Sophie wardell (chair)
When Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees (CWR) became a charity last year, five Trustees were appointed. Sophie has previously worked for the British Council, National Trust and, more locally, the Cheltenham Trust. However, her passion for supporting refugees began with her role at Free Word, a small London-based charity that encouraged asylum seekers to take part in storytelling and writing workshops. Meeting refugee families was a big part of what Sophie loved about the job and led her onto volunteer for Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees in 2018 and now to take on the role of CWR’s Chair of Trustees.
Rev Simon Witcombe
Simon is Chaplain at the University of Gloucestershire. His work includes providing welcome to international students arriving in Gloucestershire and those links are what have made him a perfect fit as a Trustee of Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees.
Paul Baker
Paul describes himself as “born and bred in Cheltenham.” He has three grown up children and chaired Cheltenham Town Football Club for 21 years. He became a Cheltenham Borough Councillor in St Paul’s at the age of 22 and is now a Councillor for Charlton Park and the County Councillor for Charlton Park & College. He also managed to find the time to act as a governor of Pittville School, is a Trustee of The Lido and has worked in the insurance industry for nearly all his life.