We are delighted to welcome Mark Goldring as the new Director of Asylum Welcome. Mark brings a wealth of NGO management experience to strengthen and develop our work. Joining Asylum Welcome Mark has come full circle from his first work with refugees from Bhutan in the 1980s, back now to work with refugees in Oxford.

Mark commented“I want to use what I’ve learnt leading and advising organisations to contribute to the well-being of some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Asylum Welcome has a powerful track record of doing just that and I look forward to working with volunteers and staff on this important work. I have worked on refugee issues across the world, as well as volunteering with individual asylum seekers in our local community. Having worked on a global stage, I now want to make a difference locally. I hope that my experience will help us improve the way we receive and support refugees and asylum seekers, both in Oxford and nationally.”

The trustee Board greatly appreciated all that Kate Smart had contributed to Asylum Welcome in her years as Director and were pleased to have a strong field of candidates from which to choose her successor. To make sure we included the all-important staff and volunteer perspectives, Almas Farzi, also known as Navid, and Pam Wright were on the selection panel.

Since holding senior roles in VSO, Mencap and Oxfam, Mark has been using his experience in advising small charities on their management and planning.

Currently most of Asylum Welcome’s face-to-face work by both staff and volunteers is suspended in favour of telephone advice and help through hardship payments. Mark will be phasing in his work with the Asylum Welcome team in the coming weeks, taking account of the current Coronavirus restrictions. We all look forward to getting back to normal working in support of asylum-seekers and refugees, under Mark’s leadership.

For further information please contact Marcus Thompson, as Chair of Trustees through the recruitment (trustee@asylum-welcome.org) or Mark Goldring (director@asylum-welcome.org).