Community Sponsorship Group Member - Communities for Afghans

Would you like to support a family displaced by the conflict in Afghanistan?

- We are looking for volunteers who are interested in forming local sponsorship groups to welcome displaced Afghan families to Newcastle.

- A sponsorship group must consist of a minimum of six individual volunteers. Some groups consist of volunteers from community or faith organisations, while others are made up of friends, neighbours or teammates.

- There is no requirement for sponsorship groups to fundraise to resettle families; costs are covered by the project.

- Once formed, a sponsorship groups supports an Afghan family with the essential, everyday tasks associated with settling into a new country and city: volunteers could be assisting a family to find suitable housing, supporting them to arrange appointments or register for services, welcoming them on arrival to the area, or helping them to build connections and a sense of belonging here in Newcastle.

The Communities for Afghans project enables ordinary people to respond in an extraordinary way to a direct humanitarian need. Don't hesitate to get in touch if you want to be a part of the grassroots movement driving the UK's refugee response.

To find out more, take a look at our Communities for Afghans page and sign up to our next info session! 

Communities for Afghans Events - Refugee Council

There is no requirement for sponsorship groups to fundraise to resettle families; costs are covered by the project.

This role is flexible and community based

Skills

The core skills required for all volunteers is to be ready to meet the challenges of helping a displaced family settle into unfamiliar surroundings. All volunteers should be adaptable, able to work as part of a team and have good communication and interpersonal skills

Specialist areas of volunteer knowledge could include:

• Advocacy
• Advice and guidance
• UK housing and benefit systems
•  Experience of working with displaced populations
• Financial literacy
• English as a Secondary Language (ESL)
• Building community networks with newcomers to your area