When refugees first arrive in the UK it can be bewildering for them. Navigating a new country and a foreign language is a big challenge, made worse if you have no money and are scared and alone. Our volunteers meet up with refugees to provide a friendly face and helping hand. We collect and distribute of clothes, shoes, mobile phones and other essentials. We can also help them to access services such as legal aid, English lessons or public transport.
What does the opportunity involve doing?
When asylum-seekers arrive in the UK they are often housed in large hotels while waiting for their claims to be processed. There are an estimated 10,000 people housed in 100 such properties around the UK as the lengthy backlog in asylum processing and lack of suitable housing exacerbates the issue.
They are often lacking in the basics – a pair of shoes, a winter coat, wholesome food. Our UK volunteers help to provide as much of this as they can, as well as being a friendly face and giving assistance with more complex health or immigration issues.
While the hotels are better than the barracks, there is very little support available to those housed there and so our wonderful UK volunteers organise regular distributions to provide shoes (often asylum seeker only have flip-flops, even in winter) warm coats, new underwear and clothing, toiletries, toys and books for children, and sometimes fresh fruit and snacks.
We also help get people registered with doctors, signpost refugees to legal teams that can help with their asylum claims, provide language learning resources and group activities, as well as help get young people into schools. We provide welcoming and friendly support for these most vulnerable members of our society, in order to counter the ‘hostile’ narrative and because we simply believe it is the humane thing to do.
What induction, training and support is offered?
If you are interested, please email Annie at annie@care4calais.org for more information. We have monthly zoom inductions on various topics such as distributions. There will be an induction on zoom when you start, you will do a safeguarding course and there are many resources to help you. You will also be added to a WhatsApp group where hotel and regional leads will be able to help you with any tasks/questions you may have. As well as this, you can always email the central team for support/questions.
What skills or qualities are needed?
You will need a DBS check which you will have to pay for.
More infoDate added
24th November 2022
Organisation
Location
Cannot disclose the address of the work we do due to safeguarding concerns.
Deadline for applications
31 Dec 2023
Categories
Black and minority ethnic groups Non-English speakers/refugees
Activities
Administration/finance/fundraising Advocacy/advice Befriending Driving Translating/interpreting/language teaching Volunteering as part of a team
Disabled access?
No
Expenses paid?
No
Childcare available?
No
Contact name
Annie
Email address
annie@care4calais.org
https://care4calais.org/get-involved/supporting-refugees-in-the-uk/
