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Care4Calais is a volunteer-led charity that provides crucial support to asylum seekers in the UK and Northern France. Our mission is to help those in extreme need by providing clothing and advice, as well language lessons and extracurricular activities like sports, cooking classes, and museum visits, to support refugees seeking safety in the UK. We are looking for volunteers in Tower Hamlets to help with: ● Conversational English classes for refugees ● Social activities, including movie nights, games nights, museum trips and festive parties (Christmas, Eid, etc) ● Clothing distribution ● Direct, one-to-one advice and support for asylum seekers and refugees Volunteering happens all year round and is led by a Volunteer Team Lead. Regular activities happen in evenings and weekends in Tower Hamlets, with ad hoc, individual support being done more flexibly.
● Empathy ● Teamwork ● Good communication skills ● Hands on, dynamic and enthusiastic ● Commitment to justice for asylum seekers and refugees
● Volunteer with Care4Calais in the UK and you’ll be working with some of the most caring, compassionate, motivated people in the world. ● You’ll also learn new skills. All new volunteers go through our training programme, which has been praised by others working in the charity sector. Many people also gain valuable experience working with refugees and vulnerable people - experience that is beneficial for future jobs. The programme includes: ● safeguarding ● introduction to our work and the refugee sector/UK asylum system ● training in distributing aid ● suicide prevention ● age dispute claims ● legal access You will meet amazing people, and get to understand first hand the stories behind the news item that is so often misrepresented by politicians and the media. “I had never thought about the impact I could make as an individual person before I volunteered with Care4Calais. But when the people I’d supported began thanking me for the difference I’d made to their lives, it made me realise how important this work is.” Courtney, volunteer.
Timings are flexible to suit volunteers. Ad hoc support for individuals, as well as admin work, can fit around a volunteer's schedule, and other regular activities tend to happen in the evenings and weekends. We have no minimum time commitment, but most volunteers give 1-4 hours a week. We also have more senior volunteer leader roles that require a time commitment of approximately 20 hours a month.
