About
The People from Abroad Team are part of Norfolk County Council. We work with refugee families to support their journey to independence in the UK. This work is greatly supported by a network of ...
Befrienders for newly arrived refugee families
Contact person
Scan me or visit www.getinvolvednorfolk.org.uk/o/People-from-Abroad-Team/opportunities/Befrienders-for-newly-arrived-refugee-families/83305 to join
Summary
You will visit refugee families as they arrive in Norfolk (Norwich, Thetford, Watton, Diss & Great Yarmouth), and help them settle into their new lives here.Detailed description
Please read the following information about our team. If you would like to join us, please complete the application form, or email me and leave a phone number if you'd like a chat first - I will call you back. Kim, Volunteer Coordinator.
The team of volunteers plays a key role in supporting the refugee families. We do this by helping families to learn English, familiarising them with Norwich and Norfolk, and helping to engage them with the wider community. With the team’s and your support, they are able to rebuild their lives in Norwich.
Befrienders
Befrienders make up the majority of our volunteer team. Befrienders are assigned to a family or an individual, and focus on helping them to become more self-reliant in the UK. The befriender’s role is a diverse one, and can involve a wide variety of tasks such as helping families get to grips with their post (often bills or other formal requests for information); helping them navigate their way around the city; and getting to appointments using public transport. We find that refugee families who have a regular befriender pick up English more quickly due to frequent, purposeful conversation. This normally requires a commitment of two or three hours, once a week or once a fortnight, for at least a year. Each family also has a Development Worker or Social Worker from PfAT, who works with the family following their support plan.
How We Support Volunteers
We really appreciate the contribution our volunteers make which ensures the success of the resettlement scheme. In return for your time and commitment, we provide ongoing support to volunteers including the following:
- Training
PfAT volunteers come from all walks of life, with varying skills and experience, so our training is individual and personal to each applicant. Meetings take place in Bar Marzano, in the Forum, at a time to suit you.
- Newsletter
Each month, you will receive an e-newsletter which has updates from Simon and the team about the project. It also covers any new developments, news on events, as well as additional volunteering opportunities or one-off requests for help.
- Volunteer Coordinator
You can call or email Kim, our VC, for personal support at any stage of your training or volunteering.
- Expenses
All travel costs will be refunded.
Thank you for reading this information – please get in touch if you'd like to join our team!