About Us

“I was on the beach with my friend who was killed. I had to identify her at the mortuary that day. As I wasn’t physically hurt, I felt as though I didn’t matter. It took nearly a year before I got any help for PTSD”
(Tunisia attack survivor)

Our story

Survivors Against Terror was launched in 2018 and is a network of survivors of terror attacks in Britain and of British people who have been affected overseas.

The network includes over two hundred survivors from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, those who were bereaved and those injured or maimed, people affected by very recent terror attacks and by incidents stretching back to the 1970’s.

Our work is led by survivors, they are at the heart of everything we do. We create a space for them to feel supported and heard. We walk alongside them if they want to see change, if they want to campaign to raise awareness  or if they simply want to tell their story and play their part in making sure what happened to them or their loved one does not happen to others.

Our funding comes from donations by the public as well as from trusts and foundations. We are a charity registered in England and Wales.

Our 2018 launch video.

Meet the team

Claudia Vince

Team Member

Mike Haines

Board Member

Figen Murray

Board Member

Charlotte Dixon-Sutcliffe

Board Member

Jo Berry

Board Member

Brendan Cox

Founder Member

Julie Siddiqi

Campaign and Network Manager

Travis Frain

Founder Member

Claudia Vince is a trustee of Survivors Against Terror. Having worked in a variety of criminal justice settings, Claudia is currently a researcher at the Prison Reform Trust, working a programme focused on understanding the experiences of people serving long prison sentences. She is also studying for a PhD in Criminology at the University of Cambridge, which explores experiences of trauma among men and women serving life sentences.

Claudia was involved in the Fishmongers Hall attack in November 2019 and was close friends with one of the people who lost their lives that day.

Connect with Claudia’s LinkedIn here:

www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-vince

Mike comes from a family very proud of their assorted military history stretching back over generations. Mike served in the Royal Air Force along with his brother, father, uncle, while his mother served in the Royal Navy.

Mike is best known for his campaign Global Acts of Unity (www.globalactsofunity.com). This campaign began after his brother David was murdered by ISIS in Syria in 2014. David was a humanitarian worker who whilst working with an NGO in Syria was captured and held for 18 months before being horrifically murdered and his death put on the internet.

In the immediate aftermath of his brother’s death, he felt strongly that he did not want innocent Muslim people to be blamed and or victimised in his name. Mike made a television appeal for unity and tolerance. That was in essence the beginning of the campaign.

The idea of promoting a positive message was so important to Mike. By encouraging unity, tolerance and understanding between people from all communities he was standing up to the hate mongers and terrorists. That has become the ethos behind GAU.

The aim of the campaign is very simple. If a single person from the audience Mike speaks to, in some small way, reaches out to someone from a different background or community, or even just adjusts their thinking in that direction, then that is a win against hatred and division. Almost every time he speaks, he has someone come up to him at the end and say they are going to try to act differently. It is that potential for change that gives the campaign it’s meaning.

The Campaign has been on the road now for over seven years. We have reached over 100,000 thousand people all over the UK and abroad. The Campaign has some amazing stories of success of people turning away from hatred and now are much more positive members of society.

Mike has and is working with HM Forces, local and national Police and many other organisations in the UK and abroad. Mike is a board member of the NGO ACTED and is one of the founder members of Survivors Against Terror. Mike has also been honoured with meeting the Pope and various religious and world leaders. He and his good lady were invited to the Royal Garden Party in 2017.

In recognition of the campaigns work Mike has been awarded an OBE in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Mike is often seen on News programmes after a terror incident where he
speaks against acting in hatred.

Mike was one of the founding members of Survivors Against Terror.

FIGEN MURRAY OBE , ASyl , F.ISRM

Figen Murray is the mother of Martyn Hett, who at 29 years of age was tragically killed alongside 21 others at the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in May 2017.

 

Since the Manchester Arena attack, Figen has been working with the Government and the security industry to make the tangible changes that can help ensure no other family has to go through what hers has. She is the force behind Martyn’s Law (Protect Duty), a legislation requiring publicly accessible locations to improve security against the threat of terrorism. Her ambitions to better understand counter terrorism saw her achieve a distinction in a counter terrorism master’s degree from the University of Central Lancashire.

 

Figen’s dedication and work in counter terrorism saw her awarded an OBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours List. She is a Visiting Fellow for the Institute of Strategic Risk Management, a member of the senior leadership team for TINYg, and an Associate Member of the Security Institute.

Charlotte Dixon-Sutcliffe lost her partner of 18 years, David Dixon,  in the Brussels bombings in 2016. At that time she was a stay at home mum, living with David in Brussels and looking after their young son.  

Charlotte’s devastation at the loss of David was compounded by the failings of the Belgian state support to victims of the attacks. She and her son moved back to the UK and she was determined to ensure others didn’t suffer in the way that she had. In 2018 Charlotte co-founded Survivors Against Terror and she has chaired the organisation until now, spring 2023.

In addition to her work in the UK Charlotte has worked with V-europe – a Belgium-based victims’ association founded after the attacks of March 22nd 2016 – particularly focusing on improving training for Belgian police social workers. She was awarded an MBE in recognition of this work.

Jo Berry lost her Father in a terrorist attack in 1984. She has founded a charity, ‘Building Bridges for Peace’, to promote peace and conflict transformation around the world.

Brendan Cox is a campaigner for more cohesive communities. Along with Survivors Against Terror he has co-founded More in Common (which works to build more inclusive communities in France, Germany, the US and UK); the Jo Cox Foundation, (continuing the work of his late wife) and the Together Coalition (that works to build more connected communities).

Brendan started work in the aftermath of the civil war in the former Yugoslavia, working with children who lost their parents in the war. Since then he has worked on conflict and atrocity prevention around the world with Oxfam and later as Chief Executive of the international conflict and genocide prevention organisation Crisis Action. He served as Special Advisor to the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown between 2008 and 2010 and has worked for and advised a number of organisations including Save the Children, the UN and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He is the author of the best-selling book ‘More in Common’ and when not working he spends his time mountaineering, sailing and looking after his two children.

Julie Siddiqi has been appointed as our first Campaign and Network Manager. She brings with her more than 25 years working in grassroots communities, particularly with faith groups and has worked with survivors of terror attacks including those carried out on 7th July 2005, the murder of Lee Rigby and the spate of attacks during 2016 and 2017. Julie brings with her a wealth of experience and can be reached on: julie@survivorsagainstterror.org.uk .

Find out more about Julie’s work here and connect with her on LinkedIn here

After  sustaining  serious injuries in the Westminster Bridge terror attack on 22nd March 2017 at the age of 19, Travis has spent the years following campaigning for the rights of victims of terrorism and has committed to doing what he can to play a part in preventing future attacks. He is a founder member Survivors Against Terror and continues to play an active role within the organisation.

He was awarded a Young Leaders in National Security Fellowship by the Counter Extremism Group in 2021, and is currently studying for a PhD on the history of Islamist extremism at Edge Hill University. He also serves as the National Chair of the Counter Terrorism Youth Advisory Group, elected in March 2022, and is a member of the advisory board of the National Emergencies Trust and several other charities.