Volunteer

Volunteering in the community

“Volunteering with LOSRAS is an extraordinary opportunity to meet amazing people, with amazing lives, and to feel part of a wonderful, supportive group.”

What are we looking for?

Lewes Refugee Support Group organises a group of volunteers who support refugees and asylum seekers with the everyday challenges of adjusting to life in a new country and culture. 

Our aim is to promote independence, not dependence. 

We know from experience and research that learning English is one, if not the most, important part of gaining independence and feeling part of UK life for new arrivals, wherever they are from.

Volunteers with the ability to teach ESOL have the important role of helping adults and children learn English – vital for settling into schools or the community in general. 

Volunteers also help children with schoolwork, typically maths, English, IT and computer skills and science, but there are a host of other ways to be involved. 

Equally important is assisting families with the child-school interface.

We are often asked to provide one-off emergency support for families and individuals. 

What might you be doing as a Volunteer?

Help with Learning English:

This can be done in a variety of settings in small groups, one to one tuition in the home or other places. We usually require an appropriate qualification for most tuition especially for group learning. 

Helping Families:

Parent Focussed Support

Helping parents understand school communications and increase their involvement in their child’s education, some of the ways to help:

• Help with letters and emails and with form filling

• Communicating school expectations: school structure, student timetable, key staff contacts

• Assisting with school engagement activities such as parent evenings

• Liaising with schools re pastoral care

Child Focussed Support

Lewes Refugee Support Group aims to help children and young people access opportunities which help them to develop and make the most of opportunities, We prioritise this help and will consider funding those opportunities, the type of help that volunteers can offer are e.g. Identifying 

• opportunities for play and learning during the school holidays
• after school activities, e.g. sports subscriptions 
• suitable tutors, especially in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, math)

All these activities for children and young people are supported by the Lewes Refugee Support Group Trustees e.g. paying for agreed activities like holiday playschemes

These volunteer opportunities above usually mean a regular commitment. Those we support come from all over the world but mostly from the Middle East i.e. Syria and Iran as well as from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Other volunteering activities:

One off support to families and individuals

This type of voluntary activity does not need a regular commitment and often can be done at flexible times.

We are often needed to help people who have just arrived in the area who are outside of any Government supported schemes. This is usually very short term and sometimes urgent, support can include

• Helping people access food banks and other community services
• Helping families and individuals to access immediate needs e.g. toiletries, clothing and basic household supplies

This need for urgent help is often as a response to a request from a partner organisation who can be providing ongoing support

Again, Trustees can fund any practical help needed as well as volunteer related expenses but need volunteers who are willing to liaise with partners and organise and deliver any supplies.

How to join us as a volunteer?

All our volunteers are required to have a police check (DBS), fill in our form, provide references and sign a confidentiality agreement. We provide support to all our volunteers and have strong safeguarding policies and processes which include safeguarding our volunteers. No one is expected to provide any funding for their volunteer support.  Lewes Refugee Support Group pays travel expenses and other related costs, these can be paid in advance if needed.

Please complete the application form and email to: info@losras.org  

Volunteering at Lewes Prison

• Are you interested in visiting foreign national prisoners?
• Can you commit to two hours fortnightly?

“Visiting Lewes prison was an eye opener and establishing a relationship with J was much easier than I had expected.  I felt very well supported and learned loads about deportation issues, as well as about our judicial system.“

What is involved?

We have a group of trained volunteers who typically make regular visits to one or more foreign national prisoners to provide a link to a more compassionate outside world.

These prisoners are described as ‘foreign nationals’ because they do not have British or Irish citizenship. They are not necessarily people seeking asylum or refugees; some have been living in the UK since childhood and had no idea that their immigration status was insecure, others are more recent arrivals. Many are worried about their situation and may be detained after their criminal sentence under open-ended immigration powers with no time limit.

Volunteers do not provide legal or immigration advice but the Sussex University Migrant Law Clinic provides guidance if needed.

If you would like to join our prison visitor group please fill in the application form below and email to: info@losras.org