I STARTED VOLUNTEERING with them recently, and found that what these people want is a friendly face and a bit of help to navigate their way through the asylum system, so it’s not too hard and so rewarding. I thought it would be tea, biscuits and a bit of sympathy, which it is, but also the Care 4 Calais lanyard draws people towards you. The recruitment process is long and rigorous, but essential, as these people are so vulnerable. It involves an ID and criminal records checks, and safeguarding training.
Then the big reveal – it’s not in Calais – in fact it’s still Caversham! I started helping with the English lessons at the drop-in as a teaching assistant, so I don’t have to plan the lesson or prepare materials. I listen to the lesson and then help the students with their exercises. In one lesson I played a landlord to whom they had to pose questions such as, ‘Is the room near the railway station?’. Their level of English varies enormously, but all the students are keen to learn and lessons are fun. When I arrived at the drop-in, volunteer asylum seekers, eager to help, were putting out the tables.
My conversations started when so many phones were brought out, because the Home Office has made everything electronic, including eVisa problems, emails from gov.uk and translation Apps. Despite my lack of expertise, I helped somebody go through the web pages on gov.uk to report a problem with their eVisa. Among the things I tackled were:
- Finding someone to talk to about belief in God, discussing various branches of Christianity and Islam
- Finding an immigration lawyer; we have a list
- Finding a local gay group
- Introducing a couple of people with similar backgrounds
- I promised to bring some deodorant the next week (not for me!)
It was a busy morning, but mainly involved looking things up; Care 4 Calais has lists to help find things, and other experienced volunteers are always keen to help.
Now I make a point of trying to greet and shake hands with everybody I’ve met before and, after a few weeks, it is gratifying to see a couple of them coming out of their shells.
If you would like to volunteer or find out more, please email me at len.middleton@ntlworld.com To find out more, visit the Care4Calais website at https://care4calais.org
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