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British Red Cross volunteers help thousands of refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants every year enabling people to draw upon their own strengths to withstand crisis and rebuild their lives. Our Young Refugee Project Volunteers work with vulnerable young refugees who are children and young people aged 15 - 25 seeking safety in the UK. As a Young Refugee Project Volunteer you will be involved in a range of activities helping children and young people integrating into the UK to navigate their local area, develop skills to cope with their situation and to find a way forward. ## **We would like you to:** - Volunteer for a minimum of 12 months - Volunteer 1 day per week (this may occasionally include some evenings but not weekends) - Be based in Portsmouth or within reasonable travel distance of the city - Some knowledge of the asylum system and/or awareness of safeguarding young people would be helpful. ## **We’re sorry but due to the nature of this role, we cannot accept applications from 16 and 17 year olds. Please check our website for more opportunities in your area.** ## **We would be particularly interested to hear from you if you have experience of being a refugee or asylum seeker.** ## We take an individual approach to ensuring your safety. We may ask you to complete a simple risk assessment. We will also have a conversation with you to discuss any adjustments you may need. Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions about the role.
Why we want you: We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers who are passionate about working with young people and young refugees. You will be caring and supportive, helping to support young people to gain confidence and independence so they can access the services they need. Our Young Refugee Project Volunteers help to make people feel comfortable and engaged with the service we provide. This can be a distressing time and we aim to ease the process of adjusting to life in a new country through resilience and empowerment.

• Tasks: Working with a supportive team to organise group activities to improve life skills and local knowledge
  
  Accompanying young people to events, places to socialise and on trips
  
  Supporting young people to find opportunities to nurture their interests and talents
  
  Providing opportunities for young people to cook healthy meals and socialise together
  
  Helping to improve language skills through activities and conversation
  
  Helping with other administrative tasks eg filling in forms, helping with travel expenses

• Skills: Strong communication skills and empathetic about the situation and needs of young people and young refugees
  
  Able to volunteer in a multicultural environment
  
  Able to use emotional support skills in a calm and responsible manner
  
  Emotionally resilient as you may need to deal with challenging or difficult situations
  
  Respectful of confidentiality with a non-judgemental attitude
  
  Speak English; knowledge of a foreign language would be helpful (particularly one used in the current local refugee population)
  
  Keep the people we support at the heart of what you do
  
  Willing to complete a criminal record check

• Benefits: Meet new people and be part of a supportive and inclusive team
  
  A great opportunity to develop your existing skills and gain new ones
  
  All training and induction for the role (there is no charge for training)
  
  Reasonable pre-agreed travel expenses for the role
  
  An opportunity to be part of the world’s largest humanitarian organisation and the knowledge that you are making a difference to people’s lives
  
  Opportunities to attend other training and workshops as agreed with your line manager