Volunteer - Asylum Services Support
Volunteer role (Hours negotiable but no more than 7 hours per week)
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Faith to Faithless, Humanists UK’s programme raising awareness of apostasy and supporting those who have left high-control religion. The service is led by people with lived experience of leaving a high control religion and our volunteers are specially trained to work with this group of people who may face serious and systemic issues after leaving. These issues range from emotional and physical abuse from family members, friends, and peers in their community through homelessness, shunning, ‘honour-based’ abuse and killings, and systemic failures by statutory organisations to support apostates.
Faith to Faithless stages regular panel discussion events and lectures, as well as hosting apostate socials and peer support meetings. In September 2023, we launched a helpline to provide a listening ear, information, and a safeguarding service to people who are leaving or have left a high-control religion.
As a human rights charity with expertise in religion or belief, we are regularly asked to support individuals claiming asylum due to discrimination or persecution because of their non-religious beliefs.
We are looking for a volunteer to join our team to provide Asylum Services Support, maintaining contact with the asylum seekers we work with, and providing them with social and some practical support. This may be via telephone, video call, in writing or in some circumstances in person.
Please note: this role does not include giving advice on the asylum process, nor providing direct support with asylum claims.
To find out more about the role of Asylum Services Support Volunteer, take a look at our application pack and see if it sounds right for you.
You are welcome to contact the Apostate Services Manager, Donna, by email at donna@humanists.uk, or Humanists UK at volunteers@humanists.uk, to discuss the role before applying.
Our Recruitment and Promotion and Equal Opportunities policies are available to view via the Careers Menu or at the foot of our main Opportunities page.
Volunteers need to be based in the UK for this role. We would particularly welcome applications from those with lived experience of leaving a high-control religion or of the asylum process.
Please note that volunteers will be subject to a DBS check and required to complete adult safeguarding training if recruited.
- Department
- Faith To Faithless Apostate Support
- Role
- Asylum Services Support Volunteer
- Employment type
- Volunteer
- Last date to apply
- 15 November, 2024
- Job type
- Volunteer
- Remote Status
- Hybrid remote
About Humanists UK
We started out in 1896, and since then we’ve always been a growing movement at the forefront of social change. Today we’re trusted by over 120,000 members and supporters and over 70 local and special interest affiliates to promote humanism.
We put humanism into practice through effective campaigning and services, supporting lasting change for happier, more fulfilling lives. Our policies are informed with the support of over 150 of the UK’s most prominent philosophers, scientists, and other thinkers and experts and we seek to advance them with the help of over 100 parliamentarians in membership of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group. We bring like-minded people together to make change happen, and we strive to be their voice in public debate, drawing on contemporary humanist thought and the worldwide humanist tradition.
We’ve been conducting non-religious funerals, weddings, and baby-namings for 120 years. Our highly trained celebrants are the best you’ll find anywhere, and they support individuals to create authentic, bespoke ceremonies that put people and their stories at the heart of every occasion.
We also help vulnerable people easily access like-minded and effective non-religious pastoral support that is specially tailored to work for them. Our trained and accredited non-religious pastoral support volunteers operate across hospitals, prisons, and the armed forces.
Volunteer - Asylum Services Support
Volunteer role (Hours negotiable but no more than 7 hours per week)
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