Trustees
Meet our Board of Trustees, Advisors and Honorary Trustees.
The Board of Trustees provides strategic leadership and directs all areas of LAFF’s work. Together, they ensure effective management and governance, financial accountability and legal compliance. The Trustees give their time for free and bring diverse perspectives, skills and experience from business, education, academia and the non-profit sector.
We also have a number of Board Advisors and Honorary Trustees. Our Advisors are trusted experts who give pro-bono strategic advice to the board from time to time. Our Honorary Trustees are people whose extraordinary past contributions have helped shape LAFF’s direction and deserve our special recognition.
Chiara Minigutti
Trustee with Special Responsibility for People
Chiara is Italian, from the city of Genoa, and first travelled to Peru in 2015, when she applied to volunteer with LAFF as the Vocational Training and Career Guidance Coordinator. During this 6 month placement she fell in love with both Cusco and the work LAFF does in Peru! Luckily for her, a paid position with LAFF opened right at the end of her placement and she became the LAFF Programme Manager in 2015/2016. This year full of new experiences, challenges and amazing people convinced her to continue supporting LAFF once back in Europe, this time as a Trustee, with special responsibility for People. She is, therefore, looking after our wonderful international team of volunteers, monitoring and adapting our recruitment, management, and retention strategies. Chiara is currently living in the beautiful city of Barcelona, in Spain. She has been working in a sustainable tourism start-up and is now investing most of her time and efforts into a recently founded Italian charity, Ayni Cooperazione, working remotely.
Chiara es de Italia, de la ciudad de Genoa, y viajó por primera vez a Perú en 2015, cuando mandó su aplicación a LAFF para el rol de coordinador de formación profesional y orientación profesional. Durante su colocación en prácticas, se enamoró de Cuzco y del trabajo de LAFF en Perú. Con mucha suerte, al final de su seis meses, hubo una oportunidad pagada con LAFF y entonces se convirtió en la Gerente de Programas en el 2015/16. Este año lleno de nuevas experiencias, retos y personas increíbles la convencieron de continuar su apoyo para la organización cuando llegó en Europa, ahora como miembra del consejo directivo de LAFF, con la responsabilidad especial de Recursos Humanos. Chiara cuida de nuestro equipo maravilloso de voluntarios internacionales, la supervisión y adaptación de la contratación, la gestión y las estrategias de retención. Actualmente Chiara trabaja para una nueva empresa de turismo sostenible y dedica la mayoría de sus esfuerzos en una nueva organización benéfica italiana, Ayni Cooperazione, trabajando de manera remota. Le encanta caminar, leer, y la fotografía.
Thomas Pickford
Trustee with Special Responsibility for Fundraising
Thomas first joined LAFF as a Programme Coordinator in the summer of 2019. He spent four months volunteering with the team, helping to plan and write the new five-year strategy for the organisation, as well as managing the day-to-day programmes with LAFF’s partners. He loved his time in Cusco so much and was so inspired by LAFF’s work with its partners that he decided to continue supporting remotely once he moved back to London. Thomas worked with other previous volunteers to organise a LAFF Christmas Salsa party for Christmas 2019 before officially taking over the role of fundraising trustee from Sarah Warry in the new year. As fundraising trustee, he hopes to be able to increase LAFF’s resources so that it can continue its important work, and expand to reach even more young people in the Cusco area. Thomas has experience volunteering for other NGOs in London, working in the fields of fundraising and communications for NGOs in London and Spain. He currently works as a project assistant at a social impact consultancy company in London.
Thomas se unió a LAFF en el verano de 2019 como coordinador de programas. Pasó cuatro meses como voluntario en el equipo, ayudando a planear y a escribir la nueva estrategia de cinco años para la organización, además de gestionar los programas diarios con los socios de LAFF. Thomas amó tanto su tiempo en Cuzco y se sintió tan motivado por el trabajo de LAFF con sus socios, que decidió continuar apoyando la organización de manera remota una vez que se volvió a Londres. Thomas, junto con otros voluntarios previos, organizó una fiesta de salsa de LAFF, durante la navidad en 2019, antes de integrarse al consejo directivo de LAFF . En su nuevo papel, espera poder aumentar los recursos disponibles a LAFF para que pueda continuar su importante labor, y expandirse para mejorar las vidas de aún más jóvenes en la región de Cuzco. Thomas tiene más experiencia como voluntario en otros ONGs en Londres y en España. Actualmente trabaja como un asistente de proyectos en una consultora especializada en impacto social en Londres.
Clarice Benney
Trustee with Special Responsibility for Communications
Clarice formed part of the LAFF team in 2020-21, first as Communications Coordinator and then as Programmes Coordinator. As this was during the pandemic, Clarice was working remotely for the majority of her time, but was able to get in a few months in Cusco and meet our partners in-person. Clarice’s work involved developing the communications campaign for LAFF’s first “Big Give” and several collaborative projects with other NGOs working in Cusco. Clarice returned to the UK to complete her degree in Spanish and now works in research community engagement in Cambridge. As communications trustee, Clarice works with coordinators to ensure that LAFF’s organisational brand is consistent across all communications channels and aims to boost LAFF’s profile by expanding our network of media partners.“I really believe in the sustainable partnership model LAFF employs for its programmes and I think that a similar ethos is essential for digital communications. Partnering with other organisations allows us to put LAFF’s work in context and showcase our expertise – working on the ground in Cusco for over 15 years!”
Clarice formó parte del equipo de LAFF en 2020-21, primero como Coordinadora de Comunicaciones y luego como Coordinadora de Programas. Como esto fue durante la pandemia, Clarice estuvo trabajando de forma remota durante la mayor parte de su tiempo, pero pudo llegar unos meses a Cusco y conocer a nuestras organizaciones asociadas en persona. El trabajo de Clarice involucró el desarrollo de la campaña de comunicaciones para el primer “Big Give” de LAFF y varios proyectos de colaboración con otras ONG que trabajan en Cusco. Clarice regresó al Reino Unido para completar su licenciatura en español y ahora trabaja en la participación de la comunidad de investigación en Cambridge. Como miembra de la junta directiva con especial responsabilidad en materia de comunicaciones, Clarice trabaja con los coordinadores para garantizar que la marca organizativa de LAFF sea consistente en todos los canales de comunicación y tiene como objetivo impulsar el perfil de LAFF mediante la expansión de nuestra red de socios de medios. “Realmente creo en el modelo de asociación sostenible que LAFF emplea para sus programas y creo que un espíritu similar es esencial para las comunicaciones digitales. La asociación con otras organizaciones nos permite poner el trabajo de LAFF en contexto y mostrar nuestra experiencia: ¡trabajar en el terreno en Cusco durante más de 15 años!”
Dawid Nawrot
Trustee with Special Responsibility for Data Management and Systems
Dawid has been working with data and reporting for 7 years learning lots of technologies and software along the way to fulfill all internal and external data requirements of any kind (ad-hoc requests, reports, extensive analysis, data transfers between our clients and us). He is currently LAFF’s administrator, helping mainly with Salesforce implementation and management, gathering data through Google Sheets, supporting LAFF with the transition to better organised storage systems (Salesforce, G-Drive, Dropbox), and also helping with security (LastPass, G-Suite) and any other technical need.
Dawid lleva siete años trabajando con data e informática, conociendo muchas diferentes tecnologías y programas para cumplir todos los requisitos tecnológicos internos y externos de LAFF (solicitudes ad hoc, informes, análisis extensivo, transferencias entre nosotros y nuestros clientes). Actualmente está encargado del manejo de datos de LAFF, ayudando principalmente con la implementación y gestión de Salesforce, recogiendo data a través de Google Sheets, mejorando la organización de almacenamiento (Salesforce, G-Drive, Dropbox), y también ayuda con la seguridad (LastPass, G-Suite), y cualquier otra necesidad tecnológica.
Macarena Martinez
Trustee with Special Responsibility for Partnerships
Macarena is of Peruvian origin and heart. She is fond of the diversity found in her country’s people and landscapes, its rich past and present culture, and of course, its delicious food full of identity. While studying Philosophy at PUCP in Lima, she took courses on Sociology and Public Policies that helped her deepen her knowledge of Peru’s social and political dimensions and strengthen her commitment to a better future. In January 2020, Macarena joined LAFF’s team to use her work experience in innovation and project management to achieve a vision she strongly believes in: a Peru where children and young adults can enjoy equal opportunities brought out by quality education. Macarena is a trustee since March 2022.
Macarena es peruana de origen y corazón; amante de la diversidad que hay en su gente y sus paisajes, de su rica cultura pasada y presente y por supuesto, de su comida. Mientras estudiaba Filosofía en la PUCP, llevó cursos de sociología y políticas públicas que la ayudaron a profundizar su conocimiento y compromiso con la realidad social peruana. En enero del 2020, Macarena llega a LAFF para aplicar su experiencia en innovación y gestión de proyectos en una misión que resuena en lo más profundo de ella: lograr condiciones de igualdad para niños y jóvenes peruanos a partir del acceso a una educación de calidad con enfoque en desarrollo personal. Macarena es miembra del consejo directivo de LAFF desde marzo de 2022.
Maria Paula Jaramillo
Maria Paula has served as both a Trustee and an international partnerships manager for LAFF. She currently works in the global coordination of the UN Environment/UNDP/WRI Green Climate Fund Readiness Programme.
As an advisor to the board, Maria Paula has special interest in strategy, programmes and monitoring & evaluation of impact. Maria Paula’s favourite thing about LAFF is working closely with the people that we support. We facilitate change, but it is driven by our partners and mainly by the young people that participate in our programmes. Maria Paula also enjoys singing, songwriting, yoga and ultimate Frisbee.
Matt Oliver Kinsella
Matt first got involved with LAFF as a remote volunteer in 2013 and served as a Trustee from 2016 until 2019, with special responsibility for performance, strategy, and governance. He continues to give pro-bono support to the board when called upon.
Matt currently lives in Djibouti with his wife and is a doctoral researcher studying human rights and migration with the Human Rights Consortium at the University of London, and the International Refugee Rights Initiative, Uganda.
Jenna Steggles
Serving as a Trustee from 2007 to 2017, Jenna has been involved in LAFF since the very beginning. A marketeer by profession, her expertise and experience managing marketing communications for global travel brands has channelled her interest in sustainable tourism and international development. Since stepping down, Jenna continues to act as an occasional advisor to the board, focussing on communications and marketing strategy.
Sarah Oakes
Founder and Honorary Trustee
Founding Trustee Sarah has been working with vulnerable children in Latin America since 2003. After working as a volunteer coordinator at a home for deaf children in Cusco, the harsh reality of life for abandoned and working children in Latin America struck her deeply and Sarah continued to work directly with vulnerable children in the Peruvian Andes region for three years returning to the UK to found LAFF, which she now tirelessly directs in her free time on a voluntary basis.
To combine with her in-depth knowledge of local culture, the realities of our beneficiaries and fluent Spanish, Sarah has ten years experience in international development, fundraising, volunteer management and capacity-building through her work with charities as varied as Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), The Place2Be, and the TONI&GUY Charitable Foundation in the UK and overseas. Sarah is a fully qualified teacher and is currently working as a freelance editor and fundraiser.
Sarah, fundadora de LAFF, trabaja con niños vulnerables en América Latina desde 2003. Después de trabajar como coordinadora de voluntarios en una Casa de acogida de niños sordos en Cuzco, Sarah quedó impactada por la realidad dura de los niños abandonados en América Latina. Así, Sarah se dedicó a trabajar directamente con niños vulnerables en los Andes en Perú por 3 años más. Luego se volvió al Reino Unido para establecer LAFF, organización que ahora dirige por voluntad propia en su tiempo libre.
Además de su conocimiento profundo de la cultura local, las realidades de nuestros beneficiarios y manejo del español, Sarah tiene 10 años de experiencia trabajando en desarrollo internacional, recaudación de fondos, gestión de voluntarios, y creación de capacidades, a través de su trabajo con obras benéficas como VSO, The Place2Be, y TONI&GUY Charitable Foundation, en el RU y en el extranjero. Sarah también es una profesora calificada y actualmente es editor por cuenta propia y recaudadora de fondos.
Hannah Barrett
Hannah first came to Peru in 2005, where she worked as Volunteer Coordinator and then Regional Manager for Madventurer, a volunteer-sending organisation implementing education and infrastructure projects. Whilst in Peru, Hannah became our first voluntary ‘man on the ground’ helping LAFF with project support and grant distribution, before returning to the UK, becoming a trustee and working tirelessly on fundraising efforts from the UK.
Hannah passed away in July 2010, losing her two year battle to brain cancer. She fought tirelessly for LAFF’s cause until the very end, being involved with event planning, fundraising and incredibly completing a sponsored swim of the English Channel whilst undergoing chemotherapy. Hannah remains an inspiration to LAFF’s team and will forever be an honorary Trustee in spirit due to her unrelenting dedication, energy and enthusiasm.