As some of you will already know, our long-serving and widely respected services director, Navid, has decided to leave Asylum Welcome.
Navid has served Asylum Welcome with passion and distinction for a decade and has been central to everything the organisation has done over that time. His can-do attitude shaped our culture. He was the person at the hotels on a weekend evening to prepare for and greet the Afghans arriving off flights from Kabul, sometimes with just a few hours notice. He was the one who organised parties for asylum seekers in the hotels, giving many their first sense of fun since they started their dangerous journeys. He was the person staying late to help young clients faced with nowhere to sleep. And he led our work at Campsfield with great distinction.
At one time or other Navid has managed and indeed shaped most of our services and been an amazing colleague to generations of staff and volunteers. He is always a powerful advocate for the underdog, never giving up on any individual.
There can be no more fitting tribute than to recognise that there are thousands of sanctuary seekers across Oxfordshire – some of whom don’t know him at all, others who will have a deep personal connection – whose opportunities and lives have been improved by his work.
We look forward to welcoming Navid back in Oxford for a proper celebration and farewell as soon as he is ready. In the meantime, if you have any issues that you would normally have raised with Navid, please contact <Mark@asylum-welcome.org>.
