Refugee ESOL Project Volunteer

Refugee ESOL Project Volunteer

Location: Bolton

Commitment: Mondays 10:00am - 12:00pm (minimum of 2 blocks of 12 weeks)

About the role
As a Refugee Project Volunteer you would be helping asylum-seekers and refugees adjust to life in a new country offering valuable support and advice to ease the process.

The refugee project volunteer delivering ESOL works with a group of learners assisting members to improve their English language skills.


About the Team
We use kindness to help those in crisis.

Every year thousands of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants arrive in the UK with little support, money, or opportunities. Sometimes these people don't even have the means to find and contact their loved ones back home. It's our job to do what we can to help.

We're a diverse, busy team dotted all over the country who share the common goal of doing what we can to make refugee lives that little bit brighter. From providing emotional support to reuniting families, we're committed to helping as many people as we can in as many ways as we can. Seeing the look on someone's face when they are put back in contact with a partner, parent, or child, that they thought they'd never see again is simply priceless.

About the person
You need to have good interpersonal, diplomacy, communication and teamwork skills although full training will be given for any technical requirements. Also someone who is:

• A good communicator and empathetic about the situation and needs of refugees
• Knowledgeable about conflict and migration issues and sensitive to cultural issues, including those relating to gender
• Able to use emotional support skills in a calm and responsible manner
• Personally resilient as you may need to deal with difficult or challenging situations
• Able to keep the service user at the heart of what you do, supporting the Red Cross to understand service user needs and the difference our role makes.
• Able to speak good English; plus knowledge of a foreign language would be useful (particularly one used in the current local refugee population)
• Willing to uphold the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and adhere to the Society's Equal Opportunities Policy

Tasks included in this Role:

• Deliver a weekly English practice class appropriate for a mixed-ability group
• Assess language level and plan appropriate activities
• Plan classes relevant to and in support of the activity taking place immediately after the class
• Show awareness of and sensitivity to cultural issues, especially those relating to gender
• Recognise emergency cases and questions unrelated to the English class and to refer them to the Project Coordinator

What We Offer:

• Access to relevant in-house training and development opportunities, including British Red Cross intranet site and e-learning facility
• A full induction, support and supervision throughout your volunteering period
• Valuable exposure to the work of the Red Cross in the UK and around the world
• Reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses when on duty
• Being a volunteer for the British Red Cross means that you can proudly say you are part of the world's largest humanitarian organisation.

Young People and This Role
We value the energy and enthusiasm that young people bring to this role. To volunteer for this role you must be aged 16+. However (subject to a risk assessment, safeguarding requirements and parental consent) those aged 15+ can be involved in a variety of activities such as promoting the service, supporting service volunteers and undertaking training.

Here's a little bit more about us...
The British Red Cross help anyone, anywhere in the UK; get the support they need if crisis strikes.

From hiring a wheelchair or dealing with loneliness, to adjusting to life in a new country - we're there when you need us. Our goal is to connect human kindness with human crisis.

We're part of the global Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and we believe in the power of kindness.

Our organisation was born out of a desire to bring help without discrimination. Impartiality and neutrality have been central values for the Red Cross since we started.

We support a huge range of people and we recruit for a diverse workforce - including disabled and ethnic minority candidates. This is to contribute to the breadth of experience we need to respond to people in crisis.

Connecting human kindness with human crisis