City of Sanctuary Volunteers Wanted!

Do you live in Leeds? Have you got some spare time? Then there’s bound to be a way that you can help us. We, or charities we work with, need:

Co-ordinator for schools of sanctuary project
This would involve talking to schools and supporting them through the process of becoming a school of sanctuary, and being point of contact for the initiative. For more details, please contact abbe.sanctuary@gmail.com

Freeing asylum seekers from detention
AJAR (Asylum Justice and Release) is looking for volunteers who wish to support asylum seekers who are held in detention centres but hope to return to Leeds.They would like volunteers who want to befriend people on their journey of trying to get the legal status to remain in this country. They also seek people willing to stand bail. (You would be part of a team to support someone and have advisors to support you with the whole process.) Please contact Kate at ajarleeds@gmail.com if you are interested in finding out more.

Homework Club Volunteers x 2
The Refugee Council is looking for 2 volunteers for the Homework Club.
The Homework Club is run by volunteers who currently provide help with academic assistance to young people aged 13 -18 years. The volunteers would be working with a small group of young people to co-run educational activities within the context of a weekly homework club and assist young people with homework and educational tasks. This could include support around English language issues, exam revision, homework/assignments and building confidence. Interested volunteers would have experience in working with or supporting young people and it would be desirable to either have a teaching or mentoring /coaching qualification or experience.
Enhanced CRB checks would be required for these voluntary positions.
Contact Khami Miraf, khami.miraf@refugeecouncil.org.uk for the volunteer application form. Please scroll down to the bottom of this page to find a document with more details.

Gardeners and befrienders at St Monica’s
St Monica’s is a home for four destitute women seeking asylum in Headingley. The large gardens have great potential so whether you’re into light weeding, heavy digging or would like to grow some fruit or vegetables, let us know. We are also looking for volunteers to befriend the residents by visiting on a regular basis and possibly taking the women out on day trips. Contact Bernard on bthurlow@fastmail.fm for more details.

Befrienders of pregnant asylum seekers and refugees
The Refugee Council is looking for volunteers to befriend pregnant asylum seekers and refugees. Following training, the volunteer would meet up with a woman on a one to one basis once a week and would support her to access appropriate health and social care and enable her to integrate into the local community. Contact rose.mccarthy@refugeecouncil.org.uk for more details

People who want to have fun
We receive a lot of invitations for refugees and asylum seekers – for everything from knitting clubs to football clubs. If you are an asylum seeker or refugee and would like to be invited to a range of social events, we’ll add you to our mailing list. Just email abbe.sanctuary@gmail.com

Refugee spokespeople
City of Sanctuary meet lots of local Leeds people who would like to hear more about the refugee experience, but don’t know who to ask. If you’re a refugee or asylum seeker who would be willing to talk about what’s happened to you, we can provide training to help you speak out. Contact abbe.sanctuary@gmail.com for more details.

Success stories
Have you done something amazing – or even a little bit special – as part of City of Sanctuary? The movement is made up of ordinary people and small communities, and it’s good to share our successes. If you’ve been involved in or witnessed a City of Sanctuary success, we’d like to put it on our website – tell abbe.sanctuary@gmail.com what happened.

Steering group members
Our steering group meets about once a month to stay in touch with the big picture of Leeds City of Sanctuary and to discuss what else we can do. Visitors are always welcome and it’s a good way to find out more about what’s going on. If you’d like to come to a meeting, contact abbe.sanctuary@gmail.com for details of the next one.

Befriending isolated asylum seekers and refugees
Leeds Asylum Seekers Support Network (LASSN) is looking for befrienders to visit asylum seekers and refugees in their own homes each week for 6 to 12 months. Care is taken to match the right volunteer with the right client. The aim is to help people settle in Leeds, integrate into the local community, access services and overcome the emotional stress caused by past trauma and the asylum process. Training, expenses and support is given. Contact pauline@lassn.org.uk for more details.

Teaching English one to one
Leeds Asylum Seekers Support Network (LASSN) is looking for volunteers to teach English to refugees and asylum seekers who, for reasons of caring, disability or gender, are unable to attend classes. You do need to have empathy and be good at getting on with people but don’t need to be a trained teacher. Training, expenses and support is given. Contact gerard@lassn.org.uk for more details.

Volunteer in your sleep
If you have a spare bedroom, some free time in the evening and could occasionally offer someone a place to stay overnight then you could volunteer in your sleep! Many refugees and asylum seekers will experience homelessness at some point during their asylum claim. Short Stop volunteer hosts provide a hot meal and a bed for the night to people who have nowhere else to turn. Contact katrina@lassn.org.uk for more details.

Don’t believe the type
Can you write a good story? We aim to help asylum seekers and refugees get their voices heard. People have very confused or ill-informed opinions of what seeking asylum really means. People who hear their stories are often changed by what they hear. Can you spare a few hours each month to gather stories by interviewing refugees and attending events, write press releases and feature articles, make links with the media locally and regionally. For more information contact pressgangleeds@hotmail.com

Friends, followers, and supporters
It’s always good to see people staying in touch. If you haven’t yet signed our Promise of Support, please do. We also have Facebook and Twitter pages where you can keep up with what’s happening.

And, of course, you can always smile at people, organise a City of Sanctuary event with your friends, faith community, or business, put a ‘refugees and asylum seekers welcome here’ notice in your window, or get involved with one of the many other groups who are seeking volunteers – check out the LASSN Directory for more ideas.