Our trustees are responsible for the governance of Suffolk Refugee Support. They are committed to ensuring that asylum seekers and refugees in Suffolk are given the best opportunities, and that more generally our government and community have a generous and open-minded attitude to refugees.
Trustees meet once a month (the second Thursday, 6.30 – 8.30 in Ipswich town centre), and we encourage them to join one of the sub-committees (which also meet once a month). Many of our current trustee body work full-time in their own careers, and sub-committee meetings are organised around their availability.
We look for our trustees collectively to have experience in all the fields that are important to SRS’s management. But do not be put off from enquiring even if you do not have specific experience. If you would like to consider being a trustee, please contact Ellie, our Volunteer Recruitment Officer (volunteer@suffolkrefugee.org.uk), for more details. We are currently looking in particular for people with legal, HR, IT or finance expertise.
Our current trustees bring a wealth of experience from the private, public, voluntary and academic sectors:
Ian Stewart has been chair of Suffolk Refugee Support since 2008. Previously he worked in Social Services and the NHS. He chaired a community project in Islington and is former chair and current attendee of Suffolk Healthwatch BME group.
Nick Feldman (vice-chair and treasurer) spent his career in the insurance industry. He volunteers at the drop-in advice service and is involved in other charities in Suffolk.
Kate O’Driscoll (secretary) worked at SRS and in other voluntary sector roles. She has been an MEP’s Parliamentary Researcher and is now a Policy Officer at the East of England Local Government Association.
Alan Blackshaw spent most of his career in social work education. He was a founder trustee of SRS in 2000, and has been treasurer and chair of the Human Resources sub-committee.
Lucy Kerry has worked in the telecoms industry and is now a freelance business consultant. She volunteers for SRS with resettled Syrian families.
Dr Pauline Lane is an academic working with minority and excluded communities. She used to run a national organisation for refugees and sits on national and international advisory committees.
Marian Lanyon worked as a nurse and volunteered extensively in the criminal justice system. She currently volunteers at the International Women’s Group and at Doctors of the World’s Bethnal Green clinic.
Gerry Toplis has worked in social services as a social worker, commissioner and senior manager. He also worked for the NHS across the east of England, focusing on mental health and learning disability issues.
Danielle Waller works within the NGO sector on large scale programme design, service delivery and grant management initiatives. She specialises in youth-led development and participatory programming at community level.
Maggie Barradell has always worked within the community development arena in either the voluntary or political sectors. She currently runs a busy MP’s office, and any spare time is spent painting or renovating an old house.
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