The UCF was established by Mrs. Elham Karimi, Mr. Sina Ghandehari and Dr. Saeed Ghandhari, in December 2023 in Auckland. Having worked for 11 years at the Parliament of Iran and nearly 6 years at the Ministry of Social Development in Auckland, Saeed has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by refugees and migrants. In 2011, he immigrated to New Zealand, pursued a Master of Professional Studies in International Relations and Human Rights at the University of Auckland, and subsequently worked as a case manager at the Ministry of Social Development in Auckland.

Over the past 13 years, his personal journey as a migrant has fueled his passion for helping others. He firmly believes in providing everyone with equal rights and opportunities, and in his previous roles, he financially assisted clients, including Māori, refugees and migrants. He says: “witnessing clients finding their way through life fills me with pride, knowing that I’m making a positive impact on someone’s life. This sense of empowerment resonates with the belief that those we help today may, in turn, support others tomorrow, creating a chain of positive change within the society.”

Recognizing the challenges of social inclusion, he conceived the idea of holding shared sports and recreational activities among Māori, refugees, migrants, and other local participants in Auckland. Since August 2024, he has been actively organizing various sports programmes through a Telegram group – Sport and Recreation, IR-UCF- which has 330 members in Auckland, and now, by establishment of UCF, he aspires to expand these initiatives throughout the region. It is noteworthy that he holds the position of a coach in Korean royal court traditional martial arts and self-defence, specifically in Kung Jung Mu Sul (KJMS), and proudly possesses a black belt, first dan. His significant contribution includes establishing this distinctive martial arts and self-defence style in New Zealand in August 2023. For further information, please visit http://www.NZKJMS.org. Additionally, he actively participates in a variety of sports, including volleyball, football, badminton, table tennis, basketball, swimming, hiking, among others.