Our staff
Ophélie Allard
Fundraising Officer
Ophélie joined in February 2025 to support the delivery of our fundraising strategy, with an emphasis on Individual giving. She is a member of the EU Citizen's Campaigns network and has previously worked as the Fundraising coordinator for a regional refugee charity.
Dane
Support Services Manager
Dane leads on growing, developing and delivering services offering practical and emotional support to LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum. His previous role was in the Leaving Care Team (Medway Social Services) and before that he was the Wellbeing Service Manager for the London Irish Centre.
Ro Carter
Casework Coordinator
Ro is one of our part time LGBTQI+ Casework Coordinators. They have previous experience working in informal camps at borders across Europe, as well as providing advice and advocacy for UASC arriving in the UK. They identify as Queer, Transfeminine and use They/Them pronouns.
Cathy Jaquiss
Legal Officer
Cathy joined Rainbow Migration in March 2025 as a Legal Officer. She is a barrister specialising in immigration and asylum law, with a particular interest in LGBTQI+ asylum law. Cathy is currently in the final stages of her PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University, which relates to the litigation of LGBTQ+ asylum claims.
Sara Makhmudova
Communications and Campaigns Assistant
Sara joined in December 2024 to assist the Communications and Campaigns managers. She has previously worked in a charity supporting people with mental health issues and been part of several climate change and human rights campaigns. She is bilingual in Russian and English.
Stuart Meyers
Casework Coordinator
Stuart is one of the Casework Coordinators at Rainbow Migration. He joined the team in 2020 and has experience working in charity, local authority, and legal settings providing emotional and practical support to a range of service users. He has an MA in Refugee Care.
Em
Casework Coordinator
Em joined Rainbow Migration in 2025 as one of our part-time casework coordinators. They have a background of years in LGBTQIA+ support work, and they identify as queer and non-binary. They hold a bachelor’s degree in languages focusing on Spanish and Italian, and a Master’s degree in Children’s Literature.
Our trustees
Charles Bishop
Since November 2021
Charles is a barrister at Landmark Chambers specialising in public and planning law. Prior to coming to the Bar, he worked at the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association and Wesley Gryk Solicitors. He previously volunteered at Stonewall Housing and the Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit.
Ilaria Michelis
Since September 2023
Ilaria is a researcher and independent consultant focusing on gender-based violence, safeguarding and LGBTQI+ inclusion in humanitarian responses. She lived in East Africa and the Middle East where she worked with international NGOs and the United Nations. Ilaria is currently completing a PhD in Sociology at the University of Cambridge.
Hadeel
Since April 2024
Hadeel has over 5 years’ experience working and volunteering with organisations working with refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK. They have specialise in the area of youth and lived experience involvment. They hold an MA in Human Rights and Cultural Diversity from the University of Essex.
Hussein Said
Since April 2023
Hussein is a solicitor at Asylum Justice and is accredited as a Level 2 Senior Caseworker under the Law Society’s Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme (OISC Level 3). He is also founder and Director of The LGBTQ+ Law Clinic and a member of the Trans Equality Legal Initiative (TELI). Hussein previously worked at Freedom From Torture.
Tanishtha SenGupta
Since April 2024
Tanishtha manages partnerships at Access - the foundation for social investment. She has over seven years’ experience fostering collaborative networks within the equality and human rights, and social investment sectors. Tanishtha’s focus is on building financial resilience and embedding best practices within social investment, fostering a more equitable space for micro to small user-led organisations. She also holds Master’s degrees in Human Rights and Refugee Studies.