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Volunteer
Here are the voices of some of the volunteers, members and staff who have helped run
and develop Asylum Welcome over the years.
They talk about what inspired them to get involved in Asylum Welcome and their views
on the difficulties facing asylum seekers, refugees and detainees.
Disclaimer: This page does not necessarily represent Asylum Welcome's views, and is
not intended as an expression of our mission, objective or policies.
Each of us can choose to do something positive
I work with refugees and people seeking sanctuary because I am very often
horrified by the way that the system treats people who have been forced to leave
their homes and their families in order to be safe and to try to live the life that
each of us as human beings deserve.
I cannot begin to imagine some of the things that people have gone through in
their countries that have forced them to leave, but each of us here in the UK can
choose to do something positive in our lives that can show people we care.
I believe that where there is injustice we must fight it and that is why I do what I
do.
Amy, Volunteer
Open eyes and hearts
Asylum Welcome brings together people from within the Oxford community
with the common goal of making a real difference in the lives of refugees. I
believe asylum seekers are one of the most misunderstood groups of people and
I feel driven to help raise awareness and to help fight prejudice. My experience
with Asylum Welcome has opened my eyes and heart.
I got involved because I think it is intolerable that anyone is made destitute as a
matter of Government policy by denying people benefits at the same time as
they are denied the right to work; that people can be held in detention without
charge to suit the policies of the UK Borders Agency; and that people can be
sent forcibly to countries that the UK Foreign Office and United Nations (UN)
warn people against visiting.
There are thousands of people in the UK, paid staff and volunteers, who work
hard to support people seeking sanctuary and to change Government policy. We
need to build an effective coalition of such voices in order to get a humane, fair
and efficient system for dealing with asylum applications.
Jan, Volunteer and Member
Asylum Welcome provides an essential lifeline
Asylum Welcome provides an essential lifeline for asylum seekers and refugees
by offering advice and support. My own experience as working as a volunteer
advisor at Asylum Welcome has shown me how much this group value our
service where they can come to for advice on essential issues such as healthcare,
education and accommodation; fundamental aspects of life, which other
members of the population may take for granted. Many of the refugees and
asylum seekers have difficulty with understanding the English language both
written and spoken; Asylum Welcome provides services, which assist them in
this way enhancing any support they require. I also value Asylum Welcome for
the hope and assistance that they give to detainees. Asylum Welcome continues
ongoing work for this population by campaigning, advocacy and promoting
public awareness. Asylum Welcome is a charitable organisation, whose work
for this vulnerable group is highly commendable.
Menakshi, Volunteer
Sense of achievement
Fundraising from trusts and foundations is very much a backroom job, it is not
very glamorous, and it can be hard, frustrating work. You go through weeks and
weeks getting one refusal letter after another. But then, when you open the letter
that starts "I am pleased to inform you...", it makes it all worthwhile.
Of course, the big cheques are tremendously exciting but the handwritten notes
at the bottom of the letter, "Keep up the good work" or "It sounds as though the
Youth Programme has done really good work this year", are almost better than
the cheque itself. I was able to feel that my work underpinned everything the
organisation did. There haven't been many jobs in my life that have given me
more of sense of achievement than that.
Jan, ex- Staff and Trustee, still a Volunteer and Member
Many brave people
I have come to know many brave people, some of whom have at last won leave
to remain in this country, but many more of whom have not - mostly unjustly,
and often arbitrarily and unaccountably. Of those who have been able to stay, I
think of a Syrian doctor, now a specialist in the NHS; an Albanian journalist, the
founder of the first Albanian-language newspaper in the UK; and Quinta, a
young mother, who waited seven years to find out if she and her small daughters
would be sent back to Cameroon, to face the threat of forced marriage and
female circumcision from which she had managed to flee.
The ones I think of every day are the others. Quinta's husband, who broke down
mentally and physically under the strain and disappeared; Behar, a gifted young
artist, who was sent back to Albania, where his artistic career almost certainly
ended; Pierre, Jean, Marc and Andre, all sent back to Cameroon - even though
Marc is HIV positive, and even though Pierre helped them all, and is so able and
energetic that we lost someone who could have founded a dozen newspapers, or
contributed to our country in a hundred other ways.
Carole, ex-Trustee, still a Volunteer and Member
Extraordinary group of people
I still remember the first day I turned up at Asylum Welcome. It was just beside
the Church Hall, the walls were bright yellow, there were lots of posters up on
the wall, a ramshackle set of furnishings, nothing matched! Some clients were
drinking coffee in the kitchen and a reception volunteer was saying goodbye to
a client with a warm hug. I knew then that I had come home.
Years later wherever I go, I still talk about the extraordinary group of people
who with such generosity, commitment and love have kept Asylum Welcome
going all these years. I always knew myself to be privileged to be in such good
company.
Mercedes, ex-Director, still a Member
Detention
Detainees ask us for material help - for warm clothes or money to make phone
calls, for example - but more often they need help in dealing with the system
that has put them there. The asylum law being as complex as it is, and the way it
is applied so biased against them, they need our help in contacting lawyers,
getting in touch with relatives, finding translators, applying for bail, or
explaining their cases.
What most have in common is a sense of being helpless, between the
persecution that drove them away from home and the incomprehensibility of the
system in the UK.
Many have seen their families killed and had to leave home to save their own
lives. And in detention they have no way of knowing what will happen next,
how long they will be there, or what they are supposed to have done wrong.
Detention is also inhumane because of the conditions: detainees get shifted
around regularly all over the country, usually with only a few hours warning.
No one knows why. If the Home Office knows, they won't say. They also lose
contact with anyone who can help, especially their lawyer. No one knows how
long they will be detained, weeks, maybe months, maybe years. Some are
moved around every week or so. Many have health problems as a result of
torture. Those with mental health problems resulting from their ordeal are liable
to get worse. They have nothing constructive to do.
The centres are called ‘Removal Centres' in order to reassure the public; in fact,
many detainees cannot be removed, either because their own countries will not
take them, or because it is too dangerous for them to be sent there. If the policy
was to listen carefully and compassionately to what refugees have been through,
and then let them live here until they can return safely, many millions of pounds
of public money could be saved - on courts, lawyers, security guards, detention
centres, prisons, and police time.
Peter, Volunteer
Privileged to be involved
On the day that the Asylum Welcome office opened, I arrived as the first
volunteer. The office was equipped with some files, a telephone and a donated
computer (which I had no idea how to use!). After some time in Reception I
volunteered to be one of the Education team. With no office, we interviewed
clients in the foyer of St Columba's Church.
The move to our present office gave us a space of our own and, in time, our own
computer, which I can now use... at least to some extent. My colleague's illness
left me 'holding the baby' and on an almost vertical learning curve. We are now
a team of five and I could retire leaving the work to my very competent
colleagues but I love meeting different people, seeing their achievements,
rejoicing with them when they are given leave to remain, offering advice and
support when they are downhearted.
Of course, there is sadness too when people we have come to regard as friends
are deported or just disappear. However I meet and work with so many
wonderful people that I feel privileged to be part of Asylum Welcome.
Jean Kaye, Volunteer
(Jean passed away in 2013 – we miss her)
Volunteering has come to define Asylum Welcome’s unique character and without our
volunteers the charity simply would not function.
Last year our 100+ volunteers gave over 15,000 hours. Our volunteers are our biggest
asset!
Volunteering with Asylum Welcome gives you the opportunity to get involved in a
dynamic movement that cares about social justice. It is also a great way to do something
meaningful and rewarding with your time, to gain skills and experience in the charity
sector, to make new friends and to make a difference to the lives of others.
We encourage and support our past and present service users and anyone from a refugee
background to volunteer.
Hear from some of our volunteers to find out why they support Asylum Welcome – their
stories may inspire you to get involved too!
Volunteer Opportunities
Asylum Welcome provides volunteering opportunities for
people from a wide variety of backgrounds with a range of different skills and
experience. We are committed to offering training and support for new and existing
volunteers.
Here is a list of our main volunteer roles; please click on the links to find out more.

Adult and Family Advice Service Volunteer
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Campsfield Visitor

Detainee Support Volunteer
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Lunch Club Volunteer

Venda Youth Club Volunteer
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Communications and Fundraising Volunteers

Welcome Centre Volunteers
Our volunteering needs change throughout the year.
We are not currently recruiting for volunteers. Please check back in late February 2016.
Time Commitment
We prefer volunteers to commit to 12 months but in some cases may be able to offer
shorter placements.
Students
We welcome students who want to volunteer, especially those with relevant areas of
study. We may be able to offer placements for the academic year to students who are not
around in the holidays. Similarly we may be able to offer 3 month Summer placements if
you can attend training before the 3 months begin.
Work Experience placements
Each year, we can facilitate a small number of school age students who are looking for
work experience. We welcome especially those who have an interest in working in the
charity sector.
How to Apply
If you’re interested in volunteering with us and you fulfil the criteria mentioned above
then please fill out our volunteer application form and send to This email address is being
protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Asylum Welcome is a registered charity, no 1092265, and a company limited by
guarantee, no 4361627.
Asylum Welcome, Unit 7, Newtec Place, Magdalen Road, Oxford, OX4 1RE, UK. Tel
01865 722082.
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