About Us > Who We Are > Leadership / Matrons & Patrons / Volunteers / Policies & Procedures

Rachel was born in Manchester but grew up in London and has since lived all over the country, and in Australia. She is now back in Manchester, where she is a freelance journalist. She graduated from Univeristy of Central Lancashire with a BA in Journalism and has an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University. She is a member of the National Union of Journalists. She uses her media, creative and research skills to help RAPAR make a difference to the lives of refugees and asylum seekers, who are among the most vulnerable and attacked people in this country, and are people, entitled to respect and support.

Born in London, Shaista has A-levels in English Literature, Law and Psychology. She is an LLB (Honours) Graduand from the University of East London. She came across RAPAR in July 2007 and used her knowledge and skills to help and to work, through RAPAR, alongside displaced people.  She is currently preparing to study for a Masters in Law (LLM).

Mohamed was born in Iraq 1985. He is single and homeless. He came to the UK in November 2007. He was a university student back home studying broadcasting and journalism and worked in TV for 4 years. He hopes to become a perfect English speaker and to go into higher education. He is currently on an access into media course at Bury College. He misses the sunshine. In the UK almost every day - raining. He really doesn't understand the way the Home Office is actioning the asylum process. It is shocking. He is volunteering with RAPAR in order to help himself and others; to make friends and to acquire experience.

Born and bred in Manchester, Jonny completed a BA Hons in Politics and American Studies at the University of Nottingham in 2009.  Since March 2010 he has been travelling through Latin America, but recently returned to Manchester. His aim is to use what skills he has picked up to help RAPAR with its continued commitment to the rights and freedoms of refugees and asylum seekers in Britain.

Sophie was born in Manchester and spent the best part of her early twenties trying to escape it. She lived and worked in Australia for a year and then spent a few more years than she should've travelling and exploring the world. She then studied for an MA in Development Studies and went to work with slum communities in India on policy design and implementation.

Sophie has now returned to Manchester and is studying for a Social Work MA. She is committed to working towards the protection of human rights and in particular the right to asylum.

She enjoys meeting people from different countries and getting lost in conversation (preferably whilst eating lovely food).

Moises Bento Chipema is from Angola but now lives in Manchester. He has been a member and volunteer at RAPAR since 2009. He likes to work in this organisation to help others in difficult situations. He studied IT Q1 and entry level English at St. John's College. He can speak Portuguese, English, French, German, Spanish, Chokwe, Nganguela, Luvale and Italian.

Guy Lancaster developed the orginal RAPAR website. He studied Computing at Manchester University and the Open University, and followed this by working in Manchester with War on Want and the NHS, among others. He now works as a web systems developer for Manchester Metropolitan University, and has created websites for other NGOs.