Mark is the Founder and heart of BOWRA Foundation. He lives in Poole, Dorset and is happily married to wife Iona with two teenage children. Born in Windsor, Mark is an accomplished and highly successful rower, regarded as the engine room responsible for famously defeating Eton College at the Henley Head of the River Regatta. He studied sport science at Birmingham University, and it was whilst at University that he decided his future would be in the Royal Marines. After completing Officer training Mark went on to specialize as Mountain Leader before successful completion of UK Special Forces selection. At the pinnacle of his career, a highly respected and decorated senior commander, Mark suffered a severe stroke. Despite all challenges, his overriding passion is to help others suffering from brain injury and in 2019 he established his own charity which seeks to inspire the unrelenting pursuit of recovery. It is impossible to leave a conversation with Mark without a smile on your face, he is an inspiration to many and a force to be reckoned with! Everyone at BOWRA Foundation is wholly committed to delivering Mark’s mission.

Appointed as CEO in February 2024, Andrew brings strategic direction along with empathy and passion for the Foundation, leading BOWRA Foundation with strong purpose into the future. Before joining the BOWRA family, Andrew held a number of senior leadership and management roles, including a Senior Leadership role at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. He is currently a Non-Executive Director for the Port of Poole as well as managing his own Engineering and Management Consultancy. In his spare time Andrew is a regular harbour user, racing his dinghy at The Poole Yacht Club, where he takes an active role in the management of the club supporting day to day running and the future direction.

If Mark were Batman, then Stu would be Robin (bar the lycra!). The terrible twosome, you will always find Stu taking part in challenges with Mark. A Trustee at BOWRA Foundation since 2020, Stu lives in Poole, Dorset with his wife Sarah. They have two grown up children. Stu was raised in Abingdon, Oxfordshire and was a student at the John Mason School. After joining the Royal Marines, he went on to become a proud 29 year veteran, spending his early career as a Mountain Leader before completing UK Special Forces Selection, serving alongside Mark Bowra in the Special Boat Service. He continues to enjoy many of the physical pursuits of his former career including hill walking, skiing and canoeing; although his favourite pastime remains a childhood passion for angling. Stu quotes the charity’s founder Mark Bowra as ‘a truly inspirational leader, who possesses an unrelenting desire to defy adversity and a selfless determination to help others’. A cheeky chap with a passion for life, Stu is part of the foundation of the charity.

As our Financial Trustee at BOWRA Foundation, Cheryl is our numbers lady, but by day Cheryl is one of the owners and a Director of England & Company and is responsible for the day-to-day management and strategic development. Impressive, we know! With over 30 years of experience as a practising accountant, Cheryl recently became involved in career transition and mentoring programs, which she has told us are her joy and pleasure, as she gets as much from them as she gives. Cheryl joined BOWRA Foundation after being inspired by Mark, and oversees both the day-to-day finances and the strategic financial forecasting of the charity. The work BOWRA Foundation does sits close to Cheryl’s heart as she also has a family member who suffers a neurological disorder. An absolute fireball of energy and focus, Cheryl is a treasured member of our Trustee board and we thoroughly enjoying having her on our side (the alternative is terrifying!).

Although Lauren has no strong familial ties to the military, it has always been a fascination, and she had a desire to support BOWRA Foundation when the opportunity arose. Through her local connections, Lauren was introduced to the Chairman, and is now BOWRA's Legal Trustee. Lauren grew up in Hertfordshire on the outskirts of London but has been living very happily in Poole for over 15 years (and has grown very attached to the New Forest). After working at various large city law firms, Lauren qualified as a solicitor with Ellis Jones. Lauren now heads the firm’s litigation team and specialises in disputes concerning wills, inheritance and trust funds. Away from work, Lauren has made the most of relocating to the beautiful Dorset coast by learning the delicate art of not spilling a G&T whilst driving a powerboat and more recently having a go at sailing. Lauren has great energy and we love having her on the BOWRA Trustee Board!

Born in 1969, he grew up in Worcestershire before joining the Royal Marines in 1987. After passing out from training, Steve served in 45 Commando RM before heading south for SBS Selection, or to become a Swimmer Canoeist as it was back then, in 1992. During a fulfilling career, spanning 25 years, he served alongside Mark both under water and on the battlefield. Now a performance coach and consultant specialising in psychological resilience and trauma management, Steve is helping people perform under pressure. Over the past 10 years, he has continued to work with many individuals and organisations that choose to work in challenging, potentially traumatic environments including the emergency services, NHS and international rescue teams. During that time, he has also been part of a team of facilitators delivering non-clinical support to wounded injured and sick (WIS) with the charity Help for Heroes. Steve keeps fit by running, cycling and occasionally swimming and also enjoys long walks with the family and telemark skiing. He still enjoys a good challenge and has competed in Ironman triathlons as well as running The Marathon des Sables, often described as the toughest footrace on earth, raising funds and support. During the tougher days of that race, not for the first or last time, Steve looked to ‘Mark’ for inspiration and encouragement when climbing some of the larger, more demanding sand dunes!

Helen is a Specialist Neurological Physiotherapist who trained at Guys Hospital in London. She has over 25 years of experience and has extensive clinical expertise. She is passionate about improving patients outcomes and is actively involved in education and research. Having spent her early years working in the NHS, Helen held post graduate clinical and training roles both at Kings College Hospital London Neuroscience centre and Southampton University Hospitals Trust. In 2005 Helen co-founded Hobbs rehabilitation, which provides specialist Interdisciplinary rehabilitation across the South of England, priding itself in the delivery of excellence to deliver the best outcomes for their patients. As well as these amazing achievements, Helen is also the Founder of the MiNT academy a research and clinical educational platform to embed the use of technology into clinical practise. Helen lives in Hampshire with her husband Christopher, their six children, two dogs and too many chickens! She loves nature and the outdoors, enjoys playing netball and tennis and would like to have time for more fishing!

Sam is BOWRA Foundations Operations Coordinator, the ever eager admin support / professional nag for the BOWRA Team! Sam moved to Poole from Basingstoke and soon after started her family. Trading roundabouts for beaches, she loves where she lives and spends most of her time outdoors. Having worked in insurance and leasing for around 10 years, she decided to move away from Basingstoke and the leasing industry on a whim, craving something more fulfilling. Experiencing her first taste of being part of something meaningful in 2015 at the RNLI, Sam had found her passion. In Summer 2022, the Operations Coordinator role at BOWRA Foundation became available and Sam jumped at the chance to apply. Working at ground level, being part of something relatively new and really feeling she can make a difference, Sam loves the role and states that every day is a school day! Outside of work she enjoys bootcamps, playing football and netball, camping and spending time with her two children, mostly lego building or undergoing ‘makeovers’!

Frank relocated from the Middle East (UAE) in 2021 with his wife and youngest of three daughters, to settle in Wimborne, Dorset, taking on the Veteran Activities Coordinator in 2022. Born in 1961 and one of four siblings, Franks early years involved travelling and living abroad as his father pursued his career in the British Army. Military life was in Franks blood and so, in 1977 he passed out as a Royal Marine and went on to serve in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War and then pass selection for the UK Special Forces (Special Boat Service), where he served for most of his military career. On completion of his UK military service in 2001, Frank moved to Abu Dhabi to provide training and quality control for the UAE military. Most of his free time in the Middle East was occupied by flying his paramotor over the desert, playing his guitar or reading a good book by the pool. Soon after arriving in the UK, Frank was introduced to Mark at a veteran’s gathering. Immediately inspired by Mark’s amazing journey and his continued efforts to help others, Frank became a member of the BOWRA Foundation, where he is committed to helping veterans reconnect and rekindle their comradeship and esprit de corps, via various activities. Frank is a true gentleman and an asset to BOWRA Foundation (he also moonlights as a very convincing Elvis Presley impersonator!)

David is the BOWRA Foundation Welfare & Engagement Coordinator. He lives in Poole and is married to Liz, with a daughter, two sons, five grandchildren and a waning interest in DIY. He enjoys field sports, technology and photography. David has had a long yet diverse military career, serving 26 years in the Royal Marines delivering logistics capabilities to Commando and Special Forces Units, followed by 12 years in the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Medical Support Staff Officer. On leaving service David moved into the healthcare sector as a senior manager delivering services across Dorset for Dorset Healthcare NHS Trust and Dorset County Hospital. Technology has been a constant theme throughout his life, and works as a self-employed web designer and business consultant, improving business working practices, technology, and information management. David currently volunteers for the Royal Marines Association (RMA) as a Royal Marine Support Volunteer he is also the Chairman of the Poole Branch of the RMA and the Chairman of the Broadstone Branch of the Royal British Legion and the Founder of the Dorset Forces Charities Network. David's experience, knowledge and compassion has made him integral to the ongoing support of our BOWRA Buddies, and his ability to introduce us to new and shiny IT tools and apps keeps a smile on our faces!