We are a tiny, remote team making a huge impact, thanks to the support of our network of volunteers—including our trustees.
The Management Team
Rachel Ellis, Chief Executive
Taking over from co-founder Paul, Rachel has worked in several European countries, both in managerial positions and on the ground in refugee camps. More recently, she has worked for a UK charity supporting Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children, facilitated the restructure of a Greek NGO and undertaken consultancy for a German peace organisation. Rachel has volunteered with us, managed our Twitter account and worked as our Operations Manager. A human rights and conflict prevention postgraduate, she is pursuing a PhD in Migration Studies, researching the potential of solidarity spaces on the Mediterranean border.
Paula Tamarit, Operations Director
Paula has been working with Refugee Support since 2019, after volunteering with us several times. She has over 20 years of experience as a consultant and auditor in the private sector, developing and improving systems and procedures in large companies. Paula is passionate about real social work and loves to be out in the field, answering needs and working with people. She is currently studying a Master’s in Migration and Social Intervention with Migrants and Displaced People.
Frederica Cerqueira, Admin and Operations Manager
Frederica first volunteered with us in 2016 in Alexandreia and has had different volunteer roles within the organisation, from managing our Instagram to being part of the volunteer interviewing team. She has worked in operations as a manager, both in the private and social impact sector. She is one of those people who love managing processes, supporting teams and optimising procedures. Frederica is enthusiastic about local impact and understanding the best ways to serve communities.
Natalie Holmes, Fundraising and Communications Manager
Natalie is a writer, editor and communications specialist with degrees in Social Anthropology and Environment and Development. Passionate about social and economic justice and refugee rights, she loves to tell stories that help people understand how much their contribution matters. She is a regular Refugee Support volunteer, starting back in 2017 and going on to coordinate our on-the-ground operations at Katsikas refugee camp in northern Greece. These days she still likes to emerge from behind her laptop from time to time, to help paint Dignity Centres.
Our Trustees
Andrew Tasker, Chair
A regular volunteer in our Dignity Centres since 2022, Andrew is a passionate believer in the importance of the dignity model in supporting those in need in a compassionate way. He has spent the last 18 years supporting nonprofits to build effective programmes in healthcare, science and education. He has been the Director of Business Affairs at the Champalimaud Foundation; the World Cancer Congress Regional Lead for Europe; and an advisor to charities and start-ups across the world.
Dina Nayeri, Advocate
Born during the Iranian revolution, Dina lived as a refugee for two years before being granted asylum in the United States. She is the author of the multi-award winning book, The Ungrateful Refugee, which was called by the Observer "a work of astonishing, insistent importance." Dina travelled to Greece to support our work in 2017 and 2018, and has been an advocate for Refugee Support ever since. She recently published another book, Who Gets Believed?, which explores the unspoken social codes that determine how we relate to one another, and why people seeking asylum get dismissed as liars.
Gulwali Passarlay, Advocate
Now an author, award-winning campaigner and co-founder of My Bright Kite, Gulwali was forced to leave Afghanistan as a 12-year-old boy and arrived in the UK in 2007, after a harrowing year-long journey. His bestselling book, The Lightless Sky details the struggle, danger and resilience of that journey. He has a Politics degree from the University of Manchester and a MPA from Coventry University, and is a well-respected public speaker and tireless political campaigner for refugee rights, social justice and education.
Bea Shrewsbury, Treasurer
With a long career helping SMEs to manage their finances and grow in a sustainable way, Bea was involved in the founding of Refugee Support, having volunteered with us back in 2016. Bea's mother arrived in the UK as an unaccompanied minor at eight years old, and this fact was a big part of who she is today. Bea is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), an appointment which represents her extensive experience and long-term commitment to professionalism and ethics.
Alison Behrens, Safeguarding and Volunteers
Passionate about research and its possibilities for improving quality of life and life chances, Alison has decades' of experience supporting organisations, government and businesses communicate better with their customers and users. She brings those transferrable skills to overseeing our volunteer relations and safeguarding, managing our volunteer interview team and ensuring our robust code of conduct and safeguarding policy is consistently implemented and iterated where relevant. Alison also provides invaluable support with our monitoring and evaluation programme.
