A part of society: new publication

European projects

Managing volunteers in refugee community organisations

Volunteering and asylum conference

Belfast workshop

Handbook

The Volunteering and
Asylum Project

The Project works to promote good practice in volunteering, and to encourage volunteering initiatives that involve migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and others. It is run by tandem.

Latest publication: A part of society: Refugees and asylum seekers volunteering in the UK
Based on case studies of ten organisations across the UK that are all outside the refugee sector, and that are all successfully involving refugees and asylum seekers as volunteers, this report is for policy makers, volunteer managers and others wanting to encourage and develop diversity in volunteering.

Read comments about A part of society

To purchase a copy (£10 including postage and packaging), download and return the order form (399 KB pdf)

Download particular sections of the report:

• Cover, contents, summary and recommendations (332 KB pdf)
• Section 1: Introduction (182 KB pdf)
• Section 2: The policy context (185 KB pdf)
• Section 3: The findings (271 KB pdf)
• Section 4: The case studies (955 KB pdf)
• Appendices and back cover (99 KB pdf)

Download the full report:

• A part of society: Refugees and asylum seekers volunteering in the UK (1,734 KB pdf)
• Download a high quality (300dpi) copy of the report cover (128 KB jpeg)

A more detailed account of the research methodology is also available:

• Extended methodology (44 KB Word doc)

A part of society was written by Ruth Wilson and Hannah Lewis.

European projects
Tandem has been involved in two European projects exploring volunteering among migrants, asylum seekers and refugees:
The INVOLVE Project
Exchanges for an Equal Europe

Managing volunteers in refugee community organisations
This is the report of a short programme of training and support run by tandem for rcos in Yorkshire in 2005-2006. The report is in part an evaluation of the course, but is also a snapshot of volunteering in the rcos that took part: the importance of volunteers, the management issues, the challenges rcos face, and the commitment of those who get involved.

The programme finished with a showcase event in March 2006. It was funded by the Home Office.

• Download a copy of Managing volunteers in refugee community organisations (297 KB pdf, 28 pages)
• View photos of Showcase, March 2006

Volunteering and asylum conference
Cardiff, 7 June 2007
This Volunteers Week conference for volunteer managers and policy makers was held at the Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff.

Download a copy of the conference report (1045KB Word document)

The conference was organised by:
Tandem
Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust
Displaced People in Action
Refugee Voice of Wales
The Parade ESOL Service
Wales Council for Voluntary Action
Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Consortium for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Welsh Refugee Council

It was funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, with additional support from Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust and the Welsh Refugee Council.

Belfast seminar: volunteering and refugees and asylum seekers
In February 2006 tandem ran a seminar in Belfast, exploring issues relating to volunteering, refugees and asylum seekers. The event was run in partnership with the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (NICEM), the Volunteer Development Agency and Voluntary Service Bureau.

Participants had a number of ideas for carrying work in this area forward: these are included in the evaluation of the day.

Download the Belfast seminar evaluation (Word document, 99 KB)

London seminars
In December 2004 and the first months of 2005, the Volunteering and Asylum Project ran three seminars to look at three different sectors of volunteering: environment, education and health.

Find out more about the three seminars, and download the presentations.

• Environment seminar
• Education seminar
• Health seminar

The a-z of volunteering and asylum
This handbook is practical, informative and easy to read, and will help volunteer managers in many sectors. Read the reviews and find out how to order a copy.

“The handbook offers invaluable practical and well-organised advice.”
Maeve Sherlock, Chief Executive, Refugee Council

The Volunteering and Asylum Project
We are a multi-agency initiative, bringing together refugee agencies, Volunteering England, the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and other organisations. Find out more.

photo caption:
Volunteers and a member of staff, Volunteer Centre Sheffield.

“If you stay inside you don’t know anything, you
don’t know your rights, you just stay in darkness.”
Volunteer