Young refugee project volunteer volunteer volunteer roles

Join the Body & Soul team in our Children and Young People Programme to support young people from displaced communities. 

Across the UK, migrants, refugees, and people seeking asylum are facing increasingly difficult conditions due to increased hostility, threats, fear, and an increasing sense of a lack of belonging. The growing anti-immigration rhetoric is creating fear and heightened challenges for our members from those communities, who are trying to rebuild their lives while dealing with isolation, uncertainty, trauma, and HIV. 

In such times, it feels more important than ever to support these communities with a united approach. No one should feel unwelcomed, especially when they have endured repeated trauma, including but not limited to trafficking, war, and gender-based violence, alongside systematic injustice, poverty, insecure housing, racial discrimination, and stigma. Everyone should feel a strong sense of belonging, love, compassion, and community, and we hold that at our core. 

Our Life Beyond program offers therapeutic and community support to those with these experiences who have or are affected by HIV. Grounded in a deep cultural understanding of the lived experiences of our diverse community, our program equips members with the resources and support needed to navigate the dual challenges of living with HIV and being displaced in the UK. We offer a safe, non-judgemental community that nurtures belonging, resilience building, and mental and physical wellbeing.

Acknowledging the importance of a whole-family approach and early intervention, we offer our Children and Young People program. Here, we support those from displaced communities and young people navigating the impact of intergenerational and racial trauma. We aim to create an inviting space that reinforces their skills and strengths, supporting them to navigate their lives with a strong sense of self-identity, resilience, connections, and a sense of belonging. 

How do we do this? 

We run a creative, community-based programme to support children and young people facing complex challenges, including mental and physical health, family transitions, marginalization, and social isolation. These sessions involve, but are not limited to, arts, drama, physical activities, music, and much more, to foster resilience, life skills, personal identity, and social connection, both in-person and online. 

About Body & Soul 

Body & Soul is an organization dedicated to revolutionizing suicide prevention from the ground up, healing mind, body and soul within a therapeutic community that nurtures resilience, restores hope and liberates all from the grip of trauma and adversity. Our community provides people of all ages with a wide range of innovative and creative programmes that support physical, mental and emotional health and well-being.We have developed a ‘whole person’ model of care rooted in a strengths-based approach that nurtures connection, healing and growth. 

The roles available: 

1. Young Adventurers (0–3 years) – Monthly Tuesdays

1. Adventurers (3-9) – Monthly Tuesdays 

1. BaSe (9-12) – Monthly Tuesdays 

What You’ll Do 

• Lead/support engaging, age-appropriate sessions for children and young people. 

• Foster a safe, inclusive, and positive group environment. 

• Use relational approaches to manage challenging behaviour and set clear boundaries. 

• Support emotional, social, and creative development through interactive activities. 

• Collaborate with co-facilitators and program staff to deliver therapeutic sessions and projects. 

• Contribute to program evaluation and continuous improvement. 

• Work within a team of sessional staff and volunteers 

Who We’re Looking For 

• Recent experience of supporting children or young people (classroom, youth, or play settings). 

• Experience with racially/culturally diverse communities

• Confident, relational approach; able to build rapport and trust quickly. 

• Skilled in responding to challenging behaviour and promoting positive group dynamics. 

• Creative, flexible, and committed to inclusion, equity, and wellbeing. 

• Passionate about Body & Soul’s aims

Desirable but not mandatory 

• Experience in any arts, drama, media, or physical activity-based workshops and/or interventions. 

• Familiarity with emotional resilience, mental health, or attachment-focused programs. 

• Familiar with trauma-informed approaches to emotional regulation. 

Why Join Us? 

• Make a tangible difference in the lives of vulnerable children and young people. 

• Work in a supportive, inclusive, and creative team environment. 

• Flexible, collaborative working approach. 

• Experience a full introduction & training program, responding to the needs and interests of our volunteers. 

• Opportunities for training and professional development. 

• Ongoing support from our team, our Head of Volunteering, and from a large community of other volunteers. 

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 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 7B

About the Role:

CARAS is looking for volunteer Football Assistants to support our Football sessions on Mondays, 5.30-7pm in Balham.

Football coaching sessions are led by Fulham FC Kicks programme weekly, supported by CARAS volunteers to offer welcome to young people.

Volunteer tasks and responsibilities

· Welcoming young people to the session;

· Helping young people to register for sessions;

· Join in and be role model for young refugees and asylum seekers;

· Assisting participants to recognise and celebrate their achievements;

· Following FULHAM FC safeguarding policy and CARAS’ confidentiality, safeguarding, health & safety, equal opportunities, data management, online communications and all other policies as relevant.

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;

· The ability to volunteer on Monday evenings for a minimum of four months;

· Currently resident in the UK;

- A love of football, and wanting to encourage others to play.

· Able to provide five years’ worth of addresses, and willing to undergo an enhanced DBS check (residency is not necessary if you are a Caras community member who is more recently arrived in the UK);

· Able to attend compulsory volunteer induction training (online) general and safeguarding prior to start of role

Desirable

· Knowledge of community languages, such as (including 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;

- Be able to obtain a reference from us relating to your placement after 3 months’ regular volunteering

· Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team;

· Develop your skills and competencies;

· Be able to access relevant 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. 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. We also work in partnership with a range of organisations to run a rich programme of workshops within our youth club. Some of these have included creative visual arts, drama, music and workshops on rights and entitlements of young asylum seekers. We also cook a hot meal from time to time and offer a range of snacks each week. Our casework team are also on-site to support young people with a range of advice and signposting needs, usually by-appointment.

Youth club takes place at Furzedown Youth Centre. Welham Rd, London SW16 6TJ

About the role:

As a Youth Club volunteer, you would be helping young people to feel welcome, join in with activities and be a great role model.

Youth Club takes place every Wednesday at 6.00-8.30pm. We ask for a commitment of at least 2 sessions per month for a minimum of 6 months.

Tasks and responsibilities:

· To attend and contribute to volunteer de-briefs which occur 15 minutes after each session.

· 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.

Requirements:

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;

· The ability to volunteer on Wednesday evenings for a minimum of six months;

· 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 (including 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;

· Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team;

· Develop your skills and competencies;

· Be able to access relevant training;