New Trustees will increase the breadth of skills and diversity of our Board
Three new members have been appointed to our Board of Trustees. Councillor Mete Coban MBE, Yogesh Patel and John Tennent have joined the Board, bringing with them a wealth of experience to support our effective governance and operation.
This latest news continues an exciting period, where we rebranded from The London Marathon Charitable Trust to the London Marathon Foundation in February this year, and, last month, announced we had reached the monumental funding milestone of awarding £100 million to inspire activity since 1981.
We're one of the UK’s major funders of projects that help children, young people, and marginalised communities to lead active and health lives. Our new Trustees will increase the breadth of skills and diversity of our Board, and will support our ambitions to connect new groups and communities with our funding and become a leading voice for change in the sport and physical activity for development sector.
Sir Rodney Walker, Chair of the London Marathon Foundation, said: "I’m delighted to welcome Mete, Yogesh and John to the London Marathon Foundation’s Board. Together, they bring an impressive range of skills and experience that will help the Board ensure the Foundation continues to be an inclusive, impactful and innovative funder, creating opportunities for people who need the most help to be active, for many more years to come."
About our new Trustees
Councillor Mete Coban MBE is the youngest ever elected Councillor in the London Borough of Hackney, currently serving as the Cabinet Member for Energy, Waste, Transport and Public Realm. Mete is also the founder and Chief Executive of My Life My Say, a registered charity engaging young people across the UK in democracy, and has been awarded an MBE for services to young people.
Mete said: "I am thrilled to be joining the Board of the London Marathon Foundation, a charity that’s promoting the health and wellbeing of marginalised communities. As a young working-class Londoner who was brought up in Hackney, I know first-hand the challenges that many people in our city face, and I'm committed to using my experience and expertise to help make a difference for communities in London and beyond.”
Yogesh Patel has been working in Digital and Technology Transformation for more than two decades and is currently a Managing Director (Head of Transformation) at Coutts & Company. Throughout his career, Yogesh has been passionate about using his experience to increase diversity and social mobility within the workplace. In his spare time, Yogesh is a keen marathon participant, having taken part in many marathons including the London Marathon in 2019.
Yogesh said: “Having experienced first-hand how participating in sport and physical activity can improve physical and mental wellbeing, I’m thrilled to be appointed as a Trustee of the London Marathon Foundation – contributing to the charity’s mission to fund initiatives that inspire people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to lead active and healthy lives.”
John Tennent is a highly experienced Finance Director and Charity Trustee, specialising in financial and risk management. John is co-founder and CEO of Corporate Edge, a global corporate consultancy, and has had Trustee roles responsible for financial management with The Samaritans (2018-2021), RSPCA (2021-2022) and was most recently appointed as Vice-Chair of The Air Ambulance Service (March 2023).
John said: “I’m delighted to be joining such a great charity like the London Marathon Foundation, whose funding supports the work of so many charities, community organisations and clubs in delivering sports and activities for those who need the most help to be active.”