established by survivors of human trafficking to help educate young women and girls. Alongside working at Chance to Shine, Miriam plays the bass guitar and enjoys art and horse riding. Although fairly new to cricket, Miriam is interested in learning more about the sport and its strong impact on empowering children and young people. [email protected]
Jack Gold Finance & Office Assistant Expand Jack joined Chance to shine as Finance and Office Assistant in March 2021. Jack studied at Loughborough University where he gained a BSc in Maths and Sports Science along with taking any opportunity to get involved with sports. Outside of work Jack loves playing a variety of sports with cricket being his main focus. He has also recently discovered a passion for cycling and is currently waiting for summer to arrive to start enjoying both. Away from sport he enjoys reading and a regular series binge.
Vanessa Greene Head of Impact and Evaluation Expand Vanessa joined Chance to Shine in May 2016. An experienced researcher, Vanessa has an MSc in Social Research Methods and is interested in research that supports improved outcomes for children and young people. Prior to Chance to Shine, Vanessa worked as Senior Researcher at Pearson, the global education company, evaluating the impact of literacy programmes and vocational qualifications. Vanessa has also worked as Research Officer at the National Children’s Bureau where she carried out independent evaluations for the Department for Education and Department of Health. New to the world of cricket, Vanessa is enjoying visiting schools, hubs and clubs to see children having fun and the joy of the game! [email protected]
Ian Gregory Operations Manager - Midlands Expand Ian joined Chance to Shine in November 2016 as Operations manager, having previously worked for Shropshire Cricket Board as Cricket Development Officer. Ian studied at Loughborough University from 2006-2011, gaining a BSc in Sport and Exercise Sciences as well as an MSc in Exercise Physiology. Ian’s life has revolved around the cricket & hockey pitches at Bridgnorth CC, having played at the club as a junior from the age of 7. Ian also supports as a coach at the club when time allows. Ian has a notable fashion sense, which involves the occasional pairing of odd socks when the CTS cameras are around. [email protected]Follow Ian on Twitter
Annabel Hay Special Events & Partnerships Executive Expand Annabel joined Chance to Shine as Special Events & Partnerships Executive in March 2020 after returning from two years in New Zealand, where she worked at the Royal Society, coordinating events and communications across the scientific research community. Prior to this she saw the impact of 'sport for change' programming at Saracens Sport Foundation, working there for four years as a Programme Manager. Here she developed active and social projects for children with autism and older adults. Outside of work, Annabel competes nationally in Ballroom and Latin competitions and owns her own children's theatre school. She loves mixing her passion for animals and travelling, volunteering at animal sanctuaries around the world. [email protected]
James Hendry Operations Manager - North Expand James joined Chance to Shine in July 2019 as Operations Manager for the North region. Having gained a Master of Arts in Sports Management from the University of Central Lancashire (2010), James spent six years working for Cheshire Cricket Board. Late to cricket by modern standards, James’ first memorable experiences of the game came at the age of 12 – playing his first season of junior cricket (which included his only five-wicket haul to date!), and attending the 1999 World Cup Final at Lords. Since then, his enthusiasm for cricket has spiraled! Away from work, James enjoys nothing more than taking the short walk from his home to Old Trafford, and watching the second best team in the city: Manchester United Football Club. On the rare occasion sport isn’t on his mind, James also has a passion for travel, cinema and technology! [email protected]
Kate Jacques Head of Partnerships & Fundraising Expand Kate joined Chance to Shine as Head of partnerships and fundraising in March 2016. She has 15 years fundraising experience gained through roles at Breast Cancer Now, The Children’s Society, Diabetes UK and most recently at Join In, the London 2012 legacy charity puts more volunteers into community sport. One of Kate’s career highlights was leading a team at Diabetes UK to secure a charity partnership with Tesco. The partnership engaged staff, customers and suppliers alike and in the first three years raised well over £25m, making a transformational difference to people living with diabetes. Kate enjoys cricket as a spectator from watching international games to cheering on her son at Grayshott Cricket Club. [email protected]
Ross Jeavons Head of Communications & Digital Expand Ross joined Chance to Shine as Head of Communications and Digital in 2019, stepping into the world of cricket for the first time having previously enjoyed over a decade working in football with Wycombe Wanderers, Reading and the English Football League. Prior to arriving at the charity, he also spent two weeks in Doha at the World Athletics Championships, helping to build the IAAF's digital strategy ahead of their rebrand to World Athletics. Despite his 'on field' cricketing achievements being consigned to primary school and the back garden, Ross is looking forward to focussing more on the impact that sport can make on younger people up and down the country. [email protected]
Holly Jones Communications & Digital Assistant Expand Holly joined Chance to Shine in June 2019 as Communications and Digital Assistant, after completing a degree in Geography and International Development at the University of East Anglia. During her time at university she discovered an interest in the benefits of sport as a development tool, writing a dissertation on the success of sport-for-development programmes that educate young people on HIV/AIDS in Eastern and Southern Africa. Holly’s first month with Chance to Shine proved to be very busy as she volunteered at the 2019 Cricket World Cup where she danced at the opening party and got the chance to watch the incredible final at Lords! Outside of work, Holly enjoys cooking (and eating food!). Now living back in London after university, she is looking forward to using Instagram to find the best independent food spots and experimenting in the kitchen. [email protected]
Melda Kahraman Research & Programme Officer Expand Melda joined Chance to Shine in September 2019. Previously working as a social researcher in Ipsos Turkey, she managed research projects about various topics such as youth, children, gender equality, employment, health and business environment. Melda holds a BA in Sociology and is currently writing her thesis to finish her MA in NGO Management and Social Projects. Melda moved to London from Istanbul, Turkey with her family in the beginning of 2019. Coming from a different sporting culture where cricket is not played at all, Melda is finding it interesting to discover a new sport and its strong influence on empowering children and young people. [email protected]
Maria Khan Fundraising Assistant Expand Maria is a highly motivated individual with several years of experience in fundraising and entrepreneurship. Following the completion of her Masters in International Development Management in London, Maria worked for different health related charities, including Muscular Dystrophy UK and Fertility Network UK, before joining Chance to Shine as a Fundraising Assistant in June 2019. She hails from Pakistan where cricket is seen as almost like a religion, hence working for Chance to Shine seems like a dream come true. Prior to her Masters, Maria did her bachelors in Electronics Engineering and managed her own education consultancy for four years. While working for her consultancy, she realised the injustice present among the social classes which motivated her to join the third sector. When she is not working, Maria is an avid world traveller and attended Model United Nations in USA and UAE this year. She loves dining out, trying different cuisines, enjoying theatre, horse riding and believes in living life to the fullest. [email protected]
Emma Palmer Diversity & Inclusion Manager Expand Emma joined Chance to Shine in February 2021 as Diversity and Inclusion Manager. Having worked at Stonewall, Sainsbury’s and more recently the NHS, she is an experienced diversity and inclusion specialist with a particular focus on LGBTQ inclusion and race equity. Emma used her expertise to strategically support public, private and third sector organisations, nationally and globally, on their diversity and inclusion practices, as well as crime prevention planning in her role at Sainsbury’s. Emma served as a Police Officer within the Metropolitan Police Service, and after 8 very successful years, left in 2015. Emma is also a Trustee at LGBTQ Young Persons’ Trust, Mosaic. As an accomplished speaker, Emma is passionate about the concept of intersectionality and the power of storytelling to move hearts and minds and believes that everyone has a role to play in creating social change. Emma loves movies from the 80’s and early 90’s and will often watch the same things repeatedly without getting bored! She also enjoys running and is working her way up to a half marathon. [email protected]
Steve Peyman Operations Director Expand Steve is Operations director at Chance to Shine and joined the charity in 2006 having previously worked at Sussex CCC as Development Director. Steve lives in Chichester with his family, and enjoys nothing more than watching his son play hockey, daughter perform song and dance on stage, mountain biking on the South Downs with his dog Dizzy and watching his beloved Liverpool FC. Unfortunately, Steve’s cricket and football days are no more following many injuries and operations, mainly to his left knee – 13 operations! In all, Steve has over 25 years’ experience in sports development, 19 of which have been dedicated to cricket. [email protected]
Nic Platt Head of Finance & Resources Expand Nic joined Chance to Shine in May 2017 after 7 years working at Locality, a charity who’s mission it is to inspire community action so that every neighbourhood thrives. Prior to Locality, Nic spent 8 years running his own business in the French Alps teaching and renting skibikes. He is a qualified skibike instructor and has been racing as part of the British Skibike Team for 20 years. Nic plays his cricket for the Islanders in a Last Man Stands 20:20 league, bowling surprisingly effective military medium and batting with a lot of bottom hand. [email protected]
Stuart Priscott Operations Manager - South West & Wales, South Central Expand Stuart is the Operations manager for Chance to Shine with responsibility for Wales, South West and South England. He has been with the charity since 2005 and believes, then as now, that every child should have the opportunity to play cricket at school as part of their education. He has fulfilled many roles in cricket both on and off the field, increasingly now as a parent watching his two young girls begin their cricketing journey. He is incredibly proud of the County Boards he works with and the many great people that bring our vision to life. He really understands the ‘power of cricket’ to change and improve lives having been diagnosed with a life limiting condition (cystic fibrosis) when young which was greatly ameliorated, both physically / and psychologically, by the opportunity to play cricket. That opportunity wouldn’t have been provided without having a state school that valued sport and a teacher (Pat Colbourne) who recognised his effort and desire. [email protected]
Les Rolt Management Accountant Expand Les is the Management Accountant for the charity, having joined Chance to Shine in 2014. Having spent time studying in the US, Les is currently working towards a degree in Applied Accounting and ACCA chartered accountancy certification at the London School of Business & Finance. Sports have always been a major interest for Les. Having been named Docklands Power League Player of the Season in 2016 he has retired from most forms of strenuous activity, and now spends his time providing a cab service for his two sons as they compete in cricket, football and cross country. Away from the office he enjoys nothing more than spending time with his boys, visiting castles, playing Fortnite, and watching the London Lions basketball team. Les is passionate about our projects, with a special fondness for the work we do in hospital schools, and is proud of the difference Chance to Shine had made to millions of children across the country. [email protected]
Daniel Robinson Special Events Manager Expand Daniel Robinson is the Special Events Manager at Chance to Shine, having made the move across from New Zealand in early 2018. Before seeing the light and moving to the other side of the world, Daniel worked at New Zealand Cricket in a variety of roles across Marketing, Communications and Events. As a proud Kiwi, Dan is never afraid to bring up the All Blacks, New Zealand weather and every now and then, the Black Caps. He is a football and cricket fanatic, having played both sports at representative level during his teens. In his spare time Daniel enjoys travelling Europe, critiquing theatre, and the occasional Baileys. [email protected]
Gabrielle Russell Major Gift Manager Expand Gaby joined Chance to Shine as the Major gift manager in June 2018. An enthusiastic fundraiser with expertise in leading the development of new strategic partnerships with Major Donors and Corporates, along with previous experience in the world of Direct Fundraising. The past 12 years’ worth of experience was gained through roles at Oxfam Great Britain, with the majority of time spent at Oxfam Australia, with a shorter contract at Oxfam Thailand and International Women’s Development Agency. Quite the global traveller having spent much of the past 10 years living overseas in Australia with a stint in Bangkok, Gaby is now back on her home ground of Surrey and finally learning all there is to know about cricket! In her first week at Chance to Shine her lunchtime view was of a match celebrating the 150 year anniversary tribute to the first Aboriginal team that played against England, which felt like the perfect welcome home, from her two homes. [email protected]
Adam Sofroniou Communications Manager Expand Adam is the Communications Manager at Chance to Shine and joined in 2016 having previously worked in a similar role for Solihull Council. A cricketer of limited talent, Adam’s career highlight was captaining the Radway 2nd XI to promotion from Division Five of the South Northants Cricket League – a standard so low the division no longer exists. Adam enjoys getting out of the office and visiting schools and projects to see the impact of the work being done by the charity across the country. [email protected]