Volunteering Opportunity: Volunteer befrienders, ESOL teachers and team members with Herts Welcomes Refugees

Herts Welcomes Refugees relies entirely on volunteers to manage and promote the charity, fundraise, and to welcome and support refugee families and asylum seekers in Hertfordshire.

We need new volunteers to continue to support refugees and asylum seekers as their needs develop.

We are looking for volunteers with a variety of skills.

Opportunity Type: Long-term Commitment

District: Broxbourne, Dacorum, East Herts, Hertsmere, North Herts, St Albans, Stevenage, Three Rivers, Watford, Welwyn/Hatfield

Location: Indoor, Outdoor

Time of day: Weekday Mornings, Weekday Afternoons, Weekday Evenings

Practical Considerations: no

Requirements: Will require a criminal record check (DBS)

Suitable for: 18 – 25 year olds, Aged 26 and over, Older People, People with restricted mobility

Suitable for volunteers interested in: Arts & Crafts, Children, Families & Family Support, Education & Training (adults), Education & Training (young people), Ethnic Minority Groups & Communities, Food Poverty, Nutrition & Food Banks , Health and Wellbeing, Homelessness & Housing Support, Isolation & Loneliness, Languages, Poverty Relief - Domestic, Refugees/Asylum seekers/Immigration, Social Activities, Sport, Activity & Outdoor Pursuits, Women’s issues, Young People & Adolescents

Does this opportunity provide wheelchair access?: Yes

Full Description:
***We are particularly keen to hear from prospective volunteers in Watford, Bushey, Borehamwood, Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield.***

These roles are available:

Volunteer team leader - overseeing a team of volunteers and working with other team leaders in the charity

Befriender - supporting a family or individual to settle into their new community - practising English, assistance with every day situations such as shopping, library visits, school enrolment.

ESOL teacher - providing structured ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) support to individuals or to small groups of refugees / asylum seekers. This can be face to face or online.

Team member volunteering at asylum seeker hotels - supporting with teaching English (we can provide training), helping with events and activities such as art classes, cookery, outings.

Delivering bicycles - assisting our bike coordinator with rehoming second hand bikes to asylum seekers and refugees.

Bookkeeping support.

We have opportunities across Hertfordshire but there is a particular need in the following areas:

Hemel Hempstead - ESOL teachers

Welwyn/Hatfield - befrienders, ESOL teachers, team members and team leaders

Broxbourne - ESOL teachers, team members

St Albans - befrienders, team leaders

Hertsmere - ESOL teachers, befrienders, team leaders

Watford & Three Rivers - befrienders, ESOL teachers, team leaders

North Herts & Stevenage - befrienders, ESOL teachers, team members

We provide an induction for new volunteers along with basic ESOL training if you are new to teaching English. We will assist volunteers with getting a DBS certificate. We have a buddy system and run regular group sessions where our volunteers can get together to share ideas.