about us > key people

Chief Executive

Sandy Buchan has worked with refugees since 1979, and has worked in both case work and community development. He helped to found the Refugee Arrivals Project, and was Chief Executive from 1987 to 1992. During this period, he also worked with others to start the Detention Advice Service. He was asked by the Refugee Council to set up the Bosnia Project in 1992-93. He has been Chief Executive of Refugee Action since 1993.

Trustees

Julia Meiklejohn (Chair) was an economist in Canada before coming to the UK and working as Deputy Co-ordinator of Save the Children Fund’s Vietnamese settlement programme in 1979. One of the founders of Refugee Action, she was its first Finance and Administration Director and became Director in 1982. She later moved to Devon setting up a publishing company, working as Finance Director for Beaford Arts and then as Head Teacher at a secondary school. She is now retired.

Susan Cueva (Acting Chair) has more than 20 years’ experience of community development, over five of which gained at Refugee Action in the early 90s, and is a refugee herself. She went on to work at the International Transport Workers’ Federation in the Philippines for five years, managing support for transport workers and supporting several community organisations involved in human and workers’ rights. Today she is International Development Officer at UNISON.

Minoo Jalali trained as a lawyer in Iran and was a member of the Bar Association who expressed concern about the violation of human rights in Iran. She was amongst 35 lawyers illegally banned from the Bar. She is a refugee, having arrived in the UK in 1983. She was a founder member of the Refugee Women's Legal Group.

Colin Hodgetts was Director of Christian Action in the early 70s and ran Save the Children Fund's Vietnamese settlement programme in 1979. One of the founders of Refugee Action, he was Director for 18 months and has been a Trustee since 1993. He went on to become Head Teacher of a primary school, work as a consultant with Human Scale and set up Third Sector Schools Alliance. He has been a freelance composer since 2001 and is a retired Vicar.

Chris Randall has 18 years experience as a solicitor specialising in immigration law, mainly with Winstanley-Burgess Solicitors where he was a partner and currently with Bates Wells Braithwaite Solicitors as a solicitor. He was recently expert advisor to the Parliamentary Committee on the Immigration Appellate system and has been an elected member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association for the last decade.

Jeremy Lester (Trustee Treasurer), is particularly interested in restorative justice and civil society. He is currently Head of Unit responsible for the Horn of Africa, East Africa, and the Indian Ocean in the Directorate General of the European Commission which deals with development and ACP relations. He has lived in Africa and Beligum since 1973 with postings to various countries. In Rwanda and Niger he was Head of Delegation for the European Commission. He has spent time working with countries in conflict and managing post-conflict issues and is a trustee of Oxfam (Belgium).

Andy Gregg is currently Chief Executive of Lasa (London Advice Services Alliance) and has 15 years experience providing strategic leadership and innovation at a senior executive level. He was previously Director of RETAS (Refugee Education and Training Advisory Service) and of Islington Voluntary Action Council. He has a comprehensive understanding of human rights and issues facing refugees, asylum seekers and those suffering from ethnic or sectarian violence.