Day 5

Tariq’s volunteer story…

 Asylum Welcome is a place where people are welcomed, respected and listened to. I am so happy to be a part of it.

“I started volunteering in the Youth Service in February 2021. I helped with so many things, such as Kurdish interpretation, calling clients for updates, supporting clients to register with a GP and booking appointments. I also signposted clients to other services in the community and helped them to complete housing and Universal Credit applications.

When I started volunteering, I was still waiting for a result on my asylum application. I was relieved to get my refugee status in June 2021, after a long six-and-a-half years of waiting, refusals and fresh claims. It feels good to be helping people going through the same challenges that I have faced. I know how difficult it is to be in a system where you are not treated like a human – you feel ignored and neglected. Asylum Welcome is a place where people are welcomed, respected and listened to. I am so happy to be a part of it.

As a volunteer, I was really well supported by the team and learned many skills. This experience has helped me to get a part-time job as a project worker for another charity and I am happy to now be working at Asylum Welcome one day a week as a support worker. It is hard to hear clients going through the same problems that I did, but it makes my day when I hear a positive outcome, such as a client getting refugee status.”

 

To be continued…

Asylum Welcome could not provide the services it does without the dedication of our 220+ volunteers, 15% of whom have lived experience of being a refugee. 🧡

If you are interested in volunteering with us or would like more information then please email volunteer@asylum-welcome.org and fill out this application form.

🙋🙋‍♂️ We are holding a volunteer information evening on Tuesday 10th January, which will be an opportunity for potential volunteers to find out more about our work and the multiple ways to get involved. You can sign up at the link here.

If you can, please support our appeal today. Thank you for being part of the story.