The Selfish Altruist Refugee Support Europe

As Refugee Support undergoes a change in leadership with the appointment of a new CEO, we bid a heartfelt farewell to our co-founder and departing Chief Executive, Paul Hutchings. Together with John Sloan, Paul established the organization in 2016, offering a platform for proactive engagement to numerous individuals in the UK, Europe, and beyond. These individuals were deeply moved and frustrated by governmental shortcomings in safeguarding refugees amidst the escalating war in Syria.

In this concluding episode of Season 2, Paul, typically the interviewer, takes on the role of interviewee as he engages in a conversation with Rachel Ellis, the newly appointed Chief Executive of Refugee Support Europe.

Joe and Tasha have done a lot of travelling and a lot of volunteering. Those used to be separate activities.

Now they actively seek out volunteering opportunities when they have some time off to travel. They see somewhere new, do something good, meet great people and have more enriching experiences together.

Some 'voluntourism' is rightly criticised for milking travellers, exploiting host communities and feeding white saviour narratives but choose the right place to help with the right organisation (like Refugee Support) and it's a massive win for everyone.

As volunteers, we want to know how to change people's minds. But the road to changing minds about migration is a challenging one.

As the co-founder of Migration Matters, Sophia and her team are challenging the sensationalized narratives around the so-called refugee crisis while advocating for a more inclusive, research-based conversation.

We explore the role of evidence, stories, and appealing to people's values in advocacy work.

Balancing power while sharing stories is key, and so is countering biases with research and evidence.

With educational video series, workshops, and dialogue events, Migration Matters are bridging the gap between the public and the scholars, offering evidence-based perspectives on the pressing issue of migration.

Maria has been one of our Coordinators in Moldova and Cyprus for the last 5 months and we are very sorry to see her go!

She has been critical in helping our organisation do what it does and of course got a lot out of it herself. Working with us in Moldova was special because of her Moldvan heritage, and she enjoyed working in Cyprus as a forgotten hotspot where we can have a big impact. She has worked with well over 100 volunteers and learnt from all of them.

But what makes a great volunteer? The best ones are humble, offer ideas and get involved in whatever is useful at that time. Especially useful are people who can help with teamwork and group dynamics.

None of us should ashamed of enjoying their volunteering but we need to think about our motivations. We talk about why that is critical. Not only do we need to ask what we are taking from the experience, and we need to be very cautious about how much we are taking from the people we are supporting.

In this episode, Paul talks to our new (returning) trustee Bea about her personal journey and the challenges and benefits of volunteering. From volunteering in Greece, to being our first trustee, to a trustee for a community sponsorship scheme, to our trustee again, she highlights the positive impact volunteering has had on her and the communities she serves.

We also talk about the importance of maintaining hope and empathy towards those in need.

With a focus on balancing commitments and staying true to the cause, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in making a positive difference in their community.


Gain valuable insights to help you become a better volunteer and community member.
Volunteering pros/cons, personal experiences
Pros/cons of settling a refugee family
Positive impact of community sponsorship, political activism
Importance of maintaining hope/empathy
Volunteering benefits for personal growth/society
Selfish motivations behind altruism

Gerry is one of our Ambassadors and first volunteered with Refugee Support in 2019. He has returned every year since then to help out. Each time, it can take a couple of weeks to adjust back to normal life but after that he has a huge sense of positivity and a desire to continue.



He finds working with likeminded people, whatever their age, and getting things done extremely satisfying.



And volunteering with us isn’t all that Gerry does. He also serves as a volunteer on the board of a thriving local credit union and with his local church.



The most inspiring thing for us is the strength of Gerry’s community. He lives in a village in rural Ireland who have all got behind his volunteering. Together, they have raised an astonishing €100,000 over the last 4 years for Refugee Support.



Gerry and his community are an example to us all and show how helping others helps them.