Supporting Voluntary Action
Baher joined Voscur in 2022, job sharing the Partnership Development Officer role for the Bristol Refugee and Asylum Seeker Partnership (BRASP). In addition to being a refugee, Baher has volunteered for many refugee support organisations in the UK and other countries. He is regularly involved in human rights activism, and volunteers as an English tutor for asylum seekers and refugees.
Baher is currently a first year Politics and International Relations student at the University of Bristol, and an active member in the Student Action For Refugees Society.
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Spencer previously worked for two NHS Trusts in Bristol, and currently volunteers as the Chair of Trans Pride South West, a local community-based pride festival.
Spencer has a degree in Music and in his spare time he enjoys singing and learning instruments. He also has a rapidly growing collection of house plants to care for.
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Tom coordinates Voscur's communications, policy development and research.
Outside of work, Tom is a playwright and poet who has had his work featured on BBC iPlayer and delivered a TEDx Talk on Mental Health. He is an Open Sessions Writer at Bristol Old Vic and a Community Reporter for Bristol 24/7. Tom is represented in his creative practice by Rising Arts Agency.
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Dionne joined Voscur in July 2022 as Skills Project Manager. Dionne previously worked at Islington Council coordinating employability training and job brokerage for residents and employers. Dionne gained a PG Cert in Public Service Management and moved to Bristol delivering training at Julian House, and later running Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s music department.
Dionne set-up Sing With Soul in 2015 and in 2019 produced and toured her one-woman musical, DAWTA. In 2021 Dionne completed an MA in Music Production at BIMM, with a focus on composition as a cultural practice. Dionne loves 1970’s vintage household items.
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Sarah joined Voscur in 2022 and has a background spanning higher education, youth services, arts and heritage, as an employee and consultant – with most of her roles to date having had a volunteer management component. Before joining VOSCUR she worked for a youth homelessness charity managing mentoring projects, contributing to funding bids and sharing learning, and service user voice, beyond the organisation.
Outside of work Sarah enjoys gardening, yoga, wild swimming in all weathers and taking care of a naughty border terrier.
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Mark joined Voscur in 2010. He leads Voscur’s strategic engagement, business development, and programme delivery. His work with commissioners to help processes include community organisations so that they can win and deliver public service contracts. He also leads Voscur’s collaboration support to help VCSE organisations work together in partnerships and consortia. This includes advice and facilitated sessions, and responding to opportunities.
Mark has worked in the public and voluntary sectors for 25 years, as an employee, trustee, volunteer and consultant. Areas of expertise are commissioning/procurement, partnership development and strategic planning.
Before joining Voscur, Mark worked in homelessness at Bristol City Council and as a consultant to the VCSE sector.
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Heather is job-sharing the Partnership Development Officer role working for the Bristol Refugee and Asylum Seeker Partnership (BRASP), alongside Baher Al Abd.
Heather has many years’ experience of working and volunteering in the refugee and asylum seeker support sector. She also worked for several years in South Sudan for a social justice organisation supporting civil society coalitions and activists. She also managed a project collecting traditional folk tales to make radio and street theatre as a peacebuilding endeavour.
In her spare time she can be found listening for stories in the woods.
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Rebecca joined the Voscur team in September 2022, having spent the past seven years managing a school within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Bristol, where she also led on equality, diversity and inclusion. Rebecca has run two voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations during her career: the first of these delivered frontline services for refugees and asylum seekers, the second provided support and development for the VCSE sector.
As a volunteer, Rebecca has spent time in Tanzania and Ghana, and more recently as a school governor and a community interest group board member.
In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys making use of Bristol’s green spaces with her two small children. Her favourite hobby is walking – ideally around Bristol harbourside – while listening to a good audio book.
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Dani has worked in the voluntary sector since 2019 and joined Voscur in 2022. She provides assistance and administrative support to Voscur’s Executive Management and supports the development and implementation of systems and processes.
In her spare time, Dani enjoys walking (ideally with a dog), cross-stitch, and cooking.
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Tom started working with Voscur in April 2019. He is responsible for the smooth running and maintenance of Voscur’s data and ICT systems, and helping the Voscur team with technical, admin and development support around technology and business systems.
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Alice is responsible for the development and management of systems and processes to ensure the smooth running of Voscur’s core operations and internal support services.
She has worked at several local charities both as an employee and as a volunteer, and joined the Voscur team in 2022.
In her spare time, Alice enjoys music, spoiling her cats, and trying to keep her house plants alive.
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Janine spent over 12 years working in Adult and Community Learning for Essex, North Somerset and Bristol City Councils followed by 10 years in the VCSE sector managing volunteering for several different community organisations. She is currently a volunteer Director at Weston Artspace CIC, helping to develop a new community art and cultural space in Weston-super-Mare.
Outside of work, Janine enjoys strength training at the gym, creating her own digital art and travelling around the UK in her campervan.
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Namiko joined Voscur in December 2020. Namiko has volunteered and worked in the charity sector for a few years as treasurer, finance administrator and account support.
Namiko enjoys working in the allotment on weekends especially weeding and watering. Namiko also likes going anywhere she can see nice views.
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Rachel has a background in education, having trained as a teacher before spending four years coordinating a community learning project in Lockleaze. She has worked with several small charities and community organisations in Bristol, combining a passion for community development, operations, communication, and creativity. She has experience of planning large events and managing volunteers, having coordinated a city-wide social action weekend for up to 1000 volunteers for five years.
Rachel loves to connect with different people and regularly shares her time and skills within her local community.
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Jenny supports Bristol organisations with their income generation and development by providing one-to-one help, training and events on fundraising strategy, skills and information.
She’s also a professional fundraiser, consultant and trainer, working with a wide variety of clients to raise funds and increase their capacity to fundraise.
In a previous life, Jenny managed grant funds for several local and national Trusts, so she’s experienced the grant funding world from both sides. She’s Treasurer of two small charities, and a volunteer book seller at a local Social Enterprise, Clevedon Community Bookshop, a role that combines several of her favourite things: reading, writing and chatting to interesting people.
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