Volunteering
Volunteers are central to enabling MRSN to undertake all aspects of its work. There are a range of different projects that you can be involved in. Some of the roles need a regular commitment each week, whereas others are more occasional. You will need to be available weekdays during the day for all areas of volunteer work. We particularly welcome refugees and asylum seekers who wish to volunteer at MRSN. All volunteers receive induction training and ongoing support with further training opportunities offered as needed for different roles.
Volunteer roles at MRSN
Advice Centre
MRSN's advice service offers advice on welfare benefits and tax credits, debt, housing, asylum support and access to health services to refugees and asylum seekers in Manchester. It runs drop-in advice sessions and appointments. Volunteers support the advice service through reception work and interpreting for clients who don't speak English. They can also provide basic information, and make telephone calls on behalf of clients.
Volunteers can also train to give advice: we can arrange training in advice skills, welfare rights, health, asylum support, and other issues. Volunteers need to be available for at least nine months to make this worth while.
You will need to be available for a minimum of 6 months for reception and interpreting roles and at least 9 months to train to give advice (½ – 1 day a week minimum). Good spoken English is needed for all roles. Good written English is needed for advice and form filling. Volunteers who speak Somali, Arabic or other refugee languages are particularly needed.
Health Advocacy
Through the Health Advocacy Project volunteers support refugees and asylum seekers to access health and social care services. The project works closely with the advice centre and enables clients who need more hands on support and advocacy to get the help they need. This may be help claiming disability benefits, finding and registering with a GP or dentist, help accessing support from Social Services, accompanying someone to medical appointments to ensure their needs are communicated, or help accessing free prescriptions and disability benefits.
You will need to be available for a minimum of 6 months and have good communication skills and to speak good English. Some roles will need good written English. Speakers of Somali and other refugee languages are particularly needed.
Community Development
One of MRSN's core roles is supporting Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs) to become strong and independent. MRSN has a membership of 21 RCOs and is in contact with around 40 in Greater Manchester. MRSN is currently seeking to develop the role of volunteers in this area of work, for which there is a great demand. Volunteers might support new RCOs with the tasks involved in setting up a new organisation or in developing projects and activities. Or they could assist in providing information through MRSN's bi-monthly newsletter for RCOs or its Directory of RCOs.
You will need to be available for a minimum of 5 hours a week for at least 6 months. This role will need good spoken and written English.
Refugee and Migrant Forum Manchester
The Forum aims to enable refugees and asylum seekers to express the needs and aspirations of their communities and to play a part in influencing policy in the city of Manchester and across the UK. The Forum works to improve the treatment of people going through the asylum system and campaigns on a range of issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers. For instance it is currently supporting the Refugee Council and TUC with a national campaign for the right to work for asylum seekers. Volunteers can support the Forum Worker with administration, research and with organising and running events.
You will need to be committed to working to improve the rights of asylum seekers and refugees, speak and write good English, have good IT skills and be available for 7 hours a week for at least 6 months, including some evenings.
RIES – Refugee Integration and Employment Service
This is a UK Borders Agency funded Project delivered with Refugee Action which offers support to every new refugee in the Greater Manchester area. Advocacy volunteers offer practical support through the transition to refugee status and integration. This could mean accompanying someone to claim benefits, or to get hostel accommodation, or to access other services or community organisations.
You will need to speak reasonable English. Speaking a refugee language is a big advantage as the project will cover new refugees from all communities and many of those needing advocacy support speak little or no English.
MRSN admin and finance support
The role of volunteers in the different projects can involve admin support to the project and to MRSN as an organisation, including reception and answering the phone. In addition, volunteers with finance or IT skills are particularly useful.Volunteers are an important part of our organisation.
How to apply to be a volunteer
We may not have volunteering vacancies immediately but are always interested to hear from you if you would like to find out more about opportunities available. For information about current vacancies and an application form, please email our Volunteer Co-ordinator Mary Atkinson (mary@mrsn.org.uk) or phone 0161 202 8918.
Volunteering for RIES
You can apply directly to volunteer with the RIES project by contacting Yosief or Tecle, the RIES Advocacy workers, on 0161 202 8917 or email ries@mrsn.org.uk