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RETAS has a team of amazing people with various different skills, from various backgrounds and they all contribute to the incredible work that RETAS does. Without these people this work could not happen so we are so appreciative of their hard work. 

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Staff

Roger Nyantou
Chief Executive Director

As a Pharmacist, Community Researcher and leader I have a proven ability to manage and passion for bringing people and groups together, as I believe the refugees sector could be much stronger and more effective through stronger and more open partnerships.  Since arriving in the UK, I have worked in the public, private and voluntary sectors running projects related to aspects of refugee integration and through my day to day and volunteering activities I have developed a growing desire to see the huge potential of refugees and other migrants realised and recognised.

Sophia Naz Ulhaq
Learning Manager

​I believe in lifelong learning and the ability to change our lives through education and training. My vision for the future is to build robust education programmes that respond to a changing world and equip our learners with the skills and confidence to integrate and thrive in the UK. As Learning Manager,  helping learners gain the language confidence they need to achieve their personal and professional goals is at the heart of everything I do. My goal is to ensure a positive learning environment in line with the RETAS vision and each learners' aspirations.

Erica Graca
Receptionist and Administrator

As a Receptionist /Administrator my role includes giving a friendly welcome to people by introducing Retas' services, making them feel welcomed and comfortable and booking appointments accordingly to meet their needs. I execute my role with a genuine passion as I like to help people and strongly believe that there is more happiness by giving than receiving.

Hussam Dalil
Finance Officer

I am the finance officer here at RETAS which involves arranging the invoices and make the reports for many projects. Further to this, if any service user needs help with Microsoft office or with any finance related questions, I’ll be glad to help. In my free time I enjoy keeping fit and I regularly attend the gym. I also enjoy going to the cinema, travelling, learning languages and spending time with friends.

Fidelis Chebe
Operations and Development Manager/ Deputy CEO

Underpinned by lived experience of migration in the UK and my expertise in conflict, organisational development, leadership and change management, I am deeply passionate about people, equality and social justice. This is exemplified through advocacy and sustainable delivery of appropriate high quality services for refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants. I enjoy my job at RETAS working collaboratively with the CEO, staff team, volunteers and trustees to create a fulfilling work environment in which we are continually challenged to deliver and develop distinctively quality services and experiences for our clients whilst building a resiliently innovative organisation for the future. Each day brings a new challenge but with the new challenge comes a new hope. With a strong team at RETAS, I am committed in ensuring that the people we support have a positive experience and RETAS sustainably enables refugees recognise and realise their full potential. Outside RETAS, I enjoy spending time with my family which helps me stay sane and focused. I also undertake research & publication and social action oriented activities. 

Tesfalem Yemane
Selim Project Coordinator

Hello, my name is Tesfalem, and I work for RETAS as a Project Coordinator. Prior to this position, I worked as an employment and education adviser, where I was responsible for assisting refugees and asylum seekers with education, employment, housing, community networking, and other forms of social support. I am currently in charge of the Selim Project.
Named in honour of one of our community members who sadly died of COVID-19, the project is part of RETAS’s 'respond and adapt strategy’ in which we work to contribute towards awareness raising about COVID-19, disseminating public health messages, challenging misperceptions about COVID-19, and promoting vaccine uptake. Recently, I have also started coordinating the Welcome to Leeds Project (W2L). Under the W2L project, we work with migrants who are new to Leeds, and we try to help them discover and know Leeds, including the different services available

​Alice Tooley - Volunteer Coordinator 
​I am the Volunteer Coordinator responsible for the development of our volunteer talent management program supporting all projects across RETAS. Volunteers are integral to the services we provide so I support our volunteers to enjoy, learn and develop their roles. I feel privileged to meet so many passionate people in this role and am always amazed by the amount our volunteers give to RETAS & our services users. I love I love learning new languages- I can speak French and Spanish and I am now learning Arabic.

​Barbara Revington - ESOL Tutor
I have been teaching in the public and third sectors for over 10 years, but I particularly enjoy teaching migrants, and have been with RETAS for one year. I am looking forward to spending many more years at RETAS! I look forward to seeing you in our friendly organisation soon! 

Aneela Afzal - Employment & Education Adviser 
​Hi my name is Aneela Afzal I joined RETAS in late October 2018. I work currently two days a week. I have worked for over nine years within the private sector supporting people in to long term sustainable employment. My prime objective at RETAS is to work on the Syrian resettlement programme supporting people with employment related matters. So at the moment our team is working on devising and delivering employment skills workshops such as interview techniques, cv building workshops and a lot more. I and another colleague are also proactively building relationships with employers to source jobs for our clients. So if finding work is on the top of your agenda or something you are considering then please feel free to talk to me over a cup of tea!  I can offer a user friendly, client centred employment advice service.  

Fatima Mahmood - Education and Employment Adviser
​I joined RETAS as an Education and Employment Adviser in January of this year, after volunteering for the organization for 6 months. I completed my Masters degree in International Law from Brunel University in west London, and moved back to Yorkshire shortly after. I worked in the corporate and education sectors, before finally actualizing my true passion of working with one of the most vulnerable groups of people in society - refugees. I work full time on the 28-day transition project, which can be quite intense at times, but is always extremely rewarding.

Natasha Halsey - Employment and Education Adviser.
I work on the New Roots project. I work full-time but my time is split equally between the Engage and Aspire strands of the project, meaning that I support clients with issues ranging from finances, benefits, housing and health, to accessing employment and training opportunities. This is my first job within the sector and I have been with RETAS in a professional capacity since April 2019. Before that I was a volunteer both here and at other refugee support organisations such as Growing Points, The Refugee Council and LASSN. I enjoy working at RETAS because it is an atmosphere which allows me to learn and try new things all the time and challenge myself to develop my skills and knowledge regarding the experiences of refugees and migrants. I grew up in Lancaster but moved to Leeds in 2014 to study International Development and Spanish at University. ​

Najwa Alkibsi - ESOL Tutor/ Education & Employment Adviser
I work as a Syrian Resettlement Program Adviser at RETAS, and I also teach English Conversation classes. My journey began in RETAS as a volunteer in different positions such as mentor, interpreter, and receptionist. Those various positions aided me in honing my skills in preparation for my future career path. I love my work at RETAS because we assist, help, and welcome all migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.​ 
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Trustees

RETAS is overseen by a board of 8 trustees who actively seek to maintain transparent and high standards of governance set out by our Matrix award.

Robert Gosling
Hi, my name is Robert, and I have the honour of being the Chair of Trustees. I am very proud of the great work that we do to make all refugees and asylum seekers feel welcome, and the support we give to help them successfully integrate into society. In my spare time I am active in local politics, and an avid fan of Halifax RLFC, and Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

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Katherine Wyatt 
Hi, I’m Katherine and joined Trustees during the Pandemic, so I’m looking forward very much to meeting everyone and getting more involved as soon as things open up again.
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Originally a Social Worker in Bradford, I moved to Leeds 36 years ago and worked as a GP counsellor and then for various voluntary sector charities. I’ve always believed passionately in working towards a more welcoming and inclusive local and global community, and since retiring, have volunteered for LASSN, both as a Trustee, and in supporting asylum seekers through the Grace hosting project. I hope I can bring these experiences to Retas, in supporting the next stage of people’s journey towards feeling settled and more integrated in our local community. Retas is a wonderfully dynamic organisation, and I am excited about the opportunity to be part of the Team in its vital and inspiring work.

Other interests I have are singing, playing the cello and enjoying the Yorkshire countryside – walking and cycling.

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Matt Thornfield
​My name is Matt and I’m the treasurer of Retas. After working for 20 years in IT and then risk management in banking, I now run my own company teaching computer programming. I first became involved as a volunteer supporting asylum seekers around 3 years ago, mainly through friends who were already volunteering in various ways. Over this time I have learned a lot about the asylum process and the need for support for both refugees and asylum seekers. Having previously been a treasurer of another charity, when I heard that Retas was looking for a new treasurer I jumped at the chance to be involved. I find the work that Retas does, and the dedication and ethos of all the staff, volunteers and trustees, a really uplifting environment and a pleasure to be a part of.
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Rawand Ahmed
I joined RETAS in January 2021 because I believe in RETAS's values. I am a passionate individual, a striving Refugee living in the UK. I enjoy working with communities and my vision is to improve Migrants, Refugee, and Asylum Seeker's lives. I am passionate about mental health issues. I have a passion for social justice and I am experienced in supporting people in the integration/inclusion process to help communities live in peace and resilience. I hope to enhance my knowledge in the Migrant sector.

​Pippa Brook
I’m Pippa and my role on the Board is Secretary which means I get to do exciting things like taking minutes and preparing the agenda for meetings! I was a Learning Disabilities nurse working in the NHS and later in the voluntary sector. After I retired I started doing voluntary work which, in recent years has been with the Refugee Sector in Leeds. My passion for moving society towards being more welcoming to anyone who is at risk of exclusion, led me to RETAS. My other passions are craft work - beading, crochet and knitting; walking with my dog; and cooking and eating vegan food



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Liz Campbell
I have been involved with RETAS for many years in different roles. My great interests are education, community and diversity which is where my enthusiasm for RETAS fits in. When I became involved at RETAS as a volunteer I joined the drop-in advice sessions. I loved the problem solving approach brought by advisers to really complex immigration issues and the hope they gave to service users, and I often left at the end of the day feeling dizzy. I am now, as a trustee, able to use my expertise in organisational management, improvement planning, staff development and mentoring in the continued development of RETAS as a thriving service with a national reputation. But most of all I like to think outside the box, work with other people looking to new possibilities …..and enjoy myself listening to the wonderful music of Aziza Brahim a refugee from Algeria..

​Mike Baynham
Information to follow​