Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
Sand Dams Worldwide
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Tiktok
Donate
Menu
  • About us
    • What we do
    • Our strategy
    • Where we work and who we work with
    • Our team
      • Staff
      • Trustees (UK)
      • Trustees (Isle of Man)
      • Patrons
      • Join the team
    • Sand Dams Worldwide Isle of Man
    • Governance
      • Key policies
      • Annual reports
    • Awards
  • Why sand dams
    • The challenge
    • What is a sand dam?
    • The benefits of sand dams
    • Our approach
    • Our theory of change
    • Sand dam FAQs
    • Other solutions we deliver
  • Our impact
    • Stories
    • Impact reports
    • Key statistics
  • Support us
    • Donate
    • Appeals
    • Fundraise for us
      • How to fundraise
      • Fundraising stories
      • Fundraiser tools
    • Give a gift
    • Leave a legacy
    • Charitable trusts
    • Join an expedition
      • About our expeditions
    • Corporate support
    • Rotary projects
      • Working together with Rotary
      • Rotary stories
  • Knowledge hub
    • Films
    • Evidence and research
    • Sand dam manual
    • Learning resources
  • News and blogs
    • Latest news
    • Blogs
    • Supporter newsletters
    • A word from our Chairman
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  1. About us
  2. Our team
  3. Trustees (UK)

Trustees

Chair: Miguel Veiga-Pestana

Senior sustainability and communications advisor

Expand
370789f6-09f3-4b6e-8d5a-d358916a5b43 Miguel Veiga-Pestana is a purpose led business leader with a 30+ year proven international track record in major global corporations as well as ‘not for profit’ sector. Miguel has worked as VP for External Affairs and Sustainability at Unilever, CCO for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and as Head of Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer for both Reckitt and Drax Group. He is a member of Imperial College Business School Advisory Board. He was born in Madeira and is of Portuguese descent. Read more about Miguel here. 

Published: 1st July, 2018

Updated: 21st April, 2026

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Trustee: Mark Murphy

Director, Oyster Luxury Travel & Diving Ltd

Expand
316db435-1b09-479d-8078-13f2a715c6f2

Mark has over 15 years domestic and international Marketing experience working with some of the UK's largest plc's. More recently Mark formed and now runs his own International travel company. Read more about Mark here.

Published: 3rd July, 2018

Updated: 23rd October, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Trustee: Barbara Busby

Organisation Development Consultant, NHS Wales

Expand
a84e7ab3-2307-49f3-be36-4d8cabece12c

Barbara is passionate about organisation, team and individual development based on over 30 years experience across the public and private sectors, spanning defence, environment, utilities and latterly the NHS. She has been an Executive Director and Board member so understands the challenges of governance and leading organisations. Much of her work has been enabling and supporting Directors and senior managers in organisation design and development, shaping and implementing successful change, introducing leadership development and driving talent management initiatives as well as leading her own functional teams. Read more about Barbara here.

Published: 5th July, 2018

Updated: 9th August, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Trustee: Alex Day

Director, The Big Give

Expand
16004bbc-b985-4414-bcc7-879d9fa2ca08

The Big Give is a non-profit organisation which is responsible for the UK's biggest online match funding campaign, the Christmas Challenge. Prior to joining the Big Give, Alex spent eight years working in various roles in the international development and humanitarian response sector including two years as Director of the UK office of the international NGO, Medair and a stint as Grants & Institutions Manager at Sand Dams Worldwide. He holds a BA in Business & Geography from Exeter University and completed an MA in Charity Management from St Mary's University in 2015 which included a thesis entitled ‘Impact Bonds: The future of disaster resilience funding?’. Read more about Alex here.

Published: 6th July, 2018

Updated: 21st March, 2022

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Trustee: Sarah Field

Business capacity and organisational scale builder

Expand
eefb55ed-7e58-4777-9f47-e5e502f06ec9

Sarah is a seasoned entrepreneur and management consultant, with over twenty years of experience of building organisational and operational capacity for rapid business growth. As a co-founder she developed a new business model from scratch and franchised it internationally, focused on business systems, teams, governance, training and risk management. She has coached and prepared other founders and teams helping them achieve scale and investment, and honing operating models accordingly. With the foundation of an international education and career that shapes a global network of friends and colleagues, she enjoys creating new connections, charity volunteering, diving, riding and walking. Read more about Sarah here.

Published: 1st September, 2021

Updated: 14th July, 2025

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Trustee: Halinishi Yusuf

Integrated Resource and Environmental Management

Expand
6757fd7e-8633-45c6-91ce-c209bd38c68b Ms. Halinishi Yusuf, a PhD Researcher at Newcastle University, UK, holds a Master of Arts in Development Studies and a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies. With expertise in natural resource management, including forestry, fisheries, water, and sand, she previously worked with a sub-national agency regulating sand mining in Kenya. Her research focuses on the impact of river sand mining on alluvial water aquifers, dryland livelihoods, and water resource resilience in changing climates. Her work aims to identify pathways for sustainable natural resource use and conservation. Yusuf's experience and research underscore her commitment to addressing the complex challenges at the intersection of natural resource management, sand mining, water, and sustainable development. Read more about Halinishi here. 

Published: 5th September, 2023

Updated: 12th February, 2024

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Trustee: Nicholas Rao

Senior Projects Manager, BBC Media Action

Expand
cbd27271-8010-4b84-896d-e631c45c3fff Nicholas is a Senior Projects Manager at BBC Media Action, the BBC’s international development charity, and has most recently been based in Nigeria leading the implementation of a several donor funded media and communication focused projects, focused on health, humanitarian response and climate resilience. He has over six years experience in the international development sector, working across financial planning and management, programme implementation and business development, which has involved securing programme funding from a range of institutional donors. Nicholas previously worked as a public sector auditor, and is a qualified chartered accountant with the ICAEW. Read more about Nicholas here. 

Published: 9th September, 2023

Updated: 12th February, 2024

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Trustee: Jonathan Slowe

Business Entrepreneur

Expand
Jon founded, grew and leads an energy transition research and consulting company, working with the energy sector to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future. He is also a board member of a family investment business, trustee of a charitable foundation, and director and trustee of Glasgow-based children and families charity 3D Drumchapel. He has travelled to Africa many times and has a passion about sustainable ways to address poverty. He lives in Glasgow and enjoys spending time with his family, travelling, and riding his electric bike.

Published: 9th September, 2023

Updated: 12th February, 2024

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Trustee: Rob Bence

Business Entrepreneur

Expand
03d5e84c-551b-4512-b307-641785d23395 Rob is an accomplished business leader, Sunday Times columnist, and co-founder of one of the UK's most popular business podcasts, The Property Podcast. He is an expert in content marketing, particularly in attracting high-net-worth (HNW) individuals, experienced in scaling businesses, with a notable successful exit, and adept at developing and executing strategic initiatives to drive growth and market presence. Read more about Rob here.

Published: 10th November, 2024

Updated: 20th January, 2025

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Back to top

Latest

  • How Sand Dams Are Solving Water Scarcity: Podcast with fundsforNGOs

    How Sand Dams Are Solving Water Scarcity: Podcast with fundsforNGOs

    In an episode of the fundsforNGOs Podcast, Jon Lobb interviews Dwain Lucktung, Communications Manager at Sand Dams Worldwide, about how sand dams work and the impact of sand dam projects in drylands.

  • February 2026 sand dam expedition with Koy Clothing

    February 2026 sand dam expedition with Koy Clothing

    In February 2026, a group of volunteers teamed up with Sand Dams Worldwide, Koy Clothing and our local partner, Africa Sand Dam Foundation to support a community in Kenya to build a sand dam. The sand dam was funded by Koy Clothing and their wonderful customers, and will go on to provide the community with a local lifelong supply of clean water.

  • £22,304.97 raised in our 2026 Big Give Earth Raise campaign. Thank you!

    £22,304.97 raised in our 2026 Big Give Earth Raise campaign. Thank you!

    Sand Dams Worldwide is took part in the Big Give’s 2026 Earth Raise campaign (formerly the Green Match Fund), which offered supporters of participating charities the opportunity to have their donations doubled for just seven days. Over £22,000 was raised which will go towards a sand dam project in Tanzania.

  • Sand dams: empowering women and girls

    Sand dams: empowering women and girls

    Please donate what you can to help empower more vulnerable women and girls living in drylands (like Kenyan farmer Martha and her daughter, Faith) to access clean water with sand dams and transform their own lives.

Most read

  • We support communities to build sustainable sand dams in some of the poorest, drought-stricken regions across our world.

    We support communities to build sustainable sand dams in some of the poorest, drought-stricken regions across our world.

  • What is a sand dam?

    What is a sand dam?

  • Donate

    Donate

    Please click here to donate what you can to transform lives and land with sand dams and clean water.

  • Watch how sand dams work

    Watch how sand dams work

    Film explaining how sand dams work and their potential impact in the world's drylands

  • Reversing land degradation and desertification

    Reversing land degradation and desertification

    Conservation of the environment is critical to the economic development of people living in drylands.

  • 1 million sand dams for 0.5 billion people by 2050

    1 million sand dams for 0.5 billion people by 2050

    Read about our plan to directly support other organisations to build sand dams, in turn, realising our vision to support millions of the world’s poorest people by helping them to transform their own lives through water and soil conservation in drylands.

  • The challenge

    The challenge

    Find out what are drylands, why they are they are such harsh regions to live, how sand dams are applicable in drylands and what difference they can make to over 40% of the world's land surface.

  • Act Now: Tackle Food Crisis With Sand Dams

    Act Now: Tackle Food Crisis With Sand Dams

    Support dryland communities to overcome food shortages, and ensure they can grow enough food to eat and sell. It all starts with ensuring they have access to water. That’s where sand dams come in.

  • Sand dam manual

    Sand dam manual

    For everything you need to know about building sand dams, click here to read (and download for free!), Sand Dams: A Practical & Technical Manual.

  • Our approach

    Our approach

    Find out more about Excellent's approach, from working with self-help groups to why we partner we on-ground, local organisations.

Sign up for our newsletter

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please enter your email address Please enter a valid email address (e.g. [email protected])
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Tiktok
  • Login
  • Logout
  • Manager
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact

Registered in England & Wales No. 4432166. Registered charity No. 1094478

Sand Dams Worldwide, 82 Tanner Street, London SE1 3GN, United Kingdom

Registered Isle of Man charity No. 1147. Registered Isle of Man company No. 128231C

Sand Dams Worldwide IOM, Isle of Man, 1 Windsor Road, Douglas, Isle of Man IM1 3JX

Manage Cookie Preferences