Dr. Yusuf Ciftci is an experienced campaigner, researcher, and lived experience leader specialising in co-production and refugee involvement. With a PhD in International Relations and more than four years working in the charitable sector, Yusuf founded the Experts by Experience Employment C.I.C., creating equitable employment pathways for refugees and migrants to step into leadership roles.

Yusuf has contributed to major co-production and advocacy projects, including work with the National Health Advisors Group at Doctors of the World UK, promoting healthcare access for everyone regardless of immigration status. Currently, Yusuf is the Head of Refugee Involvement at the Refugee Council, leading the organisation’s transformation to centre lived experience in its strategy, governance, and delivery.

As a member of the Advisory Group, Yusuf brings expertise in meaningful engagement, leadership development, and equitable practice. His experience ensures that Insight to Action continues to elevate refugee and migrant voices, embedding lived experience as a driver of change across the sector.

Yusuf serves as Co-Chair at City of Sanctuary UK and Director of the Experts by Experience Employment Initiative, and has co-authored sector resources on equitable recruitment and refugee leadership. He is committed to building welcoming communities and re-shaping systems so that those most affected are at the centre of decision-making.

Sami is a strategy leader and systems thinker, with a strong track record of shaping cross-sector policy, governance, and organisational transformation. They currently hold a portfolio of non-executive roles, including Chair of the #iWill Movement, board member of the #iWill Fund (which has matched over £100M for youth social action), and advisory roles with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the National Youth Strategy, and with King’s College London on mental health prevention.

Sami has supported organisations like Safe Passage International, embedding anti-racism into strategy, and worked with New Philanthropy Capital on mapping Manchester’s open youth infrastructure. Their approach is data-literate, future-focused, and rooted in embedding lived experience into systems and structures of power.

At Insight to Action, Sami brings a commitment to centring marginalised voices in decision-making and challenging orthodox approaches. Their blend of governance experience, policy insight, and innovation expertise strengthens the programme’s ability to shape sector-wide change.

A Fellow of the RSA and member of the Institute of Directors, Sami is passionate about reimagining governance and infrastructure so that equity and lived experience sit at the heart of how organisations and policies are designed.

With an LLB (Hons) and an MSc in Criminal Justice, Aneel has built a career dedicated to equality, human rights, and advancing racial justice. Currently Deputy CEO of the West of Scotland Regional Equality Council, Aneel has more than a decade of experience working in Scotland’s charity sector, supporting minority ethnic communities, refugees, and people seeking asylum. Their career includes leadership roles at Central Scotland Regional Equality Council, the Scottish Refugee Council, and the West of Scotland Regional Equality Council, where Aneel has worked as Project Coordinator, Regional Integration Coordinator, Development Officer, and now Deputy CEO.

Since joining the Advisory Group in 2022, Aneel has brought deep expertise in outreach, partnership working, and anti-racism practice. Their experience ensures that Insight to Action is shaped by approaches that build bridges between communities, foster inclusion, and strengthen the sector’s response to inequality.

Aneel’s work reflects a strong belief in human rights and social justice, ensuring that the voices of underrepresented communities are heard in policy and service design. They are passionate about advancing anti-racism within the refugee and migration sector, and committed to building sustainable, collaborative approaches.

Maria is the Operational Lead and Executive Director of RAMA (Refugee, Asylum Seeker and Migrant Action), which has grown over the past nine years into a key organisation in the East of England, primarily Essex. Today, RAMA supports over 5,000 clients from 137 countries, with a team made up of 87% staff with lived experience — a foundation that shapes its advocacy, casework, and organisational direction.

Maria also contributes at a systems level as a member of the local ICB VCFSE steering committee and the EDI Community of Practice, where she champions equitable access to health and mental health services for migrants, seeing this as a vital marker of genuine inclusion.

Maria brings deep expertise in complex casework, navigating the intersection of human rights, public opinion, and the ongoing impacts of the hostile environment. She ensures that the voices and needs of migrants remain at the centre, advocating for safety, dignity, and belonging. Her leadership grounds Insight to Action in the realities faced by migrant communities, strengthening the programme’s ability to respond to emerging challenges.

As a migrant whose family has been directly impacted by racism and prejudice, Maria reflects: “It’s only through helping others feel welcome and safe here that I have come to feel I belong here.” This personal journey underpins her values of solidarity, equity, and justice.

Bridget is the Director of NACCOM, a national network of frontline organisations across the UK working to prevent homelessness and destitution among people seeking asylum, refugees, and other migrants. Since taking on the role in 2021, she has supported and strengthened a diverse membership of charities, community groups, and grassroots organisations responding to rapid shifts in the asylum and immigration system.

A Clore Social Leadership Fellow, Bridget brings a thoughtful, values-led approach to building collective capacity across the sector. Her leadership focuses on fostering connection, amplifying lived experience-informed practice, and helping organisations navigate increasing operational pressures while staying grounded in dignity and justice.

Bridget brings extensive sector-wide insight through her leadership at NACCOM, where she works closely with frontline organisations responding to destitution and homelessness among people seeking asylum, refugees, and migrants. Her understanding of the structural drivers of destitution, alongside her experience supporting a diverse national network, helps Insight to Action stay grounded in emerging challenges, regional realities, and the lived experiences shaping the sector. She strengthens the programme’s ability to remain practical, responsive, and firmly connected to the needs of organisations and the communities they support.

Bridget is known for her warmth, thoughtful leadership, and commitment to collective action, championing approaches that centre dignity, equity, and inclusion across the refugee and migration sector. She consistently works to elevate the voices and expertise of organisations led by, and closely connected to, people with lived experience of migration. Guided by a belief that real change is built through strong relationships, Bridget promotes collaboration, open learning, and sector-wide resilience as essential foundations for sustainable impact.

Barbara is the CEO of the East European Resource Centre, supporting Eastern European communities across the UK. An MBA graduate with extensive experience in public policy and the nonprofit sector, she combines strategic leadership, business planning, and programme development with a commitment to social justice. Barbara is driven by the power of social innovation to strengthen community support systems and improve outcomes for migrants facing inequality and systemic barriers.

Barbara brings expertise shaped by years of frontline engagement with migrant communities, combined with her strategic insight into policy and system change. Her experience in organisational leadership and capacity building strengthens Insight to Action’s efforts to interpret emerging sector trends, deepen understanding of community needs, and support organisations working at the intersections of poverty alleviation, rights, and empowerment. She provides grounded insight into the realities faced by Eastern European migrants, contributing to a more inclusive and representative evidence base.

Barbara’s work is rooted in her commitment to civil rights, economic empowerment, and the belief that strong, well-supported communities can lead change. She champions social innovation as a pathway to equity, using her leadership to amplify the voices and experiences of marginalised groups.

David is a practitioner with 24 years’ experience developing and managing projects for asylum seekers, refugees, migrants, and other marginalised groups across the voluntary and statutory sectors. Holding a Master’s in Community Practice, he combines strategic, operational, and policy expertise to shape practical and policy change that improves outcomes for vulnerable communities. David is committed to bridging gaps between communities and systems, ensuring services are responsive, humane, and grounded in collaboration, leadership, and sector-wide learning.

David brings a strategic, systems-level perspective shaped by years of frontline and policy experience. His insight into the realities faced by people navigating the asylum and migration system helps ground Insight to Action in the lived experiences of those most affected by exclusionary policies and practices.
His ability to connect operational challenges with broader structural issues strengthens the programme’s capacity to identify emerging trends, highlight inequities, and influence positive change across the sector.

David’s work is guided by a core belief: that people pushed to the margins should be treated with dignity, supported to raise their voice, and recognised as neighbours rather than strangers. He is driven by a commitment to everyday acts of solidarity, the small but powerful interventions that change how people see themselves and how they are seen by the communities around them.

Fouad is the Founder of Shift Up and Program Development Manager at Hackney CVS, specialising in youth participation and engagement. He leads programmes for young people from marginalised groups and provides training and consultancy to help organisations support youth leadership and meaningful decision-making. A Chevening Alumni with an MA in Power, Participation, and Social Change, Fouad combines lived experience and professional expertise to shape inclusive programmes, including for refugees and asylum seekers.

Fouad contributes grounded lived experience of the challenges faced by asylum seekers and refugees, offering both strategic insight and human perspective. His ability to communicate complex, often heavy themes with clarity, energy, and humility brings depth to Insight to Action’s work on participation and equity. Fouad helps strengthen the programme’s approach to centring underrepresented voices and ensuring that young people and refugees are recognised as leaders and agents of change.

Fouad’s work is driven by a vision of a world where every young person has the support, power, and platforms they need to make the change they want to see. He believes in shifting organisational culture and systems so that lived experience is valued, not tokenised, and so that those at the margins are treated with dignity and seen as neighbours, not outsiders.

Abdulrahman is a Lived Experience Leader and Involvement Officer at Breaking Barriers and a Safe Passage International consultant, focused on embedding refugee voices into charity sector decision-making. At Breaking Barriers, he leads the co-production and delivery of the Lived Experience Strategy, integrating refugee consultants into programme design, delivery, and governance while supporting staff with lived experience to feel valued, heard, and empowered.

At Safe Passage, Abdulrahman co-produces key strategies and policies, including the Lived Experience Manifesto and Compensation Policy, and contributes as a member of the Anti-Racism Committee, helping to embed ethical, inclusive, and accountable practices across the organisation.

Abdulrahman brings expertise in lived experience leadership, co-production, and inclusive systems to Insight to Action. His experience guiding organisations in embedding refugee voices and shifting power dynamics ensures the programme’s resources, surveys, and initiatives are grounded in practical, human-centred, and equitable approaches.

Abdulrahman believes meaningful inclusion requires more than representation: it demands structural change, shared power, and ongoing reflection. He is committed to strengthening the capacity of organisations to create equitable, inclusive, and accountable systems that place refugee voices at the centre.

Anna is the Programme Manager at Migration Exchange (MEX), a UK-based charitable programme dedicated to cultivating insight, collaboration, and collective action to improve the UK migration system. She brings expertise in stakeholder engagement, network-building, and communications, ensuring that the programme effectively bridges funders, charities, and communities to foster a fair and dignified migration system.

Anna brings a strategic and empathetic approach to Insight to Action, helping translate sector insight into practical, collaborative action. Her experience managing programmes and engaging multiple stakeholders ensures that surveys, resources, and initiatives are responsive, inclusive, and grounded in the realities faced by migrant communities.

Anna’s work is driven by a commitment to dignity, equity, and fairness. She is passionate about fostering collaboration across the sector and building systems that reflect the voices and experiences of people directly affected by migration policies.