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 or via Zoom), 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.
The Board of Trustees has been lucky enough to have had Ian Stewart at its helm for the last 13 years. Ian is retiring as Chair after 18 years with the SRS Board and we thank him for all of his hard work and dedication to serving refugees and asylum seekers in Suffolk.
Anyone interested in becoming a Trustee is invited to apply using the form below:
Our current trustees bring a wealth of experience from the private, public, voluntary and academic sectors:
Gerry Toplis (chair since July 2020) 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.
Dr Keith Faull (vice chair and treasurer) has worked in both social services and the NHS for many years as both a social worker and a family psychotherapist. He is particularly interested in the mental health of children and young people.
Maggie Barradell (secretary) has worked in community development in both the voluntary and political sectors. Having run a busy MP’s office, she is currently focusing on her artwork and renovating an old house.
Ian Stewart was chair of Suffolk Refugee Support from 2007 to June 2020. 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.
Greg Dodds has worked in housing for over 20 years in various capacities for both housing associations and local authorities and is currently Assistant Director of Development at Orwell Housing Association. He also currently volunteers with SRS.
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.
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.
Alan Blackshaw (honorary trustee) 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.
Beteja Grajqevci Dovao (honorary trustee)
Jenny Morcom Jnr (honorary trustee)