There is lots to get involved with in preparing the accommodation for the family’s arrival, including:

Painting and decorating the accommodation

Sourcing and assembling/installing furnishings

Managing in-kind donations, including furniture and household items

Creating a home instruction manual/home labels with photo depictions

Producing a welcome pack

Shopping for household necessities

Sourcing specifically needed items

Shopping for culturally appropriate groceries and hot meal for arrival

SKILLS AND TIME COMMITMENT:

We are looking for volunteers who are:

Practical, energetic, reliable

Team players

Available for at least half a day a week during ‘decoration’ week, and/or 2 – 3 hours a week during the furnishing phase.

Some of the above tasks can be completed by working remotely but most of the work will entail physical work with other volunteers in Camden, London.

Refugees need a lot of support during their resettlement process in the UK. The Family Support Team will be directly supporting the family, meeting with them regularly, facilitating access to services, and working with relevant specialists in our Core Group.

Family Support volunteers will always work in pairs, with one person able to speak the family’s first language.

The areas of support are wide ranging and encompass practical, language, physical, and emotional support, and will include setting up and attending meetings with public and private service providers as well as regular meetings with family members to check in with them and assist with matters which they identify.

We are building a network of volunteers who can, between them, work with and support the family in particular in the following areas:

Health: Register with and facilitate access to GP, dentist, optician & other appropriate specialist services; schedule and attend initial appointments and possibly follow up appointments if required.

Education: register with schools and support attendance; liaise with relevant education department; organise ESOL (English as a Second Language) tuition; research and facilitate access to appropriate adult learning courses.

Employment and benefits: register with and attend job centre; identify relevant job centre programmes and training; identify potential volunteering/work opportunities and training; help to clarify and access benefits and entitlements; help with preparing CVs and cover letters.

Finance: Familiarisation with typical family costs and expenses in London; assistance with budgeting and bills; help with identifying and applying for relevant utilities and services discounts (once benefits have been approved) and opening and operating UK bank accounts.

Provide support and friendly encouragement as the family members become familiar with London and the UK

Practice English conversation skills.

SKILLS AND TIME COMMITMENT

Volunteers must be:

Approachable, friendly, empathic, reliable, flexible.

Team players

Able to deal with competing demands

Able to make relationships with a wide range of people

Willing and able to attend training and ongoing support/supervision

Resident in Camden, or familiar with Camden

Available for at least 8 to 12 hours a week in the first fortnight after the family’s arrival, and at least 4 to 8 hours a week for another three months.

All Family Support Volunteers will need to be DBS checked, and provide references.

Training and support will be provided before and after the family’s arrival.

Cultural orientation is a critical part of the resettlement process in the UK, and is crucial to the ability to integrate with the community.

Our Cultural Orientation volunteers will be interested in supporting the family in the following ways:

Understanding local customs and social behaviour

Assisting with becoming familiar with the local community, including transportation systems, shops and restaurants, public services such as libraries, and recreational areas such as parks museums and leisure centres.

Identifying, registering for, and familiarisation with, digital services and use of digital devices

Creating a Welcome Pack & Reference Manual with information and details about local facilities and local and national services which may be relevant and of interest.

SKILLS AND TIME COMMITMENT

Volunteers must be:

Friendly, empathic, reliable, flexible.

Team players

Able to make relationships with a wide range of people

Willing and able to attend training and ongoing support/supervision

Available for at least 1 – 2 hours a week

Familiar with Camden/the local area

Volunteers will need to be DBS checked, and provide references

When we know what the family's first language is, we will be seeking volunteers who are fluent in the language and in English, who can translate written materials (before and after the family's arrival) and interpret during family support sessions, over the phone, and at outside appointments where necessary.

Volunteer interpreters will be part of the Family Support Team and will receive training and support before and after the family's arrival.

We also have funds for professional interpretation services when necessary.

Please watch this space for more detail when we know more about the family we will be welcoming.

Could you do a one-off event to raise money for us? Or help us plan and deliver our fundraising events in person on the day or behind the scenes?

We would love to hear from anyone with fundraising ideas or who would like to join with others to support a Friendly Welcome fundraising event.