The community behind the robots: our UK Key Volunteers

Running a robotics team is about more than building a robot. At FIRST UK, our ethos is the same. It’s about giving young people the space to problem-solve, collaborate and discover what they’re capable of. STEM is the tool, curiosity is the fuel, and confidence and creativity are just some of the outcomes. 

Community is at the heart of what we do – the energy and generosity of our volunteers, Champion Organisations, teams, mentors, alumni and partners make our programme thrive. 

To strengthen our community and make a lasting impact on young people’s STEM journeys, we’ve established our UK Key Volunteers. They bring almost a century of combined FIRST experience, and countless hours supporting STEM programmes across the UK. 

Building a community that empowers young people

Our UK Key Volunteers are a small group of experienced Game Changers. Their combined experience, perspective and guidance help us ensure every young person has the tools to succeed in STEM. You’ll find them taking on leadership roles at events, as well as training other volunteers. 

Each brings their unique energy, personality and expertise to the community. They are: Muktar Ali, Emma Swan, Andy Batey, Bruce Wilson, Mackensie Kim, Keanu Czirjak, Craig Hamilton, Neve Chambers, Ricardo Delfin, Aaron Stevens, Alicen Van Klompenburg and Tom Green. 

While their event roles differ, it’s supporting our young people that brings them together – when confidence is built, ideas take shape and learning goes beyond the robot.

Guiding young people to thrive

Emma joined us in 2023 and jumped straight in as a referee. Now, she arrives at events with a notebook of observations to guide tricky calls and loves seeing teams grow in skill and confidence.

“Being able to support young people learn great skills is a privilege. FIRST UK is giving young people the confidence in themselves to think big and do things they never thought they could.”

Emma Swan, Assistant Project Manager at Thales

Alicen, a US FIRST alum, has 23 years of FIRST experience, and loves how the programme stretches both young people and volunteers – helping everyone involved develop communication, leadership and collaboration skills alongside technical ones.

Muktar, who co-founded FIRST UK in 2018, continues to provide strategic guidance and support as an advisor, alongside being a Key Volunteer. His generosity and leadership have been key in growing and sustaining the volunteer community, including hosting the Key Volunteer training earlier this year. 

Bringing energy and excitement to every event

Keanu competed in the very first season of FIRST Tech Challenge in the UK. Since then, he’s gone on to work at Arm, one of our industry partners, thanks to the interactions he had with them during the programme. As a Game Announcer, Keanu brings energy and excitement, making school halls feel like the grandstands of a major sporting final.

Tom joined us helping teams get their robots ready when something wasn’t going to plan – from loose connections to unresponsive systems. Calm under pressure, he solves problems and shares knowledge to help young people succeed.

Andy, our 2024 Volunteer of the Year, sees the growth in resilience and teamwork as teams learn from setbacks.

“FIRST UK is More Than Robots because they show young people that failing is an opportunity to learn how to do even better next time. They learn that a team is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Andy Batey, Computer Officer at University of Cambridge

Bruce loves witnessing young people step out of their shells, while Neve enjoys seeing groups who wouldn’t normally spend time together grow into cohesive, high-fiving teams that celebrate all the small wins.

Navigating challenges and solving problems

Ricardo loves seeing how running a robotics team teaches young people planning, leadership, communication and problem-solving – lessons that last a lifetime. 

“I had the unique opportunity to get involved in robotics from a very formative age. It opened so many doors for me and without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today in my professional career. I volunteer to give back to the programme that gave me so much.”

Ricardo Delfin, Staff Robotics Software Engineer at Humanoid

Mackensie, a UK alum, is motivated by seeing young people enjoy the challenge as much as she did. She delights in watching teamwork and collaboration come to life.

Craig, our 2025 Volunteer of the Year, has served as both referee and Game Announcer, combining clear decision-making with infectious enthusiasm. He brings steady leadership, helping young people and volunteers feel confident and supported.

Sharing experiences to build More Than Robots

Our volunteers are the heartbeat of the challenge. They bring experience, passion and energy to strengthen our community, empower young people and ensure the programme lives its ethos of More Than Robots.

A huge thank you goes to our UK Key Volunteers – you bring the challenge to life.

Want to join our amazing community? Inspire a generation and volunteer with us!