Volunteering

volunteer_better_P1020513.JPG

Volunteering with us

Volunteering is one of the most rewarding ways to use spare time - helping others and making a difference to their lives. Our volunteer staff (over 100 are currently active) go a long way to making the centre the success it is today. In our financial year 2009-2010 volunteers accounted for over 14,000 hours of work across almost the entire operations of the charity and are essential members of our workforce.

Our volunteers give time and skills to support an issue they care about, gaining first-hand experience working with our client groups to overcome adversity and suffering. Most volunteers started out just wanting to give to others, but then learn that they get back so much more.

Volunteers learn the predicament of asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. By understanding and addressing the unfairness that asylum seekers, refugees and migrants face, volunteers play an active role in turning our society into a fairer place. And nearly 30 percent of our volunteers have experienced or are experiencing the process of asylum seeking themselves.

We currently have 99 volunteers from the following countries

Great Britain, Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cameroon, China, Czech Republic, Eritrea, Fiji, Greece, Italy, Ivory Coast, Iran, Kenya, Kurdistan, Malawi, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe

who volunteer within different the projects listed below:

  • Men's Group
  • Children's Rights Project
  • Social Work Students
  • Friday Drop in (ESOL)
  • Reception
  • Caseworkers
  • Befrienders
  • Admin
  • Immigration Caseworkers
  • City of Sanctuary (ESOL)
  • Women's Group

Why choose the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre (CRMC)?

  • We help to bring together people from 87 different countries
  • We work towards building a welcoming community in Coventry for asylum seekers and refugees
  • The language skills of our volunteers (be it Kurdish, French, Somali, Farsi, Polish, Mandarin or many others) help to break down the language barriers which newcomers face
  • The diversity of our volunteers enables a cultural understanding and exchange amongst clients, staff and the wider community.