Our people

Faye Cornhill

Founder & Voluntary CEO

Faye has been a photographer for 16 years and has taught hundreds of professional and hobbyist photographers across the UK. Travel is a huge passion of Faye’s and along with her husband Phil and children Harry and Grace, she has travelled across the USA, Canada, the Middle East, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Northern and South Africa. Whilst travelling in Thailand in 2019, Faye had the idea of starting Lives in Focus.

Phil Cornhill

Founder

Phil works in the sports industry for UK Padel, one of the largest Padel Tennis groups in the UK. He believes in community first and knows that when people feel supported and are able to do what brings them joy, people are happiest. In his spare time he’ll often be seen trekking across the Buckinghamshire countryside with his trusty labradors, Stanley & Mabel. The countryside is where Phil is most at home having been raised in Somerset. He also enjoys rugby, squash, hiking and spending time with his family.

Denis Julius Minja

Tanzania Country Manager

Denis is our Tanzania Country Manager and oversees all of the school relationships. He works with the school staff to organise workshops and helps us deliver donations and goods to the schools. Denis was born in the region of Kilimanjaro and attended Rongomo Primary school, one of the schools now supported by Lives in Focus. Denis works as a porter and guide on Kilimanjaro and lives with his wife Linda and two sons Constantin and Colin.

Maureen Wanjiru Ndesandjo

Kenya Country Manager 

Maureen is our Kenya Representative and supports the delivery of Lives in Focus projects for children across the country. She works with local partners to create opportunities in sports, painting, art and creative expression, helping young people discover pathways that can grow into professions. Maureen was born in Nairobi and works in the oil and gas industry in Strategy and Delivery. She is also the founder of Nairobi’s first padel academy – Padel Academy of Champions at Playon Padel with locations in Nairobi and Mombasa, which provides access to the sport for children from low-income families and has sponsored and trained local coaches who now work full-time in coaching careers. Maureen is passionate about giving children non-academic opportunities to unlock their talents and create brighter futures.

Marc Williams

Trustee

Marc is an experienced sustainability and impact investing specialist, supporting businesses that help solve the world’s biggest challenges like inequality and climate change. Marc loves the great outdoors and loves getting to the coast as often as he can with his wife Phillipa and daughters Freya & Jessica. He’s also a big fan of travel, running, open water swimming and rugby.

Sam Richards

Trustee

Sam has a background in both charity fundraising and Sales/Marketing and will be helping us create some buzz and noise around our projects. In her spare time you will find Sam with her family (husband Gary and two girls Olivia and Sophie), with friends, travelling, reading and cooking. Sam lives in the heart of Buckinghamshire but loves to travel both nationally and internationally.