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The Refugee Education and Employment Programme provides educational support and guidance for refugees and asylum seekers. Find out more about the programme.. or take a look at some of the things our students have achieved.
If you are an existing student, please click here

We need volunteers to teach English/basic literacy to a refugee for one and a half hours per week here at the centre. We ask volunteers to commit themselves to volunteering for a minimum of six months in order to provide continuity for the refugees. We offer travelling expenses and child care costs.

Interested in volunteering?

Then contact us or email admin@refed.plus.com

Our volunteers are unemployed people, retired teachers, students, office workers, people with young children and a variety of other backgrounds. A recent volunteer said:

"I did not expect the skills I use in everyday work and life which I take for granted would be useful to someone else. I thoroughly enjoy the experience and am learning as well as my student. It's only an hour and a half but it's the most rewarding thing I do all week"

Our students come from many different countries, for example, Somalia, Iran, Bosnia, Latvia, Colombia, Azerbaijan, Kosovo and more recently Afghanisatn. One of our students has written about her lessons:

"My name is Mona. I come from Somalia. I live in Sheffield with my family. I want to learn English so I can talk to the Doctor or my son's teacher. My English is not as good as I would like but I did expect it to take a long time.  I have been poorly and this has slowed things down but my tutor has been very helpful and I have learnt a lot"

You don't need to have any formal qualifications or teaching experience as a tutor. We provide a tutor training course for new volunteers.This is accredited through the Open College Network. Once you have completed this we offer ongoing advice, support, training and teaching ideas to help you to teach your student and develop your skills.

As well as the tutor training, accredited through the Open College Network, you will have the opportunity to work with the same student throughout the year and see their progress and you will also learn from them. Volunteers also have access to a reference collection of teaching materials for tutor's use here at the centre and membership of the Northern Refugee Centre's Resource library.