Russell Martin

Founder and Trustee

Kieran Mercer

Trustee

Kieran is a litigation lawyer with experience in sports disputes. A former youth footballer with Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion, he later played non-league football before moving to New York on a soccer scholarship to complete his master’s degree. His varied career has also included working as a delegate at the United Nations and teaching and lecturing in Latin America. A keen rock climber, surfer and mountain biker, Kieran brings a passion for sport and adventure to RMF and is particularly interested in supporting the Foundation’s activity and adventure opportunities.

James Burt

Trustee

James is a Chartered Certified Accountant with extensive experience supporting local businesses across Sussex. He began his accountancy career with Cardens Accountants in 2009, qualified in 2014 and became an associate in 2022. Based in Hove and originally from Southwick, James has strong roots in the local community. His professional expertise spans accounting, taxation and supporting owner-managed businesses, bringing valuable financial and commercial knowledge to the RMF Board of Trustees.

Larry May

Trustee

Larry is a former professional footballer who made more than 360 appearances during a career that included Brighton & Hove Albion, Leicester City, Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday. Following his playing career, Larry moved into coaching and football development, including roles with Brighton & Hove Albion, Surrey FA and Albion in the Community. Having lived in Sussex for more than 35 years, he brings extensive experience of professional, grassroots and community football to RMF. He is passionate about using sport to give young people from disadvantaged backgrounds greater confidence and opportunities.

Kathryn Paisley

Trustee

A corporate solicitor at Knights in Brighton, she brings extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and company law, alongside first-hand experience of business ownership. Having lived in Sussex for almost 20 years, she has strong connections across the Brighton & Hove business community and has previously served as a pre-school committee chair and primary school governor. Passionate about creating opportunities for young people, she is particularly interested in RMF’s work across education, health and physical activity and hopes to use her professional experience and local connections to support the Foundation’s continued impact.

Russell Martin

Founder and Trustee

Russell is a former professional footballer and current First Team Manager of Leicester City FC. Born in Brighton, he founded RMF to give something back to his home city, inspired by his own childhood experiences and a desire to create better opportunities for young people. During his playing career, Russell captained Norwich City in the Premier League and represented Scotland 29 times before moving into management. He has since managed MK Dons, Swansea City, Southampton and Rangers before joining Leicester City in 2026. Russell remains closely connected to RMF and is particularly passionate about its education programmes and supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable young people.

Adrian Batchelor

Chair of Trustees

Adie has lived in the Brighton & Hove area for most of his life and has strong connections to the local community. He played county football for Southwick, Steyning and Shoreham during the 1970s, 80s and early 90s. Professionally, Adie spent more than 40 years working in financial services and wealth management, retiring in 2019 following a senior leadership role with St. James’s Place. As Chair of Trustees, he brings extensive leadership and business experience alongside a longstanding connection to football and the Sussex community.

Richard Bradford

Safeguarding Trustee

Richard has extensive experience in education and has been part of the Brighton community since moving to the city in 1990. His career has included roles at Falmer School and Varndean School, before becoming Vice Principal of a large international school in Hong Kong. He returned to Brighton in 2011 as Headteacher of Dorothy Stringer School and also chaired the Brighton & Hove Secondary Headteachers group. Since retiring in 2019, Richard has remained involved in education projects, including supporting RMF’s Extra Time Project, and brings considerable education and safeguarding experience to the Foundation.

Dr. Alan Sanders

Chief Executive - Executive & Senior Management Team

Jane Coleman

Chief Operating Officer & Designated Safeguarding Lead

Ben Howlett-Lamont

Director of Football

Dale Hurley

Head of Football - RMA

Sara Hughes

Head of Teaching & Learning Senior Management Team

Charlie Oatway

Relationships Manager- Senior Management Team

Rob Silver

Head of Finance

Finley Jenkins

Goalkeeping Lead

Rob Deda

Fixtures Co-ordinator

Glenn Franks

Schools & Social Co-ordinator

Teddy Wood

Coach

Rudy Stilgoe

Coach

Jacob Baitup

Academy Co-ordinator

Connor Cox

Academy Co-ordinator

Jess Barnes

Disability Lead

Lewis Mayer

Facility Operator

Danny Cullip

Teaching Assistant

Dr Tim Ojo

Strategic Lead: Health

Georgina Brazier

Centre Manager (Crawley)

Tom Halls

Centre Manager - Worthing

Aithne Missirian

Lead Centre Manager - Brighton

Kim Hammond

Centre Manager - Crawley & DDSL

Tyler Russell

Teacher Assistant - Worthing

Carl Southwell

Adult Education Co-ordinator

Carlo Missirian

Qualified Teacher

Ismail Jafar

Teaching Assistant

Kelly Frater

KS2 Transition Co-ordinator

Tyrone Madhani

Teaching Assistant

Julia Sanders

Teaching Assistant

Rachelle Martin

Teaching Assistant

Tina Alfieri

Welfare Officer & Community Engagement

Steve Winterburn

Facility Operator

Chris Whelpdale

Head of Media & Comms

Paul Rogers

Head of Commercial & Fundraising

Joel Essex

Media & Comms

Marilena Ward

Trustees, Admin & Bid Support

Gerry Coleman

Project Manager

Heidi Rush

HR Manager

Debra Wells

Finance Assistant

Chris Ward

Sarah Samagh

Steve Purser

Matt Turner

Dr Tim Stevenson