With a successful leadership career in publishing and the charity sector, Sue Corbett contacted Breaking Barriers’ founder Matt Powell in 2016. She was interested in volunteering for the organisation, to use her skills to help refugees into meaningful employment.
Given Sue’s experience as an Executive Director at an international development charity, a non-Executive Director role at Liverpool University Press and Trustee position at WRAP, Matt quickly recognised the value of her skills and knowledge.
Sue soon joined as Breaking Barriers’ first Chair of the Board of Trustees, a little more than a year after it was first founded from Matt’s parents’ kitchen.
Writing about the experience, she said: “I joined Breaking Barriers as Chair of the Board of Trustees in July 2016, when the organisation was still a startup with Matt as its only employee with a single volunteer. Over the next five years, we went through many of the adventures you might expect from a startup (yes, we almost ran out of cash!). But the constant was the strength of the core model for engaging refugees and supporters.
“Everyone was clear about the problem we were trying to solve and positive about our ideas for doing so. As the organisation grew, largely thanks to the faith our business partners placed in us, more and more people worked to refine the model and to strengthen our infrastructure and processes. We said ‘let’s behave like a grown up organisation even before we have to’. It worked – I am proud of the relentless focus we created on improving the quality of support for refugees and building innovation and flexibility into our programmes.”
By the time Sue stood down as Chair in December 2021, Breaking Barriers had scaled up and out of London. The organisation had hired teams in Manchester and Birmingham and was well on its way to building national reach.
Along with the expansion of its reach, Sue witnessed many of Breaking Barriers important milestones including:
- The hiring of its first employee in October 2016
- The first £1million grant secured in June 2019 from the Asylum, Migration and International Fund
- The 1000th client outcome achieved in August 2021.
22 April 2025 marked 10 years since Breaking Barriers constitution was signed. Commenting on this milestone, Sue said: “Now, as Breaking Barriers celebrates its 10th year, I am pleased that it has remained steadfast in its mission of supporting refugees into meaningful employment.”
Looking ahead to the future
Sue has not only been an integral part of Breaking Barriers’ first decade but continues to stand firmly beside our clients and our team as we plan for the future. She has also made a very special commitment to provide lasting, life-changing support for refugees.
“Because I strongly believe in Breaking Barriers’ long-term vision, I was also proud to become Breaking Barriers’ first legacy pledger,” explained Sue. “By including a gift to Breaking Barriers in my Will, I hope to help ensure the charity’s sustainability, so that it can continue to support refugees well into the future, as they strive to build new lives here in the UK.”
Find out how you can support Breaking Barriers by leaving a gift in your Will, or join our Breaking Barriers, Building Futures campaign and sign up to make a regular donation of £10 a month.
