Young Refugee Project Volunteer Roles

Do you live in Wales and want to gain valuable skills, have new experiences, and support vulnerable people?

We are offering 1 young person aged 18-25 the opportunity to volunteer for up to 11 months with the French Red Cross in Lille. The programme will run from September 2024 – August 2025.

You will be working on a range of projects, which will give you the chance to explore the different kinds of social action that the French Red Cross undertake in Lille. This is a great opportunity to get involved in these projects and find out what you are interested in. For more details on the role and the projects available, have a look at the role description. The main thing we want to see is your motivation for this placement!

The French Red Cross operates a project called “Mobile support programme for migrants” (DMSE) along the shores of northern France. This programme aims to “go towards” migrants and provide them support directly in the makeshift camps. The project offers three main services: access to care, maintaining and restoring family links and supporting unaccompanied children. The successful volunteer will likely spend 2 days a week in the field supporting migrants, 1 day in the office providing administrative and logistical support and 1 day will be dedicated to their individual Element project, a chance for the volunteer to develop their own project or cultural exchange activity. The remaining day will be treated flexibly and could see the successful volunteer supporting the French Red Cross on their other projects such as helping the FRC in launching first aid training for migrants.

Please note that only young people based in Wales can apply for this role. We are especially interested in applications from those who are from low socio-economic backgrounds, are carers or are care experienced, have accessed free school meals, are refugees or asylum seekers and those with disabilities or additional needs.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 1 May 2024.

Successful applicants will ideally satisfy any one of the following criteria:

• Low household income (under £26,000).
• Are carers/have experience in the care system.
• Have accessed free school meals.
• Are a refugee.
• Are currently seeking asylum.
• Are disabled or have additional needs.

Global Social Club (GSC) is the UK’s first Youth Club of Sanctuary. It’s a space of welcome for young people aged 14-25 from around the city and around the world.  GSC is centred on fun, friendship, creativity & celebrating diversity. It’s a warm and inclusive space for young people to connect and share experiences. 

We are looking for people who are happy to lend a hand and who are …

• Aged 23 and above.  
• Able to connect with young people with warmth and ease, forming positive relationships.
• Willing to participate fully in GSC sessions including games & activities.
   

We are striving to develop a team that is more representative of the young people we work with. This means we particularly welcome applications from people with lived experiences of racism, migration, forced displacement or being a refugee. 

About CARAS:  

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a charity that supports refugees and people seeking asylum who live in south London. We offer a range of individual and group support to improve the holistic wellbeing of people who have a background of forced migration, providing them with tools to build lives filled with value, meaning and purpose in the UK. Our activities for young people currently include: ESOL classes (English for Speakers of Other Languages), study group, youth club, swimming lessons and football.  

About Youth Club:  

Youth Club is a place for young people aged 14-19 to come and play games, learn new skills, make and strengthen friendships and build a sense of belonging. Regular activities include classic youth club games such as table tennis, pool, foosball, board and card games.

Youth club takes place at Tooting Hub- Beechcroft Road, Tooting, SW17 7BU. 

About Sports Programme: 

We work in partnership with Fulham Kicks to run a football session every Monday. We provide 1:1 sports advice to help build confidence and remove barriers by supporting young people to plan their journeys and accompanying them to join their first sessions. We find new sessions for young people at youth clubs, gyms and other sports providers. We arrange frequent trips to offer new sports to our young people including: boxing, yoga, trampolining and hopefully to go-karting.

We will also deliver a research project to sports providers, local authorities, support networks and other young people.  The project will detail: (1) the accessibility barriers to sports faced by young people, (2) methods of best practice on including young refugees and asylum seekers, (3) funding and support options available from local authorities, and (4) what participatory 1:1 support looks like for young people. 

About the role:  

As a sports program volunteer, you would be helping young people to travel safely around London, to feel welcome in the city, to join in with sports activities where possible and to inspire young people to take part in sports. You will need to go on group trips to external sports providers and to attend our youth club occasionally. We welcome volunteers with any level of sporting ability, the only thing necessary is to be willing to give some sports a go when it is possible. Please note, some sessions you attend will be only for under 18’s, and so you will not always be allowed to take part, and then your role will only be to accompany. We are very happy to be flexible regarding which sessions you attend according to your interests.

We ask for a commitment of at least 1-2 sports sessions or youth club evenings every month. Our youth club runs every Wednesday from 6.00-8.00pm, the external sports trips will usually be weekday evenings. We are able to be flexible according to your schedule.

Tasks and responsibilities:  

• To attend and contribute to volunteer de-briefs which occur after each session/trip. 
• Providing feedback of your experience to contribute to the research project.
• To act as a positive role model and set standards of behaviour when volunteering with young people. 
• To encourage and inspire young people to reach their full potential. 
• To assist young people to both recognise and celebrate their achievements. 
• To challenge young peoples’ negative attitudes and behaviour in an appropriate manner. 
• To adhere to CARAS Child Protection procedures, Confidentiality policy, Health & Safety policy, Equal Opportunities policy and all other policies as relevant. 
• To occasionally research local sports providers to find sessions for our young people.

Requirements: 

Essential: 

To be 18 years or older;  

• To be non-judgemental and able to engage with people from diverse cultural backgrounds; 
• To be reliable and punctual; 
• Excellent communication skills, especially with people with varying levels of English; 
• To be passionate about sports and helping young people to access sports.
• Current resident of the UK; 
• Able to provide five years’ worth of addresses, and willing to undergo a DBS check; 
• Able to attend compulsory volunteer induction training (online) general and safeguarding prior to the start of role 

Volunteer induction training currently takes place online once a month on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings from 6pm – 8pm. we offer the same trainings on Tuesday and Wednesday daytimes online between 12noon – 2pm once every 3 months.  

Your availability to attend 1 general and 1 safeguarding online training session at these times within 3 months of your application would be a prerequisite of being accepted as a volunteer at CARAS.  

Desirable:  

• Knowledge of community languages, such as Arabic, Tigrinya, Amharic, Pashto, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Somali and Spanish. 

Through volunteering with us you will:  

• Meet new members of your local community; 
• Learn about different cultures; 
• Learn about issues relating to refugees and people seeking asylum and their ability to access sports in London; 
• Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team; 
• Develop your skills and competencies; 
• Be able to access relevant training; 

Do you live in Wales and want to gain valuable skills, have new experiences, and support vulnerable people?

We are offering 1 young people aged 18-25 the opportunity to volunteer for up to 11 months with the Swedish Red Cross in Stockholm. The programme will run from September 2024 – August 2025.

You will be working on a range of projects, which will give you the chance to explore the different kinds of social action that the Swedish Red Cross undertake in Stockholm. This is a great opportunity to get involved in these projects and find out what you are interested in. For more details on the role and the projects available, have a look at the role description. The main thing we want to see is your motivation for this placement!

The Swedish Red Cross Youth is excited to welcome two volunteers in collaboration with British Red Cross this fall. This opportunity offers volunteers the chance to contribute to the vital work of the Swedish Red Cross Youth in addressing the needs of youth in socio-economically vulnerable areas and strengthening the capacity of our volunteers nationwide and will also offer you an opportunity to volunteer in our breakfast clubs, homework help groups, support chats, tutoring sessions and other member meetings. The placement is in central Stockholm, at the Swedish Red Cross HQ. As a Volunteer in this programme, you will play a crucial role in supporting the activities coordinated by the Red Cross Youth, gaining valuable experience in community development, crisis management, and international collaboration. Your efforts will contribute to creating positive forums for young people in Sweden to network and foster a sense of community and empowerment.

Please note that only young people based in Wales can apply for this role. We are especially interested in applications from those who are from low socio-economic backgrounds, are carers or are care experienced, have accessed free school meals, are refugees or asylum seekers and those with disabilities or additional needs.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 1 May 2024.

Interviews will take place online with shortlisted candidates.

Successful applicants will ideally satisfy any one of the following criteria:

• Low household income (under £26,000).
• Are carers/have experience in the care system.
• Have accessed free school meals.
• Are a refugee.
• Are currently seeking asylum.
• Are disabled or have additional needs.

Role: Youth casework volunteer 

Team: Casework 

Supervised by: Youth caseworker 

Location: Tooting Hub on a Wednesday afternoon (13:30-16:00pm or 18:30-21:00pm) 

Time commitment: 2.5 hours a week, we ask that volunteers commit for a minimum of 6 months 

About CARAS: 

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a registered charity that has been supporting refugees and asylum-seekers since 2002 empowering them to integrate and engage in the local community. 

Arriving as an asylum seeker/refugee can be a disempowering experience. Difficulties with language, accessing services and overcoming prejudice are ever-present. As an organisation, we are committed to work alongside refugees to overcome those challenges, and to help them build their lives. 

We offer group support and targeted support work. We offer a range of activities including: ESOL classes; social and recreational activities such as youth club, drama, trips, and family activities; educational support for young people; and casework and advocacy support. 

Our values are at the centre of all our work: 

• Kindness: CARAS will nurture all who are part of our community, helping everyone to develop their skills, talents, and interests. 

• Justice: CARAS will strive for social justice following a rights-based approach in all our work and challenging instances when rights are not upheld in wider society. 

• Empowerment: CARAS works alongside people, recognising and respecting their skills and strengths and striving together for better outcomes. 

• ‘With’ not ‘for’: CARAS will put the voices, opinions, experiences and needs of its beneficiaries at the heart of all that we do. 

About CARAS Casework: 

CARAS works with adults and young people of a refugee and asylum seeker background to find solutions to their problems. There are two separate sub-teams within the Casework team; young people and adults. We support young people to navigate the asylum system, understand their rights and entitlements, access education, connect with services and realise their goals. We are a non-specialist casework and advocacy service, so we work in close partnership with other local organisations to whom we refer people with more complex issues. 

Using the empowerment model, our casework service embodies CARAS’ values of ‘with not for’, always striving to ensure people are armed with the information and resources they need to make decisions and take action for themselves. 

About the Role: 

We are currently recruiting 3 volunteers to join our Youth Casework team. 

The purpose of the Youth Casework volunteer role is to support young people with a refugee or asylum-seeking background to understand their rights, access information and services, and ultimately, take control of their own lives. You will work with individuals to address problems they may face relating to, among other issues, asylum support, accessing healthcare and education, access to legal advice and finding activities and opportunities. 

You will start from an understanding that individuals are always best placed to solve their own problems, and often need nothing more than to talk out a problem and find the solution themselves. When helpful, you will provide information to clarify and support to take action. 

The Youth Casework team hold a support session at our community space in Tooting Hub on Wednesday afternoons from 13:30-16:00pm and evenings from 18:00-21:00pm. Volunteer caseworkers have 1:1 appointments, either in person or by phone, with CARAS members. These can be related to a range of topics. Currently, our biggest areas of work are around social care, the National Transfer Scheme, access to college, nursery/school places for children, referrals to mental health providers, searches, and signposting to activities, finding solicitors and supporting people to apply for bus passes and ID cards. Volunteers also support administrative tasks such as updating our databases, collating resources, and creating information guides. 

Youth Casework Volunteer Tasks and Responsibilities:  

Working in an empowering way with individuals and promoting their independence through goal-setting. 

Supporting people to develop their knowledge of rights and entitlements. 

Assisting with filling out forms. 

Signposting and referring to other services and organisations. 

Gathering information from experts and disseminating information to people in an accessible manner. 

Engaging in collaborative internet and phone research on services, organisations, and grants. 

Flagging safeguarding concerns and other issues where further support is required. 

Keeping accurate case notes. 

Supporting to maintain our signposting database. 

Researching and collating resources. 

Working collaboratively as a team and assisting in shaping the Youth Casework project. 

Adhering to CARAS Confidentiality Policy, Health & Safety policy, Equal Opportunities policy and all other policies as relevant. 

Requirements (all experience can be from paid or voluntary roles):  

Essential:  

Excellent communication skills, especially with people with varying levels of English. 

Confidence in using IT (Microsoft Office, Outlook, Zoom, Google Search, online forms) 

To be non-judgemental and able to engage with people from diverse backgrounds; 

A commitment to confidentiality and data protection 

Thorough with good attention to detail 

Reliable 

A high level of spoken and written English 

Ability to gather information from people in a sensitive way 

A calm, friendly, kind, and patient approach 

Enjoyment in speaking to new people 

A commitment to working in an empowering way 

Able to maintain boundaries 

Able to work autonomously 

Currently resident in the UK 

Desirable: 

Experience in doing 1:1 advice work/casework 

Working knowledge or experience of relevant law and policy around asylum support, the asylum process, rights, and entitlements for people seeking asylum. 

Direct experience of the UK immigration system. 

Past experience of working with people seeking asylum. 

Proficiency in one or more of the following languages: Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Oromo, Pashto, Russian, Spanish, Somali, Tigrinya, Urdu, or Vietnamese. 

We will prioritise applicants with lived experience of the asylum process. 

Benefits of Volunteering: 

· Learn about issues relating to refugees and people seeking asylum. 

· Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team. 

· Develop your skills and competencies. 

· Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding training. 

Obtain a reference from us relating to your placement after 3 months regular volunteering 

All volunteers must complete an enhanced DBS check for working with young people and attend training with us before starting. You will also receive training and support relevant to your specific role. 

To Apply: 

Applicants will have an informal meeting with the Youth caseworker, and one with community members, to assess compatibility to the role. These meetings will be on a rolling basis so apply ASAP. 

Successful applicants will be required to complete 2 hours of online general CARAS induction and 2 hours of online safeguarding training and specialist Casework volunteer training before commencing their placement. 

Role: Referral volunteer (laptops)

Team: Casework

Supervised by: Adult caseworker

Location: Tooting office on a Thursday afternoon (2-5pm) for period of training/induction. Remote or in person once induction is complete.

Time commitment: 3 hours a week, we ask that volunteers commit for a minimum of 6 months

About CARAS :

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a registered charity that has been supporting refugees and asylum-seekers since 2002 empowering them to integrate and engage in the local community.

Arriving as an asylum seeker/refugee can be a disempowering experience. Difficulties with language, accessing services and overcoming prejudice are ever-present. As an organisation we are committed to work alongside refugees to overcome those challenges, and to help them build their lives.

We offer group support and targeted support work. We offer a range of activities including: ESOL classes; social and recreational activities such as youth club, drama, trips and family activities; educational support for young people; and casework and advocacy support.

Our values are at the centre of all our work:

• Kindness: CARAS will nurture all who are part of our community, helping everyone to develop their skills, talents, and interests

• Justice: CARAS will strive for social justice following a rights-based approach in all our work and challenging instances when rights are not upheld in wider society

• Empowerment: CARAS works alongside people, recognising and respecting their skills and strengths and striving together for better outcomes

• ‘With’ not ‘for’: CARAS will put the voices, opinions, experiences and needs of its beneficiaries at the heart of all that we do

About the Role:

CARAS offers advocacy casework integrated into all of its projects, ensuring that people who attend our groups can access support to address issues in a friendly and timely manner. A key part of the casework service is to help connect people to resources and activities that they need.

A key areas of need is digital access, either by smart phone or laptop.

People living in asylum accommodation receive £9/week making saving for items impossible.

Whilst many activities have returned to face-to-face delivery many have stayed online, not having a laptop impedes people’s ability to join English classes and social activities. People attending college face difficulties in completing college work without access to computers in the evenings, access to a laptop means people are able to take greater control over their independent learning. Smart phones make a huge difference in people’s ability to have contact with family and community across the world.

To meet this need we have built a partnership with a grant giving organisation, Acts435, to support people to get personal laptops.

We are able to refer 5 people at a time for grants to buy new laptops/phones. Once the grant money is received we purchase the devices for community members to collect.

We are looking for a volunteer to do these referrals each month and support people to purchase and receive their laptops and phones. This is an extremely rewarding role, interacting with lots of the CARAS community members and making a very tangible positive impact on people’s lives.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

- contacting community members who are on our waiting lists by phone to explain the scheme to them

- complete grant applications with community members

- monitoring the grant platform to see when grants have been made

- purchasing laptops online and liaising with community members to arrange collection

- completing monitoring forms with community members once grants are recieved and uploading to grant platform

- recording all referrals and work done on our case management system (lamplight)

Person specification:

Essential

· Confidence in using IT (online forms, online shopping, google maps, email, DocuSign)

· To be non-judgemental and able to engage with people from diverse backgrounds;

· A commitment to confidentiality and data protection

· Thorough with good attention to detail

· Reliable

· A high level of spoken and written English

· Excellent communication skills, especially with people who are new to English;

· Ability to gather information from people in a sensitive way

· A calm, friendly, kind and patient approach

· Enjoyment in speaking to new people

· A commitment to working in an empowering way

· Able to maintain boundaries

· Able to work autonomously

· Currently resident in the UK

Desirable

· Experience working with refugees and asylum seekers

· Fluent in one or more of: Pashtu, Farsi, Tigrinya, Somali, Arabic or Dari, Russian, Ukrainian, Albanian, Amharic, Kurdish Sorani, Spanish, French

· Experience of working with interpreters

Benefits to Volunteering:

Through volunteering with us you will:

· Learn about issues relating to refugees and people seeking asylum;

· Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team;

· Develop your skills and competencies;

· Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding training.

All volunteers must complete a DBS check and attend training with us before starting. You will also receive training and support relevant to your specific role.

To Apply:

To Apply To apply for this opportunity, download and complete the CARAS volunteer application form, using this volunteer role description to inform your answers.

Successful applicants will have an informal meeting with the Adult caseworker, and one with community members, to assess compatibility to the role. These meetings will be on a rolling basis so apply ASAP.

Adult Casework Volunteer - Role description 

Role: Adult Casework Volunteer 

Team: Casework 

Supervised by: Adult caseworker 

Location: Tooting office on a Thursday afternoon (2-5.30pm)

Time commitment: 3.5 hours a week, we ask that volunteers commit for a minimum of 6 months 

About CARAS :  

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a registered charity that has been supporting refugees and asylum-seekers since 2002 empowering them to integrate and engage in the local community.

Arriving as an asylum seeker/refugee can be a disempowering experience. Difficulties with language, accessing services and overcoming prejudice are ever-present. As an organisation we are committed to work alongside refugees to overcome those challenges, and to help them build their lives. 

We offer group support and targeted support work. We offer a range of activities including: ESOL classes; social and recreational activities such as youth club, drama, trips and family activities; educational support for young people; and casework and advocacy support.

Our values are at the centre of all our work

• Kindness: CARAS will nurture all who are part of our community, helping everyone to develop their skills, talents, and interests

• Justice: CARAS will strive for social justice following a rights-based approach in all our work and challenging instances when rights are not upheld in wider society

• Empowerment: CARAS works alongside people, recognising and respecting their skills and strengths and striving together for better outcomes

• ‘With’ not ‘for’: CARAS will put the voices, opinions, experiences and needs of its beneficiaries at the heart of all that we do 

About CARAS casework:

CARAS works with adults and young people of a refugee and asylum seeker background to find solutions to their problems. There are two separate sub-teams within the Casework team; young people and adults. We support adults to navigate the asylum system, understand their options, access benefits, connect with services and realise their goals. We are a non-specialist casework and advocacy service, so we work in close partnership with other local organisations to whom we refer people with more complex issues.

Using the empowerment model, our casework service embodies CARAS’ values of ‘with not for’, always striving to ensure people are armed with the information and resources they need to make decisions and take action for themselves.

About the Role:

We are currently recruiting for 2 volunteers to join our Adult Casework team. 

The purpose of the Adult Casework volunteer role is to support adults with a refugee or asylum seeking background to understand their rights, access information and services, and ultimately, take control of their own lives. You will work with individuals to address problems they may face relating to, among other issues, asylum support, accessing healthcare and education, access to legal advice and finding activities and opportunities.

You will start from an understanding that individuals are always best placed to solve their own problems, and often need nothing more than to talk out a problem and find the solution themselves. When helpful, you will provide information to clarify and support to take action. 

The Adult Casework team hold a support session at our office in Tooting on Thursday afternoons from 2-5.30pm.  Volunteer caseworkers have 1:1 appointments, either in person or by phone, with CARAS members.  These can be related to a range of topics.  Currently our biggest areas of work are around housing for people seeking asylum, access to college, nursery/school places for children, referrals to mental health providers, searches and signposting to activities, finding solicitors and supporting people to apply for bus passes and ID cards.  Volunteers also support with administrative tasks such as updating our databases, collating resources and creating information guides. 

Adult Casework Volunteer Tasks and Responsibilities:  

• Working in an empowering way with individuals and promoting their independence through goal-setting.  

• Supporting people to develop their knowledge of rights and entitlements.   

• Assisting with filling out forms 

• Signposting and referring onto other services and organisations.  

• Gathering information from experts and disseminating information to people in an accessible manner.  

• Engaging in collaborative internet and phone research on services, organisations and grants.  

• Flagging safeguarding concerns and other issues where further support is required.  

• Keeping accurate casenotes 

• Supporting to maintain our signposting database 

• Researching and collating resources 

• Working collaboratively as a team and assisting to shape the Adult Casework project.  

• Adhering to CARAS Confidentiality policy, Health & Safety policy, Equal Opportunities policy and all other policies as relevant.  

Requirements:

Essential

• Experience of doing 1:1 advice work/casework.

• Excellent communication skills, especially with people with varying levels of English.   

• Confidence in using IT (Microsft office, outlook, zoom, Google search, online forms)  

• To be non-judgemental and able to engage with people from diverse backgrounds; 

• A commitment to confidentiality and data protection 

• Thorough with good attention to detail 

• Reliable 

• A high level of spoken and written English 

• Ability to gather information from people in a sensitive way  

• A calm, friendly, kind and patient approach 

• Enjoyment in speaking to new people 

• A commitment to working in an empowering way 

• Able to maintain boundaries 

• Able to work autonomously 

• Currently resident in the UK 

Desirable 

• Working knowledge or experience of relevant law and policy around asylum support, the asylum process, rights and entitlements for people seeking asylum 

• Experience of working with interpreters 

• Direct experience of the UK immigration system.  

• Past experience of working with people seeking asylum 

• Proficiency in one or more of the following languages: Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Oromo, Pashto, Russian, Spanish, Somali, Tigrinya, Urdu or Vietnamese.  

We will prioritise applicants with lived experience of the asylum process 

Benefits to Volunteering:

• Learn about issues relating to refugees and people seeking asylum; 

• Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team; 

• Develop your skills and competencies; 

•  Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding training. 

• Obtain a reference from us relating to your volunteering 

All volunteers must complete a basic DBS check for volunteers working with adults and attend training with us before starting.  You will also receive training and support relevant to your specific role. 

To Apply:

To apply for this opportunity, download and complete the CARAS volunteer application form, using this volunteer role description to inform your answers.

 Applicants will have an informal meeting with the Adult caseworker, and one with community members, to assess compatibility to the role. These meetings will be on a rolling basis so apply ASAP. 

Successful applicants will undergo training and induction with our team. 

About CARAS: 

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a charity that supports refugees and asylum-seekers living in South West London, and helps them to play their full part in the community. Arriving as an asylum seeker in the UK can be a terrifying and disempowering experience. Difficulties with language, accessing services and overcoming prejudice are ever-present. We exist to help people seeking asylum overcome those challenges, and to help them rebuild their lives. 

We offer a range of individual and group support to improve the holistic wellbeing of people who have a forced displacement background, providing them the tools they need to build lives filled with value, meaning and purpose in the UK. Our activities for adults include currently include: ESOL classes; sports; women’s creative writing; women’s coffee morning, and casework. 

About the CARAS Adult Team: 

In the post-pandemic environment, CARAS is responding to the role of digital literacies in our programme delivery to learners of asylum-seeking and refugee background. In contrast to the UK essential Digital skills framework, we have built in language inclusion to create a participatory learning course for Essential Digital Literacies for learners who are new to reading and writing in English. The individuals joining CARAS are highly diverse, with different countries of origin, linguistic and educational backgrounds. We have observed over the last year that many CARAS community members have limited digital skills, particularly in regard to using computers. Community members have highlighted that computers are important for many individuals to achieve their educational and employment goals, whilst increasing confidence and independence. We have co-designed a digital skills program in partnership with CARAS community members to improve computer literacy and skills, focusing on basic computer literacy.

About the Role: 

We are seeking two volunteers based in London to teach our lively computer classes in Tooting every Monday 9:00-11:00. Volunteers will lead the sessions with guidance from the CARAS ESOL Teacher and will work closely with our community members to build their skills and confidence using computers. The Digital Literacies course at CARAS is built around Pre-entry to Entry 2 levels in English. Volunteers will be supporting individuals with tasks such as: getting to know how to use a computer, using the internet, setting up an email address, and using Microsoft office. We intend to fold employability sessions, including CV writing and job searching, into these sessions. 

Volunteer Tasks and responsibilities: 

· Lead on the delivery of sessions with support from CARAS’s Essential Digital Skills Teacher. 

· Assist with the logistical set up of the sessions, supporting CARAS staff where needed. 

· Work collaboratively as a team and assisting to shape the project. 

· Create class registers and records as required. 

· To attend and contribute to volunteer pre- and de-briefs at each session. 

· To act as a positive role model and set standards of behaviour when volunteering. 

· Support people to develop their knowledge and skills and encourage and inspire participants to reach their full potential. 

· To assist participants to both, recognise and celebrate their achievements. 

· To challenge negative attitudes and behaviour in an appropriate manor. 

· Advocate for the rights of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants with not for them. 

· Adhering to CARAS Confidentiality policy, Health & Safety policy, Equal Opportunities policy and all other policies as relevant. 

Requirements: 

· To be non-judgemental, and able and willing to engage with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. 

· To be female identifying. 

· Have a good understanding of how to use a computer. 

· To be reliable and punctual. 

· Excellent presentation and communication skills, especially with people with varying levels of English. 

· Commitment to support people seeking asylum to take control of their asylum journey. 

· Ability to volunteer every Friday for a minimum of three months. 

· Current resident in the UK. 

· Ability to work in Tooting SW17. 

· To provide five years’ worth of addresses and be willing to undergo a DBS check. 

· To attend CARAS General and Safeguarding Training sessions. 

· To be 18 years or older. 

Through volunteering with us you will: 

· Meet new members of your local community 

· Learn about different cultures 

· Learn about issues relating to refugee and asylum seekers 

· Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team 

· Develop your skills and competencies 

· Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding 

To Apply: 

To apply for this opportunity, download and complete the CARAS volunteer application form from the CARAS website using this volunteer role description to inform your answers.

Successful applicants will have an informal meeting with a member of the CARAS staff team. These meetings will be on a rolling basis so apply ASAP! 

Our volunteers champion the rights of young people in care and on the edges of care, support them to access advocacy and make their voices heard. Training is provided. Whether you are currently studying, recently graduated, working part-time, retired or between jobs, volunteering with Coram Voice is a great opportunity to make a difference at the same time as gaining experience of working for a national children’s rights charity.

Our Helpline Supervisors will support you to develop valuable advocacy skills and knowledge of children’s rights and we offer specialist training in safeguarding, equality and diversity and advocacy. This training and other resources will help you to prepare for the role. You will be joining a team that provides quality support to young people in a friendly and supportive environment.

Our volunteer team is integral to our service and we could not provide the service we do without them, particularly in terms of the support we offer to homeless children.

We believe this role will be of particular interest to anyone looking to develop a career involving giving advice, advocacy, children’s and human rights, legal work, social work or youth work; or for professionals in those fields who want to use their experience to support the work of a children’s charity.

Please see our candidate information document for more information about our organisation and the training provided.

We ask that recruitment agencies do not contact us in relation to this position. We have chosen to recruit directly as this helps us to minimise our recruitment costs, ensuring that funds are not diverted from the children and young people we help.

About CARAS:

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a charity that supports refugees and asylum-seekers living in south-west London. We work primarily with people who are newly arrived in the UK, most of whom are living in temporary Home Office accommodation. Arriving as a refugee in the UK can be a terrifying and disempowering experience. Difficulties with language barriers, accessing services, financial insecurity and ongoing uncertainty are extremely challenging and disempowering. CARAS is here to work collaboratively with community members to support them to build skills, connect meaningfully with their local community, and to build positive futures in the UK. 

CARAS offers a range of individual and group support to improve the holistic wellbeing of people who have a forced displacement background. For adults this currently includes: ESOL, digital skills and employability sessions; social and recreational activities and casework. All programs are interlinked and work hand-in-hand with one another. For example, community members can practice their spoken English in Coffee Afternoon, and casework issues might be picked up and referred into the team during an ESOL class. We design and develop our programs through consultation and ongoing conversations with our community members. We aim to have a strong volunteer presence across all our programs, fostering connections between asylum seekers and other Londoners! 

About CARAS’s Adult Programming and Coffee Afternoon:

CARAS has been providing support to adult refugee women since 2005, promoting skills and confidence development that helps women gain more power in their lives. In the aftermath of COVID, we have been able to expand our adult programmes, responding to the shifting demographics of those seeking asylum in the UK. We now run a range of mixed programmes for all genders, as well as some women-only spaces. Our coffee afternoon is a mixed group. 

Our coffee afternoon has been running since May 2022 and is one of our most popular groups. It takes place at TARA Theatre in Earlsfield from 1-2.30PM every Friday. Its primary aim is to reduce isolation amongst those we work with by providing a safe, friendly and welcoming space for people to have fun, learn about themselves and each other, and build connections.

In 2023, we have been running creative sessions during Coffee Afternoon, facilitated by freelance creative practitioners in partnership with TARA Theatre. These range from dance to drama, poetry to puppetry. For sessions without a creative practitioner, we sometimes host workshops on important topics such as healthcare rights or have an open and informal space for games and a chat. There is always coffee and a selection of baked goods! 

For more information on TARA Theatre, our partner and host, please visit their website.

Tasks and Responsibilities: 

• To attend CARAS coffee afternoon’s, every Friday between 1-2.30PM in Earlsfield, South-west London. They take place at TARA Theatre, right opposite Earlsfield Station. Location here- https://maps.app.goo.gl/rXwJiKHRj93YFtLG9 (356 Garratt Ln, London SW18 4ES). 
• If there is a week this is not possible, to tell CARAS staff as far in advance as you are able. 
• To welcome and connect with community members attending, working to ensure everyone at the group feels included. 

• To take part if there is a creative activity happening in that session, and help liaise with CARAS staff and the creative practitioner to ensure the activity runs smoothly. 
• To encourage and inspire community members to feel confident and reach their full potential. 
• To share conversation, and chat informally with our community members.
• To assist community members to both recognise and celebrate their achievements. 
• To challenge negative attitudes and behaviour in an appropriate manor. 
• To adhere to CARAS Confidentiality policy, Health & Safety policy, Equal Opportunities policy and all other policies as relevant. 

Requirements:

• To have interest in working with refugees and asylum seekers. 
• To be non-judgemental, and able and willing to engage with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, and differing levels of English. 
• To be reliable and punctual. 
• To be a current resident in the UK. 
• To provide five years’ worth of addresses and be willing to undergo a UK DBS check.
• To attend CARAS General and Safeguarding Training, and any further training as necessary. 
• To be 18 years or older. 

Through volunteering with us you will:

• Meet new members of your local community 
• Learn about different cultures and life experiences from across the world 
• Learn about issues relating to refugee and asylum seekers 
• Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team 
• Develop your skills and competencies 
• Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding 

To Apply:

Please fill in the volunteer application form and email it to us. Successful applicants will have an informal meeting with the Head of Adult Inclusion and Adult Program Coordinator these meetings will be on a rolling basis so apply ASAP! 

Details for this role are in the description and not mentioned in the application form but please fill in your details in the Volunteer application form attached and send it back to us 

Our award-winning ESOL project offers English language classes to young people at a wide range of levels. This provides vital skills, opportunities and social contact and is crucial for enabling young people to do well at school or college. 

About the Role: 

CARAS is looking for volunteer ESOL Teaching Assistants to support our face-to-face youth Digital ESOL classes in Tooting on Mondays and Wednesdays. 

Study programme in English, Maths, Digital skills and Cooking: Monday 10am to 3pm 

Study programme in English, Maths and Digital skills: Wednesday 10am to 6pm 

You can apply to volunteer in one or more sessions. Each session lasts 2 hours. 

Please note that ESOL classes do not run during school holidays, and we follow Wandsworth Council term dates.

Volunteer  tasks and responsibilities: 

Providing learners with one-to-one or small group support within ESOL classes; 

Help young people to build confidence in digital literacy; 

Helping to set up the classroom and provide learners with classroom resources; 

Helping create “learner portraits” to understand their strengths and areas of interest; 

Engaging learners in informal conversations or games during breaks to help them practice their conversational English. 

Checking the session plan aims with the lead teacher and assisting learners achieve them; 

Attending and contributing to volunteer debriefs after each session; 

Making use of any community languages you may know to help students during the class; 

Working collaboratively as a team and helping to shape the project; 

Supporting people to develop their knowledge and skills, encouraging and inspiring participants to reach their full potential; 

Assisting participants to recognise and celebrate their achievements; 

Following CARAS’ confidentiality, safeguarding, health & safety, equal opportunities, data management and all other policies as relevant. 

Requirements: 

Essential: 

To be 18 years or older; 

Able to travel to our community centre in Tooting (travel expenses can be reimbursed); 

An interest in education and English language teaching; 

To be non-judgemental and able to engage with people from diverse backgrounds; 

To be reliable and punctual; 

Excellent communication skills, especially with people who are new to English; 

The ability to volunteer on Monday mornings and Wednesday afternoons/evenings during Wandsworth term time for a minimum of three months; 

Implementing safety measures to keep classes COVID secure; 

Currently resident in the UK; 

Able to provide five years’ worth of addresses, and willing to undergo a DBS check; 

Able to attend volunteer induction training (online) prior to start of role 

Desirable: 

Knowledge of community languages, such as Arabic, Tigrinya, Amharic, Pashto, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Somali or Spanish. 

Through volunteering with us you will: 

Gain experience of English language teaching; 

Meet new members of your local community; 

Learn about different cultures; 

Learn about issues relating to refugees and people seeking asylum; 

Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team; 

Develop your skills and competencies; 

Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding training. 

About CARAS: 

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a charity that supports refugees and people seeking asylum who live in south London, helping them to play their full part in the community. We offer a range of individual and group support to improve the holistic wellbeing of people who have a background of forced migration, providing them with tools to build lives filled with value, meaning and purpose in the UK. 

To Apply: 

To apply for this opportunity, download and complete the CARAS volunteer application form, using this volunteer role description to inform your answers.

About CARAS:

CARAS is a leading refugee charity in Southwest London, providing firm foundations for new-arrival asylum seekers to build happy and successful lives. Arriving as an asylum seeker in the UK can be a terrifying and disempowering experience. Difficulties with language, accessing services and overcoming prejudice are ever-present. We exist to help people seeking asylum overcome those challenges, and to help them rebuild their lives.

We provide person-centred educational, social and casework support to over 600 young people and adults across South London each year, recognising the moment of arrival as one of opportunity. Our work provides individuals with essential support to build language and employability skills, develop social networks and friendships, and access essential services such as legal and mental health services. Our work has multi-generational impact, providing forced migrants with early interventions to support language and skill acquisition, tackling the root causes of socio-economic marginalisation by supporting social inclusion and future labour market access.

Volunteering with CARAS – our Community of Welcome:

CARAS has a proud history of volunteers helping us deliver our charitable aims. Volunteers are an essential part of the CARAS community, bringing skills, insights, experience, different languages, and enthusiasm to the roles. Community members tell us the welcome by volunteers is so important in an often hostile world. It helps them feel safe and wanted. Community is at the heart of all we do, and we could not deliver the projects we do without the enormous contribution that volunteers bring.

About CARAS Adult Programme:

Alongside educational and casework support, CARAS has a thriving social program of weekly activities, from women’s yoga, to creative coffee afternoons, sports sessions and workshops, designed and built in collaboration with our community, volunteers and local partners. Most people we work with in the adult team are waiting for a decision on their asylum claim, are accommodated in cramped and inadequate hotels contracted by the Home Office for up to – and sometimes more than – 2 years whilst they wait for a decision on their asylum claim. During this time, they are eligible for only £8.86 per week and are prohibited from working. This is an incredibly stressful and disempowering period for those seeking asylum. Against this backdrop, our social activities exist as spaces of welcome, for people to come and make meaningful connections, build confidence and importantly – have fun!

About the Trips and Holiday Activities Project:

Alongside our weekly timetable of term time activities, we run trips across London during the school holidays. These are always chosen and planned together with our community members, and so far have included trips to famous parks, museums, galleries, and the theatre. We know from our community members how important these trips are; they are a chance to explore parts of the city that would otherwise be inaccessible, and to feel more at home in the city. As one community member told us, ‘to discover new places…this makes us feel included’. They are an opportunity to learn something new with others, to meet new people, relax and have fun.

About the Role:

To support us with these trips and holiday activities, we are looking for friendly, welcoming, enthusiastic and proactive volunteers. You will support us practically to ensure the trips run smoothly and on time, but also will be an essential part of our community of welcome – to chat and get to know our community members, and make sure everyone feels included and is having a good time.

We intend to hold 2 trips in the Easter holidays, and up to 5 trips in the summer holidays. These will all be in locations across London, most likely during daytime hours. We will also run a combination of adult-only and child-friendly trips across the year – this is what our community have told us they want! We usually have a group of 10-20 community members and will always have at least one CARAS staff member present too.

Ideally, we are looking for volunteers who are flexible during school holidays and can attend at least 3 trips throughout the year, though we may consider those who might only be able to volunteer on a one-off basis.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

To attend CARAS trips as and when you are available to do so.

To support with the logistics of travelling to and from the trip location.

To keep an eye on the general health and wellbeing of our Community Members and report any concerns to the CARAS staff member present.

To encourage positive connections between people and the places we are visiting, opening up conversations to learn about each other.

On family-friendly trips, to assist where needed with the supervision of children present (alongside parents)

Requirements – Essential:

To be 18 years or older;

To be non-judgemental and able to engage with people from diverse cultural backgrounds;

To be reliable and punctual;

To be welcoming, friendly part of the group, and to make sure our community members have the best and most fruitful time possible at the locations we visit.

Excellent communication skills, especially with people with varying levels of English;

Current resident of the UK;

Able to provide five years’ worth of addresses, and willing to undergo a DBS check;

Able to complete compulsory volunteer induction training (online) general and safeguarding via 2 self-paced induction training webinars prior to the start of role;

Requirements – Desirable:

Knowledge of community languages, such as Farsi, Arabic, Tigrinya, Amharic, Somali and Spanish.

Through volunteering with us you will gain:

An opportunity to connect with and learn from a vibrant and diverse community of people who are new to the city;

A chance to share your knowledge of the city and places of interest with our community;

A deeper understanding of the experiences, challenges, and strengths of those seeking asylum here;

A deeper understanding of language-inclusive practices in multi-lingual groups;

Develop your skills and competencies;

Job Title – Children’s Advocacy Helpline Volunteer

Contract - Volunteer

Hours - Minimum 1 day a week for minimum of 1 year post training period, Helpline opening hours Monday to Friday 10am-6pm

Salary – Out of pocket expenses for travel (up to £10 per day) and Lunch (up to £5 per day)

Location – Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ

About Coram Voice

Coram Voice exists to enable and equip children and young people to hold the system to account, to challenge and support it to do its job properly and to uphold the rights of children and young people to actively participate in shaping their own lives.

About the role

Our volunteers champion the rights of young people in care and on the edges of care, support them to access advocacy and make their voices heard. Training is provided. Whether you are currently studying, recently graduated, working part-time, retired or between jobs, volunteering with Coram Voice is a great opportunity to make a difference at the same time as gaining experience of working for a national children’s rights charity.

Our Helpline Supervisors will support you to develop valuable advocacy skills and knowledge of children’s rights and we offer specialist training in safeguarding, equality and diversity and advocacy. This training and other resources will help you to prepare for the role. You will be joining a team that provides quality support to young people in a friendly and supportive environment.

Our volunteer team is integral to our service and we could not provide the service we do without them, particularly in terms of the support we offer to homeless children.

We believe this role will be of particular interest to anyone looking to develop a career involving giving advice, advocacy, children’s and human rights, legal work, social work or youth work; or for professionals in those fields who want to use their experience to support the work of a children’s charity.

Please see our candidate information document for more information about our organisation and the training provided.

We ask that recruitment agencies do not contact us in relation to this position. We have chosen to recruit directly as this helps us to minimise our recruitment costs, ensuring that funds are not diverted from the children and young people we help.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'apply now' button below to complete the application, please note we do not accept cvs.

Closing Date: 2nd June 2024 23.59pm

Interview Date: Candidates will be interviewed as they apply

Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from, Asian, African, Caribbean and other minority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented at Coram.

If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience as well as professional experience as part of their application.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278.

ABOUT THE ROLE

This is an exciting opportunity to join IRMO and be part of the Latin American Youth Forum  (LAYF). LAYF is a youth-led group based at IRMO for migrant and refugee young people aged 13-19 where activities are offered in a trilingual space (Spanish, Portuguese and English). LAYF ensures that everyone can feel safe and supported to overcome barriers and find their feet in the UK. At LAYF young people can: ➔ Learn English through fun and engaging weekly ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes. ➔ Learn new skills and get inspired through weekly educational, art and theme-based workshops. ➔ Get support to access education, volunteer and employment opportunities through a targeted mentoring programme. ➔ Lead the LAYF Youth Steering Group, learn about leadership and inspire other Spanish and Portuguese-speaking young people. ➔ Explore London and its surrounding through cultural trips and residentials. The LAYF Volunteer Mentor will deliver a programme of 8-12 mentoring sessions focusing on the personal, educational and professional development of each mentee. They must be fluent in Spanish or Portuguese, and English and have availability to support young people on weekdays during out-of-school hours. The sessions can take place at IRMO or remotely as it’s most convenient for the mentee. 

MAIN TASKS

● Plan and deliver a targeted mentoring programme suited to the needs of each mentee.

● Write accurate mentoring notes during/after each session and discuss progress at regular supervision meetings.

● Allocate some time to research on the best way to support the mentee and any resources that might be beneficial for the session and for them to work on.

● Carry out regular monitoring & evaluation tasks.

● Meet regularly with the Youth Worker & Mentor to check on the progress of mentees

WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO IS/HAS:

● Fluent in English and Spanish, or English and Portuguese (essential).

● Some experience in mentoring young people in school or out-of-school setting.

● Aware of the issues facing migrants, especially children and young people, in the UK.

● A warm, friendly, patient and empathetic approach towards young people with complex needs.

● Good time management and organisational skills to be able to deliver regular mentoring sessions.

● Ability to set own work priorities, take initiative and work independently with the young people.

● Some knowledge of safeguarding and child protection in the UK.

● Non-judgemental, empathetic and committed to IRMO’s mission and values

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

● Two references from current/previous employers.

● Enhanced DBS Check (completed through IRMO).

● Safeguarding Level 1 certificate (completed through IRMO).

● One month trial period.