Our Team

Alison is Executive Director of Asylum Aid where she leads an expert team providing legal representation to asylum seekers and refugees. Asylum Aid is part of the Helen Bamber Foundation Group. Before joining Asylum Aid (in November 2021), Alison was the Legal Director of the Public Law Project. At PLP, Alison led its work on the access to justice issues in the New Plan for Immigration and on judicial review reform. In June 2020, Alison was awarded the Outstanding Employed Barrister in an NGO award by the Employed Barristers Committee of the Bar Council.  

I am the CEO of the Helen Bamber Foundation Group and I joined in May 2018. 

I started my career at the Refugee Legal Centre and as a trainee at Bhatt Murphy Solicitors. Having gained experience volunteering in several charities – including with Asylum Aid! After qualifying as a solicitor I moved into international humanitarian work, I was posted in Ethiopia and Columbia for the International Committee of the Red Cross before returning to work as a Gender Adviser at Amnesty International UK focusing on trafficking.

This is when I first came across the work of the Helen Bamber Foundation. I then moved to work on children in conflict at Save the Children before joining Plan International UK as Head of Girls Rights and Youth and developing a new area of work on girls rights in the UK. 
 

I am a Senior Caseworker with over 15 years’ experience in representing clients in a wide range of immigration, asylum and human rights matters. I have developed particular expertise in cases involving children, survivors of torture or gender-based, those with mental health issues, and those facing exclusion from refugee status or deportation. I am a passionate advocate and have conducted appeals at both the First-tier and the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). 

I joined Asylum Aid in January 2021. Prior to that, I worked at Migrant Legal Action, Duncan Lewis and Refugee Legal Centre. I have also done medico-legal report reviews for Freedom from Torture and facilitated Tribunal visits for their newly appointed clinicians. 

I am delighted to be part of Asylum Aid’s legal team, working together to uphold our clients’ human rights and secure international protection or other relevant type of leave to remain for them. 

I head a fantastic team of professional fundraisers who the impressive growth of the Helen Bamber Foundation Group to the dedication and generosity of our incredible supporters. 

I have held several Director positions within the charity sector over the past two decades as well as offering support as a trustee and with pro bono fundraising consultancy. In my role as Director at the HBF Group, my work extends to shaping the strategic and programme development of both the Helen Bamber Foundation and Asylum Aid, so that we can maximise the impact of the services delivered by our amazing solicitors and caseworkers. 

What I love most about being part of Asylum Aid is showing our amazing supporters what a huge difference each one of them can make. 

I joined Asylum Aid as Head of Fundraising and Communications in March 2021, and I am delighted to be a part of an organisation that delivers fantastic impact and is rooted in such inspiring values. I got my first introduction to the charity sector working for an American organisation supporting sustainable development in Haiti, and I then continued my education with an MSc in Development Studies at the LSE. After working in the disability sector, I progressed my career in the international development space by working at Christian Aid, and then became Philanthropy Manager at the International Rescue Committee, a global charity that supports refugees and displaced people in over 40 countries. As Head of Fundraising at the Asylum Aid, I work closely with our valuable supporters, making sure they're connected to the tremendous impact they help us achieve.