Tom Godwin initially began volunteering with people in the asylum system at Liverpool’s Refugee Action Initial Accommodation Centre and the Asylum Link Merseyside drop in centre in 2011, providing basic support to people entering the asylum system, running English classes and setting up Liverpool’s City of Sanctuary campaign group in 2013. He continued in a voluntary capacity providing outreach and drop in services for refugees at The Harbour Project in his home town of Swindon until 2015. It was here that he first experienced the kind of life-saving legal advice and support provided by legal advocates such as Asylum Justice.

After a short internship with the UNHCR, Tom came to Wales as a community organiser with HOPE not hate in 2015, setting up HOPE not hate in Wales. During this time he was part of the Welsh Refugee Coalition, assisted in the Equal Access campaign to establish University bursaries for asylum seekers in Wales, and trained 1200 people across Wales to challenge prejudice and have more persuasive and positive conversations about immigration. His work since then has been in political campaigning and communications.