Tim Finch (Chair)

Tim Finch is a writer and consultant and is coordinator of the National Refugee Welcome Board. He was director of Communications and head of migration at the leading centre-left think tank IPPR from 2008 to 2014, and before that Director of Communications at the Refugee Council and chair of Refugee Week. He was for many years a political journalist working for the BBC at Westminster. He is a trustee of Asylum Aid and sits on the advisory board of the Institute of Migration Research. His novel, on refugee theme, is called The House of Journalists and is published in the UK by Jonathan Cape. Follow Tim on twitter at @TimAAFinch.

Marina Lewycka

Marina Lewycka was born of Ukrainian parents in a German refugee camp after  World War II and now lives in Sheffield, Yorkshire. Her first novel, A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian was published in 2005. It was shortlisted for the Orange Prize and went on to sell a million copies in thirty five languages. She has since published Two Caravans in 2007 (Strawberry Fields in US), We Are All Made of Glue in 2009 and Various Pets Alive and Dead in 2012.

Denise Charlton

Denise has over 25 years’ experience in the field of equality, human rights and anti-discrimination and integration issues. She has represented the Immigrant Council of Ireland at local, national and international levels on social justice issues and has led on research projects – nationally and internationally – on immigration, integration, gender and migration, gender based violence, access to justice and human trafficking. She has led several European Commission projects and has overseen research projects specifically in these areas. Denise is the former Co-Chair of MarriagEquality, an initiative working for marriage rights for the LGBT community.

Donna Covey CBE

Donna spent her early career in the trades union movement, where she specialised in equality and diversity work. She then moved into the voluntary sector where she specialised in health advocacy, as director of the Association of Community Health Councils and the Chief Executive of Asthma UK. From 2007 – 2012 she was Chief executive of the Refugee Council, and was chair of Refugee Week when Counterpoints Arts was established. Donna was awarded the CBE for services to equality and human rights in the 2014 New Years Honours Lists.

Tim Catherall (Treasurer)

Tim CatherallTim is Finance and Operations Director at Crisis Action – a catalyst and coordinator for organisations working together to protect civilians from armed conflict. He qualified working for an Accountancy practice in 1991 before moving to the commercial sector. He gained experience in a variety of senior finance roles for The Stage Newspaper, Warthog plc and Siren Design Group Ltd. He also has experience in the Public sector having been Director of Finance at Wilton Park – a not for profit agency of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Alice Sachrajda – info to be added shortly

Reem Charif – info to be added shortly