Who we are

MAJ GEN LAMONT KIRKLAND CBE – CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Founder and CEO of Team Forces. Retired from the Army after a 37 year career which culminated in commanding the Army’s 4th Division. Serving with the Green Howards regiment, Lamont saw active service in Northern Ireland and the Balkans. An active sportsman, Lamont represented the Army & Hampshire in rugby and athletics and latterly was Chairman of Army Rugby, Army Winter Sports and the President of Army Boxing. Today he enjoys skiing, hill walking, mountain biking, game shooting and rides a Harley.

LT COL TIM WAKEFIELD – CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Also a founding member, Tim is the primary interface between Team Forces, the Sports and Sponsors; ranging from business development and managing sponsor and sport portfolios through to charity matters, event support and contributing to promotions and media. A bit of everything! Tim has participated and supported all levels of sport during his army career in Germany and the UK. With a former focus on winter sports, corps and army tennis and hockey it has involved responsibilities ranging from organising competitions, events and fundraising to competing, officiating and publicity so a good grounding to help the current team. Tim left the Army in 2012 after 34 years in the Royal Engineers.

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DANNY FLACK – DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL IMPACT

Danny has been a supporter of Team Forces and wider Forces Sports Charities for many years. Having assisted with Team Forces first Social Impact Report in 2021 he has joined the team to help plan, scale and promote our increasing Social Impact and to develop our reporting of the objective benefits and return on investment that we all experience as a result. With a background in UK public sector acquisition and tendering he has worked with HMG and industries of all sizes. Team Forces will foster an even more collaborative approach to the development of the Team Forces Social Value proposition to the benefit of those we support in their endeavours and of course – our sponsors.

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GRAHAM GODLEY-MCAVOY – CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Graham Godley-McAvoy’s management career has spanned 27 years, mainly working in the automotive industry with brands such as Ford, BMW, Audi and Volkswagen. Having previously held senior general management roles, in 2015 Graham decided to develop his career to specialise in commercial and financial management, joining a network of Social Entrepreneurs to solve some of society’s complex social and environmental issues through innovation. In 2017, Graham achieved Chartered Manager status and was admitted as a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. Graham has now brought his expertise to Team Forces, providing commercial guidance, corporate governance and financial management.

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CATHARINE MOSS – BUSINESS SUPPORT MANAGER

Catharine joined Team Forces in 2014 and plays a pivotal role in the organisation’s marketing, publications, and digital communications. She manages the website and social media channels, ensuring content is current, engaging, and aligned with Team Forces’ mission.

As Business Support Manager, Catharine also oversees essential back-office operations, including sponsor and beneficiary account management, support for sporting associations, and financial assistance to the CFO.

Having been an Army spouse for over 30 years, she is passionate about promoting wellbeing through activity and is deeply committed to supporting the wider armed forces community.

Contact Catharine

VERITY EASTMAN – EVENTS MANAGER

Verity has over 20 years’ experience in events and marketing across the sport, charity, property and legal sectors. She has delivered hospitality at Twickenham for Premiership rugby clubs, overseen brand launches, and managed award ceremonies and charity campaigns. Married to a former serving officer, she has a strong personal connection to the military community. Passionate about sport and adventure – particularly skiing and horses – she has completed challenges including the 3 Peaks, a horseback trek across the Namib Desert, and the ARC Europe transatlantic sailing race.

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The Foundation is governed by a dedicated board of trustees. The board is a mix of serving and recently retired senior officers, along with representatives from industry. The Chair of the Trustees is Maj Gen Lizzie Faithfull-Davies and she is supported by the Chief Executive, Major General Lamont Kirkland CBE.

Chair: Maj Gen Lizzie Faithfull-Davies CBE 

Major General Lizzie Faithfull-Davies was commissioned into the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in 1999 having completed a MEng(Hons) in Mechanical Engineering at Bristol University. She served in a variety of units at as an engineering officer, predominantly armoured and armoured infantry. She completed operational deployments to Northern Ireland and Bosnia, Iraq on Op TELIC 4 and 6, and to Afghanistan on Op HERRICK 11 and 13. She has also been a platoon and company commander at RMAS. She has commanded from platoon to brigade and was recognised with a CBE for work in support of the national Covid response.

Most of her spare time is devoted to being in the outdoors with her two “army-issue” black Labradors and she loves to go hiking, mountaineering, skiing, open water swimming and trail running. Her sport is ultra-running, preferring (for some strange reason) to run multi-day events covering hundreds of miles over trails and mountains. She loves to travel and has explored Peru, Bolivia, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Major General Rob Anderton-Brown

On commissioning into the Royal Signals in 1994, Major General Robin Anderton-Brown was posted to HQ 4 Armoured Brigade and deployed on UN and NATO led operations in Bosnia. In the rank of Captain he served as Operations Officer in 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron in support of 5 Airborne Brigade; Adjutant at 2 Signal Regiment and as the G3 Plans Staff Officer with 12 Mechanized Brigade.

On promotion, he completed an MA in Defence Technology followed by the Advance Command and Staff Course (ACSC) at Shrivenham. His initial SO2 Staff tour was within the MoD Head Office Capability Directorate with responsibility for a number of the Defence’s core telecommunication systems including FALCON. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 with 16 Air Assault Brigade in command of 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron and returned for a second tour in 2008. On promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, he was part of a small UK contingent based in Washington embedded within a US cross-government assessment team working for US Central Command. He subsequently returned to the MoD Head Office as the Military Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Capability). After Regimental Command, and in the rank of Colonel, he attended the Higher Command and Staff Course and took post as the Deputy Head for Joint Forces Command C4ISR Joint User with responsibilities for Defence C4ISR Policy and Force Development. On promotion to 1 Star rank, he commanded 11 Signal and West Midlands Brigade; comprised of 11 Regular and Reservist Regiments, the Brigade provided Communication Information Systems (CIS) for the Army’s deployable formations – from Division to Brigade, UK National Communications and he was the Joint Military Commander for the West Midlands. He then took post as the Head of Capability for Special Projects within Joint Forces Command in August 2017. Promoted to Major General in September 2020, he become the Director for the Multi-Domain Integration Change Programme within UK Strategic Command prior to taking post as the Director of Capability for UK Strategic Command from March 2021.

A champion of sport within the military, Major General Anderton-Brown is the Chair of the Royal Signals Games Club. He is a keen fencer, having competed at Combined Services level, though involvement now is in his capacity as President of the Army Fencing Union.

Major General Anderton-Brown is married to Samantha and they have two daughters (Sophie and Lucy) both studying at University. Away from work he enjoys time with his family, road cycling, running and slowly renovating a house in France.

Major General (Retd) Jon Cole CB OBE

Jonathan (Jon) Cole is the BT Defence Director, operating as a part of BT Government. He leads the Profit and Loss account, which includes business development, sales, major bids, service operations and contract management. His business unit currently provides services to Ministry of Defence through Defence Fixed Telecommunications System (DFTS) and Integrated User Services (IUS) and a range of other contracts that are crucial to Defence’s role. Jon is excited to be leading his team at a time of great change for Defence. He is committed to working with his customers and partners to help deliver a modern, secure digital backbone that users can exploit. BT is a trusted partner with world-leading technology products and services that can assist Defence in many ways in pursuit of the national interest.

Prior to joining BT he completed a 35 year career in the British Army, culminating at Major General as the Army’s Director for Information, which included being Chief Information Officer at Army Board and ExCo. He had a wide range of operational, policy and acquisition roles, predominantly in Digital & Information Technology, Intelligence and Security. He holds the honours of CB and OBE for his service. A Chartered Engineer with the Institute of Engineering and Technology, he has a BEng(Hons) in Electronics, an MSc in Defence Technology, and an MA in International Security and Strategy.

He is an active participant in a range of activities including road cycling, hillwalking, running, surfing, paddleboarding and skiing – all of which he shares with his wife and his 4 (now adult) children. He is a member of his local church, and he is also active in support of charity work, predominantly running crazy distances for the Gurkha Welfare Trust and also as a Trustee of Team Forces Foundation.

Brigadier Richard Dennis OBE

Commissioned into the Royal Hampshire Regiment in 1978, he spent the first 6 years of his service in a variety of posts at Regimental Duty serving in Germany, Northern Ireland, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. Having been an Academy 1st XI hockey player at Sandhurst he continued to play at a variety of levels throughout this period while also keeping his hand in at rugby and making a brief – but illustrious – appearance on the BAOR alpine ski circuit as OIC of the battalion Snow Queen hut for two seasons and captain of the battalion’s downhill team. On posting to Hong Kong in the mid-80s he found the hockey (and the skiing) non-existent but the 7’s rugby scene was flourishing and he played for the British Forces Hong Kong Flying Kukris for two seasons. Subsequent postings to BAOR as a company commander with 1 STAFFORDS and as COS 20 Armoured Brigade allowed him to qualify as a ski instructor and share his passion for winter sports with his soldiers and their families. In more recent years as CO 2 PWRR, Commander 15 (NE) Brigade in York and as Director of Infantry he has taken every opportunity to get involved in the management, policy development and general betterment of Army sport. Whilst serving he has held a number of appointments including Chairman of Infantry Hockey, Commodore Infantry Sailing, Chairman of the Army Rifle Association and Vice Chairman of the Army Winter Sports Association.

Neil Sexton CB FRAeS

Major General (Retd) Neil Sexton qualified as a British Army helicopter pilot in 1991. During his 32-year career he flew Gazelle, Lynx and Apache helicopters and deployed on operations in the 1st Gulf War, Northern Ireland, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He was the professional head of Army Aviation and Deputy Commander of the Joint Helicopter Command from 2013-15.

Interspersed with aviation roles, he specialised in communications, media management and international relations. This culminated in his final Army appointment as Director of Engagement and Communications based in MOD Head Office in London from 2018.

Retiring from the Army in 2022, Neil established his own defence and aviation consultancy and is a co-founder of Almara Aviation Solutions, which specialises in incorporating crewed and uncrewed aircraft into the security and emergency response plans of public and private sector organisations.

A keen offshore sailor and a gliding instructor, Neil is a trustee of the Team Forces charity, Chairman of the Army Flying Museum, and Patron of the Glider Pilot Regiment Society. He is also Honorary Colonel of Sheffield University Officers’ Training Corps, where his own military career started in 1985.

Neil is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a Liveryman of the Company of Communicators. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath in 2021.

Col Scott Wallace MBE Royal Marines

Over a decade’s experience of disability sport within the military setting (Wounded Warrior, Adapted Snow Warrior, Invictus Games, H4H Sports Recovery) and international elite sports (GB Paralympics, South Africa Wheelchair Basketball, Basketball Scotland). Advanced Level 3 International Wheelchair Basketball coach with considerable experience of single and multi-sport global tournaments and events, including delivering youth development programmes. The RN’s Inclusive, Adaptive and Disability Sports Officer, as well as an active member of the RN and Interservices’ Paddlesports community. Enjoys and passionate about the outdoors including its role in social prescribing. Experienced in organising and participating in both summer and winter AT including qualified Ski-Touring Leader and Instructor.

Mr Graham Beal

Harpreet Kaur Chandi

David Lee Bates

Preet Chandi MBE

Preet Chandi, widely known as “Polar Preet,” is an ex-Army officer, physiotherapist and record-breaking polar explorer.. She rose to global prominence after becoming the first woman of colour to complete a solo, unsupported expedition to the South Pole, covering over 700 miles in one of the most extreme environments on Earth.

Since then, Preet has continued to push the boundaries of human endurance, setting new world records in Antarctica and redefining what is possible through resilience, discipline and mental strength. Her expeditions are not only feats of physical achievement but powerful platforms to challenge perceptions, promote diversity and inspire others to step beyond their comfort zones.

As a Team Forces Ambassador, Preet embodies the values at the heart of our mission – courage, perseverance and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Through her story, she continues to inspire the Armed Forces community and beyond, proving that with determination and belief, extraordinary goals are within reach.

Darren Edwards

Darren Edwards is a Team Forces Ambassador, para-adventurer and former Army Reservist whose journey from life-changing injury to world-class expedition leader exemplifies resilience, determination and purpose.

Paralysed from the chest down following a near-fatal climbing accident at the age of 26, Darren has redefined what is possible through adventure. Since his injury, he has embraced challenge as a pathway to recovery – transforming adversity into opportunity and becoming a powerful advocate for the mindset of “strength through adversity.”

From kayaking the length of Great Britain with fellow veterans to becoming the first wheelchair user to complete the 777 Challenge – seven marathons on seven continents in seven days – Darren has consistently pushed the boundaries of endurance. Each expedition has tested both physical and mental limits, strengthening resilience and reinforcing his belief that mindset is the key to overcoming even the greatest challenges.  He continues to set ambitious goals, including his attempt to become the first sit skier to ski to the South Pole.

As a Team Forces Ambassador, Darren represents the transformative power of challenge and adventure. His story continues to inspire the Armed Forces community and beyond, proving that even in the face of profound adversity, extraordinary achievements remain within reach.

Jon White

Jon White is a Team Forces Ambassador, former Royal Marines officer and elite para-athlete whose journey from frontline service to international competition is a powerful example of resilience, determination and leadership.

Raised in a military family, Jon was inspired from an early age to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Royal Marines. Commissioned at 19, he went on to serve in a number of demanding leadership roles, including Troop Commander and Company Second-in-Command, before qualifying as a Mountain Leader – one of the most physically and mentally challenging specialisations in the Corps. His final command saw him lead the 40 Commando Reconnaissance Troop.

In 2010, while on operations in Afghanistan, Jon’s life changed dramatically when he stepped on an improvised explosive device, resulting in the loss of three limbs. What followed was not defined by limitation, but by determination – marking the beginning of a new chapter built on resilience, focus and an unwavering commitment to succeed.

Jon channelled this mindset into para sport, rapidly establishing himself as a leading competitor in marathon and ocean racing canoeing. Representing Great Britain on the international stage, he has achieved exceptional success, including completing the iconic Devizes to Westminster Kayak Race in just over 28 hours – winning the prestigious Gluckstein Trophy alongside a fellow Royal Marine.

Today, Jon continues to push the boundaries of performance as an elite para-athlete, while also inspiring others as a speaker. His story reflects the enduring values of the Armed Forces – courage, resilience and teamwork – and demonstrates what can be achieved when adversity is met with determination.

As a Team Forces Ambassador, Jon represents the transformative power of sport and challenge, inspiring others to redefine what they believe is possible.

Jonny Huntington

Jonny Huntington is a Team Forces Ambassador, elite para-athlete, endurance skier and former British Army Officer whose journey of recovery and achievement represents resilience, determination and the power of redefining limits.

In early 2025, Jonny achieved a historic milestone – becoming the first person with a disability to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole. Supported by Team Forces, this extraordinary expedition saw him cover over 900km across Antarctica in one of the harshest environments on Earth, demonstrating exceptional physical endurance and mental resilience.

Jonny’s path to this achievement has been defined by overcoming significant adversity. In 2014, he suffered a stroke and brain bleed that left him paralysed down his left side. Following his injury, he faced profound physical and mental challenges, including depression, before beginning a long and determined rehabilitation journey that ultimately saw him learn to walk again.

Refusing to be defined by his injury, Jonny returned to elite sport as a para-athlete, representing Great Britain in cross-country skiing. His commitment to performance and progression reflects a deep understanding of both the physical and psychological demands of high-level sport.

Alongside his athletic career, Jonny is a sport scientist with expertise in physiology, psychology and nutrition, and works as a performance coach supporting both athletes and wider audiences. As a speaker and mentor, he shares powerful insights into leadership, teamwork and resilience – drawing on both his military background and personal experience of recovery.

As a Team Forces Ambassador, Jonny embodies the transformative impact of challenge and purpose. His story continues to inspire others to confront adversity, rebuild confidence and pursue ambitious goals – proving that even the most significant setbacks can become the foundation for extraordinary achievement.

Sally Orange

Major Sally Orange is a Team Forces Ambassador, former Royal Army Medical Corps officer and record-breaking endurance athlete whose energy, creativity and commitment to helping others make her one of the most inspiring figures in the Armed Forces community.

We first partnered with Sally when she founded and led Mind Over Matter – the first all-female wounded, injured and sick (WIS) team to take on the Race Across America, a 3,000-mile endurance challenge that Team Forces was proud to support. Since then, Sally has continued to embody the values of resilience, positivity and service that define our mission.

Joining the Army in 1998 while training as a physiotherapist, Sally dedicated over two decades to supporting the recovery and rehabilitation of injured personnel, including during her deployment on Operation Herrick. When faced with her own illness, she drew strength from the very individuals she had helped – refusing to be defined by adversity and instead using it as a catalyst for personal challenge and growth.

The 2016 Invictus Games played a pivotal role in her recovery, reconnecting her with the Armed Forces community and reinforcing the power of shared experience. From that point on, Sally channelled her energy into endurance sport and fundraising, combining serious athletic achievement with a unique sense of fun.

Completing more than 50 marathons – including on every continent – Sally is renowned for running dressed as fruit, holding Guinness World Records for the fastest marathon in fruit costume. Whether climbing Kilimanjaro as a bunch of grapes, completing Ironman triathlons dressed as an apple and lemon, or taking on extreme challenges in environments from Afghanistan to Antarctica, her approach is both unconventional and deeply impactful. Her message is simple but powerful: sport and physical activity are for everyone, and enjoyment, confidence and connection matter as much as performance.

Today, Sally continues to extend her impact through mentoring, education and outreach. Through engaging workshops and events – particularly with young people – she promotes physical activity, healthy lifestyles and positive mental health, sharing her story with honesty, humility and humour to inspire others to believe in what they can achieve.

As a Team Forces Ambassador, Sally represents the power of positivity, resilience and inclusion. Her story demonstrates that even in the face of personal challenge, it is possible not only to recover, but to inspire others – bringing energy, laughter and lasting impact to every environment she enters.

Team Army – ten years on

[Speech made by Maj Gen Lamont Kirkland CBE, Chief Executive Officer at our 10th Anniversary Celebration in February 2022 – event delayed by a year due to COVID-19]

Good evening ladies & gentlemen. We are here to celebrate 10 years of Team Army so allow me to fill in a bit of the history.

Like all good ideas, legend has it that Team Army was an idea conceived in a bar over a beer. It was around 2010, when conversations took place at the Army skiing championships about how to improve sport sponsorship which had become inefficient and unproductive.

At the time, each sport fought for its own share of the cake and defence suppliers were being approached multiple times by different sports. As a result, nearly all sponsorship was flowing to the high profile sports, and virtually nothing was going to minor sports who also had legitimate funding requirements. It was also difficult to build enduring relationships with sponsors due to the high turnover in sport officials.

Furthermore, it was clear that under the new UK Bribery Act, the practice of senior serving officers in acquisition appointments asking defence suppliers for funds was increasingly inappropriate and was a risk to reputation for both parties. Sponsors said they would prefer to have a portfolio covering several sports and an account manager to be their direct interface – who would not rotate every 18 months. In return, they would be prepared to commit larger sums once a year through a single approved supplier. They were also keen to see some of their funds go towards minor sports and good causes.

So we came up with the concept of making sport sponsorship a collective endeavour which could serve all Army sports, both major and minor. And it was preferable to do this under a single brand on behalf of Army sport. Hence ‘Team Army’ was born. We could also see that there were untapped opportunities in showcasing forces sport for fundraising purposes. So we ran a live demonstration in the form of a charity boxing night at Chelsea’s stadium, called the “The Battle of Stamford Bridge”. The event raised £100k on the night which proved that we could use the power of sport to raise funds for sport.

Quickly it became clear that in order to protect the MoD from the commercial risks of trading in sport sponsorship with defence suppliers, it would be better for a third party to operate the programme at arms length from the department. This concept was supported by the head of the Army, CGS, Gen Sir Peter Wall. However, he ensured that it would be thoroughly scrutinised by the MoD to ensure that it met the appropriate standards of corporate governance. Eventually, it was signed off and endorsed by the MoD and it was subsequently recognised that this was a much better way to handle sport sponsorship.

A board of trustees was set up under Maj Gen Paul Jaques and off we went. Critically, we had the early buy-in from the key Army sports, such as football, winter sports; boxing and rugby. Within a year or two, it had become extremely successful as new sponsors joined and we soon expanded into helping Combined Services level sport. As a result, we had to develop a defence wide brand, so ‘Team Ethos’ was born to represent all three services.

Later on, there was however a slight setback when ASCB decided to appoint an agency to manage its sport sponsorship. As with all setbacks, you do your best to turn it into an opportunity. There’s nothing like a bit of adversity to bring out the best in people, to dig in and reinvent yourself. So far from being a disaster, it was the best thing that could have happened and we pivoted in a new direction.

Having been released from the requirement to supply Army sport with half of our funds each year, we were able to broaden our range of beneficiaries even further. We expanded into supporting Navy and RAF sport and increased our reach by supporting more challenge and adventurous pursuits. This grew into an ever larger portfolio within the military community as we embraced veterans and were appointed by the MoD as official fundraising partner for Invictus UK.

This opened a new chapter for the charity and its interest in funding “extraordinary endeavour”. It led to a new interest in supporting polar exploration, starting with the Ice Maidens, Louis Rudd’s solo expedition in Antarctica and more recently, Polar Preet’s record breaking solo trek to the South Pole. We also supported military entries from all 3 services to take part in the Talisker Rowing challenge.

From the start, the trustees have always cared most passionately about helping those military personnel who were wounded or injured in service and who needed a pathway to recovery through the medium of sport, challenge or adventure. As many of them subsequently left the service and became veterans, we found ourselves as the go-to organisation to provide financial support, particularly as Help for Heroes was reducing its capacity to help. Today, significant levels of funding now goes into WIS veteran activity in areas such as winter sports; motorsports; diving; golf, polo and many others.

Everything was going really well when Covid struck, and we flat-lined for 18 months. But we planned our own bounce-back and with the support of our group of sponsors who kept the faith and helped to fund our recovery.

In the same year, the Government played an Ace card in bringing in the Social value act in relation to procurement in the public sector. Companies are now required to be good corporate citizens and be seen to adding positive social value. This led to our first ever Charity Impact Report, which fed information back to our sponsors about the good causes (social value) that you had supported. We subsequently produced a social value analysis report, which allows us for the first time, to provide you sponsors, with an ROI on sponsorship.

This could be a turning point in how companies regard sponsorship. Perhaps moving it from being an overhead in your budget line, and therefore resisted by your CFO, to something which adds value, is net positive and helps to set up your next procurement bid – anywhere in the public sector.

As a result of all these factors, we are now stronger than ever and the charity has significant reserves to ride the next storm. We find ourselves in the best position in our 10 year history, with a loyal group of sponsors and supporters who are prepared to help the trustees to fund a variety of great causes on your behalf.

Finally, I can announce tonight the launch of our new defence brand to sit alongside Team Army. After 10 years, this is a new beginning. As a result of changes to our corporate structure, we have the freedom to retire our existing defence brand “Team Ethos” and replace it with “Team Forces”.

This co-branded programme, endorsed by the MoD, will continue to help fund sport, challenge and adventure in the armed forces community. Hence the brands are interchangeable and applicable where appropriate.

We look forward to an exciting future as Team Forces and here’s to the next 10 years.

Thank you.