BPF Team
Meet the team who, behind the scenes, help to make it all happen - our employees, trustees and staff
Richard Bennett
Founder
Nohara Chinguwo
Executive Director (BPF Malawi NGO)
Gremson Swart
Finance & Admin Manager (BPF Malawi NGO)
Mark Glen
Strategy, Fundraising & Impact Consultant
Sibongire Mkhalipi
Finance & Admin Assistant (BPF Malawi NGO)
Wordsworth Rashid
Sport for Development Officer (BPF Malawi NGO)
Agness Chiumia
BILD Project Manager (BPF Malawi NGO)
Olipah Chisamba
BILD Project Assistant (BPF Malawi NGO)
Florence Kaselela
Programs Assistant
Eliza Billiat
Sports coach
Noel Moses
Sports coach
Neosenga Vallence
Sports coach
Maintenance staff
BPF Malawi's site maintenance team
Justin Mkandawire
Trustee & Board Chair (BPF Malawi NGO)
Alex Chimimba
Trustee (BPF Malawi NGO)
Zaithwa Milanzi
Trustee (BPF Malawi NGO)
Isaac Chimwala
Trustee (BPF Malawi NGO)
Iain Gallagher
Trustee (BPF Malawi NGO)
Group Captain Nick Robson
Trustee & Board Chair (BPF UK Charity)
Dan Cottrell
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Ella Gibbs
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Rory McGee
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Marco Mama
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Tom Haynes
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Alison Jackson
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Chim Gale
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Charlie Line
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Richard Bennett
Founder
Richard grew up in South Africa and the UK. Passionate about the power of sport, education, people and positive social change, Richard has over 15 years’ experience working with African stakeholders, establishing and developing BPF's UK and Malawi entities. Richard is also a Trustee on BPF Malawi's Board.
Nohara Chinguwo
Executive Director (BPF Malawi NGO)
An inclusive education specialist and disability rights activist, Nohara is passionate about uplifting the lives of all children in Malawi through education and innovative models of life skills development. He brings with him to BPF Malawi's team vast experience in inclusive education, program management and teams & talent management.
Gremson Swart
Finance & Admin Manager (BPF Malawi NGO)
Gremson is a finance specialist dedicated to creating sustainable financial impact and driving enterprise growth accountability, efficiency, compliance and effective resource use. Joining BPF gives Gremson an opportunity to use his expertise to help uplift young children's lives. He brings with him donor stewardship and financial management skills to achieve BPF's mission of empowering young people in Malawi for sustainable communities.
Mark Glen
Strategy, Fundraising & Impact Consultant
A strategic leadership, fundraising and impact specialist with 38 years’ experience, Mark has driven growth across non-profit and commercial sectors. As former CEO of WeSeeHope, he raised £25m+, supporting 700,000+ children, volunteers and carers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Previously, he founded and scaled The Fitness Network to £6m+ revenue, securing £1m+ investment. Mark lives by the sea in Hove with his wife and he has 2 adult children.
Sibongire Mkhalipi
Finance & Admin Assistant (BPF Malawi NGO)
Sibongire is a graduate with a Bachelor's degree in finance and accounting. 'Sibo' ensures authorisation procedures are followed and she carries out monthly bank reconciliations for all transactions. Since joining the NGO, Sibo has been exposed to different types of people helping her to develop her social skills. Working at BPF has helped Sibo "value the importance of teamwork".
Wordsworth Rashid
Sport for Development Officer (BPF Malawi NGO)
Having helped to facilitate BPF's programs in Lilongwe since 2011, Wordsworth managed a pilot program in 2016 and 2017 before joining the NGO in a full-time capacity in 2018. In his development role, Wordsworth helps to lead a youth sports and life skills program. He also founded one of Lilongwe’s rugby clubs, the ‘Bhubesi Lions’, and is the Chairman for Lilongwe Rural Netball Committee.
Agness Chiumia
BILD Project Manager (BPF Malawi NGO)
Agness holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Science with a focus on community development. With 11 years of experience in community work, she is passionate about empowering children. Her onward goal is to see transformative changes in young lives, inspiring a brighter future for the next generation.
Olipah Chisamba
BILD Project Assistant (BPF Malawi NGO)
Olipah is a dynamic gender and climate advocate with a bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies and a diploma in Rural Green Development Management. Skilled in community engagement, youth empowerment and participatory development, Olipah drives sustainable change through education, advocacy and grassroots leadership. Passionate about social justice, she champions inclusive growth for marginalised groups
Florence Kaselela
Programs Assistant
Florence is a development practitioner holding a Bachelor of Science in Gender and Development from Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), serving as BPF's Programs Assistant. She has over three years experience working with grassroots communities, especially women, youth and children. Florence is passionate about data-driven solutions and committed to supporting effective program implementation, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning, promoting inclusive youth participation in development processes.
Eliza Billiat
Sports coach
Eliza is a netball coach at BPF with over four years of experience in both coaching and umpiring. She holds the Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) and has attained certifications in netball coaching and umpiring. Eliza has special olympics training. She is passionate about empowering young people and uses sport as a tool to inspire, educate and develop life skills within communities.
Noel Moses
Sports coach
Noel is a coach at BPF with over four years’ of experience in coaching and youth development. He is also an entrepreneur, with a strong commitment to community growth. Noel has contributed significantly to youth development through the Reconnect Malawi project, where he played a key role in supporting and empowering young people. He is also trained in special olympics coaching and first aid.
Neosenga Vallence
Sports coach
Having been part of BPF's programs since she was nine, Neosenga (or "Neo") is a dedicated rugby coach with over four years of experience in coaching and refereeing. She holds certifications in rugby coaching and refereeing as well as special olympics and inclusive sports training. She is passionate about engaging children with disabilities and empowering young people through sport, using it as a tool for education, growth and social inclusion.
Justin Mkandawire
Trustee & Board Chair (BPF Malawi NGO)
A Malawian leader and multifaceted professional, Justin navigates diverse roles as Chair at BPF Malawi and President of Malawi Rugby Union. With a B-Tech in Industrial Engineering and a MBA in International Business, Justin spearheads several companies, mentors rugby players and fosters educational excellence.
Alex Chimimba
Trustee (BPF Malawi NGO)
Alexander is a chartered accountant with over 22 years experience in audit, tax and advisory services, now working as a partner for Grant Thornton Malawi. Alexander is passionate about sport and youth-based education - he plays social football.
Zaithwa Milanzi
Trustee (BPF Malawi NGO)
Zaithwa has a foundation in law and is licensed to practice in Malawi. She embodies the spirit of innovation, collaboration and leadership to advocate for equality, inclusion and non-discrimination. Zaithwa excels at crafting solutions which merge legal advocacy, policy and community needs to bring about meaningful social change.
Isaac Chimwala
Trustee (BPF Malawi NGO)
Isaac is an accomplished professional engineer with over 25 years experience working for several multinationals in the industry, focusing on national development. He is also the Secretary General for Malawi Netball. Isaac has specific interests in gender equality and empowerment.
Iain Gallagher
Trustee (BPF Malawi NGO)
Iain is a former BPF volunteer who travelled on BPF's 2017 expedition for 5 months. He now works in partnerships for the NGO, PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools), expanding access to education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Iain has a masters in International Development from the University of Utrecht and is passionate about the power of sport for development.
Group Captain Nick Robson
Trustee & Board Chair (BPF UK Charity)
Nick Robson has a long background in sports management and leadership, from coaching rugby to managerial roles within the UK military. A military air traffic controller with over 30 years’ experience, he brings a keen eye on governance processes, functional risk management and assurance oversight within both charities and on the front line. His passion is the wider positive impact of sport from elite level to grassroots; he also continues to assist the RAF Sports Federation and the RAF’s sports charity to drive forward wider participation levels.
Dan Cottrell
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Editor of Rugby Coach Weekly, Dan is a highly respected coach and educator with a background in teaching and elite coaching. He has designed top-class coaching programs for clubs and national bodies, combining academic expertise with practical experience. Dan played for Bath and Bristol - he is dedicated to developing coaches and players at all levels of the game.
Ella Gibbs
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Ella is a Sport Service professional at the University of Cambridge, specialising in operations and events. A University of Bath graduate in International Development with Economics, her research explored sport’s role in addressing childhood adversity. Passionate about sport and development, Ella has contributed to initiatives in India and Rwanda.
Rory McGee
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Passionate about the role sport can play in the growth of the individual and the development of the wider community, Rory has returned to BPF to join the UK Board of Trustees having previously enjoyed 7 years with the charity as a volunteer coach, Project Manager and Operations Director.
Marco Mama
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Marco Mama, a former Premiership Rugby flanker with over 175 appearances, now mentors athletes in Portugal and develops property in the UK. A passionate leader, he brings sporting and business expertise to community development.
Tom Haynes
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Tom has been dedicated to BPF since 2019 when he joined 'the Pride' as a volunteer coach. As a Trustee, Tom brings his sports and project management expertise to help the charity drive strategic success, fundraising and governance - all with energy, passion and commitment.
Alison Jackson
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Alison works in Human Resources at Owlstone Medical Limited, a Cambridge-based company whose mission is to save 100,000 lives. She lives in the village of Histon with her husband, daughter and two cats. Alison enjoys being part of village life and, passionate about early years development, she's been a Girl-guiding Rainbow leader for the last 10 years.
Chim Gale
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Chim Gale, who grew up in Lilongwe, Malawi, is a leadership-driven sports professional with over a decade of experience in elite rugby development, most recently in his current role as Harlequins' Head of Academy. He brings expertise in leadership, mentoring and talent pathways, fostering impactful change beyond professional sport.
Charlie Line
Trustee (BPF UK Charity)
Charlie holds a finance diploma from Newcastle University and has experience at PwC. Currently pursuing a masters in sports business, he's lived in both the Middle East and the UK, bringing a diverse cultural perspective. Charlie's long been a passionate supporter of BPF and, known for his "make it happen" attitude, he actively participates in the charity's events, embodying energy and commitment.