Volunteering Scheme

The Refugee Resettlement Service at St Helens Borough Council is recruiting volunteers to help us deliver services for refugees, asylum seekers, and local communities in St Helens.

We are currently recruiting for the following volunteering opportunities:

• Weekly drop-ins
• Expert by Experience Launch Event
• Refugee Week 2025

Weekly drop-ins:

We have a twice weekly drop-in on a Monday and Thursday to assist asylum seekers and refugees with their needs, such as housing; benefits; education; health; or any other queries or issues they might have.

We require volunteers to:

• Assist in making teas or coffees for our service users
• Manage the order that service users arrive in the drop-ins to avoid "queue jumping" which could lead to arguments.  To do this, we have implemented a number systems
• Ask service users why they have come to the drop-in, this is to allow for the smooth running of the drop-in as staff will know immediately the best way to assist service users

Please see the leaflet below:

RRS Drop in Info & Poster (PDF, 925 KB)

Expert by Experience Launch Event:

We are currently in the process of recruiting people with lived experience to be part of the Expert by Experience Panel and are planning an event in March (date to be confirmed) to launch the Panel.

We require volunteers to:

• Welcome those who have been invited to the event and to make sure that they sign in
• Other roles for volunteers are yet to be discussed during planning meetings

Refugee Week 2025:

Refugee Week is an annual event to celebrate the contribution of asylum seekers, refugees, and other forcibly displaced people in the community.

There is a different theme each year, and Council services deliver activities and events throughout the week aimed around the theme.

The theme of Refugee Week 2025 is "Community as a Superpower".

We require volunteers to:

• Help with the planning of Refugee Week 2025
• Assist with the annual Communities Together Event to help launch Refugee Week 2025, this role is extremely varied and any input will be greatly appreciated
• Help with any other activities delivered throughout the week.  This will be based around discussions with the Refugee Resettlement Service, and some activities may require an up-to-date DBS check

Volunteers in our Service are offered:

• Full induction and training
• Free DBS where relevant
• A Volunteer ID Badge and a Volunteer Handbook
• Flexible time commitment
• Opportunities to access other volunteering roles within our Service
• Travel and other expenses where relevant
• Opportunities to carry out between 4-8 hours of volunteering a week

For more information and an application form, please contact Michael Melia, Refugee Resettlement Project Officer (e-mail: michaelmelia@sthelens.gov.uk; mobile: 07923 241346).