Team

Sandra Barefoot
Sandra BarefootCreative Co-Lead
Sandra has over 30 years of experience of working in group facilitation, action research, project management, mentoring, and creative programme development, with specialism in multi-disciplinary arts practices inclusive of theatre, dance, visual arts, poetry and sign language. Sandra works alongside our storytellers to create our online resources, and also managed the development and facilitation of our prison programme RESTORE. From this work, Sandra identified that shame frequently lies at the root of what prevents us from healing and, as a joint research fellow of the Griffin Society of Cambridge University’s Department of Criminology, she researched the place of shame and its impact on women’s lived experiences. This investigation has led Sandra to collaborate with other organisations both in the UK and globally to develop a community of practice that centres the facilitation of spaces where our stories of shame can support personal and collective healing.
Marina Cantacuzino MBE
Marina Cantacuzino MBEFounder and Co-Lead
Marina Cantacuzino MBE is an author, broadcaster and award-winning journalist who has written for most British mainstream publications. In 2003, in response to the invasion of Iraq, she embarked on a personal project collecting stories of people who had lived through trauma and injustice, and yet sought forgiveness rather than revenge. As a result, Marina founded The Forgiveness Project and ever since has spoken and written widely about forgiveness and restorative storytelling.
Georgia Gill
Georgia GillAdministrator
Georgia is a current MA Human Rights student at University College London. Georgia initially joined The Forgiveness Project after having been exposed to our work during her time studying a BA in Sociology with Criminology at the University of York. Georgia’s interests are far-reaching, and she has volunteered with a variety of different charitable organisations, but she has a keen curiosity in the way in which the modern criminal justice system intersects with other contemporary social issues.
Katalin Karolyi
Katalin KarolyiCommunications Manager
Katalin is a BA Photography and MSc Development Studies graduate who is passionate about enabling organisations to realise their vision while fostering an open, safe and productive work environment. Besides having worked in the creative industries since 2010, Katalin immersed herself in studying economic and social power dynamics both at a global and micro scale at SOAS, London. This has led her to discover The Forgiveness Project, where she has enjoyed managing the charity’s website and social media accounts, and leading awareness raising campaigns to amplify the organisation’s voice across the world.
Eliyes Omar
Eliyes OmarFinance Officer
Eliyes has enjoyed maths since his childhood. He is a mathematics graduate and has a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Mathematics. He also holds a Level 3 Advanced Diploma in IT, and a Level 3 Diploma in Accounting (AAT).

Trustees

Matthew Cahill
Matthew CahillChair
Matthew is a lawyer who has spent over 20 years working for international law firms Clifford Chance and Sidley Austin. During the course of his career he has lived and worked in London, Tokyo and Abu Dhabi. He is currently a partner with William Fry, an Irish law firm. Matthew has been involved with The Forgiveness Project, helping with fundraising and other matters, since 2016.
Tony Grover
Tony GroverTreasurer
Tony is a physics graduate who qualified as a chartered accountant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Following a period in the financial services practice he transferred to a major European banking group where he ultimately specialised in Private Equity. He is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Indigo Capital.
Helen Walker
Helen WalkerTrustee
With over 20 years of board administration experience, Helen is committed to fostering governance excellence and supporting impactful missions. After two decades in the USA working with national and community-focused organizations, she has returned to the UK to focus on causes that resonate personally. Helen has volunteered as a rape victims’ advocate and served on domestic violence hotlines in both the USA and with Samaritans UK. These roles reinforced her belief in the power of storytelling and forgiveness as tools for healing. She is now committed to serving as a Trustee and advancing The Forgiveness Project’s mission.
Mary Locke
Mary LockeTrustee
After two decades in international development and social investment Mary now works as a volunteer mediator on neighbourhood and parent-child disputes. She is also studying for a PhD at the University of Strathclyde, exploring the process of change in parent-child mediations. How we tackle prejudice and stereotyping is another focus; she is a trustee of an award-winning charity, Migrateful, which supports refugees and asylum seekers and through our universal love of food, brings people together to address hopes and fears around migration.
Thea Platt
Thea PlattTrustee
Thea Platt is an Executive Coach, Consultant, and Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapist based in Totnes, England. As the Director of Coaching with Thea, she works with leaders and entrepreneurs in social enterprises, charities, and ethical businesses, guiding them toward professional development and personal fulfillment. Alongside coaching, Thea provides consultancy services to mission-driven organizations, helping them align their values with strategic goals and foster sustainable growth. Her coaching integrates mindfulness and transpersonal approaches, supporting clients in balancing career goals with deeper purpose and well-being. With a background in environmental and social change, Thea holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy from the Karuna Institute, enhancing her holistic approach to coaching and consultancy.

Founding Patrons

Dame Anita Roddick
Dame Anita Roddick
The late Dame Anita Roddick, DBE was a British businesswoman, human rights activist and environmental campaigner, best known as the founder of The Body Shop, a cosmetics company producing and retailing natural beauty products that shaped ethical consumerism.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Archbishop Desmond Tutu was the chairman of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The TRC was established to investigate the violations that took place between 1960 and 1994, to provide support and reparation to victims and their families, and to compile a full and objective record of the effects of apartheid on South African society.