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About us

We support small and grassroots refugee charities by staying close, understanding their needs and backing our trust with flexible funding.

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Our vision

A world where every refugee finds safety, belonging and the chance to flourish.

Our mission

To support small and grassroots refugee charities by staying close, understanding their needs and backing our trust with flexible funding.

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Our values

ForRefugees stands apart because of our deep commitment to grassroots action, collaboration and transparency. We don’t impose solutions from afar, we listen to refugee communities, and our frontline partners, and respond to the needs on the ground. By working closely with those delivering aid we ensure every donation makes a meaningful difference.

Transparency

We openly share where donations go and the impact they make. With minimal overheads, more than 95% of funds go directly to those in need.

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Accountability

We stay closely connected to refugee communities, and our partners supporting them, ensuring every grant delivers effective, impactful projects.

Community-Led Action

Our partners lead the way because they understand the most urgent needs. We provide flexible funding that enables them to act fast.

Impact

We cut through bureaucracy to get help where it’s needed - whether food, shelter, legal aid, transport, or more - so refugees receive support without delay.

"Project Play wouldn't exist without forRefugees. We are so thankful and know that without them 1000's of hours of joyous, impactful play wouldn't have been brought to displaced children in northern France."

Rachel, Project Play

Meet our amazing team

Every one of us has a personal connection to the cause and brings something unique to forRefugees - skills, experience and plenty of heart. Most importantly, we share one passion: standing alongside refugees and helping them not just survive, but truly thrive.

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Amber Ritson

Founder & CEO

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Fatima Naqvi

Newsletter Editor

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Mane Sevilla

Policy & Campaigns Officer (Intern)

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Catherine Moss

Briefing and Research Officer

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Charmine Sesay

Graphic Designer

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Mary Golden

Briefing and Research Officer

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Shravya Marakini

Newsletter Editor

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Frankie Bartram

Advocacy & Campaigns Adviser

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Paddy Smith-Bramley

Partner Liaison

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Ayisha Khan

Graphic Designer

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Molly Mulhaire

Newsletter Editor

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Meet our Trustees

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Rachel Strudwick

Chair of Trustees

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Nobel Awasom

Deputy Chair

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Nima Moradi

Treasurer

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Alex Broniewski

Trustee Communications

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Ingrid van Loo

Trustee

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Hana Meer

Trustee

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Chris McQuillan

Trustee

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Merel Graeve

Trustee

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"forRefugees have supported us through our most challenging periods. They are constantly joining partner organisaitons on the ground and regularly visiting sites and volunteering their time to fully understand each project they support and the impact it has on the community they serve."

Soline, Collective Aid

Annual reports

Read all our annual reports on the Charity Commission website. 

Read our reports

Rachel Strudwick

Chair of Trustees

 

Rachel is an operations manager working in the UK charity sector. She spent four years supporting refugees and asylum seekers in Greece - first running a food distribution project in camps near Athens, and later working with a legal aid organisation in Thessaloniki. Rachel first connected with forRefugees in 2020 when Amber volunteered at the project she was managing. Since returning to the UK she has remained closely involved with the charity and joined the board of trustees in March 2025.

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Nobel Awasom

Deputy Chair

 

Nobel is the Trustee and Owner of Nobelfit, bringing entrepreneurial vision to the health and wellness sector. From Cameroon he's an MBA student at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus, specializing in Energy, Natural Gas, and Oil, with a BSc in Petroleum Engineering, Nobel also serves as Membership Chair of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). Passionate about innovation and sustainable growth, he blends technical expertise with business leadership.

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Laura Darwish

Treasurer

 

Laura is an experienced ACCA-qualified Accountant currently working as a Finance Business Partner in the NHS. Moved by the 2015 refugee crisis, Laura began volunteering in Calais, Greece, and London. In 2023, she joined forRefugees as Treasurer where her financial expertise helps drive the charity’s mission forward.

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Alex Broniewski

Trustee Communications

 

Alex is a social media strategist and paid ads manager with experience working with a range of non profits. She joined forRefugees in January 2025 as Communications Trustee to support our marketing activities and promote our kindness-first approach.

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Nima Moradi

Trustee

 

Nima is training to be a nurse and works part-time in dementia care. He has lived experience as a refugee who fled political persecution in Iran. After many years in Greece, he continued his journey and settled in the UK. His connection to forRefugees began through volunteering on Samos, and he became a trustee in 2022, bringing his personal insights to support others on their journeys.

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Ingrid van Loo

Trustee

 

Ingrid is a retired General Practitioner. Originally from the Netherlands, Ingrid has lived in the UK for 30 years. Her commitment to helping refugees started in 2015, when she began hosting in her home. She joined forRefugees as a trustee in 2021 and frequently joins their self-funded trips to support grassroots partners across Europe.

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Hana Meer

Trustee

 

Hana is a committed young volunteer with experience in fundraising and hosting charity events. She joined forRefugees as a trustee in 2025 and is passionate about engaging young people with the refugee cause, raising awareness and encouraging them to play an active role in supporting displaced communities.

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Chris McQuillan

Trustee

 

Chris is a contracts and procurement manager with a history working with non-profit organisations. His family’s personal history of displacement during WWII inspired his commitment to humanitarian causes. Chris joined forRefugees as a trustee in 2024 after getting involved with the charity during his journey walking the British coastline with his dog, Moose.

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Merel Graeve

Trustee

 

Merel now works in the film and TV industry, splitting her time between London and the Netherlands. She began volunteering with refugees in 2015 in Moria Camp, Lesvos, and later ran a community center for refugees in Greece. Merel joined forRefugees as a trustee in 2023 and continues to advocate for refugee solidarity, especially through her story-telling work.

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