Perihan Bassatne
Chair
I have spent over 20 years working with women and children in order to understand the challenges faced by local communities and in particular families that have been displaced due to conflict. I’m so excited to see BB Energy Foundation grow and provide the necessary medical and educational support for those who need it most. I believe the Foundation will have a ripple effect not just on those who need it, but on everyone involved, from our partners to NGOs and to those who believe we can transform lives, one person, one community and one day at a time.
Perihan Bassatne is a philanthropic advisor whose work focuses on supporting medical and educational institutions and non-profits, specifically for women and children in conflict-affected areas.
After stepping down from her role as Chair of Right to Play’s UK board, Perihan has been working on establishing the BB Energy Foundation, concentrating on the wellbeing, health and education of women and children.
She has extensive experience with various Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and continues to serve as a Trustee at Right to Play and IMET2000. She is an active executive committee member of Give a Child a Brighter Future. She is also part of Women for Women’s Leadership Circle and a strong supporter of many other impactful charities, organisations and philanthropic endeavours. The latter included climbing Kilimanjaro in October 2023 to raise funds for three charities working with children in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Her passion for defending human rights, improving medical support and strengthening educational programmes means she travels extensively. This has included visiting families and schools in remote villages in Rwanda as well as hospitals and refugee camps in Lebanon.
Perihan is a passionate patron of the arts. She is a founding member and serves on the board of the Tate’s Middle East and North Africa Acquisitions Committee (MENAAC), where she helps cultivate and expand the museum’s MENA art collection.
Perihan was born in Saudi Arabia to a Syrian mother and Turkish father, with family ties in Egypt. She, and her two older brothers, lived in Beirut before settling in London in 1976 when the civil war broke out in Lebanon. She has since lived between London and Singapore with her husband and four children.
Her educational background is in Comparative Law focused on International Law and Legal Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
