Refugee Sponsorship Group Member - Communities for Afghans
The Refugee Council
Today, many brave Afghan men and women who supported British Forces remain in precarious circumstances inside or outside of Afghanistan, or in temporary accommodation in the UK. Our project enables volunteers to welcome an Afghan refugee family to their local area where they can find safety and flourish. Sponsorship groups can consist of volunteers from community or faith organisations, or are made up of friends and neighbours. All costs are covered by the project – no fundraising required!
We are looking for volunteers who are interested in forming a local sponsorship group to welcome an Afghan refugee family to their neighbourhood. Could you help? Communities for Afghans is a community sponsorship project which supports families who have been displaced after working with British Forces in Afghanistan. Today, many of those brave men and women remain in precarious circumstances inside or outside of Afghanistan, or in temporary accommodation in the UK. This project enables groups of local volunteers to welcome a refugee family to their local area. Once a group is formed, volunteers support the family with the essential, everyday tasks associated with settling into a new country and city: volunteers could be supporting the family to find suitable housing, arrange appointments and register for services, as well as welcoming them on arrival and helping them to build connections and a sense of belonging here in London. Some sponsorship groups might consist of volunteers from community or faith organisations, while others are made up of friends or neighbours who want to directly help those in need of safety. Volunteers must be 18+, UK citizens (or have settled status), and be ready to meet the challenges of helping a displaced family settle into unfamiliar surroundings. A minimum of six volunteers is needed to create a group, which will then receive extensive support, guidance and training from the Refugee Council throughout the project. There is no requirement for sponsorship groups to fundraise to resettle families; costs are covered by the project.
Administration,Advice, Information & Support,Befriending, Buddying & Mentoring,Community Work,Languages & Translation,Practical Work & DIY,Support Work,General & Helping
Admin, Basic IT skills - internet & email, Evaluating & Reviewing, Language Skills, Organising & Planning
The core skills required for all volunteers is to be ready to meet the challenges of helping a displaced family settle into unfamiliar surroundings. All volunteers should be adaptable, able to work as part of a team and have good communication and interpersonal skills. Specialist areas of volunteer knowledge could include: - Advocacy - Advice and guidance - UK housing and benefit systems - Experience of working with displaced populations - Financial literacy - English as a Secondary Language (ESL) - Building community networks with newcomers to your area
You will gain first hand experience of supporting a refugee family in the UK; you will help them to build bonds and connections with their local community and see them flourish. While community sponsorship is demanding, it is also extremely rewarding and enables ordinary people to respond in an extraordinary way to a direct humanitarian need. Be part of the grassroots movement driving the UK's refugee response by downloading our sponsor interest form (https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/work-with-us/communities-for-afghans-community-sponsorship/communities-for-afghans-faq/), registering to join one of our upcoming information sessions (https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/work-with-us/communities-for-afghans-community-sponsorship/communities-for-afghans-events/) or contacting Holly at holly.dawson@refugeecouncil.org.uk.
Time commitments are flexible and based around volunteer availability.
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