Do you want to make a difference to the lives of refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants? You could help them to draw on their own strengths to cope with crisis and to rebuild their lives. The British Red Cross is a volunteer led organisation and the UK’s largest independent provider of services and support for refugees and people seeking asylum. We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help support refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants to adjust to life in a new country. This could be giving advice on how to access services, providing emotional support, helping with our group work, or giving emergency support at our drop-in centres. We would like you to: - Be able to volunteer on a regular basis. - Attend one day a week Wednesdays or Thursdays, from 9:45am to 2:15pm. - Commit to volunteer for at least 6 months. - Have good IT and Microsoft Excel skills. - Have a good standard of English and clear communication skills. - The ability to speak other languages would be useful: Arabic, French, Spanish, Yoruba, Igbo, Chinese, Vietnamese, Amharic, Tigrigna, Lingala. - Empathetic about the situation and needs of refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants. - Confident speaking to new people from a variety of countries and backgrounds, making them feel comfortable and engaging with them in activities and conversation. - Good teamwork skills and a willingness to support where needed. - Emotional resilience as you may need to deal with challenging or difficult situations. *Unfortunately we aren't able to accept applications from 15 – 17 year olds for this role. Please get in touch and we can support you to find another role in your area.* We would be particularly interested to hear from you if you are (or have been) an asylum seeker or refugee. Diversity is something we celebrate. We want you to be able to bring your authentic self to the Red Cross and feel that you belong. We want to create an inclusive environment, and promote and spread the power of kindness. As part of creating an inclusive space we have an expenses policy that prioritises volunteers not being out of pocket for expenses linked to your role. If up front costs are difficult, you can speak to your volunteering manager about this to find alternatives. We welcome refugees, asylum seekers and others currently in the UK to volunteer with us. We want volunteering to be accessible to everyone. **Health and Safety Statement** We take an individual approach to ensuring your safety. We may ask you to complete a simple risk assessment and will also have a conversation with you to discuss and identify any adjustments you may need. *As we take great care to ensure that all our volunteers are safe and supported, there may be some locations where we won’t be able to host 16-17 year olds. Please get in touch so that we can help you find a suitable volunteering opportunity.* If you have any questions before applying, please contact us at [
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Why we want you: Are you passionate about supporting people in crisis? We are looking for enthusiastic Project Volunteers who enjoy being part of a supportive team. You will be friendly and welcoming, and keen to get involved in our diverse service and activities. You will enjoy working with people face to face in a multi-cultural environment. Our Refugee Support Project Volunteers help to make people feel comfortable and engaged with the services we provide by providing emotional support. This can be a distressing time and we aim to ease the process of adjusting to life in a new country through resilience and empowerment.
Tasks: Showing people where to find local services they need
Helping the team to set up and help to run group work activities
Supporting the team with some administrative tasks
Use your Red Cross training to give emotional support to people
Skills: Strong communication skills and empathetic about the situation and needs of refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants
Able to volunteer in a multicultural environment
Good teamwork skills and a willingness to support where needed
Speak English; knowledge of another language would be helpful (particularly one used in the current local refugee population)
Emotionally resilient as you may need to deal with challenging or difficult situations
Keep the people we support at the heart of what you do
Benefits: Meet new people and be part of a supportive and inclusive team
A great opportunity to develop your existing skills and gain new ones
All training and induction for the role (there is no charge for training)
Reasonable pre-agreed travel expenses for the role including for attending training
An opportunity to be part of the world’s largest humanitarian organisation and the knowledge that you are making a difference to people’s lives
