Citizens of Change panel discussion - setting up a charity that supports refugees

Описание: As part of Breaking Barriers Refugee Week (03 to 10 March 2023), and following on from our 2022 Citizens of Change Panel Discussion (Journeys into Volunteering and Activism), this panel discussion moves on to explore the journeys of three amazing individuals who have gone on to set up their own charities to support people with refugee backgrounds.

They each share their stories of what prompted or inspired them to become involved in this area of work, and why they decided to take the extra step of setting up their own charities. They explore the practicalities of doing this, and some of the challenges encountered along the way. They delve into the differences between setting up a voluntary group and setting up a charity, in terms of practicalities and impact, and finish by offering tips for anyone who is keen to set up their own charity or voluntary group, or who wishes to get involved and support an existing organisation.

Kal Karim is Co-Founder and Trustee of The Karim Foundation, a Cambridge-based charity that aims to relieve poverty by providing food, help with domestic costs and emergency support for those in financial hardship. Kal is an Associate Professor in the School of Chemistry, University of Leicester and researches in the area of nanotechnology. He is the Chemistry Programme Director, Dalian Leicester International Institute and also specialises in employability and academic integrity. Born and raised in Cambridge, he is also a Community Governor at Chesterton Community College.

Alison Birch is the Founder of After18, a specialist charity supporting young refugees in Leicester. She has an undergraduate degree from UCL and over 20 years’ experience in working in the refugee sector in the UK and New Zealand. Prior to returning to Leicester in 2009 she held a range of posts working directly with young refugees and refugee families in East London including at The Maudsley Hospital, The Children’s Society and as part of Newham Council Refugee Education Team. In 2013 she worked with the founding trustees to develop After18 as a specialist resource addressing the gap in support for unaccompanied children once they turn 18.

Catherine Gladwell is Refugee Education UK’s founder and Chief Executive. REUK works across the country equipping refugee children and young people to build more hopeful futures through education. Each year they work alongside around 700 young people through their own education support and advice programmes, support several hundred schools, further education colleges and universities, conduct research and influence policy. Alongside her work at REUK, she is a director and research advisor for Jigsaw Consult, where she specialises in international refugee education. Catherine has a degree from Oxford University, a masters in Education in Emergencies from the University of London, and is an honorary fellow at the University of Winchester.

Chaired by Pascale Roussel and Aleks Palanac.

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