The biggest barrier people face in building their new lives in the UK is a lack of English. Finding work, dealing with bureaucracy, schools, healthcare, understanding systems and making friends are all very difficult without English and our volunteers spend a lot of time helping with these things when people who don’t speak English first arrive. We also have a team of qualified volunteer English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) tutors, who support individuals to make real progress in English.

This August, our volunteer tutors ran a special intensive two-week summer ESOL course for 13 students. It covered practical topics like finding a job in the UK, understanding schools, staying safe on the roads, health and wellbeing. One fun part was a tour of Chichester, where – after a classroom session on history and geography – everyone learned more about the city’s history, led by one of our tutors who is a professional tour guide.

The course ended with a party, where everyone practised English conversation and played some traditional English party games. The highlight of the party was singing a sea shanty led by another of our tutors who is a professional singer. Thanks to our trustee and ESOL Lead, Lois Smith, our awesome tutors and of course our determined learners, the course was a big success. One student said, “This wasn’t just about learning English; it was about finding a sense of belonging.”

We’re also excited that our volunteers have supported 12 more people to sign up for ESOL lessons at Chichester College. Now, over 22 of our friends are learning English there. It’s a big step towards feeling at home in the UK and finding work.

If you’re an ESOL teacher and would like to give some of your time to supporting refugees, come and join us!