Volunteering
16/10/2009 - PLEASE NOTE AT THE MOMENT MANY OF OUR VOLUNTEER POSITIONS ARE FULL. HOWEVER, WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER MENTORS AND CONVERSATION CLUB VOLUNTEERS.
Volunteering with NRC is a real chance to make a big difference to people's lives. It's also a great way to meet new people and get CV-boosting training, skills and qualifications.
Our volunteer positions are flexible, so you can fit it in around your existing commitments, you'll get full training and support and we'll pay your expenses too.
Anyone can volunteer, including refugees and Asylum Seekers. Volunteering opportunities at NRC include:
Volunteer Advice Worker
Volunteer with the Advice team, and you'll be helping maintain this vital service to the local refugee and asylum seeker communities.
Before you start work, there is a full training course, followed by sitting-in sessions with experienced advisers. You'll then work alongside our advice team, advising refugees and asylum seekers, operating the reception desk at our drop-in advice sessions, or preforming administrative tasks.
If you're interested in helping, please contact us for more details.
Volunteer Mentor for RIES
Become a Mentor for the Refugee Integration and Employment Service, and you can personally help a refugee onto the path to integration an a full life in the UK. Mentors help their "mentee" work towards specific goals, related to education, employment and integration in the UK. You'd do this by spending at least 5 hours a month with your mentee over the period of one year, sharing your knowledges, experience and friendship, and helping them feel more at home in the UK. This might mean doing anything from helping them write a CV, practice their English, visit the sights, or understand a peculiarities of British humour.
For more information, visit the RIES volunteering page of this website, or contact us.
Volunteer Advocate for RIES
Advocates help vulnerable members of the community who are not fully accessing their rights due to barriers such as a lack of knowledge, language, disability, loss of confidence or simply through being new to the UK. Advocates can help by making phone calls, reading and writing letters, attending appointments and giving information about other services.
For more information, visit the RIES volunteering page of this website, or contact us.
Women's Conversation Club Volunteer
The Women's conversation Club project is always looking for female volunteers to help out at our sessions.
Volunteers will help refugee and asylum seeking women to learn to speak conversational English, take part in group activities and help support the operation of the clubs.
If you think you can help to break down barriers of gender and race, and build the confidence and well-being of our clients, then get in touch.
Office and Administrative Volunteer
We often need volunteers who can help out in our office, by assisting us with the telephones, administration, co-ordination, and so on. If you're interested, please contact us.
Other opportunities
If you want to volunteer in our sector, but none of the positions at NRC suit you, then you may be interested in
ASSIST Sheffield
We are happy to support and recommend the work of ASSIST. They help destitute asylum seekers in and around Sheffield and welcome volunteers in their fund-raising activities. See the ASSIST website for details.
Sheffield Conversation Club
NRC works closely with Sheffield Conversation Club, which welcomes volunteers to help refugees and asylum seekers improve their spoken English, in a relaxed, group environment. For more information, please call the Conversation Club mobile 07985 916683, or see their information leaflet (Word doc 1.4Mb)
Voluntary Action Sheffield
If you are a refugee in Sheffield and these opportunities do not interest you, then why not contact Voluntary Action Sheffield, who have a special Refugee & Asylum Seeker Project to help refugees into volunteering opportunities - see the VAS Website.
