KCCF - Key Persons


Baroness Casey of Blackstock

Job Titles:
  • Trustee
Baroness Casey was appointed to the board in 2018. She joined the House of Lords as a crossbench Peer in 2020. She has extensive strategic level experience in social inclusion and community issues. She is Ambassador of the Trussell Trust, co-founder and advisory board member at the Institute of Global Homelessness. She was the first independent Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses of Crime. She has held various senior roles in the civil service and non-profit sector including Deputy Director of Shelter, Director General of the Troubled Families Team at the Department for Communities and Local Government, Director of the Home Office's Anti-Social Behaviour Unit and Director of the Rough Sleepers Unit.

Dame Julie Moore

Job Titles:
  • Trustee
Dame Julie Moore joined the board in September 2016. She is Non-Executive Director at Worcester Acute Hospitals and Chair of Health Data Research UK. Dame Julie was Chief Executive Officer of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust between 2006-2018. Since her retirement from the NHS, Dame Julie has held a variety of roles including Professor of Healthcare Systems at University of Warwick and non-executive advisor to Our Health Partnership. She was a member of the organising committee for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Heeren Patel - CFO

Job Titles:
  • Head of Finance
Heeren has responsibility for the charity's finance function working closely with key stakeholders including HMRC and statutory auditors. He is also seconded part-time to The Royal Countryside Fund and its subsidiary, Countryside Fund Trading Ltd as Head of Finance. Before joining the Fund in 2021, Heeren worked as a Certified Chartered Accountant within the household of the former Prince of Wales and the former Duchess of Cornwall for almost a decade. Heeren has a BSc in Accounting & Finance from the University of Kent.

Jenny Mak

Job Titles:
  • Administrator
Jenny provides administrative support to the team and the Executive Director. She has extensive experience in dealing with all aspects of administration, project support, management and implementation. Before joining the Fund in 2024, Jenny worked in the property industry for over 20 years. Desiring a career change and wanting to make a real difference to the community, Jenny moved to the non-profit sector in 2022 working in fundraising and event management roles within armed forces charities. She is delighted to use her expertise to support the Fund's mission.

King Charles III

Job Titles:
  • Our Founder
Our Founder, King Charles III, formerly known as The Prince of Wales, established the Fund in 1979 to support his charitable work. His Majesty has taken a keen and active interest in all areas of public life for decades and has been instrumental in establishing more than 20 charities over the last 40 years.

Luce Scholar

Job Titles:
  • Global Leader of the World Economic Forum

Mrs. Colleen Harris

Colleen Harris joined the board in July 2023. She is a Public Relations and Communications professional with more than 30 years' experience. She is Director at Colleen Harris Associates and Trustee at St. Georges House. She is also representative Deputy Lieutenant for Wandsworth. Colleen has held a number of high profile senior roles including former Press Secretary to HM King Charles III ( when he was Prince of Wales) and former Commissioner at the Press Complaints Commission. She has extensive experience in reputation management, equality and diversity, and engaging hard-to-reach groups.

Ms. Kristin Rechberger

Job Titles:
  • Trustee
Kristin Rechberger was appointed to the Fund in October 2020. She is CEO of Dynamic Planet, which helps advance markets that restore nature through conservation economy development. Before founding Dynamic Planet in 2012, she was Senior Vice President of Global Programs and Partnerships at the National Geographic Society. Kristin is a Luce Scholar, Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and an active advisory board member of National Geographic Pristine Seas, Mongabay, the Environmental Investigation Agency (US) and the Environmental Film Festival.

Niamh Walsh

Job Titles:
  • Grants and Operations Officer
Niamh supports grantees from application to award across all our grant-making programmes, and is the first point of contact for most organisations we support. She also works across operations, including on communications and branding and special initiatives. Before joining the Fund in 2021, Niamh completed a Masters in Modern History at the University of Sheffield. In her spare time, Niamh volunteers with the Hyde Park Riding for the Disabled Association.

Nikki Jeffery

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director
Nikki is responsible for the day to day leadership of the Fund and is passionate about driving positive social change through the Fund's grant making and subsidiaries. Joining in 2022, Nikki brings over 20 years senior leadership experience in the not-for-profit sector. She has worked extensively in the UK and internationally, inspiring and leading social change with multidisciplinary and multicultural teams. Nikki brings strong financial and commercial acumen, having qualified as a Chartered Accountant at Deloitte UK at the beginning of her career. She was awarded a Clore Social Fellowship in 2013 and is currently a Trustee of Carers Support West Sussex.

Sarah Butler-Sloss

Sarah Butler-Sloss was appointed to the Fund in October 2020. She is Founder and Chair of The Ashden Trust. Through her work at the Ashden Trust, Sarah supports programmes focusing on climate change, sustainable development and improvement of the quality of life in poorer communities. She has been internationally recognised for her work in the field of green energy over the past 20 years. Sarah is also a regular contributor to UK and global policy debates in the field of sustainable energy. Sarah is trustee at ClientEarth, a member of the Steering Committee of Schumacher College and advisory board member at Smith School for Enterprise and the Environment.

Sir Ian Cheshire

Job Titles:
  • Chairman of Trustees
  • Chairman of the Fund
Sir Ian was appointed Chair of the Fund in 2018 having joined the board as a Trustee in 2016. He is a British businessman with significant experience in strategy, environmental sustainability, international retail and e-commerce. He is currently Chair of Channel 4, Spire Healthcare Group, Land Securities, Heads Together, We Mean Business Coalition and Food, Farming and Countryside Commission. Sir Ian is non-executive director at Menhaden Resource Efficiency. His other trusteeships include Mountbatten Hospice and The Institute for Government.

Sir Kenneth Aphunezi Olisa

Job Titles:
  • Trustee
Sir Kenneth was appointed to the board in December 2022. He is Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London, an international businessman and philanthropist who has lived in the USA and Belgium and worked in many countries around the world. His long career has encompassed a range of technical, managerial, advisory and investment roles in the IT industry. He is Chair of several companies including BusinessLDN. His charitable responsibilities include Patron of BigKid Foundation, President of London Youth, President and past Chairman of homeless charity Thames Reach, past Chair of welfare to work charity Shaw Trust and founding Chairman of social mobility charity, the Aleto Foundation.

Yvonne Abba-Opoku ACG

Job Titles:
  • Head of Governance and Operations
Yvonne is a Chartered Governance Professional with two decades experience in commercial and non-profit sectors. She joined the Fund in 2010 with responsibility for governance, legal and regulatory compliance. She also manages key operations including risk, communications, branding and the small grants programme. Yvonne is passionate about empowering disadvantaged communities through her role at the Fund and GUBA (Grow Unite Build Africa) group. She is an Associate at the Governance Institute UK and Trustee at NCVO Ghana.