Who we are

BAX is a registered educational charity, based in the UK, and led by a team of volunteer Trustees and National Committee members. Its projects are supported by a wide variety of volunteer hosts across the UK and participating Arab countries, ranging from students to senior professionals, academics and community leaders. 

(For further information on how the first BAX exchange programmes started in 1973, see How Bax exchanges started.

Trustees

Professor Roger Spooner OBE MA PhD BVetMed MRCVS (Chairman)
Judi Conner MA Commander Michael Maddox OBE (Treasurer)
Peter Riddell BA ARCM (Secretary)
Peter Rundell PhD FSS
Imad Karam PhD
Judi Conner MA

National Committee

Rachel Aspden MA
Alison Baily BA
James Baynard-Smith MA
Laila Tannous Dawton
Ronnie Graham MA CPE
Jeroen Gunning PhD
Mary Anne Hatton MSc
James Mather
Omnia Marzouk MD FRCPCH FFAEM DCH
TLG Mullen BA
Kamran Naqui BA
Ella Saltmarshe MA
Penelope Turing

Changes of leadership

Founding Secretary of BAX, Bill Conner retired as Chair in June 1995 due to ill-health. Sir Richard Beaumont, former ambassador to several Arab countries, Chairman of the British-Arab Chamber of Commerce, and BAX National Committee member gave the vote of thanks. He said:

‘The Association has filled a gap in Britain’s relations with the Middle East in view of the reduction of scholarships offered by Britain. On a small scale, it has recreated a bridge that had been in danger of disappearing, allowing young British to gain a  knowledge of the Middle East.’

After Bill’s death in 1997, memorials were conducted in both London and Cairo, and a panel was created in the Egyptian Military Museum at El-Alamein in recognition of his contribution to Anglo-Egyptian relations.

Michael Maddox, former Naval Attaché to Egypt and current BAX Treasurer said of him: ‘He stood for truth, honesty and for eradicating prejudice, for developing understanding between individuals from all faiths or no faith, ordinary people as well as the ‘great and good’. He encouraged small acts of love – a letter, an invitation into one’s home, a word of encouragement, a smile of understanding, listening with an open mind.’

In January 1999, Peter Everington, who had succeeded Bill Conner as Chair, resigned from the Association, and Professor Roger Spooner, an animal-breeding researcher from Edinburgh was elected Chair, while Peter Riddell, who had already given longstanding support to BAX, became Secretary.