Call for volunteering opportunities
Following the activities last year to promote support for refugees and asylum seekers in Newcastle, there have been lots of residents interested in supporting those seeking sanctuary in our city. Alongside donations and offers of goods there have been a number of people expressing an interest in volunteering specifically to support asylum seekers and refugees.
Newcastle City of Sanctuary is putting together a map of opportunities for people interested in volunteering to support people seeking sanctuary that will be available alongside information about how people can support work in the city.
If your organisation has volunteer opportunities, please could you let us know:
- Organisation details
- Brief description of volunteering roles
- Any useful links – webpage information etc
Please contact Karen Watson karen.watson@volunteeringmatters.org.uk by 15th March
All responses will be posted on:
Find out more about Newcastle City of Sanctuary here
Other ways you can help in Newcastle
Newcastle City Council has put together a webpage of information about different ways to help refugees and asylum seekers and those being resettled due to conflict and persecution. This will be kept up to date.
Click here for ‘Refugees – how you can help’ webage
The webpage currently lists these ways to help:
- Offering a spare room
- Offering some accommodation
- Fostering a child
- Offering practical support
- Linking in with local agencies already providing support – as a volunteer, providing financial donations or donations of much needed items, sharing information and understanding what is on offer to help people, lobbying and advocating as part of campaigns supporting refugees and asylum seekers
Whatever help people can offer is always welcome.
Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Newcastle
As well as hosting over 1000 asylum seekers in the city through the Home Office’s contracted dispersal programme, the city also delivers on other resettlement schemes, welcoming families from countries such as Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan and Syria, and since 2014, those who worked alongside the British Army in Afghanistan.
Newcastle is also supporting Afghan families through the extended Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy for those at risk due to their work with the British military and UK Government.