If you are new in town and struggling a bit or if you have a few hours to help someone else, then this is the place for you!
Our mentoring project supports refugees, migrants and asylum seekers who are particularly isolated or need extra support to build up their confidence, access services and develop new skills so that they can build happier lives in London.
Mentees gain support by being paired with a volunteer mentor. Our mentors are a very diverse group. Some have lived in the UK all their lives and others are themselves migrants and refugees who now that they have settled want to give something back. At the last count, our mentees and mentors spoke 45 languages and dialects. Mentors are given comprehensive training and support throughout their time with the project.
Mentors and mentees usually meet once a week for a couple of hours initially for a period of six months. They are supported by the project coordinator to develop a plan with goals for their time together. Examples of these goals are: starting new activities at college or taking part in the activities at MRCF, doing a volunteering placement, improving levels of English and getting to know London better.
In addition to the one to one relationships the project runs regular group activities which everyone is welcome to attend. These include self advocacy trainings, English Classes, Theatre Workshop, Knitting and Sewing Classes, Digital Drop-in Classes, Blog team, Women’s Group, Men’s Group, Youth Group and Cultural Friday.
Many of our mentees are facing very difficult situations. They may be alone in London, have suffered trauma as a result of forced migration and be coping with multiple losses including family, friends, homes, status and income, as well as difficult social situations arising from housing, family, employment and immigration problems. In addition, cultural perceptions of mental health may be preventing them from accessing and engaging with services. Our approach is guided by our belief, as evidenced through our work and the research of others (Medicine, Conflict and Survival, Volume 23, Issue 3, August 2007), about the need to shift from a medical model of the causes and effects of ill-health to a social model, which assesses the needs of the individuals from an holistic perspective.
There are many ways in which you can volunteer with us, so contact us with your ideas. You can download application forms here:
Application Form for Volunteers
