We understand you have loads of questions about volunteering remotely or in person in Birmingham, Greater Manchester and London. That’s why we have a dedicated page to help answer your questions. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please submit an enquiry through our contact page.
Volunteering FAQs
Volunteer opportunitiesOur volunteering opportunities
Here you can find information about the volunteer opportunities available remotly and in person across Birmingham, Greater Manchester and London.
We are always involving volunteers in new ways and in new parts of the organisation, so our volunteer opportunities are always changing! Some permanent volunteer roles are:
- Advice and Guidance Volunteer;
- Sector Specific Volunteer;
- Mentor Volunteer;
- English Language Tutor Volunteer.
You can apply for multiple roles if you are interested in more than one. Check out our volunteer opportunities page to see the roles we are currently recruiting for.
We offer both in-person and remote volunteering sessions. Our in-person sessions take place in our offices in Birmingham, Greater Manchester and London. Our remote sessions take place over MS Teams.
Whether it’s remotely or in-person depends on the volunteer role or programme, the volunteer’s availability, and the preference of the client being supported in the session. If you have a preference you can let us know during the application process.
We do regularly work with volunteers who use corporate volunteering days. However, it is very rare that we offer single-day volunteering opportunities.
Depending on the number of your volunteering ‘days’, you can break up to volunteering over a longer period e.g. two volunteering days will allow you to mentor two clients in 12 months period. Please add your corporate volunteering days entitlement in your application and we will be happy to discuss different options with you.
Unfortunately, we are not able to reimburse travel expenses for volunteers.
There are many benefits that come from volunteering. Here are some of the ones our volunteers have told us about when volunteering with us:
- Making a real difference by directly improving the lives of refugees and helping them to build brighter futures.
- Joining welcoming and inclusive team where you can meet new people and build meaningful connections.
- Developing personally and professionally by using your existing skills, gaining new ones, and building experience that strengthens your confidence and CV.
- Take part in learning, development, and engagement opportunities designed to support your growth.
- Benefit from regular check-ins focused on your wellbeing, progress, and feedback.
- Receive a professional reference after 3 months of volunteering to recognise your contribution and support your future goals.
Yes, we offer different forms of corporate volunteering for our corporate partners, including exclusive individual volunteering opportunities and group volunteering opportunities, such as Employability Skills Workshops. To learn more about partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
Finding the right role for you
Here you can find information to help you narrow down and find the right role for you.
In our general volunteering programmes, we offer a range of volunteer roles, each of which requires a unique set of skills and experience, so we encourage everyone to apply. Others require specific qualifications that will be noted in the role description.
If you are motivated to be involved in your community and support people of refugee background, you can be a valuable part of our organisation!
Yes, you will be required to complete the following training as part of your onboarding process:
- Induction Session: This includes training on Breaking Barriers, volunteer development within the organisation, and refugee issues, including the asylum system in the UK
- Safeguarding and GDPR training
- You may also take part in additional role-specific training: for example shadowing a client session or one-on-one training with staff.
Yes! Our Volunteer Coordinator is available to provide support through regular catch-ups, updates around new opportunities for volunteers.
You will also receive ongoing support from the wider Programmes Team, and other Breaking Barriers staff you work with in your volunteering role.
You can volunteer with us while receiving benefits, so long as you continue to meet all conditions of your benefit. There’s lots more information about volunteering while receiving benefits on the gov.uk site here.
Becoming a volunteer
Here you can find information about what you need to become a Breaking Barriers volunteer.
Each of our roles has an unique online application form located on the role advert page.
Yes, you can apply for multiple roles if you are interested in more than one. Just indicate which ones interest you when you complete the form.
At the volunteer application stage you will be asked to provide a recent CV or link to your LinkedIn profile. During the onboarding process we will ask you for details of your two referees and sign the following agreements:
- Volunteer Code of Conduct Agreement
- Confidentiality Agreement
- Bring Your Own Device Agreement
In addition to that some of the roles may require sharing with us copy of your qualifications certificate. We may also need to request a Basic DBS Check.
Once you apply, we will review your application and respond via email within 10 working days.
If you would like to follow-up on your application, please email our Volunteer Coordinator directly at [email protected].
A main objective in our volunteering programme is to ensure that you feel happy, supported, and fulfilled in your role. Part of this is to ensure that volunteering commitments do not cause you additional stress and that our programmes are flexible so they can fit in with your schedules.
While you are usually required to commit to 3-6 months of volunteering, you can take breaks as needed throughout the course of your volunteering at Breaking Barriers.
Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator directly at [email protected]
