Community is at the heart of what we do. We have started working with UK Harvest (food rescue and education charity) and St Wilfrid’s Hospice to help people give back and grow together. A major challenge for asylum seekers is that they are not allowed to work at all for the first year that their application is being considered, and are then only able to apply to work in certain roles that are on the UK’s ‘Shortage Occupation’ list – usually highly skilled jobs requiring qualifications they don’t have or within the care sector. Those who arrive with refugee status and are allowed to work still face a number of barriers to finding a job, and it takes time and perseverance to break through those barriers. In the meantime, volunteering can make a big difference. It gives people purpose, increased confidence and a routine, they learn about UK workplace culture and expectations (often very different from their countries of origin), they make friends from diverse backgrounds and learn new skills.
Last month, we – along with UK Harvest and St. Wilfrid’s Hospice – helped four people to start volunteering. It’s part of how we support people to get ready for life in the UK and find the work they want to do.
One of our recent additions to the team is Rahim (not his real name), who has joined the eCommerce team at St Wilfrid’s Hospice. He’s helping raise funds by listing donated items on eBay. His energy and enthusiasm have been a great boost to the team. We hope that Rahim will gain as much from his volunteering as the Hospice does from his hard work.
Amina (not her real name), who recently came to Chichester, is now volunteering with UK Harvest and St Wilfrid’s. She said, “UK Harvest is doing something really good. I’m using my time positively, and I’m learning a lot. Volunteering at St. Wilfrid’s is a unique and positive experience for me.”
Kerry Foster runs our Pathways to Independence (PTI) programme, supporting beneficiaries like Rahim and Amina on their own pathways by encouraging them to think about the steps they need to take towards future aspirations, and to set goals and milestones along the way. Kerry said, “Seeing a positive change in someone’s wellbeing through their volunteering work is priceless. Having spent time with individuals to understand and develop their own ‘pathways to independence’, for some, volunteering is a key step towards fulfilling their overall hopes and potential for their new life in the UK. Many of our beneficiaries were highly skilled and successful in their own countries, then find themselves having to start all over again in an environment that is new and daunting as well as having to support their children through school. Volunteering not only supports integration and allows individuals to give back to the community, it helps individuals begin to see what they have to offer the community and consider how their skills and knowledge could be adapted and transferred into the UK workforce.” Collaborating with local charities to support people into volunteering is therefore an important development for the Pathways to Independence programme.
Kerry sends, “A big thank you to Will Wallace, Volunteer Manager at UK Harvest, and Emma Lemm, Volunteer Services Manager at St Wilfrid’s, for providing these opportunities”. A representative of St Wilfrid’s said of the collaboration, “Supporting Sanctuary in their important cause has been a privilege for us in eCommerce”.
These stories show how volunteering can change lives. It helps people gain transferable skills, self-esteem and become part of the community. If you are interested in volunteering with Sanctuary in Chichester, you could also benefit enormously from supporting individuals directly. For example, learning different perspectives and seeing people begin to thrive after facing so many difficulties and trauma – fill out our application form here.
